At a glance
When is the best time to visit Thailand?
The cool season, from mid-October to mid-February, is the most comfortable for Bangkok and the Andaman beaches around Phuket. The Gulf islands follow a different calendar: Ko Samui's wettest months are October to December, and from April to September it is drier than the Andaman coast.
The Thai Meteorological Department divides the year into three seasons: a hot season from about mid-February to mid-May, a rainy season from about mid-May to mid-October, when the south-west monsoon covers the country, and a cool season from about mid-October to mid-February[2]. In April, the department notes, the sun stands almost overhead at noon[2], and it is Bangkok's hottest month on the averages[1].
The south is the complication. The department notes that southern Thailand has rain for most of the year, and that its two coasts peak at different times: the west, Andaman side, which faces the south-west monsoon, is wetter in the rainy season and wettest in September; the east, Gulf side, which faces the north-east monsoon, is wetter in the cool season and wettest in November[3]. The thirty-year records for Phuket and Ko Samui show exactly that[1].
How hot and wet is Thailand each month?
Bangkok's average high stays between 32.3 °C and 35.7 °C all year, so the difference is rain. Bangkok gets less than 25 mm a month from December to February and more than 330 mm in September. Phuket peaks in September and October; Ko Samui in November, at 445 mm.
Bangkok's temperatures, rainfall on three coasts, and visitors to Thailand
| Month | Bangkok high / low (°C) | Bangkok rain | Phuket rain | Ko Samui rain | Visitors to Thailand, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32.7 / 23.4 | 24 mm | 50 mm | 127 mm | 3.71 million |
| February | 33.7 / 24.8 | 21 mm | 24 mm | 64 mm | 3.12 million |
| March | 34.7 / 26.4 | 51 mm | 81 mm | 116 mm | 2.72 million |
| April | 35.7 / 27.2 | 93 mm | 135 mm | 83 mm | 2.55 million |
| May | 35.1 / 26.9 | 217 mm | 237 mm | 132 mm | 2.27 million |
| June | 34.1 / 26.4 | 199 mm | 249 mm | 134 mm | 2.32 million |
| July | 33.5 / 26.1 | 190 mm | 240 mm | 117 mm | 2.61 million |
| August | 33.3 / 25.9 | 227 mm | 309 mm | 102 mm | 2.58 million |
| September | 33.2 / 25.4 | 336 mm | 350 mm | 118 mm | 2.24 million |
| October | 33.0 / 25.2 | 289 mm | 336 mm | 295 mm | 2.57 million |
| November | 33.1 / 24.7 | 45 mm | 178 mm | 445 mm | 2.91 million |
| December | 32.3 / 23.2 | 12 mm | 82 mm | 263 mm | 3.37 million |
Climate: WMO climatological normals 1991–2020 for the Bangkok Metropolis, Phuket and Ko Samui stations, submitted by the Thai Meteorological Department[1]; mean daily maximum / minimum and mean monthly precipitation, rounded. Visitors: foreign arrivals to the whole of Thailand, provisional, Ministry of Tourism and Sports[5].
Heat is less seasonal than rain. Bangkok's average high only moves between 32.3 °C in December and 35.7 °C in April, and its nights stay above 23 °C in every month[1]. What changes is the humidity and the rain: Bangkok averages 18 days with at least 1 mm of rain in September, against one or two a month from December to February[1].
Visitors follow the cool season. Thailand counted 32,974,321 foreign arrivals in 2025; January was the busiest month, with 3,709,102, and September the quietest, with 2,235,852[5]. Visitors from the UAE are the exception: their arrivals peaked in July (38,107) and August (28,781), the heart of the rainy season, out of 172,979 for the year[5].
Which coast should you choose, and when?
Match the coast to the month. From December to March, the Andaman coast (Phuket, Krabi) is at its driest, with 24–82 mm a month in Phuket. From April to September, the Gulf islands such as Ko Samui are drier than the Andaman side. In October, both coasts are wet.
- Andaman coast (Phuket, Krabi, Phi Phi): driest from December to March; Phuket's wettest months are September (350 mm) and October (336 mm)[1].
- Gulf coast (Ko Samui, Ko Phangan): wettest from October to December, with 445 mm in November; February is the driest month, at 64 mm, and mid-year months average 100–135 mm[1].
- Bangkok: drier from November to April, wet from May to October, with the most rain in September[1].
That split is the Thai Meteorological Department's own description: the Andaman side faces the south-west monsoon of the rainy season, the Gulf side the north-east monsoon of the cool season[3]. On those records, an August beach trip favours the Gulf, and a January one the Andaman coast.
How do the UAE school holidays line up with Thailand?
Winter break, 14 December 2026 to 3 January 2027, falls in the cool season and the busy weeks of the year. Spring break, 5 to 11 April 2027, is in the hottest month, just before Songkran. The October mid-term and the summer holidays fall in the rainy season.
UAE school breaks in 2026–27, and Thailand at the same time
| UAE break | Dates | In Thailand |
|---|---|---|
| Mid-term | 12–18 October 2026 | End of the rainy season; Ko Samui's wet season beginning (295 mm in October) |
| Winter | 14 December 2026 – 3 January 2027 | Cool season: Bangkok averages 12 mm of rain in December, Phuket 82 mm |
| Spring | 5–11 April 2027 | Hot season: Bangkok averages 35.7 °C; Songkran follows on 13–15 April |
| Summer | From 3 July 2027 (school ends on 2 July) | Rainy season; the Gulf islands are drier than the Andaman coast |
UAE dates from the Ministry of Education's calendar for schools that follow it[8]; check your own school's dates. Thailand: WMO normals[1], seasons[2] and bank holidays[6].
Songkran, the Thai New Year, is marked by bank holidays on 13, 14 and 15 April 2027, according to the Bank of Thailand's list for the year[6]. Thailand keeps UTC+7[4]; the UAE is four hours ahead of GMT[7], so Thailand is three hours ahead of the UAE.
Entry requirements for Thailand depend on your passport, and we do not restate them. Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs runs the official visa website, and our visa desk can look at your case.
Questions travellers ask
What is the best month to visit Thailand?
For Bangkok and the Andaman beaches, December to February: Bangkok averages 12–24 mm of rain a month and Phuket 24–82 mm[1]. January was also the busiest month for foreign arrivals in 2025[5].
When is the rainy season in Thailand?
The Thai Meteorological Department dates it from about mid-May to mid-October[2]. The Gulf coast's wettest months come later, from October to December[3][1].
Is August a good time for a beach holiday in Thailand?
On the Gulf side, more than the Andaman side: Ko Samui averages 102 mm of rain in August, Phuket 309 mm[1].
When is Songkran in 2027?
The Bank of Thailand lists 13, 14 and 15 April 2027 as Songkran bank holidays[6].
Do I need a visa for Thailand?
It depends on your passport, and we do not restate visa rules. See the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs' official visa website, or ask our visa desk.
Sources
The desk opened each source on the date shown. Rules, fees and timetables change: check the official source before you travel.
- [1]WMO Climatological Standard Normals 1991–2020 (NCEI Accession 0253808), station files BangkokMetropolis_48455.csv, Phuket_48564.csv, KoSamui_48550.csv — WMO Member Nations (Thai Meteorological Department), via NOAA NCEI. Accessed 29 September 2026
- [2]ฤดูกาลของประเทศไทย — Thai Meteorological Department (กรมอุตุนิยมวิทยา). Accessed 26 September 2026
- [3]ภูมิอากาศของประเทศไทย หน้า 2 — Thai Meteorological Department (กรมอุตุนิยมวิทยา). Accessed 26 September 2026
- [4]เวลามาตรฐาน, การประกาศใช้เวลามาตรฐานของประเทศไทย — Thai Meteorological Department (กรมอุตุนิยมวิทยา). Accessed 26 September 2026
- [5]จำนวนนักท่องเที่ยว ปี 2568P — Ministry of Tourism and Sports, Thailand. Accessed 26 September 2026
- [6]Notification of the Bank of Thailand: holidays of financial institutions for 2027 (unofficial translation) — Bank of Thailand. Accessed 26 September 2026
- [7]Fact sheet — The UAE Government portal (u.ae). Accessed 26 September 2026
- [8]MOE announces the academic calendar for the next three years — UAE Ministry of Education. Accessed 26 September 2026
- [9]Official Website of Thailand Electronic Visa — Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand. Accessed 26 September 2026
Published 26 September 2026 · Updated 29 September 2026
Seen something wrong or out of date? Write to trade@nwp.ae and the desk will check it against the source.
