Practical guide
Dry almost everywhere, cool in the north, and the most expensive two weeks of the year.
Yes, for almost all of it. December is the driest month of the year in Bangkok, Pattaya, Hua Hin, Koh Chang and the northeast, the Andaman coast (Phuket, Krabi, Phi Phi, Koh Lanta) is in high season with calm seas, and Chiang Mai and the north have clear days and the coldest mornings of the year. The exception is the Gulf islands. Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao are finishing their rainy season, and the rain eases as the month goes on. The catch is price. The two weeks around Christmas and New Year are the most expensive and most crowded of the Thai year, so either book those dates early or come in the first half of the month, when the weather is the same and the rates are kinder.
Averages for eight weather stations, one for each part of the country. Tap a region in the table to jump to it, or switch to °F and inches.
| Region | High | Low | Rain | Rain days | Sea |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bangkok | 32°C | 23°C | 12 mm | 1 | – |
| Chiang Mai | 29°C | 17°C | 14 mm | 1 | – |
| Phuket | 32°C | 25°C | 82 mm | 8 | 29°C |
| Koh Samui | 29°C | 24°C | 263 mm | 12 | 28°C |
| Pattaya | 30°C | 23°C | 12 mm | 2 | 28°C |
| Hua Hin | 30°C | 23°C | 12 mm | 1 | – |
| Koh Chang | 32°C | 23°C | 28 mm | 2 | 29°C |
| Isan | 30°C | 18°C | 5 mm | 0 | – |
Central plains and the capital
Highs of 32°C and lows of 23°C, 12 mm of rain on about 1 day, 6.9 hours of sun a day.
The driest month of the year and the least humid, with the coolest nights Bangkok gets. It's the one month when walking between Old City temples at midday is pleasant rather than an endurance test, and rooftop bars are at their best.
The north: Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Pai
Highs of 29°C and lows of 17°C, 14 mm of rain on about 1 day, 7.7 hours of sun a day.
Clear, dry days and properly cold mornings. Doi Inthanon can approach freezing before dawn, so pack a fleece for a sunrise trip, and expect the same pattern in Pai and Chiang Rai. This is trekking weather.
Andaman coast: Phuket, Krabi, Koh Lanta, Khao Lak
Highs of 32°C and lows of 25°C, 82 mm of rain on about 8 days, sea at 29°C.
High season on the Andaman coast. The southwest monsoon is long gone, the sea is calm and clear, and the Similan Islands are open for day trips. The rain days are mostly short showers. Krabi, Phi Phi, Koh Lanta and Khao Lak share this forecast.
Gulf islands: Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, Koh Tao
Highs of 29°C and lows of 24°C, 263 mm of rain on about 12 days, sea at 28°C.
The one part of Thailand still getting real rain in December, because the Gulf islands' wet season runs from October to December. It eases through the month and the second half is the better bet. For a beach trip in early December, the Andaman coast is the safer choice.
Upper Gulf: Pattaya, Koh Samet, Rayong
Highs of 30°C and lows of 23°C, 12 mm of rain on about 2 days, sea at 28°C.
Pattaya's driest month, with calm water around Koh Larn and Koh Samet. It's the easiest beach from Bangkok if you only have a weekend.
Western Gulf: Hua Hin, Cha-am, Pranburi
Highs of 30°C and lows of 23°C, 12 mm of rain on about 1 day, 6.5 hours of sun a day.
Dry, sunny and a little milder than the south. A good fit for a few beach days, the night markets and golf within reach of Bangkok.
Eastern seaboard: Koh Chang, Koh Kood, Koh Mak
Highs of 32°C and lows of 23°C, 28 mm of rain on about 2 days, sea at 29°C.
The Trat coast is one of the wettest places in Thailand in July and one of the driest in December, which is the start of Koh Chang's best stretch. It stays dry through January.
Northeast: Khon Kaen, Udon Thani, Korat, Buriram, Ubon
Highs of 30°C and lows of 18°C, 5 mm of rain on almost no days, 7.2 hours of sun a day.
Almost rainless, with cool nights across the northeast. Few foreign visitors come, which makes Khon Kaen, Udon Thani and the Khmer temples of Buriram the quiet alternative to the north in the busiest month.
Source WMO Climatological Standard Normals 1991–2020 (Thai Meteorological Department stations). Averages for 1991–2020, and rain days count days with at least 1 mm. Sea temperatures: Climates to Travel monthly sea-surface averages. Koh Chang uses the Trat station on the facing mainland and Isan uses Khon Kaen.
Arriving in Phuket
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Almost anywhere works, so pick by what you want from the trip rather than by the weather. The one place I'd plan around is the Gulf. Book Koh Samui, Koh Phangan or Koh Tao for the second half of the month, or swap them for the Andaman side.
Phuket, Krabi, Phi Phi, Koh Lanta and Khao Lak are all in season, with flat water for island-hopping and snorkeling. The Similan Islands, Thailand's best snorkeling, are open from mid-October to mid-May, and Maya Bay is open (it closes in August and September). This is the coast to choose if the trip is mainly about the sea.
December is the coolest month in Chiang Mai, with comfortable days for temples and the Old City and cold enough mornings that you'll want a layer. It's the best month for trekking, Doi Inthanon and the road to Pai.
Bangkok's driest and least humid month makes the long walking days (Grand Palace, Wat Pho, Chinatown) far easier than in April. A day trip west works well too. Kanchanaburi's River Kwai Bridge Week, a light-and-sound show at the bridge with a night market along the river, runs from late November into the first week of December.
Samui's December rain comes as heavy showers rather than whole washed-out days, and it falls off as the month goes on. Christmas and New Year on the island are usually fine. Early December is the gamble.
Christmas Day isn't a public holiday in Thailand and most places run as normal, though malls and hotels decorate heavily and island resorts hold Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve gala dinners. The dates that change how the country runs are below.
The birthday of the late King Bhumibol is a public holiday. Government offices and banks close, and you'll see yellow flags and portraits along the main roads.
Thailand's biggest sailing regatta races off Phuket's west coast for a week. It adds to demand for rooms on the island in an already busy month.
A public holiday, so expect banks and government offices to close.
Haad Rin on Koh Phangan holds its December party on the 24th and a New Year countdown party on the 31st. Ferries from Samui sell out around both dates, so book the boat when you book the room.
December is high season everywhere, and the two weeks from about 20 December to the first days of January are the peak of the peak. Expect hotel rates over Christmas and New Year to run 30–50% above the rest of the season, with island resorts setting minimum stays and compulsory gala dinners on the 24th and 31st.
Book three months ahead for those two weeks, and earlier for Phi Phi, Koh Lipe and small boutique hotels, which simply sell out. Flights to Phuket, Krabi and Koh Samui fill up too. If your dates can move, the first half of December gives you nearly identical weather at noticeably lower prices, and that's what I'd do.
Beach and Bangkok days are warm, but northern mornings are cold. A fleece or light jacket covers Chiang Mai, Pai, a Doi Inthanon sunrise and the overnight train's air-conditioning.
Shoulders and knees covered for the Grand Palace, Wat Pho and every working temple. A light scarf and long trousers or a long skirt in your day bag saves a lot of turning back.
Only if Koh Samui, Koh Phangan or Koh Tao are on the route. Everywhere else, December rain is rare enough to skip it.
Dry season means strong sun on the water. A hat, sunglasses and plenty of sunscreen for boat days.
Common questions about thailand in december.
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Written by
Mac Kiley
I lived in Bangkok for four years and traveled the country from there. The guides are my own opinions, written the way I'd explain them to a friend planning a trip.
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