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Cool season expected to start a week later and be milder

The weather service expects the cool season from the third week of October, milder than usual. Bangkok 19 to 21 °C at night, heavy rain in the south.

The weather service expects the cool season from the third week of October, milder than usual. Bangkok 19 to 21 °C at night, heavy rain in the south.

15 October 2026 · 2 min read

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Contents of this article3 sections
  1. Later and milder than usual
  2. The south stays wet
  3. Jacket for the north, umbrella for the Gulf

Later and milder than usual

The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) has published its forecast for the 2026/27 cool season. According to the forecast, it will start about a week later than usual, in the upper part of the country in the third week of October, and is expected to last until about mid-February 2027. It will probably be coolest between the end of December and the beginning of February.

This time, though, it will not get really cold. In the upper part of the country, average lows of 22 to 23 °C are expected. That is around 2 degrees above the normal of 19.9 °C. This is partly due to El Niño, which is expected to strengthen towards the end of the year.

For Bangkok, night-time temperatures of 19 to 21 °C are forecast, and 18 to 20 °C in the surrounding area. Isolated thunderstorms are still possible until mid-November; after that it is expected to stay mostly cool, with dense fog in places in the mornings.

It gets really chilly in the upper north and the northeast. The TMD expects lows of 10 to 12 °C there, with cold weather and several nights of frost on the mountain peaks.

The south stays wet

The picture is different in the south. From Chumphon southwards, the TMD expects frequent thunderstorms and at times very heavy rain from mid-October to the beginning of January, and warns of flash floods. In November and December the risk of tropical cyclones in the Gulf and in the south is also higher, with heavy rain, high waves and possible storm surges.

Jacket for the north, umbrella for the Gulf

If you are heading north, pack a warm jacket despite the mild forecast. In the mountains it gets cold in the evenings and mornings.

For a beach holiday in the Gulf, for example on Koh Samui, you have to be prepared for a lot of rain until the beginning of January. For a month-by-month overview, see Best time to visit Thailand.

If you plan to spend the winter in Thailand: the TMD expects the coolest period from the end of December to the beginning of February. More on this in Wintering in Thailand from 50.

Especially in the south and before trips into the mountains, it is worth checking the current weather report.

Source: The Star (Malaysia), 15 October 2026, based on a report by The Nation/ANN with information from the Thai Meteorological Department.