Thailand Weather in December

In Bangkok and Pattaya: hot, dry, highs 88°F (31°C), sea 83°F (28°C). On the Andaman coast: warm, rainy, highs 86°F (30°C), sea 85°F (29°C). On the Gulf islands: warm, rainy, highs 82°F (28°C), sea 83°F (29°C). Rating: Excellent — best in Bangkok and Pattaya. Driest in Bangkok and Pattaya: about 0.7 in (19 mm) of rain over 4 rainy days.

Excellentwarm and dry, warm sea, in Bangkok and Pattaya

Day high82–88°F (28–31°C)across regions

Sea82–84°F (28–29°C)at the beaches

Rainy days4–20per month

Climate normals checked September 29, 2026 · Source: Open-Meteo (ERA5) · How we calculate

Thailand weather in December by region

Thailand weather in December by region
Region	Day high	Night low	Sea	Rainy days	Rainfall	Humidity	Sun, h/day
Bangkok & Pattayacentral, eastern Gulf	88°F (31°C)	72°F (22°C)	83°F (28°C)	4	0.7 in (19 mm)	65%	10.1
Andaman coastKrabi, Khao Lak	86°F (30°C)	74°F (23°C)	85°F (29°C)	19	6.1 in (156 mm)	85%	9.2
Gulf islandsKoh Samui, Koh Phangan	82°F (28°C)	77°F (25°C)	83°F (29°C)	20	8.9 in (226 mm)	81%	9.5

Separately: Phuket in December →

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

By distance, flying time to Thailand is about 18 h from New York (JFK), 17 h 10 min from Los Angeles (LAX) and 16 h 30 min from San Francisco (SFO). Most trips from the US connect, so add at least 2 h for the layover. These are estimates, not schedules.

Flight time to Thailand from US hubs →

Other months in Thailand

Excellent Good Mixed Off-season

All months and temperature chart →

Phuket weather in December

Goodcomfortable overall, but rain is frequent

Day high84°F (29°C)

Sea84°F (29°C)

Rainfall5.3 in (135 mm)

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).
Sunshine — sunshine duration from the same ERA5 reanalysis (Open-Meteo), average hours of sun per day for the month, 2015–2024.
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.