| Month | Mean, °C | Mean max, °C | Mean min, °C | Rain, mm | Rain days | Humidity, % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 26.7 | 32.6 | 22.1 | 62.1 | 6.3 | 79 |
| February | 27.1 | 33.2 | 22.3 | 45.1 | 5.6 | 78 |
| March | 27.8 | 33.6 | 23.3 | 145.1 | 10.4 | 80 |
| April | 28.3 | 33.7 | 24.3 | 221.7 | 15.6 | 83 |
| May | 27.9 | 32.6 | 24.7 | 430.9 | 22.4 | 86 |
| June | 27.7 | 31.9 | 24.6 | 456.6 | 21.1 | 86 |
| July | 27.5 | 31.5 | 24.6 | 465.8 | 22.3 | 86 |
| August | 27.3 | 31.3 | 24.5 | 570.0 | 22.7 | 87 |
| September | 26.7 | 30.9 | 23.9 | 635.7 | 24.1 | 88 |
| October | 26.5 | 31.1 | 23.5 | 529.4 | 24.1 | 88 |
| November | 26.7 | 31.8 | 23.2 | 231.7 | 16.8 | 85 |
| December | 26.7 | 31.9 | 22.7 | 78.4 | 9.0 | 80 |
| Year | 27.2 | 32.2 | 23.6 | 3,872.5 | 200.4 | 84 |
The table above is a climate normal: averages over 30 years, not a forecast for any given year. A single year can be drier or wetter. For planning a trip, the normal is more useful than last year’s weather: it shows what to expect in a typical month.
What the numbers show
Temperature barely changes. The warmest month (April, 28.3 °C) and the coolest (October, 26.5 °C) are under 2 degrees apart. Nights average 22.1-24.7 °C, coolest in January and February.
Rain sets the seasons, and there is a lot of it. From May to October 431-636 mm falls each month, with 21-24 rain days. September alone brings more rain than December to April together. The dry season covers just December to February: 45-78 mm a month. A rain day means at least 0.1 mm, so short showers count too.
Humidity is high all year: from 78% in February to 88% in September and October.
Khao Lak weather by season
Our grouping of the monthly TMD figures in the table above (Takua Pa station, 1991-2020).
| Period | Months | Mean max, °C | Rain a month, mm | Rain days a month | Humidity, % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry | December-February | 31.9-33.2 | 45.1-78.4 | 5.6-9.0 | 78-80 |
| Hot, rain returns | March-April | 33.6-33.7 | 145.1-221.7 | 10.4-15.6 | 80-83 |
| Rainy | May-October | 30.9-32.6 | 430.9-635.7 | 21.1-24.1 | 86-88 |
| Transition | November | 31.8 | 231.7 | 16.8 | 85 |
TMD describes the country’s seasons this way: the north-east monsoon blows from October to February and brings mostly dry weather, February to May is the hot transition, and the south-west monsoon from May to October brings moisture from the ocean, with the heaviest rain on coasts and windward slopes. Khao Lak faces the Andaman Sea, and at the station south-westerly winds dominate from May to September.
The same month across the country: Thailand in November, Thailand in December.
Takua Pa station: what it tells you about Khao Lak
There is no TMD station named Khao Lak. The nearest one is Takua Pa (WMO 48 561). The name may suggest Takua Pa town, but by its coordinates in the report (08°41’ N, 98°15’ E, 6 m above sea level) the station stands in the Khao Lak beach area, about 4 km north of Nang Thong beach, not in Takua Pa town (our calculation from the station coordinates and the point on our Khao Lak page). The coordinates are given to the nearest minute, an error of about 1-2 km.
Two caveats. The report notes that the station was closed from 26 December 2004 to 31 December 2005 after the tsunami and moved to its current site in 2006, so the years before 2005 come from the earlier site. And this is a single station: for the beaches further south, by Khao Lak village and Thap Lamu, it is a guide, not a measurement on the beach.
Khao Lak and Phuket compared
Annual figures from the same TMD report. The Takua Pa station is about 62 km from the Phuket Airport station and about 90 km from the Phuket town station (our calculation from the coordinates in the report).
| Annual figure | Takua Pa (48 561) | Phuket Airport (48 565) | Phuket town (48 564) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mean temperature | 27.2 °C | 27.9 °C | 28.5 °C |
| Mean minimum | 23.6 °C | 23.9 °C | 25.5 °C |
| Rainfall | 3,872.5 mm | 2,664.3 mm | 2,271.5 mm |
| Rain days | 200.4 | 183.4 | 174.9 |
| Humidity | 84% | 80% | 77% |
| Driest month | February, 45.1 mm | February, 32.0 mm | February, 24.0 mm |
| Wettest month | September, 635.7 mm | September, 399.2 mm | September, 350.4 mm |
The difference is in the rainy season. From December to February Khao Lak gets about as much rain as Phuket, in December and January even a little less than the airport (78.4 and 62.1 mm against 86.4 and 66.2). From May to October it gets about one and a half times as much as the airport. Month by month: Phuket weather.
Today’s forecast from TMD
The normals show a typical month, not the coming week. For the next seven days use the TMD 7-day forecast: it is given by region, and Khao Lak is on the Andaman side of the south, Southern (West Coast).
Method and limits
- Source: Thai Meteorological Department report Climatological Data of Thailand for 30 Year Period (1991-2020), 2023 edition, printed page 81 (Takua Pa). The report is published on a TMD subdomain.
- Period: 1991-2020, with a gap from 26 December 2004 to 31 December 2005 when the station was closed after the tsunami
- How we compiled it: figures copied from the report without recalculation. We checked monthly totals against the annual values and found no discrepancies.
- Rain day: at least 0.1 mm in 24 hours, counted from 07:00 to 07:00
- What is missing: sunshine hours, sea temperature and waves. The report shows no sunshine observations for the Takua Pa station, and we found no primary normals for sea temperature or wave height off Khao Lak.
- Next update: when TMD publishes new normals or at our April 2027 review
Beaches, the national park, the Similan season and how to get there: Khao Lak guide.
FAQ
What is the best month for weather in Khao Lak?
By the TMD normals, February: the driest month with 45.1 mm of rain and 5.6 rain days, highs of 33.2 °C and the lowest humidity of the year, 78%. January is close, with 62.1 mm and 6.3 rain days. The normals do not cover waves or sea temperature.
When is the rainy season in Khao Lak?
According to the Thai Meteorological Department, the south-west monsoon that brings the rain blows from May to October. At the Takua Pa station those months get 430.9-635.7 mm each and 21.1-24.1 rain days. September is the wettest month, and rain is already heavy in April (221.7 mm) and November (231.7 mm).
When is the dry season in Khao Lak?
It is short: December to February, with 45.1-78.4 mm a month and 5.6-9.0 rain days on the TMD normals. March already brings 145.1 mm and 10.4 rain days. On Phuket the dry stretch lasts from December to March.
What is the hottest month in Khao Lak?
April: a mean of 28.3 °C and an average high of 33.7 °C. The station's record high over 1991-2020, 38.4 °C, was also in April. April also has the most days with thunder, 9.8.
What is the weather like in Khao Lak in November?
Still wet: 231.7 mm of rain and 16.8 rain days on average, less than half of October's 529.4 mm. Highs are around 31.8 °C, nights around 23.2 °C, humidity 85%. The dry months start in December.
What is the weather like in Khao Lak in December?
December is the first dry month: 78.4 mm of rain and 9.0 rain days on average, highs of 31.9 °C and nights around 22.7 °C. January and February are drier still, with 62.1 and 45.1 mm.
Is there a weather station in Khao Lak?
There is no TMD station named Khao Lak. The nearest one is called Takua Pa (48 561), but by its coordinates in the TMD report it stands in the Khao Lak beach area, about 4 km north of Nang Thong beach, not in Takua Pa town (our calculation). It was moved after the 2004 tsunami, so part of the 1991-2020 record comes from an earlier site.
How much wetter is Khao Lak than Phuket?
Over a year the Takua Pa station gets 3,872.5 mm, Phuket Airport 2,664.3 mm and Phuket town 2,271.5 mm. The gap is largest in the rainy season: 635.7 mm in September against 399.2 mm at Phuket Airport. In the dry months there is almost no gap: December brings 78.4 mm in Khao Lak against 86.4 mm at the airport.
Sources
- Thai Meteorological Department. Climatological Data of Thailand for 30 Year Period (1991-2020), printed pages 81 (Takua Pa), 82 (Phuket) and 83 (Phuket Airport)
- Thai Meteorological Department. Natural hazards in Thailand: climate and seasons, pages 2-3 (Thai)
- Thai Meteorological Department. 7-day weather forecast (regions)
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