Pattaya High Season Low Season

Here are some Pattaya high season low season considerations.

When is Pattaya High Season?

High Season is from November through mid-April. 

This is the time of year where it rarely rains in Thailand, the humidity is less and temperature is a bit cooler.  

Most people who love summer will love this time of year in Pattaya.  Clear, sunny days with tolerable humidity and very minimal rains means you can confidently plan your days and nights without having to worry about getting rained out.

You do need to be prepared for the beginning and end of the high season to be more humid with a larger chance of rain.

Pattaya Street Flooding November 2022Flooded street on the corner of Second Road and one of the Sois. This was in November. After a few hours all the water had subsided and you would not know it had rained

The highest of high season is around Christmastime with perfect weather, no rain and everything packed and exciting.

The Thais help us celebrate with Christmastime decorating and festivities.  I have not gone at that time of the year, but I'm dying too someday.  They also provide extra festivities for our New Years and the Chinese New Years.

With the glorious weather, come the most tourists escaping their horrible weather back home.  Also, you can stretch out your vacation time with your Christmas holiday time off.

Las Vegas Beer GardenBig High Season Crowd

As you would expect, with the tourist pressure, the prices will be higher with some longer wait times here and there.  But the Pattaya businesses are adept at accommodating lots of visitors.  I'm sure you'll have a great time.

I’ve been to Pattaya 3 times during high season.

  1. Early November 2022.  12 nights.
  2. End of February/early March 2023.  12 nights. 
  3. February 2024.  9 nights.

I had a great time all 3 trips, with only one rain (although it was massive during my November trip), enjoying the excitement, with some venues being packed.

Pattaya High Season Weather

November - Start of High Season

  • Rain decreases dramatically by mid-late November
  • Temperatures drop, humidity lowers
  • 76-87° Fahrenheit (24–31°Celsius)
  • 8 days with rain

December through February - Peak High Season

  • Coolest months, lowest humidity and almost no rain
  • 74-88° Fahrenheit (23–31°Celsius)
  • Average of no rain in December, 2 days with rain in January & February

March - Still High Season

  • Gets hotter with more humidity but still mostly dry
  • 78-90° Fahrenheit (26–32°Celsius)
  • 4 days with rain

April - Still high season through the Songkran Festival

  • Hot and humid with some rain
  • 80-91° Fahrenheit (27–33°Celsius)
  • 6 days with rain

Thailand Songkran Festival

Songkran is the Thai New Year festival, celebrated annually from April 13 to 15, marking a time of purification, family reunions, and respect for elders. Rooted in Buddhist tradition, it is famous for nationwide water fights that symbolize washing away the previous year's misfortunes, alongside temple visits to cleanse Buddha images. 

It is basically a city wide water fight.  

It is a little bit confusing as to what part of the day the water fights begin and end.  Some reports say all afternoon.  Some say it extends into the evening.

From what I’ve read and watched, this  might be fun for an hour or as a young man, but for me, as an aging man, I am going to avoid Pattaya at Songkran.

When is Pattaya Low Season?

Low Season is mid-April (right after Songkran) through the end of October.  It will be much hotter, much more humid with much more rain.  Sometimes torrential rain.

With the iffy weather, there will be far fewer tourists.  Sometimes not many at all.  

I've been to Pattaya 2 times during low season.

  1. August 2023.  10 nights.
  2. August 2024.  16 nights.

It was definitely much hotter and much more humid than my High Season trips.  But I had a great time.  It was more subdued with far fewer tourists and not as much going on.  But there was enough going on to have a great time. 

I did experience some substantial rains and had to adjust my plans a bit.  But that is not that difficult.  The rains came in, it rained hard, I took shelter and waited.

It was definitely not raining all the time.  It typically rained for about an hour or so and stopped.  An hour after the rain, you wouldn't even know it.

A benefit is the much lower volume of tourists equals more discounts and some lower prices.

Pattaya Low Season Weather

April (after Songkran Festival)

  • Hot and humid with some rain
  • 80-91° Fahrenheit (27–33°Celsius)
  • 6 days with rain

May - Low season

  • Hot, humid and increasing rain (afternoon/evening showers)
  • 80-91° Fahrenheit (27–33°Celsius)
  • 11 days with rain

June–September - Low Season

  • Very humid with frequent rain (usually short heavy showers, not all day)
  • 78° to 90° Fahrenheit (26–32°Celsius)
  • June - August 11 days with rain, 15 days in September

October - Low Season

  • Highest rainfall with frequent heavy rain and occasional flooding
  • 76-88° Fahrenheit (24–31°Celsius)
  • 16 days with rain

Pattaya High Season Low Season and Thai Holidays

5 Sacred Thai Holidays

You need to be aware of the 5 sacred Thai Buddhist holidays when alcohol sales are prohibited.  When alcohol is not sold, most bars close and the ladies won’t be working☹

  1. Makha Bucha Day (usually February or March)
  2. Visakha Bucha Day (usually May)
  3. Asarnha Bucha Day (usually July)
  4. Start of Buddhist Lent (usually July)
  5. End of Buddhist Lent (usually October)

The date of the holidays move around from year to year.  It's critical to plan accordingly as you lose a day to party.  The holiday runs from midnight to midnight.

Pattaya High Season Low Season Packing List

The weather is hot, hotter, hottest year around.  So there is no difference in what you pack.

Casual summer clothing only. There are plenty of inexpensive laundry's to get your clothes cleaned frequently so you only need to bring enough clothes to last 2 or 3 days.

Type of Clothes I Bring:

  • Walking shoes (2)
  • Ankle high socks (5)
  • Sandals (1)
  • Shorts (5)
  • Belt (1)
  • Boxer shorts (8)
  • Swimsuit (1)
  • Tank Top (1)
  • T-shirts (2)
  • Short sleeve button down shirts (5)
  • Hat (1)

I travel with a backpack and 1 medium sized checked bag.

Is It Sunny in Low Season?

Yes. 

When I've been there in August, it has been sunny with some clouds most of the day.  Not a lot of clouds except for when it does rain.

DayatPattayaBeachAugust2024Beautiful sunny day at Pattaya Beach early afternoon in August

You can enjoy soaking up some sun year around.  

I got up to my hotel pool almost every morning to work on my color and enjoy the water.

I carefully monitor how long I stay in the sun to avoid getting burned.

How to Deal with the Heat and Humidity During Low Season

I try to:

  • limit my walking
  • be strategic in my walking to avoid backtracking
  • Make use of the bus
  • Take a taxi
  • Walk slow
  • Take multiple showers every day
  • Sit down and rest
  • Get into air conditioned buildings 
  • Sit in front of the fan
  • Wear light weight, looser clothing
  • Wear a hat and sunglasses in the heat of the day
  • Stay out of the sun as much as I can 
  • Drink a lot of water

Main Concern with Low Season

Because of the potential for rain and more humidity you will need more patience and flexibility.

Some of your plans will get washed out.  Having to do something at some particular time will be more difficult.

You could book a longer stay to ensure you do what you'd like to do or be ok with some of your plans not materializing.

The Benefit of More Rain During Low Season

The rain clears up air pollution.

There doesn’t seem to be a lot of local air pollution.  There are lots of cars, motorbikes, trucks and buses.  But most of these vehicles are new and have modern emissions systems.  So walking around the streets, vehicle pollution has not been noticeable to me.

But towards the end of high season there is significantly more air pollution from farmers burning off excess crop residue in February and early March in the northern parts of Thailand. 

The burning crops creates a hazy look, and the air is not perfectly clear as you look into the distance. 

Pattaya High Season Low Season Wrap Up

While your first trip to Pattaya should be during high season as it has the best weather and the most excitement, don't be afraid to go during low season.  Once you get acclimated to Pattaya, you can have a great time.

In my ideal world, I would be going to Pattaya multiple times a year, both Pattaya high season low season.