Thailand in February: Where the Weather Is Best, and the Catch in the North

Where is Thailand dry in February?

Nearly everywhere. February is the first month of the year when all three coasts are dry together: Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Hua Hin have been dry since December, the Andaman side (Phuket, Krabi, Koh Lanta) is at its driest, and the Gulf islands have finally stopped raining much. No place we track gets more than 86 mm. Here is how the eight compare:

Read the rain columns first. A rainy day here is a day with at least four millimetres, so a passing shower that leaves the day mostly sunny does not count. One to four rainy days in 28 is what "dry" means in this table, and it is a good month to plan outdoor work around.

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Has Koh Samui really dried out by February?

Mostly, and it is a recent change. Koh Samui and Koh Phangan are the last places in Thailand to dry, which is why people who were caught out in December or January stay away from the Gulf in the first half of the season. The chart shows how steep the drop is.

Averages 2015-2025 · Source: Open-Meteo, CHIRPS · How we measure

Follow the rain line from the November peak (457 mm) on the right, then on from the left: it falls through December and January and reaches its low in March (47 mm). February's 79 mm is about a quarter of December's 318 mm. If you want the Gulf, February is the first month we would book without hedging, and March is a little better still. The full pattern for both islands is in our Koh Samui and Koh Phangan guide.

Which beach is best in February?

On the numbers, Phuket: 23 mm, about 2 rainy days and a 31°C high, with cloud over about half the sky. Koh Lanta is just as dry at 23 mm and 32°C. Krabi is the hottest at 33°C and takes 38 mm, more than its neighbours, with 3 rainy days. Hua Hin is the dry option on the Gulf side at 32 mm and 31°C, and the one beach town that is easy to reach from Bangkok.

None of the beaches is cold or wet, so pick on heat and on what you do all day. If you work outdoors, the Gulf islands' 28°C to 29°C is easier than Krabi's 33°C. If you want the surest dry week, it is Phuket or Koh Lanta.

Is Chiang Mai a good choice in February?

For rain and heat, yes: 6 mm, about one rainy day, 30°C by day and 17°C at night, with the clearest skies of the year in our data. For air, it is the month to be careful. The burning season builds from February through April. In our model data for the four seasons 2023 to 2026, February's weekly averages were already above the WHO daily guideline, a little worse than January's, and March was clearly worse again, with the worst weeks in mid-March and early April. The model reads low on bad days, so treat these as the floor, not the ceiling. Read the Chiang Mai burning season guide before you commit to March or April.

If you want the north with the least smoke, come in January or early February. From March, plan for the air.

What about Bangkok?

Dry (21 mm and about 2 rainy days) and hot (32°C, nights 23°C), but hazier than the weather suggests. Rain is not the issue in Bangkok in February; air quality is. In our model data, January and February are on average the city's haziest months, and February read above the WHO daily guideline on most days in each of the last four years. See our Bangkok air quality guide for the year.

Where would we base in February?

• Sun and sea, least rain: Phuket or Koh Lanta.
• A calmer Gulf beach: Hua Hin for the driest option, or Koh Phangan and Koh Samui now that they have dried out.
• A city with infrastructure: Bangkok, and accept some haze.
• The north: Chiang Mai, earlier in the month if you can, with a plan for the air if you stay into March.
• Not a good idea: assuming every beach is this dry in January. If your dates start earlier, Thailand in December shows how much the Gulf is still catching up.

For the wider picture, where is warm in February has the ranking across the world, and the three coasts of Thailand shows the rest of the year.

What can our data not tell you?

These are month-of-year averages, not forecasts, and one year can be wetter or drier. Crowds, prices, flights, sea conditions between islands and air quality in a given week are not in them. February is high season on the beaches, so book early.