Where To Live To Stay Cool?

[Supakamo]

Hi there,

I'm looking to spend a month or more somewhere with the family and maybe rent some place, and wondering where is the best climate in Thailand during the summer?

We are in Northern plains now which is scorched.

Got a few suggestions?

thanks!

A.

[craigt3365]

I would think pretty much anywhere on or near the beach. We're about 1/2km to the sea and the breezes are pretty good. Our friends have a condo on the beach and they rarely use the AC. What about in/around Chantaburi?

[yermanee]

I would think somewhere in the mountains up north (Chang Rai - Mae Hong Son).

Even if it gets hot in the day, the mornings, evenings and nighttime will be cool.

Or like craig says somewhere on an island (Koh Chang - Koh Kood etc.)

Good luck

Yermanee

[craigt3365]

I would think somewhere in the mountains up north (Chang Rai - Mae Hong Son).

Even if it gets hot in the day, the mornings, evenings and nighttime will be cool.

Or like craig says somewhere on an island (Koh Chang - Koh Kood etc.)

Good luck

Yermanee

I be curious to hear from someone who has spent the summer in the mountains here. Would be interesting to hear about the temperature. Maybe even Khao Yai? But I've heard it's expensive there.

[Thailand]

I would think somewhere in the mountains up north (Chang Rai - Mae Hong Son).

Even if it gets hot in the day, the mornings, evenings and nighttime will be cool.

Or like craig says somewhere on an island (Koh Chang - Koh Kood etc.)

Good luck

Yermanee

You would not be able to see much of the mountains at the moment with the smog.

Has to be the coast,Rayong etc maybe.

[TongueThaied]

Cha Am is nice and not too crowded expensive or crowded. Nice cool seabreezes. Not too horribly far from BKK like Phuket.

[yermanee]

I would think somewhere in the mountains up north (Chang Rai - Mae Hong Son).

Even if it gets hot in the day, the mornings, evenings and nighttime will be cool.

Or like craig says somewhere on an island (Koh Chang - Koh Kood etc.)

Good luck

Yermanee

I be curious to hear from someone who has spent the summer in the mountains here. Would be interesting to hear about the temperature. Maybe even Khao Yai? But I've heard it's expensive there.

Hi Craig,

Unfortunately all my experiences date from many years ago, so not very relevant today.

However did spent a couple of days at Mae Hong Son and remember that it was cold in the evenings to the point that one needed at least a sweater to be comfortable.

Cheers

Yermanee

[craigt3365]

I would think somewhere in the mountains up north (Chang Rai - Mae Hong Son).

Even if it gets hot in the day, the mornings, evenings and nighttime will be cool.

Or like craig says somewhere on an island (Koh Chang - Koh Kood etc.)

Good luck

Yermanee

I be curious to hear from someone who has spent the summer in the mountains here. Would be interesting to hear about the temperature. Maybe even Khao Yai? But I've heard it's expensive there.

Hi Craig,

Unfortunately all my experiences date from many years ago, so not very relevant today.

However did spent a couple of days at Mae Hong Son and remember that it was cold in the evenings to the point that one needed at least a sweater to be comfortable.

Cheers

Yermanee

HA! I don't even have any sweaters here! Just got back from Egypt and was amazed at how cold it is in Cairo. Freezing! Sure wished I'd had my sweater with me then.

I do love cool evenings.

[ubonrthai]

You can view weather averages by month and location here. I made some graphs yesterday here.

[yermanee]

I would think somewhere in the mountains up north (Chang Rai - Mae Hong Son).

Even if it gets hot in the day, the mornings, evenings and nighttime will be cool.

Or like craig says somewhere on an island (Koh Chang - Koh Kood etc.)

Good luck

Yermanee

I be curious to hear from someone who has spent the summer in the mountains here. Would be interesting to hear about the temperature. Maybe even Khao Yai? But I've heard it's expensive there.

Hi Craig,

Unfortunately all my experiences date from many years ago, so not very relevant today.

However did spent a couple of days at Mae Hong Son and remember that it was cold in the evenings to the point that one needed at least a sweater to be comfortable.

Cheers

Yermanee

HA! I don't even have any sweaters here! Just got back from Egypt and was amazed at how cold it is in Cairo. Freezing! Sure wished I'd had my sweater with me then.

I do love cool evenings.

Look no further :

Weather for Mae Hong Son

http://www.wunderground.com/global/stations/48300.html

Yermanee

BTW How was Egypt ?

Edited February 26, 2012 by yermanee

[craigt3365]

ubonrthai: nice link. Thanks!!!!

Yermanee: Egypt's been my dream trip for years. I was blown away by the historical sites and underwhelmed by everything else. Cairo's a mess. And it was cold!!! Some hotels don't even have heaters.

[Gone]

You will get hot and cool season everywhere really. i mean yes close to a beach you do get a nice breeze. Move to Esaan and you will freeze your bulloks off in the winter then die of heat exhaustion in the summer.

[bangkokgabe]

I was at the peak of Doi Inchanon on December 29 and I was frozen! I know there is a vast difference between summer and winter, however, I imagine it's much cooler there than most of the rest of the country. We saw some guesthouses on the way up......they looked ok from the road.

[asanee]

it was specific about april=Songkran month, before the rains bring cooling. NOT about december or cool season As seems the custom on the TV=board answers a plenty, but mostly irrelevant and out of meaning. The only answer is-where there is a cool breeze, on which there is no garantee whereever. I heavily doubt if coast around Chantaburi has any difference from any coast in that respect.

IMHO the mountains can be Cold- but NOT at that time of year. In fact areas like MHS are also blazing hot throughout the night in THAT time of year,

[colinp]

I've just come back from a short break in Chiang Mai (living in BKK), I found it to be very comfortable. Able to walk around midday in a suit without sweating or feeling sticky. This was a week ago but I haven't been in Thailand long enough to know what its like at all times of the year. Felt like there was less humidity in CM.

[Semper]

Doi Maesalong....

[Huayrat]

You will get hot and cool season everywhere really. i mean yes close to a beach you do get a nice breeze. Move to Esaan and you will freeze your bulloks off in the winter then die of heat exhaustion in the summer.

20c here in isaan aint cold in winter

[ubonrthai]

20c here in isaan aint cold in winter

The nights have been pretty nice the past 3 months. Only a few I'd consider "cold" but plenty of "put on a jacket" nights.

[Sateev]

Forget the North, worst air quality in Thailand, even in the region. PCD has issued alerts for six provinces due to unhealthful air. Burning fields, you know...

Hua Hin/Cha Am is pretty good, but still hot as Songkran approaches.

Isaan is nippy in the AM and late evening at wintertime, but very toasty the rest of the year (if it's not raining).

No real solution for year-round comfort in Thailand, IMHO.

[djayz]

Cha Am is nice and not too crowded expensive or crowded. Nice cool seabreezes. Not too horribly far from BKK like Phuket.

Cha Am is good for a day, 2 max. - then it's dead boring...

[Semper]

Another country? April would be rather hot anywhere in Thailand.

[JAS21]

I was at the peak of Doi Inchanon on December 29 and I was frozen! I know there is a vast difference between summer and winter, however, I imagine it's much cooler there than most of the rest of the country. We saw some guesthouses on the way up......they looked ok from the road.

So were we, stayed in a 'house' in the National Park ... I went to bed with my outdoor clothes on and a wolly hat ... my wife took a picture but I'm not showing anyone! 'kin freezing.

[toan6082]

try khao kor .cool climate clean air . now is off season so cheaper. message me if interested as i have accom. in top spot

[Sam Drucker]

I went to Phu Reua (in Loei province.) It has an elevation of about 750 meters, surrounded by mountains. Always has had a nice breeze, and was refreshingly cooler than wherever I came from. It's a tourist area for Thais that want to experience colder weather, especially in the Thai winter.

[LazyYogi]

I also say forget the north.

Yes, it get's cooler in the evening during much of the year, but not April.

April in Mae Hong Son is hotter than Bangkok.

[chiangmaiexpat]

I also say forget the north.

It's generally quite hot in April even in the north, but you can trade temperature for altitude. For example, I went to Doi Inthanon in April and it was still quite chilly up there. The average day temperature at Doi Inthanon peak is still below 20 deg. C, even in April. The problem is that there isn't much to do in the hills and you might not want to spend a whole month out in the sticks. Next best thing are coastal towns like Pattaya or Hua Hin where the sea attenuates the summer heat.

Cheers, CMX

[ubonrthai]

I decided to compare all 16 provinces mentioned earlier. The details can be read here, but here's some conclusions from the 1961-1990 data. Does anyone have a link to more recent data?

Temperature

• Hottest month – April in Kanchanaburi and Tak – 101.1 average high
  
• Hottest year – Kanchanaburi averages 93.5 for a high.
  
• Coolest month – January in Chiang Rai – 54.0 average low
  
• Coolest year – Chiang Rai averages 66.1 for a low
  
• Largest range between high/low temperatures – Mae Hong Son – 44.4
  
• Smallest range between high/low temperatures – Ko Samui – 15.7
  

Rainfall

• Most rainfall in a month – November in Songkhla – 553.8mm average rainfall
  
• Most rainfall per year – Phuket – 2237.5mm
  
• Least rainfall in a month – Ubon Ratchathani – 1.2mm in January and December
  
• Least rainfall per year – Hua Hin – 988.9mm
  
• Most days of rain in a month – August in Mae Hong Son – 26 days of rain
  
• Most days of rain in a year – Phuket – 172 days of rain – 47% chance of rain every day
  
• Fewest days of rain in a month – Ubon Ratchathani – January and December average 1 day of rain
  
• Fewest days of rain in a year – Bangkok – 100 days of rain
  
• Highest mm of rainfall/rainy day (indicates heaviest downpours) – Bangkok – 15mm/rainy day.
  
• Lowest mm of rainfall/rainy day – Hua Hin – 8.9mm/rainy day
  

[craigt3365]

Excellent information!

[ItDontMeanAThing]

Another source of climate info is weather2travel.com. Here is the Thailand page. Scroll down for links to individual town charts. http://www.weather2travel.com/climate-guides/thailand/

[craigt3365]

Another source of climate info is weather2travel.com. Here is the Thailand page. Scroll down for links to individual town charts. http://www.weather2t...uides/thailand/

That site is fantastic!