The Best Times to Visit Thailand for Great Weather, Low Prices, and Fun Festivals

Here's when to plan your trip based on what you want to see and do.

Thailand is one of the most accessible and well-loved destinations in Southeast Asia. It's a great place to visit any time of year, but the best season for island-hopping, festivals, and scuba diving in the Andaman Sea is the dry season, November through March.

Jack Tydeman, a Travel + Leisure A-List travel advisor and Southeast Asia specialist for Audley Travel, says this tropical country has only two distinct seasons. "It is typically warm all year round," he says, but winter is "considered the best time to travel to the majority of the country. April is the hottest month in Thailand before the country moves into the wetter season from May through October."

Thailand's Main Travel Seasons

• High Season: November to March

• Shoulder Seasons: April to June and the month of October

• Low Season: July to September

Before you book your jungle tree house and island boat tour, learn about the best times to visit Thailand.

Best Times to Visit for Smaller Crowds

Thailand's low season coincides with monsoon season. With the exception of the Thai islands, which draw college students from Australia and Europe during their summer breaks, the wet and muggy climate keeps many tourists away between July and September.

Visiting Thailand during this quiet time has its perks: You'll get cheaper accommodations, better access to restaurants and activities typically inundated by vacationers, and potentially more of a local experience. At the same time, there are limitations. Rains could come in brief cloudbursts, or they could come in days-long downpours that affect boat service and island access. Tours are less abundant, and some hotels even close during the off-season, so be sure to plan ahead if you're considering a trip in the summer.

Best Times to Visit for Great Weather

For ideal weather, visit Thailand during the dry season, which runs from November through March in most of the country, sometimes even lasting until April or May. A major exception is the Lower Gulf — home to the islands of Ko Samui, Ko Pha-Ngan, and Ko Tao — which is rainiest from September through December.

On the Andaman Coast, the coolest, most comfortable weather is around November to February, with average temperatures in the 80s and little chance of rain. This means clear, blue waters and gorgeous vegetation quenched from monsoon season.

As for the low season, it's best to temper your expectations. "It is possible to travel over the summer months. However, you may see some short, sharp showers," Tydeman says. "As the east coast of Thailand has its own unique weather patterns, summer is actually the drier season there."

Best Times to Visit for Lower Prices

Thailand is a relatively affordable destination throughout the year, though travelers may find the steepest discounts on flights, accommodations, and tours during the low season, July to September.

Related: The Best Day and Time to Book Flights to Save Money

"The low season does have its advantages as it's quieter and the rates are typically lower. This makes Thailand a great-value destination during the summer," says Tydeman. While this time of year is generally wetter, you might even get better natural scenery. "Summer is now commonly referred to as 'green season' due to the rains turning the countryside green and filling the rivers and waterfalls."

Best Times to Visit for Festivals

Travelers should try to experience at least one of Thailand's many festivals, which celebrate everything from flowers and fruit to monkeys and elephants. Two of the most beloved are November's lantern festivals: Yi Peng, during which participants release thousands of rice-paper lanterns into the sky, and Loy Krathong, when banana-leaf baskets are filled with flowers and burning candles and released onto lakes, rivers, and canals. Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand is the Yi Peng epicenter, and Loy Krathong is celebrated across the country.

The Lunar New Year in January or February turns Bangkok's Chinatown into a sea of dragons, drummers, worshippers, and visitors, all converging under the glow of firecrackers and red lanterns. Also in February is the three-day Flower Festival in Chiang Mai, which features a parade of elaborately decorated floats.

Thailand's Top Festivals

• Yi Peng Lantern Festival: November

• Loy Krathong Lantern Festival: November

• Lunar New Year in Bangkok's Chinatown: January or February

• Flower Festival in Chiang Mai: February

• Songkran Festival: April

• Vegetarian Festival: September or October
  

Songkran (also known as the Water Splashing Festival) ushers in the Thai New Year in mid-April after the rice harvest with parades, parties, and performances across the country. Songkran turns Thailand into "one big water fight," Tydeman says. "It also coincides with the hottest month of the year, so it's a perfect excuse to get wet."

The Vegetarian Festival takes place in late September or early October and commemorates a nine-day abstinence from meat in honor of the Nine Emperor Gods of Taoism. The most famous celebration takes place in Phuket.

Related: This New 'White Lotus'-caliber Resort Is an Unspoiled Paradise Away From the Crowds of Phuket

Best Times to Visit for Scuba Diving

Divers from all over the world flock to Thailand to explore the country's famous underwater sites and stunning marine parks. Thailand's east coast is largely dive-friendly all year round. If you plan to dive in the Andaman Sea, such as from the extraordinary Similan and Surin Islands, time the trip between November and April, when the seas are calm and visibility is clearest. Also keep in mind that Similan and Surin marine parks close from mid-May to mid-October.

Related: 20 Best Scuba Diving Destinations in the World

Best Times to Visit for Island-hopping

Boating from one jungle-topped limestone island to another is a great way to explore Thailand, but seasonal downpours can put the kibosh on nautical fun. Some southern Andaman resorts even close for the rainy season.

"The islands off the west coast, like Phuket, are best to visit in the winter months, whereas the islands off the east coast, like Ko Samui, are great to visit in the summer," says Tydeman. This means you should time your bouncing around Phuket, the Phi Phi Islands, Ko Lanta, and other Andaman isles between late October (when the rains taper off) and May or June. Conversely, Gulf of Thailand idylls Ko Samui, Ko Tao, and Ko Pha-Ngan are at their rainiest and windiest between October and December.

Thailand's Top Islands

• Phuket, Phi Phi Islands, Ko Lanta: Best to visit between late October-May or June

• Ko Samui, Ko Tao, Ko Pha-Ngan: Best to visit between June-September

Best Times to Visit for Shopping

No matter what time of year you visit Thailand, try to be in Bangkok on a weekend so you can experience the vast Chatuchak Weekend Market. Many of the stalls are covered, so you can go on a rainy day, too. Tydeman also recommends visiting Bangkok's night markets, which offer "everything from original artwork and designer bags to kitschy souvenirs and secondhand books."

Related: Bangkok Travel Guide

Chiang Mai's weekend markets deserve a look as well. Every Saturday night, Wua Lai Road (just south of the Old City) closes to traffic and hosts silversmiths, wood carvers, clothing purveyors, sketch artists, and performing musicians. On Sundays, the scene essentially repeats itself along the length of Ratchadamnoen Road, which bustles with artists, food vendors, and massage stations.

Worst Times to Visit

There is no bad time to visit Thailand. Each season has its benefits, but most people avoid traveling during the heaviest monsoons, which can disrupt public transportation and make exploring Thailand's stunning natural sites wildly uncomfortable (if not impossible). Forget renting a motorbike or riding ferries during the wet season.

Though you're more likely to snag accommodations for cheap, you're liable to spend more time at your hotel than you wanted, waiting for the downpours to pass. If you're averse to heavy rains and thick humidity on vacation, avoid planning a trip to Thailand in August and September.