March is hot and mostly dry, with the north at its haziest and the first rains returning to the Andaman coast. Below are Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) normals for ten stations, what TMD says about the hot season, the PM2.5 watch periods, national park status and hotel occupancy. Checked on 25 October 2026.
March weather by region: TMD normals
These are 1991-2020 normals from the TMD report; the Krabi station (48 563) has a shorter 1994-2020 record. A rainy day means 0.1 mm or more. Khao Lak uses the nearest TMD station, Takua Pa (individual beaches may differ). Koh Phangan and Koh Tao have no TMD station, so Samui is the nearest reference. Hotel occupancy is from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports (MOTS) for the whole province, not a resort: March 2025, the latest March in the MOTS file.
| Region, TMD station | High, °C | Low, °C | Rain, mm | Rainy days | Hotel occupancy Mar 2025, % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phuket (Phuket, 48 564) | 34.4 | 25.9 | 80.7 | 7.5 | 79.44 |
| Khao Lak (Takua Pa, 48 561) | 33.6 | 23.3 | 145.1 | 10.4 | 73.96 (Phang Nga) |
| Krabi (Krabi, 48 563, 1994-2020) | 34.7 | 22.4 | 108.4 | 8.3 | 69.03 |
| Koh Lanta (Ko Lanta, 48 566) | 33.9 | 24.7 | 69.0 | 5.6 | 69.03 (Krabi) |
| Koh Samui, Phangan, Tao (Ko Samui, 48 550) | 30.4 | 25.4 | 115.8 | 5.9 | 78.13 (Surat Thani) |
| Pattaya (Phatthaya, 48 461) | 32.0 | 25.5 | 47.3 | 4.8 | 80.54 (Chon Buri) |
| Hua Hin (Hua Hin, 48 475) | 32.3 | 24.9 | 50.5 | 2.9 | 75.94 (Prachuap Khiri Khan) |
| Bangkok (Bangkok Metropolis, 48 455) | 34.7 | 26.4 | 51.0 | 4.1 | 74.53 |
| Chiang Mai (Chiang Mai, 48 327) | 35.4 | 20.1 | 20.4 | 2.8 | 70.04 |
| Chiang Rai (Chiang Rai, 48 303) | 33.7 | 17.5 | 34.5 | 3.9 | 67.51 |
TMD and the hot season
TMD’s cool season outlook of 9 October 2026 runs until mid-February 2027, and we found no TMD outlook for March yet. TMD describes February to May as a transition between the monsoons: winds have no fixed direction, the land gets the most energy from the sun, the weather is generally hot, sultry and dry, and the thunderstorms that do form are often severe, the so-called summer storms. In the normals, the prevailing wind at the Phuket station is from the east and southeast in March and from the southeast and west in April, and TMD dates the southwest monsoon from May.
Where to go in March
Phuket, Khao Lak, Krabi, Koh Lanta. Still mostly dry, but the rain is coming back: 69.0 mm on 5.6 days on Koh Lanta, 80.7 mm on 7.5 days in Phuket, 108.4 mm in Krabi and 145.1 mm at the Takua Pa station near Khao Lak, against 45.1 mm there in February. TMD records thunderstorms on 3.9 days at Phuket and 6.3 days at Takua Pa. Highs are 33.6-34.7 °C. See Phuket by month.
Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, Koh Tao. 115.8 mm on only 5.9 days, more mm than in February (64.3) or April (82.9) but fewer rainy days than Phuket. Highs of 30.4 °C are the lowest in the table. More in the Koh Samui holiday guide.
Pattaya and Hua Hin. 47.3 mm on 4.8 days and 50.5 mm on 2.9 days, with highs of 32.0 and 32.3 °C. March is the last month of PCD’s PM2.5 watch period for the east (January-March), and the west (Hua Hin) continues until April.
Bangkok. 51.0 mm on 4.1 days, highs of 34.7 °C and nights of 26.4 °C. March is the last month of PCD’s PM2.5 watch period for Bangkok and its suburbs (November-March).
Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai. Hot, dry and hazy: highs of 35.4 and 33.7 °C, nights of 20.1 and 17.5 °C, 20.4 and 34.5 mm of rain. The Chiang Mai station records haze on 26.8 days in March and Chiang Rai on 25.2 days, the most of any month at both. Hotel occupancy fell to 70.04% in Chiang Mai and 67.51% in Chiang Rai in March 2025, from 87.28% and 83.72% in February. See Chiang Mai smoke season before you book.
PM2.5 watch periods: where air quality needs attention in March
PCD’s notice of 10 August 2026 gives each region a period of increased attention to PM2.5:
| Region | PM2.5 watch period |
|---|---|
| Bangkok and suburbs | November-March |
| Central region | November-May |
| East (Chon Buri, Pattaya) | January-March |
| West (Prachuap Khiri Khan, Hua Hin) | January-April |
| North and northeast | January-May |
| South (Phuket, Krabi, Samui) | July-September |
Provinces in brackets are our mapping to PCD’s regions. A watch period is not a daily forecast and does not mean smoke every day. Haze days from TMD are a visibility observation and not a PM2.5 measurement. Check an Air4Thai station on the day.
National parks and islands in March
| Park | Status in March 2027 | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Ang Thong Marine Park (Samui) | open (annual closure 1 November-15 December) | DNP |
| Similan Islands | open until 15 May (annual closure 16 May-14 October) | DNP |
| Surin Islands | open until 15 May (annual closure 16 May-14 October) | DNP |
| Maya Bay, Phi Phi | open (annual closure 1 August-30 September) | DNP |
| Ko Rok (Lanta) | open until 15 May (annual closure 16 May-15 November) | DNP park page |
The table is from the Department of National Parks (DNP) closure list for 2026, with data as of 7 January 2026. Parks can change their rules, so check with the park before you book a trip. The 2027 table is not published yet, so we use the annual periods from the 2026 table.
Events in March 2027
As of 25 October 2026 we found no event in March 2027 with a date confirmed by TAT or an organiser, and the Bank of Thailand list for 2027 has no public holiday in March. The next dates are Chakri Memorial Day on Tuesday 6 April and Songkran on 13-15 April, see Thailand in April. We will add March events when TAT publishes its calendar.
Hotel occupancy in March
MOTS counts occupancy by province, not by resort, and it is not a price. March 2025: Chon Buri, the province of Pattaya, 80.54%, Phuket 79.44%, Surat Thani, the province of Samui, 78.13%, Prachuap Khiri Khan, the province of Hua Hin, 75.94%, Bangkok 74.53%, Phang Nga, the province of Khao Lak, 73.96%, Chiang Mai 70.04%, Krabi 69.03% and Chiang Rai 67.51%. We do not publish accommodation prices until we collect our own dated measurements.
Should you go to Thailand in March?
Yes for a beach holiday on the Andaman coast, in Pattaya, in Hua Hin or on Samui, if you can live with highs of 30-35 °C. Think twice about the north: March is the haziest month at the TMD stations in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, and PCD’s watch period for the north is running. The month before is covered in Thailand in February, the month after in Thailand in April. How beaches change by region and month is covered in Thailand beaches.
FAQ
Is March a good time to visit Thailand?
For beaches and cities, yes, if you can live with the heat: by TMD normals highs are 30.4 °C on Samui and up to 35.4 °C in Chiang Mai. March is dry in most places, the Andaman rains are starting to return, and the north is at its hazy peak. Crowds thin out in the north: hotel occupancy in Chiang Mai fell from 87.28% in February 2025 to 70.04% in March.
How hot is Thailand in March?
By TMD normals average highs are 35.4 °C in Chiang Mai, 34.7 °C in Bangkok and Krabi, 34.4 °C in Phuket, 32.0 °C in Pattaya and 30.4 °C on Samui. Nights are 20.1 °C in Chiang Mai and 26.4 °C in Bangkok.
Where is the best beach weather in Thailand in March?
Koh Lanta is driest on the Andaman coast (69.0 mm on 5.6 days), then Phuket (80.7 mm on 7.5 days). Pattaya (47.3 mm) and Hua Hin (50.5 mm) are drier still, and Samui gets 115.8 mm on only 5.9 days with the coolest highs in the table (30.4 °C).
Is northern Thailand smoky in March?
March is the hazy peak: the TMD station in Chiang Mai records haze on 26.8 days and the one in Chiang Rai on 25.2 days, the most of any month. Haze is a visibility observation, not a PM2.5 measurement. PCD puts the north in its PM2.5 watch period from January to May. Check an Air4Thai station on the day, as explained in our Chiang Mai smoke season guide.
Does the rain return to Phuket in March?
Partly. Phuket gets 80.7 mm on 7.5 days, against 24.0 mm on 3.4 days in February, and the Takua Pa station near Khao Lak gets 145.1 mm, against 45.1 mm. TMD records thunderstorms on 3.9 days at Phuket and 6.3 days at Takua Pa. April is wetter still (135.1 mm at Phuket).
Are there public holidays in Thailand in March 2027?
No. The Bank of Thailand list for 2027 has Makha Bucha substitute day on 22 February, then Chakri Memorial Day on Tuesday 6 April and Songkran on 13-15 April.
Sources
- TMD. Climatological Data for the Period 1991-2020 (stations 48 303, 48 327, 48 455, 48 461, 48 475, 48 550, 48 561, 48 563, 48 564, 48 566)
- TMD. Thailand's seasons and climate, PDF p. 3 (February-May transition)
- TMD. Cool season outlook 2026-2027 (issued 9 October 2026), covers until mid-February 2027
- MOTS. Tourism statistics by province 2025 (xlsx)
- PCD. Regional PM2.5 risk periods, 10 August 2026
- Air4Thai. Official air quality map
- DNP. National park closures 2026 (data as of 7 January 2026)
- DNP. Mu Ko Lanta National Park (Ko Rok season)
- Bank of Thailand. Notification No. 37/2569, holidays for 2027 (unofficial English translation)
Found an error or outdated fact? Tell the editors, we will fix it and update the check date.