Three seasons, very different experiences — here's how to pick.
The most comfortable months, with lower humidity, less rain and cooler evenings — also the busiest and most expensive time to visit.
Temperatures and humidity both climb, making midday sightseeing tough — mornings, evenings and air-conditioned malls become your friends.
Expect short, heavy afternoon downpours rather than all-day rain, with mornings often clear — a good value time to visit if you don't mind an umbrella.
The consensus best time to visit — daytime temperatures around 30–32°C rather than the 35°C+ of hot season, minimal rain, and comfortable evenings; also the most crowded and expensive period for flights and hotels.
Genuinely intense heat (regularly 35–40°C) makes extended outdoor sightseeing uncomfortable — worth considering if you're prioritising lower prices and don't mind retreating to air-conditioned spaces during peak afternoon heat.
Rain typically arrives as intense but short afternoon downpours rather than all-day drizzle — see the rainy season practical guide for how to plan around this; hotel rates drop meaningfully during this period.
Songkran (mid-April) and Loy Krathong (November) are worth timing a trip around if the cultural experience matters more than ideal weather — see the full festivals calendar.