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Cool season is taking its time: weather service not declaring it yet
The weather service has not yet declared the cool season, as mornings are too warm. Thunderstorms until early November, slightly less rain in the south soon.
The weather service has not yet declared the cool season, as mornings are too warm. Thunderstorms until early November, slightly less rain in the south soon.
29 October 2026 · 2 min read
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Still too warm in the mornings
On 15 October, the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) had forecast the start of the cool season for the third week of October. The forecast is in the report Cool season expected to start later. Even so, as of 28 October the TMD has not yet declared the season, because the morning lows have not dropped far enough.
For the official start, three things have to come together. The lows fall below 23 °C, the wind comes from the northeast or east, and the rain eases off for good in the upper part of the country. The wind has already turned, but the cool air from the north is too weak. A delay like this is not unusual: in 2025 the cool season came on 23 October, in 2024 on 3 November and in 2023 not until 14 November.
Changeable until early November
The unsettled weather is expected to last until early November, so the start of the cool period will probably come later than usual this year. It stays hot during the day, with local thunderstorms. In Bangkok and the surrounding area they tend to build up in the evening and at night.
Between 29 October and 9 November, cooler air keeps pushing into the north, but it is weak and very humid. In the north and in upper Isan the mornings get a little fresher, with fog in places. That is good for the viewpoints above the sea of mist. In the afternoons and evenings, though, you still have to expect rain there.
Rain slowly easing in the south
Along the coast in the central and upper south it keeps raining, heavily in places. Affected are Prachuap Khiri Khan, Chumphon, Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Ranong, Phang Nga, Phuket and Krabi. A low-pressure area over the Andaman Sea is keeping the weather unsettled. After 29 October the rain is expected to ease in parts of the south, but isolated showers and heavy downpours remain possible. In the Gulf of Thailand the waves will get higher in places, and heavy rain is possible there too.
Cyclone Arnab has made landfall in eastern India. It will not hit Thailand directly, but the weather service is continuing to monitor it. You can find the monthly figures for your destinations on the page Weather in Thailand, and the right months in the guide Best time to visit.
Sources: The Thaiger, Thai Post and Bangkok Biz News (October 2026).