When to go · Bangkok
Bangkok in December
Great month. Cool and dry; peak crowds and prices around New Year.
Key facts
- Verdict
- Great
- Temperature
- 31°C (88°F)88°F (31°C) / 22°C (72°F)72°F (22°C)
- average high / low
- Rain days
- 2
- Crowds
- High
- Thailand overall
- Prices
- High
- Thailand overall
Verdict
Cool and dry; peak crowds and prices around New Year.
All twelve months in one grid — weather, crowds and prices, with gaps left as unknown.
Is another month better than December?
No other month rates higher than December for Bangkok in this guide.
Weather in December
- BangkokHighs around 31 °C (88 °F), lows around 22 °C (72 °F), rain on about 2 daysHighs around 88 °F (31 °C), lows around 72 °F (22 °C), rain on about 2 days
- Bangkok and centre, Thailand · Bangkok, Ayutthaya, Kanchanaburibest weather
Cool season Nov–Feb is the easy window; April reaches 38 °C (100 °F); September and October bring street flooding in short bursts.Cool season Nov–Feb is the easy window; April reaches 100 °F (38 °C); September and October bring street flooding in short bursts.
Cool season season
Dry days in the low 30s, cooler nights, Loy Krathong on the river, New Year fireworks; the easiest walking months.
Watch: Peak prices and crowds; smog on still days in Jan–Feb.
Festivals and holidays
Dates as our data lists them. Moving holidays (lunar and Islamic calendars, Easter) shift every year: check the date for your year before you build a trip on it.
Bangkok Marathon and city runs check
Autumn weekends (check) · Rattanakosin, river bridges
Early-morning road closures in the old city.
Father's Day and Constitution Day
5 and 10 December · Whole city
Public holidays; events around Sanam Luang and Ratchadamnoen.
New Year countdown
31 December · ICONSIAM riverside, CentralWorld square
River fireworks and huge crowds; roads close and taxis disappear after midnight — use the BTS or MRT, which run late (check).
New Year
31 Dec – 1 Jan · Thailand
Beach and island beds sell out; Bangkok roads and trains packed on 30 Dec and 2 Jan.
Crowds and prices
- Crowds · Thailand overall
- High
- Prices · Thailand overall
- High
Thailand overall: Peak season: dry except the Gulf in early December; 20 Dec – 5 Jan prices are the year's highest.
High-price month: see what to book ahead.
Compare two months
Weather, crowds and prices for any two months in Bangkok, side by side.
Verdict
Dec: Great
Jan: Great
Daytime high
Dec: 31 °C (88 °F)88 °F (31 °C)
Jan: 32 °C (90 °F)90 °F (32 °C)
Night low
Dec: 22 °C (72 °F)72 °F (22 °C)
Jan: 22 °C (72 °F)72 °F (22 °C)
Rain days
Dec: 2
Jan: 2
Crowds
Dec: High
Jan: High
Prices
Dec: High
Jan: High
Festivals listed
Dec: 4
Jan: 3
December: Cool and dry; peak crowds and prices around New Year.
January: Cool (for Bangkok) and dry; high season; smog on still days (check AQI).
Bangkok: figures are long-term averages from this guide, not a forecast.
What to pack
- Light, breathable clothes, a sun hat and sunscreen