Winter is coming to Thailand! Bring a shirt.
Winter is coming! I have had several friends and a couple of near strangers ask me when is the best time to visit Thailand when it comes to weather and budget. So I thought I would help. The two things are very much linked like everywhere else.
My favourite time of year here in Thailand is winter and I would suspect that I am not alone in this among the expat community. Years ago the seasons here seemed a lot more regular. The rainy season began in April, very soon after Songkran (the water festival at the end of summer) and would end around October. Summer was February to April and winter was November to February. These days the rainy season starts April or May or whenever it can be arsed. Summer drags on sweatily into May or June. Winter may or may not arrive (I am talking below 30C). The whole thing is chaos! But if you are a tourist – winter is the time to come. But it is also the most expensive.
Like the British summer, when it is a nice day, winter here is a truly glorious thing. When it drops to 28C or below, I feel a strong urge just to go for a lovely walk and check out my fellow Bangkokians in their finest hoodies and occasional ski jacket (not joking). I walk a lot in Bangkok but would never normally refer to it as ‘lovely’. If you are a tourist coming to Thailand, even in the winter, you will probably find it hot. I should add here that there is never an excuse to wear a vest anywhere other than beach but sadly, some people seem to wear them for anything over 20C – just remember that the locals will hate being near you, as will I.
That being said, if you head up north it can get genuinely chilly. The mountains up there are, as I write, ranging from about 15C to 25C. That might sound glorious in Europe but the locals will be in jackets and it can feel cold. Also keep in mind that Thai houses aren’t built for winter in much the same way that Europe houses can’t do summer (not including the Mediterranean). Europeans (which includes Brits for now) seem to be caught out ever time is hits 30C and there is a mad scramble for fans. Well, houses in Thailand are built for the heat and every year the government has to give out loads of blankets to the poor. In my experience, however, it is usually pretty nice in the main northern areas and the prices reflect that.
If you’re headed for a beach, you’re likely to be fine. I have been on the islands when a chill hit (high 20s) and the locals were in jackets, foreigners who lived there were in t-shirts and jeans, and tourists were in vests and shorts. The rest of the time, bloody glorious.
Price wise then, things generally follow the weather. High season is the winter but the prices may stay in a similar range until the rains come. May to October is cheap and thanks to the weather patterns, it may not even rain. In conclusion – don’t come in April, it is pricey and hot.
This is more of a public service announcement for visitors that I was inspired to write after a few random inquiries but mostly by the frankly awesome weather outside in Bangkok right now.
I’m off for a walk.
Winter in Thailand:
