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Thailand, a top global travel destination, is renowned for its rich culture, stunning landscapes, and great tourist infrastructure. But what if I told you the best time to visit might be during the rainy season? While the crowds may turn up by the millions during the dry months, savvy travelers know that the monsoon season offers unique experiences and unbeatable deals.
When is Thailand’s rainy season? Thailand is a large country — about the same size as Spain — and different regions can have very different weather, but in general, Thailand’s rainy season runs from May to October.
Thailand’s dry season stretches from December through March: These months receive the least rainfall and tend to have the lowest average temperatures as well. March through May is considered to be the “hot season” in Thailand, but average temperatures in Bangkok don’t fluctuate by more than about 5 degrees Celsius/10 degrees Fahrenheit during any month of the year, so if you’re hoping for cold weather, you’re in for a long wait in most parts of Thailand!
It’s no surprise that most travelers prefer the cooler, dry months when sunny weather is more predictable and humidity is lower. However, knowing that the majority visit between November and March, I prefer to avoid those crowded months.
I like meeting fellow travelers as much as the next person, but I also enjoy escaping the package tours and having a more peaceful travel experience while getting to see the natural beauty of Thailand at its absolute lushest. Wet season in Thailand means an explosion of tropical green foliage and roaring waterfalls that are tough to beat. Rain or shine though, if you’re in Thailand, you’re nearly guaranteed a great travel experience – it’s a destination with a lot to offer both new travelers wanting to play it safe and learn the ropes of world travel and seasoned explorers looking for deeper cultural experiences and one of a kind adventures.
If you look up the weather for a particular location during Thailand’s rainy season, you’ll almost certainly be confronted with a pessimistic forecast that shows rain every day of the week. I’ve spent several months in Thailand during the rainy months and even got married there during the height of monsoon season…and in my experience, the online weather forecasts I’ve seen for Thailand do a great job at scaring away would-be travelers but are not particularly accurate, especially for advance forecasts. On sunny days the forecast tends to call for rain. On rainy days the forecast tends to call for rain. When it does rain, it’s often a hard afternoon or evening downpour that lasts for an hour or so and then disappears. One side of Bangkok might stay dry while the other might get absolutely drenched. During a typical week in the popular tourist destinations of Bangkok or Chiang Mai in the middle of the rainy season, you’re pretty likely to get a mixture of sunny days, cloudy days, and days where it rains for an hour or two, along with the possibility of some all day rainstorms.
While plenty of travelers avoid visiting Thailand during the rainy season, this makes it one of the best times to visit for those of you who are a little adventurous and willing to leave a little flexibility in your schedule. For budget travelers, Thailand is always a great destination at any time of year, but rainy season brings the low prices even lower, especially for higher end accommodations. In many places throughout Thailand it’s possible to save as much as 50%, if not more on hotels during the wet season, meaning that you can extend your trip for longer or splurge on hotels that would otherwise be way out of your price range.
Still need a little convincing on why you should visit Thailand in the rainy season? In this guide we’ll share 5 great reasons to love Thailand in the rainy season, along with regional information about the weather and some handy travel tips!
1. You love saving money
There’s no better time of year to save money on traveling to Thailand than during the rainy season. You’ll find some amazing low season discounts on hotels in some of the most popular destinations across the country. Think a place is WAY above your budget? Visit during “monsoon season” and you might find yourself living the life of luxury on a backpacker budget.
2. You like smaller crowds
Thailand has no shortage of incredible, world-class points of interest including UNESCO World Heritage Sites like Ayutthaya and Sukhothai and spectacular natural areas like Erawan National Park (beware the toe-nibbling fish!) Whatever your interests are, the crowds are undeniably smaller during the rainy season months of May through October. With a population of around 70 million and plenty of visitors throughout the entire year, you’re not going to find completely empty tourist spots in the middle of July — Chiang Mai and Bangkok are always busy, but smaller towns and less known destinations can be downright empty of tourists.
3. You’ve got a flexible schedule
Are you more of a go-with-the-flow sort of traveler? Rainy season in Thailand isn’t for everyone, but it is perfect for people who don’t mind adjusting their plans based on what the weather looks like in the morning. Rainy day? Grab an umbrella (available for sale nearly everywhere you turn) and head to any local Buddhist temple known in Thailand as a Wat for a quiet, contemplative experience or find a covered market to get a little shopping done.
4. You value unique travel experiences
There are as many different kinds of travelers as there are destinations in this world. Some folks love all-inclusive resorts where you never need to leave the 5 star compound, while others prefer soaking up the local culture and indulging in spicy street food on every corner. If you’re the kind of person who loves unique travel experiences that can’t be found within the walls of a resort, there’s something about Thailand during the rainy season that makes it a special place to explore.
It’s a country that keeps on ticking whether the rain is falling or the sun shining and on those rainy days, there’s a magical quality about sitting on the porch of a wooden bungalow as a downpour passes, rain drops hammering on the tin roof while you sip hot tea and read an old paperback novel.
5. You want a deeper cultural experience
How you travel, where you visit, and your own attitude all play a huge role in how you experience a country, but there really is no better time for having a more enriching experience in Thailand than during the low season.
With fewer tourists around, you’ll find it easier to engage with locals. Head into some of the local markets and down the side-streets and back-alleys and you’ll find cultural experiences around every corner. My favorite resources for planning a trip to Thailand are Travelfish.com and the DK Eyewitness Travel Guide to Thailand.
- DK Eyewitness (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 384 Pages - 01/25/2022 (Publication Date) - DK Eyewitness Travel (Publisher)
Regional Weather in Thailand
Thailand is big enough that different regions have very different weather patterns. We’ll go over some of the major destination regions with an overview of the months with the heaviest rainfall and the lightest rainfall.
Northwest Thailand – Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai: You’ll experience a little rain in April with more coming in May and increasing through June and July, peaking with the heaviest rainfall in August, especially in Chiang Rai, and decreasing slowly through the months of September and October with a bit of rain still falling in November. The months of January through March experience the least rainfall.
North Central Thailand – Phitsanulok and Sukhothai: Rainy season stretches from May through October with the heaviest rainfall in August and September. November through April are the driest months, with December and January receiving virtually no rain at all.
South Central Thailand – Bangkok: Rainy season lasts in Bangkok from May through October. May, August, and September are the wettest months, with the most rainfall in September. You’ll experience a bit of rain in April and November with barely any rainfall from the months of December through March.
Western Thailand along the Burmese border – Tak and Mae Sot: Rainy season begins in May and lasts until September with very heavy rainfall in July and August. Flooding is a common occurrence during these months — if you plan to cross the Burmese border, extreme flooding and landslides can occur in the low lying regions, making travel difficult.
Thailand’s Gulf Coast – Koh Samui, Koh Pangan, Koh Tao, Surat Thani: Rainy season along Thailand’s Gulf Coast lasts from May through December with extremely heavy rainfall in November and December. Even though the rainfall can be very heavy, rain showers are typically short. February through April are the driest months along the Gulf Coast.
Thailand’s Andaman Coast – Phuket, Krabi, and Phang Nga: The Andaman coast receives some rainfall in April with more frequent rain coming during the months of May through November, with the heaviest precipitation from July through October. The months of December through March are the driest along the Andaman Coast, but still receive rainfall — a visit to coastal Thailand brings a possibility of rain even during the dry season! Be aware that a lot of the tourist infrastructure on smaller islands shuts down during rainy season.
Northeast Thailand (Isaan) – Nong Khai: Rainy season gets started with a bit of rainfall during April, increasing in frequency through May with the peak rainfall coming in July and August, decreasing through September. October will typically see a few days a week with some rain. November through January are very dry, with virtually no rainfall.
Thailand’s Eastern Gulf Coast – Pattaya and Ko Samet: May through October is the rainy season in this region with September and October bringing the heaviest precipitation. November through April are fairly dry months with December, January, and February receiving the least rain.
Preparing for Rainy Season Travel in Thailand
For locals, rainy season is just part of life, but for travelers coming from drier climates, the wet, humid weather can take some getting used to. In Thailand, you can easily pick up an umbrella or poncho just about anywhere – there are more than 14,000 7-Eleven convenience stores in this country…thousands more than in the US. If you’re caught outside when the rain begins falling in a big city like Bangkok, umbrellas seem to suddenly appear for sale along the street – this is a country that is used to rain and well prepared to capitalize on it!
- Avoid heavy clothing like jeans that will take forever to dry. When I’m traveling in Southeast Asia where rain is always a possibility, I love fabrics which dry quickly — Nylon and Polyester fit the bill perfectly. I’ve had good success with quick-dry clothing from Columbia, but there are many brands to choose from. For rainy weather, shorts are even more convenient than pants but don’t go too short in Thailand – you should do your best to stay culturally respectful. For entering Buddhist temples (and these are everywhere) you’ll need to have your knees covered. Some attractions have strict dress codes – the Grand Palace in Bangkok requires that men wear long pants and shirts with sleeves and women must be dressed with their knees and shoulders covered. If you’re wearing sandals, you’ll need a pair of socks too – no bare feet allowed here! While Thailand itself doesn’t have a dress code, it’s generally advised to dress modestly: keep your shirt on unless you’re at the beach, and avoid wearing revealing clothing. You’ll still see plenty of tourists doing the complete opposite of this, but you’ll find that showing a bit of respect goes a long way in Thailand.
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- Keep your luggage to a minimum. It’s so much easier to keep a single backpack dry than three large rolling suitcases. The more stuff you bring, the more stuff you need to worry about getting wet! There are lots of pricy bags out there to choose from, but this one below by MountainTop served me well for more than a year of travel throughout Southeast Asia and still looks great years later.
- Durable Backpack: This 40L hiking backpack is made of tear-resistant and water repellent polyester fabric. The size is 21.7*13*7.9 inches. The spacious capacity and durable material make this backpack suitable for hiking and short weekend business trips.
- Storage Space: This 40L camping backpack has multiple pockets and storage compartments. The main compartment can accommodate a 15.6-inch laptop; the side pockets and hip pockets are perfect for storing smaller items; the bottom pocket has a built-in rain cover to keep your backpack away from dust and rain.
- Comfortable and Breathable: This travel backpack uses breathable mesh padding and a ventilated back system to keep your items dry and ventilate your back. The ergonomically designed structure helps to evenly distribute the weight, making it comfortable to carry while hiking.
- Well-designed details: This outdoor backpack has many clever and convenient designs. The bottom compartment provides direct access to the main compartment; there is also a dedicated compartment for a water bladder (WATER BLADDER NOT INCLUDED), In addition, various shrink straps can also carry camping equipment such as trekking poles, sleeping bags and tents.
- Ponchos can be useful, but they aren’t ideal for every type of rain or every climate. If you’re headed outside in a light rain, I’d suggest sticking with an umbrella. In Thailand, where the humidity is extreme and the temperatures can be broiling, a poncho will make trap that humidity against your skin and clothing and make you sweat. They’re useful to carry in your bag in case you really find yourself stuck in a torrential downpour, but I’d usually rather get a little wet than wear these portable saunas!
Photography in Thailand’s Rainy Season: Tips to Protect Your Camera Gear
The rainy season in Thailand offers spectacular photography opportunities, but it also requires careful preparation to protect your gear from the moisture and humidity. Whether you’re capturing lush green landscapes or vibrant street scenes, here are a few quick tips to keep your camera safe:
- Use a Weather-Sealed Camera and Lens: If your camera is weather-sealed, you’ll have an advantage in rainy conditions, but it’s important to remember that weather-sealed doesn’t mean waterproof. For those using non-weather-sealed gear, taking extra precautions like using a rain cover is essential. For more detailed advice, check out our guide on photography in wet conditions: Rainy Day Photography: 6 Key Tips for Protecting Camera Gear.
- Prevent Foggy Lenses: Condensation can quickly ruin your shots, especially when moving between air-conditioned spaces and humid outdoor environments. To avoid fogging, use a sealed plastic bag to allow your gear to gradually acclimate to the outdoor temperature. For additional tips, read our guide on how to keep your camera lens from fogging up: Say Goodbye to Foggy Lenses: Essential Tips for Managing Humidity.
- Minimize Lens Changes: Rain and humidity create the perfect environment for moisture and debris to enter your camera body, so keeping your lens changes to a minimum can help.
- Use Desiccant Packs in Your Bag: After shooting in the rain, desiccant packs are a low cost way to help absorb moisture left in your bag or on your gear.
By keeping your gear dry and preventing condensation, you’ll be better prepared to capture stunning photos during Thailand’s rainy season!
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