Thailand Weather in December
In Bangkok and Pattaya it is hot and dry, with highs of 88°F (31°C) and the sea at 83°F (28°C). On the Andaman coast it is warm and rainy, with highs of 86°F (30°C) and the sea at 85°F (29°C). On the Gulf islands it is warm and rainy, with highs of 82°F (28°C) and the sea at 83°F (29°C). Rating: Excellent — best in Bangkok and Pattaya.
Excellentwarm and dry, warm sea, in Bangkok and Pattaya
Climate normals checked September 29, 2026 · Source: Open-Meteo (ERA5) · How we calculate
Thailand weather in December by region
| Region | Day high | Night low | Sea | Rainy days | Rainfall | Humidity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bangkok & Pattayacentral, eastern Gulf | 88°F (31°C) | 72°F (22°C) | 83°F (28°C) | 4 | 0.7 in (19 mm) | 65% |
| Andaman coastKrabi, Khao Lak | 86°F (30°C) | 74°F (23°C) | 85°F (29°C) | 19 | 6.1 in (156 mm) | 85% |
| Gulf islandsKoh Samui, Koh Phangan | 82°F (28°C) | 77°F (25°C) | 83°F (29°C) | 20 | 8.9 in (226 mm) | 81% |
What to know in December
Late December is peak hotel pricing in Phuket and on the islands. Book early.
Checked September 29, 2026.
Flight time from the US
We're still checking flight times from JFK, LAX and SFO to Thailand. This block will show them once our flight data is ready.
Other months in Thailand
- Jan88°FJanuary: Excellent
- Feb90°FFebruary: Excellent
- Mar86°FMarch: Excellent
- Apr88°FApril: Good
- May88°FMay: Good
- Jun88°FJune: Excellent
- Jul87°FJuly: Good
- Aug87°FAugust: Good
- Sep85°FSeptember: Good
- Oct84°FOctober: Mixed
- Nov88°FNovember: Excellent
- Dec88°FDecember: Excellent
Excellent Good Mixed Off-season
Phuket weather in December
Goodcomfortable overall, but rain is frequent
Thailand in December: FAQ
What's the weather like in Thailand in December?
In Bangkok and Pattaya it is hot and dry, with highs of 88°F (31°C) and the sea at 83°F (28°C). On the Andaman coast it is warm and rainy, with highs of 86°F (30°C) and the sea at 85°F (29°C). On the Gulf islands it is warm and rainy, with highs of 82°F (28°C) and the sea at 83°F (29°C).
Is December a good time to visit Thailand?
We rate December as Excellent. Yes — best in Bangkok and Pattaya, with highs of 88°F (31°C) and about 0.7 in (19 mm) of rain for the month.
Is December rainy season in Thailand?
Driest in Bangkok and Pattaya, with about 0.7 in (19 mm) of rain and 4 rainy days. On the Andaman coast: 6.1 in (156 mm); On the Gulf islands: 8.9 in (226 mm).
How does Thailand in December compare to January?
January rates Excellent, December rates Excellent. In the best region, December brings highs of 88°F (31°C) and 0.7 in (19 mm) of rain; January brings 88°F (31°C) and 0.9 in (24 mm).
Where the data comes from
- Air temperature, rainfall, humidity — ERA5 reanalysis (Copernicus / ECMWF) via Open-Meteo, averaged over 2015–2024. Each region uses one point: the resort or city in its caption.
- Sea temperature — Open-Meteo Marine, average sea surface temperature for 2023–2026 (the source has no longer record yet).
- Rainy days — days with at least 1 mm (0.04 in) of rain. Reanalysis picks up light rain more often than weather stations, so treat this as an upper bound.
- Month rating — one rule for every destination, based on three factors: day highs (ideal 75–91°F / 24–33°C), monthly rainfall (ideal under 80 mm / 3.1 in) and, for beach regions, sea temperature (ideal 77°F / 25°C or warmer). All ideal means Excellent; one slightly weaker factor means Good. Mixed means heavy rain (150 mm / 5.9 in or more), highs above 97°F (36°C) or a sea below 70°F (21°C). Off-season means highs of 100°F (38°C) or more, cold below 54°F (12°C), over 350 mm (13.8 in) of rain, or several problems at once. A country's rating follows its best region, so check the regional table.
Checked September 29, 2026. Climate normals are refreshed yearly and the notes every 90 days. These are long-term averages, not a forecast: any given year can differ.
