Thailand’s Diverse Weather

by Rodson Santos
(UP Diliman, Philippines)

The climate in Thailand is generally tropical, hot and humid, but this may vary depending on the individual regions.

Thailand’s seasons are affected by wind patterns called "Monsoons" ,which change depending on the season,temperatures and pressures of land and sea.

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Northern Thailand’s climate is much more predictable when compared to the south.In this region, there are three clearly defined seasons.

The “Cool and Dry” season happens between November to February. During this time, it is usually sunny but the winds are cooler than normal as they usually come from the north. Daytime temperatures during the cool season range from 30-35C, night time 15-20C and humidity ranges from 50% to 60%.

The “Hot” season comes around March to June every year. The weather is extremely warm during this time of year, temperatures may soar up to 40C. Tourists should take care in coming during this time. If you plan to spend your vacation here during the aforementioned months, make sure that you take the necessary heat precautions.

The “Rainy” season happens between June to October. It does not mean that it will be raining all day and all night when you come during this time, but that there will be scattered rain showers and thunderstorms in the afternoons or evenings.

The seasons in Southern Thailand differ slightly, in that they only have really two seasons – "wet" and "dry". However,the timing of the season differs depending on whether you are in the east coast or the west coast.

In the west,the wet season arrives between May to October. While in the east, the rains don’t start in earnest until September & can last right into November.

All of the southern areas receive almost daily short sharp showers throughout the year & night time temperatures are typically only a few degrees lower than during the days, which keeps the humidity & rainfall levels much higher than in northern Thailand.

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