Best Time to Visit Thailand

If you want to visit Thailand for its sights and lush landscape, it's best to visit during the dry season. Which for most of the country starts around November and lasts until March, sometimes even until April or May, depending on where you're visiting.

An exception to this would be the islands of Ko Samui, Ko Phangan, and Ko Tao, which are rainiest from October to December.

For the rest of the country, though, November through February has the most comfortable weather, with the average temperature hovering at around 26°C. During this time, you can explore its beaches with clear blue waters and lush greenery from the previous monsoon season, with little chance of rain.

You also experience some of Thailand's biggest festivals and crowds this time. If you time your trip around early November, you can beat the crowds. The weather starts to heat up around March and April, but this is also a smart time to visit if you're not a fan of crowds.

April is an excellent compromise as it still holds a lot of festivals, with lesser crowds and low chances of rain.

Thailand is a budget-friendly vacation destination. If you really want to get a bang for your buck and are okay with the monsoon season, you may find July through September the ideal time to visit Thailand. You get the steepest discounts for flights, accommodations, and tours.

The rains come in strong short bursts or are day-long affairs. If you're planning to visit any islands, be warned that this could cause delays for boat services. However, if you don't mind a bit of rain and are a more flexible traveller, this could be your chance to save on a trip.

To split the difference, consider visiting during the shoulder seasons - April, May and June when the rains are usually shorter and more infrequent. July is the peak summer month, and August tends to be generally cloudy and has heavy rainfall. September is their wettest and least crowded month.

Thailand hosts many festivals throughout the year, from its early springtime fruit festivals to the Lopburi Monkey Festival in late November. One of their most popular festivals is held in Chaing Mai. Tourists are of course allowed to participate in most of these festivals generally for a fee.

The lantern festival, also known as Yi Peng, involves thousands of rice paper lanterns being released into the sky and candlelit baskets (Loy Krathong) being set into the water. Chaing Mai also hosts another festival in February - the three-day Flower Festival - a beautiful display of chrysanthemums and damask roses.

Another popular festival - The Chinese New Year, hosted in January or February - brings swaths of people to Bangkok's Chinatown. The festival plays host to worshippers, dragon dancers, and drummers — all gathered to celebrate the new year under the warm glow of the red lanterns.

The most anticipated festival of the year is Songkran - the water splashing festival, held in mid-April. This festival celebrates the Buddhist new year with parades, performances and parties hosted in Chiang Mai and the rest of the country.

Lastly, the vegetarian festival is held from September to early October, closing off the year.

Thailand is known for its beaches above all else. Divers from all over the world flock to Thailand to explore its famous underwater sites and underwater national parks. The country's east coast is divable all year round.

However, when visiting Thailand, the best time to visit for its weather is between November and April is best if you want to go diving in the Andaman sea. This is when the seas are at their calmest and clearest.

If you're asking, "So, when is the best time to visit Thailand?" - There isn't really a wrong time to visit Thailand. It depends on what type of traveller you are and what best suits your preferences.

If you're not someone who does well with extreme weather conditions like heavy rain or hot Thai summers, it's best to avoid the stretch between July and October for the rain and March and May for the heat.

Thailand is a great vacation spot in Southeast Asia. Overall, it's recommended you visit the country for a good 10 - 14 days to take in what it has to offer and visit several of its beaches and festivals.

Due to Thailand's peak seasons and festivals, you may want to switch up your travel plans and dates. This is where having a travel insurance plan is an advantage. Tata AIG's travel insurance offers flight cancellation insurance so that you don't lose out on a cancelled trip and stay covered.