Rainy Season In Thailand’s Beaches And Islands: Pros & Cons

Tropical destinations, Thailand included, commonly only have 2 seasons. It’s warm and humid around the year but rain increases tenfold in some months. Rainy, wet, monsoon, low, green, whatever the name, this season comes with lots of water from the sky.

Is a holiday in the south of Thailand out of the question? Not necessarily. The rainy season can be a nuisance but also has many advantages. Some even swear that it’s the best time to travel to Thailand!

I spent 6 weeks in Krabi and Koh Lanta during the rainiest months – August and September – and had a wonderful time. Yes, it rained a lot, sometimes days in a row, but it was also quite peaceful, much cheaper, and even more beautiful!

Let’s look at what you can expect from the monsoon and how to have a blast anyway!

When is the Rainy Season in South Thailand?

Generally, the rainy season in South Thailand is between May and December. This is valid for the Kra Isthmus – the 1000 km long panhandle stretching south of Bangkok towards Malaysia.

There are regional differences and microclimates but if you aren’t hard into meteorology, consider this:

1. Gulf of Thailand (east of the isthmus): The rainy season is from September to December with the most rain in October. Popular destinations in this region include Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, and Koh Tao.
2. Andaman Coast (west of the isthmus): The rainy season is from May to November with the most rain in September. The Andaman Sea is home to Phuket, Krabi, Ko Phi Phi, Koh Lanta, and Koh Jum.

How Much Does It Rain?

The rainy season means different things around the world. You’d be excused if you think it rains constantly, all day, every day. This just isn’t the case.

It rains more often but it’s not constant. Precipitation is 5 to 9 times more than during the driest months but is concentrated in time – hard and heavy, not slow and steady.

Thailand does not experience predictable storms. Instead, rain is a function of local conditions. Thunderstorms are short-lived, limited in size, and rarely affect the entire region.

On a typical day during the rainy season, there will be an hour, perhaps 2, of substantial downpour after which it dries quickly. This is usually in the afternoon – expats joke they can tell when the clock hits 16:00 by the storm’s beginning. There may be 2 or 3 bouts of rain but it seldom rains throughout the day.

Take the weather forecast with a pinch of salt. It may show thunderstorms every day for the next 2 weeks but this never materializes.

That being said, global warming is already affecting weather patterns. Thunderstorms are becoming more unpredictable and more severe. It will rain more as the years go by.

What’s Good About the Rainy Season

The rainy season is not all doom and gloom! Thailand is still lovely and can be even more so during the wet months. Some swear it’s the best season ever!

It’s Very Chill

Rain often scares people. The prospect of a ruined beach holiday is off-putting if that’s your only 2 weeks off work and you want to lounge under the sun the whole day.

Expectedly, the rainy season is also the low season in South Thailand. This is alluring if you like a more laid-back atmosphere with few other tourists.

No queues, empty beaches, faster service in restaurants, and tours never sold out are all a result of the low season.

Lower Prices

It’s simple supply and demand: fewer tourists mean lower prices. But how low exactly?

Not everything is discounted, but drawing the line, you will certainly pay less for a trip during the rainy season.

Accommodation is cheaper by more than 50%! A nice double room in Koh Lanta may cost 1100 THB in the high season but as low as 350 THB in the rainy season.

Ferries are cheaper by about 20% too. The ferry between Phuket and Koh Lanta costs 900 THB in January but only 700 THB in September.

The price of food doesn’t change much but it’s quite cheap anyway.

Tours and activities like snorkeling and diving are cheaper too, usually by about 20%.

Lastly, let’s not forget about the biggest expense – international flights to Thailand are cheaper during the rainy season, so you will be saving a lot of cash to spend on Pad Thai and curries instead!

Clean Air

Rain is the best air purifier. Pollutants stick to falling water droplets and after rain, the air feels fresh and clean.

The wind of storms also helps in clearing the air. During the rainy season, busy areas smell less of car exhaust and more of salt and sea.

It’s All Green!

There is a reason why Thai people call it the Green Season!

The foliage is thick, the jungles are lush and the vegetation everywhere is verdant. It’s more beautiful and more relaxing too. Studies show that simply looking at green things (nature even more so) improves mood and reduces anxiety.

The Sunsets are Better (Yeah, Science!)

As sunset approaches, the angle at which sunlight hits Earth gets smaller, and the water droplets scatter the light into more colors.

It’s a simplification of a scientific phenomenon called “refraction”. For sunsets, this means that the presence of rain leads to more orange, red, and purple hues.

Sunsets during the rainy season are brighter, more colorful, and will have you gawking in awe. It’s no longer just yellow and blue – it’s a rainbow burst and it’s different every day!

Why the Rainy Season Might Be Dreadful

I may have sugarcoated the rainy season so far but let’s be honest – it has its downsides too. Here are the contra arguments against it.

The Weather is a Gamble

What weather you experience largely depends on luck. The less time you spend in Thailand, the larger the chance for a fluke.

You may have 5 days without a drop of water or 5 days of long daily storms. While generally, it doesn’t rain the whole day, you may be unlucky and be trapped indoors for a couple of days in a row.

The best thing to do is to assume it will rain and then be pleased when it doesn’t. Or imagine that the gods are playing dice with the weather and it’s outside of your control. Just focus on something else!

Disrupted Transport

Heavy rain can create floods and landslides which block traffic and result in delayed buses, trains, and even flights.

Seaborne transport can be canceled altogether in the event of rough seas or heavy storms.

While cancelations and delays are rare, you must be prepared by being flexible with your plans. Always have a backup plan and be willing to tweak your itinerary depending on the weather.

It’s also worth noting that some public transport has a lower frequency in the rainy season, so ditch the tight schedules.

Lousy Beach Parties (if at all)

If you’re a party animal and want to mingle with as many others as possible, the rainy season is perhaps not the best time.

Islands like Phuket and Ko Phi Phi remain fairly busy and the party never truly ends but others like Koh Jum, Koh Lanta, and Koh Samui can get eerily empty to the point that beach bars close altogether.

Dirtier Beaches and Poorer Water Quality

Two factors are at play here:

1. The seas are rough so the waves are stronger and bring more trash to the beach.
2. Fewer tourists lessen the incentive for local businesses (and public services) to maintain the cleanliness of beaches.

In all fairness, it’s not that bad – there are still cleaning parties and in my observations, beach bars try to gather and dispose of trash near them.

However, don’t expect pristine beaches – plastic pollution exists in the sea and there is no way to prevent it from washing ashore during the rainy season.

As you can imagine, this trash also travels through the water to reach the beach so after a heavy storm the seawater quality can drop significantly. Diving and snorkeling may be impacted as water visibility is reduced. Thankfully, this doesn’t last long, and if it hasn’t rained that day, such water activities are possible and pleasant.

Less Choice

Some Thai islands don’t just have a low season – they have an off-season.

In Koh Lanta for example, August and September see so few tourists that many hotels, restaurants, and tour agents close their doors.

Life indeed goes on for locals but you will have less choice for where to eat, drink, or sleep.

Phuket, on the other hand, remains quite touristy – if you haven’t been there in January to compare, you may well feel it’s crowded even in August. It’s all relative.

I found one type of establishment to be ever-present and always open: massage parlors never close and there is always more choice than you realistically need!

Should You Go to Thailand’s Islands During the Rainy Season?

I visited Thailand during the rainy season and had an awesome time. Now you have a better idea of what to expect, so if the cons haven’t dissuaded you, then don’t overthink it and just go!

But it’s also strictly personal.

If you want a quieter holiday, are flexible with your plans, are a bit spontaneous, and want to save a few bucks, the rainy season is perfect for you.

If you’re a party animal who loves the triple S of sun, sea & sand so much that you must have them daily or you have a fixed holiday and will be disappointed if you don’t catch good weather, then avoid the rainy season.

Do You Need to Bring Any Special Clothes?

Just bring what you would bring otherwise.

You can buy a knee-length raincoat or a foldable umbrella from any 7/11 or Big C convenience store for as cheap as 30 THB (~1 USD). The same goes for mosquito repellent, flip-flops, and even sunglasses.

Quick dry clothes come in handy, of course, but if I survived with plain cotton T-shirts, then so can you.

How to Make an Awesome Holiday Out of the Rainy Season

I hope it’s abundantly clear by now that you can have a wonderful time even during the rainiest months. Here are a few tips to make this happen.

Have the Right Mindset

How we experience and remember our travels largely depends on our expectations.

Have high expectations based on a few glamorous vlogs on YouTube or those glossy, perfect tourism leaflets and you may very well go back home feeling let down, dissatisfied, even disgusted. And that applies to any destination.

If you plan to go to Thailand in the rainy season, you must face the reality – it will rain. You may be unlucky and catch a lot of rain. Assume it to begin with and it won’t bother you as much. Have the mindset that you will have a nice time regardless of the weather and you will.

Be Flexible

Don’t plan a tight itinerary with close connections and multiple transfers. Instead, have a rough idea of the places you want to visit with tentative dates that you can easily change.

Not only is this necessary because of potential weather-related problems and obstacles, but it is also a way to feel the freedom travel brings.

Find Joy in Indoor Activities

Who said you have to be outside when it rains?

It’s Thailand! There is plenty of fun to be had indoors too!

Here are a few ideas:

1. Have a Thai massage. The parlors are ubiquitous so you can even get into one as the rain starts and wait it out.
2. Hop into a mall. This is only an option in Phuket or bigger towns on other islands. Any mall will keep you entertained for at least an hour even if you don’t intend to do any shopping.
3. Visit a museum.
4. Sign up for a cooking class… They are rather popular in Thailand and will teach you the basics of mixing essential flavors and cooking traditional dishes.
5. …Or a Muay Thai lesson. Most gyms double down as Muay Thai training grounds and often have an open-door policy – just turn up and join a lesson! If you aren’t very sporty, an alternative is to go watch a fight – weekly tournaments are often advertised with posters around town.

And if the rain catches you off-guard, remember that 7/11 is there for you! These convenience stores are practically everywhere in Thailand, usually have seating inside, and are always ready to prepare you a hot toastie.

Nothing beats watching a tropical storm inside with a toastie in hand!