When to go · Bangkok
Bangkok in May
Avoid month. Hot and humid; first afternoon storms.
Key facts
- Verdict
- Avoid
- Temperature
- 34° / 27°
- average high / low
- Rain days
- 15
- Crowds
- Low
- Thailand overall
- Prices
- Low
- Thailand overall
Verdict
Hot and humid; first afternoon storms.
Weather in May
- BangkokHighs around 34 °C, lows around 27 °C, rain on about 15 days
- Bangkok and centre, Thailand · Bangkok, Ayutthaya, Kanchanaburihot
Cool season Nov–Feb is the easy window; April reaches 38 °C; September and October bring street flooding in short bursts.
Hot season season
Mango season and mango sticky rice; Songkran water fights; clear skies.
Watch: Heat index above 40 °C; plan every afternoon indoors.
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.
Coronation Day and the Royal Ploughing Ceremony check
4 May; ploughing ceremony on a date set by astrologers (check) · Sanam Luang
Public holidays; the ceremony closes Sanam Luang and nearby roads.
Visakha Bucha check
Full moon of the 6th lunar month (public holiday) · Temples
Evening candle processions; no alcohol sales.
Crowds and prices
- Crowds · Thailand overall
- Low
- Prices · Thailand overall
- Low
Thailand overall: Heat plus first rains; Andaman seas turn rough; the Gulf islands are the pick.
What to pack
- Light, breathable clothes, a sun hat and sunscreen
- A rain jacket or umbrella and shoes that dry fast