Koh Samui is one of Thailand’s biggest islands and is surrounded by hundreds of kilometers of ocean. Even though the climate is comparable to the mainland, there are definitely some small differences. Are you curious about the best time to go to Koh Samui, we’ve got you covered. In this blog you will read everything about when to travel to Koh Samui.
Koh Samui Climate
Curious about what weather you can expect while staying on Koh Samui? Koh Samui is a tropical island, which means that you can expect warm weather year round. But unlike other parts in the world, warm weather doesn’t always mean dry. Koh Samui has a clear monsoon season in which you can expect more rain than usual.
The rain season on Koh Samui is usually from May until the half of January, of which the months October and November are by far the wettest months. In these months you can sometimes expect up to 10 times more rain than in the drier months January until April. The ‘wet’ season on Koh Samui is relatively long. But to become such an extraordinary tropical island that is booming with life, lots of water is necessary.
Further below you can find some tables with important climate information about Koh Samui, with everything from the temperature, sunshine, precipitation and water temperature.
Temperature in Koh Samui
The temperature in Koh Samui is relatively high during the whole year. If you want to avoid the worst heat and also enjoy as much of the sun as you can, the months January, February and March are your best options, where a visit in late January is probably your safest bet since the monsoon usually covers a part of the first month of the year. The warmest months on Koh Samui are actually the first months of the monsoon.
The months May until September are the hottest months in which you can visit Koh Samui. Temperatures regularly rise above 30 or sometimes even 35 degrees.
Rain in Koh Samui
Koh Samui has a clear distinction between the wet season and the dry season. The dry months on Koh Samui show almost no rain, while some months in the monsoon show so much downpour that it sometimes doesn’t seem that it will ever stop raining. This is definitely something you want to take into account when you plan your visit.
Of course the island is just as beautiful in the dry months as in the wet months, but to get as many sunny hours out of your day as possible, the dry season is definitely the better choice. As you can see in the weather table below, the difference in precipitation between months is rather large.
The official rain season on Koh Samui is from May until half of January. Of those months, only October and November are really wet, showing up to 4 times more rain than in the other months of the rain season. The dry season ranges from the second half of January until the beginning of May.
Hours of sunshine on Koh Samui
A visit to a tropical island should always include at least a couple hours of sunshine per day. Luckily Koh Samui offers plenty of sun for anyone who visits the island. Even during the rainiest months you will be surprised by a few hours of sunlight to brighten the day. Because the climate on Koh Samui is so versatile, you can expect the same from the weather. During a day you can expect some sun, some clouds and even in the dry months there will occasionally be some rain too.
This makes the total amount of sunshine on Koh Samui relatively low, although this has something to do with the location close the equator as well. This means that the hours of sunlight are in general lower dan in more Northern or Southern holiday destinations, where the distinction between longer and shorter days throughout the year is more noticeable.
Koh Samui sea temperature
No one likes to freeze when they take a dive in the ocean. Luckily Koh Samui profits from it location close to the equator, which means that land- and water temperatures are almost the same year round. So whether you arrive in December or July, the sea temperature on Koh Samui is always warm enough to go for a swim or long snorkeling adventure.
Best time to travel to Koh Samui
So what is the best time to travel to Koh Samui? It all depends on your own preferences. Do you want it to be sunny most of the time? Then February until March is your best bet. You don’t mind some rainy days, but you would like it to be a little bit less crowded? Then the beginning of January, June, July, August and September are also a great option.
For most people it is the best to stay away from the real wet months though. October and November both have about 20 rainy days a month and on those days it rains a lot.
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