When planning a trip to Thailand, the best time to visit will vary based on what you want to experience. Whether you dream of waking up to a veil of mist over rice fields, or have always dreamed of releasing a lantern at Yi Peng festival, the best time to visit Thailand will be different for each traveler. Depending on your agenda, the worst time to visit Thailand may not be so bad either!
Thailand Has Three Key Seasons
Before you begin planning, it’s important to understand Thailand’s climate. Thailand’s climate varies by region, but the country generally has three key seasons: wet, cool, and hot.
- Wet season (June to October) is characterized by heavy rains, brought on by monsoons. This is often thought of as the worst time to visit Thailand.
- Hot season (March to May) can have unbearable heat, with temperatures nearing 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Cool season (November to February) is temperately warm and dry. Don’t be deceived by the name – Thailand is warm year round.
The best time to visit Thailand is during the cool season. It’s no coincidence that November to February is also the high season for Thailand tourism. The mild and dry weather welcomes tourists from all over the world, resulting in steeper prices on travel and accommodations and more crowds.
In order to enjoy the ideal cool season weather, but avoid steep accommodations and flights, plan your travel to Thailand during a fringe month. Although weather can still be somewhat unpredictable, chances are you’ll have decent weather, moderate pricing, and fewer crowds.
Why November is the Best Time to Visit Thailand
November is the best month to visit Thailand. The fringe season month offers moderate pricing, mild weather, and bucket list festivals across the country.
Better Pricing
Like most tourist destinations, visiting during the peak season will also bring peak prices. The fringe month will allow you to experience Thailand in its best weather season, at a fraction of the cost.
Thailand can always be very budget friendly, and has endless affordable options, no matter the time of year. If you’re looking for a lux stay, the fringe season can score you high end accommodations at a fraction of the price.
For example, the St Regis Bangkok is $250/night in November, and climbs to $400+ by January. Similarly, the Phulay Bay Ritz-Carlton Reserve is $650/night in November vs $1,000+ in January.
Fewer Crowds
According to Statista data, 1.75M international tourists visited Thailand in November 2022, vs more than 2.1M between December and April. Although tourism hasn’t quite returned to its pre-pandemic rates, Thailand is still a booming tourism hot spot, and increasing in popularity each year.
While you will never have the Grand Palace completely to yourself, November is the best month to visit Thailand to ensure there isn’t another tourist in every corner of your photos. Whether you’re trying to secure a Michelin reservation in Bangkok, or hoping to avoid throngs of tourists piling out of long tail boats on Railay Beach, traveling to Thailand in November gives you the best chance of enjoying the country while the crowds are still at bay.
Yi Peng Festival
Yi Peng is the #1 reason why November is the best time to visit Thailand. Although the date varies each year, the lantern festival takes place annually in Chiang Mai each November. The festival spans a few days surrounding the night of the full moon of the 12 month of the Thai lunar calendar. In 2024 it will fall on November 15th – 16th.
Thousands of lanterns illuminate the Chiang Mai sky, as tourists and locals release their “khom loi” lanterns. Once used as a celebration of the end of monsoon season, Yi Peng is also rooted in Buddhist tradition. The festival of light marks the start of new beginnings and release of negativity from the past year. As you release a lantern into the night sky, send with it a wish for the upcoming year. If you do good deeds throughout the year, your wish is said to come true.
It is an enchanting sight as thousands of lanterns float through the sky. Yi Peng is a bucket list event, and more mystical in person than photos can capture.
Loy Krathong Festival
Although unrelated, Loy Krathong typically coincides with Yi Peng and is held on the night of the full moon of the 12th month of the lunar calendar. In 2024, Loy Krathong takes place on November 15th. While Yi Peng is celebrated in Chiang Mai and northern Thailand, Loy Krathong is celebrated throughout Thailand in November.
Locals and tourists gather near waterways to release krathongs, buoyant baskets decorated with candles and florals. Releasing a krathong into the river symbolizes a release of any negativity in your life, and pays gratitude to the goddess of water. The firelight and sentiment of this beautiful festival make for a memorable experience in Thailand.
Built in Vacation Days from the U.S.
Traveling to Thailand from the U.S. is no easy feat. Depending on where you are in the country, it will likely take 30+ hours each way. For those with limited PTO, November is the best month to visit Thailand to maximize vacation days.
Plan your trip around the back half of the month for built in days off during Thanksgiving week. When we visited Thailand in November, we spent two full weeks and only had to take eight vacation days.
The Worst Time to Visit Thailand
Okay, okay – there is no worst time to visit Thailand. Every opportunity to visit the Land of Smiles will offer a uniquely beautiful experience; However, during the rainy season (June to October), tourism is at its lowest point, and for good reason.
- Weather: During peak rainy season, it doesn’t matter if you’re in Bangkok or Chiang Mai or Krabi – it will rain nearly every day.
- Hotel Closures: Many hotels on the coast will shutter for the season due to low tourist volume.
- Limited Activities: During Thailand’s wet season, many popular attractions aren’t a feasible option. In northern Thailand, some trails within Doi Inthanon National Park will be closed due to flooding. To the south, beach trips and boat days will be near impossible.
Even with the cons, the wet season brings lush beauty to the Northern Thailand countryside, and a quieter experience. As long as you do proper research and don’t have your heart set on a day snorkeling around Koh Phi Phi in September, there is benefit to visiting Thailand during each season — even during the “worst time to visit Thailand.”
What did I miss? Comment below on what you found to be the best and worst time to visit Thailand.
