November is when Thailand's weather turns: the Andaman dries out, the north cools, and high season begins. Expect 28–32°C on the coast, 20–30°C in Chiang Mai, and the best conditions of the year from about the 10th onwards.
The short version
- The Andaman becomes reliable from mid-November.
- Loy Krathong and Yi Peng fall in November — the lantern festivals.
- Prices climb from the 15th; book hotels early.
- Early November can still be wet in the south — the first ten days are the risk.
Weather
The monsoon ends early in the month and the Andaman calms down by the third week. Bangkok is 27–32°C with dropping humidity; Chiang Mai cools to 20–30°C, cool enough for a light jacket at night.
Early November can still bring a week of rain on the Gulf coast. If you are heading to Samui, book the second half of the month.
What is happening
Loi Krathong and Yi Peng fall in November — lanterns on the water and, in Chiang Mai, thousands released into the sky. It is the most beautiful week of the Thai year and hotels know it, so book four to six months ahead.
Should you go
Yes, if you want the best weather of the year and do not mind peak prices. The first two weeks are quieter than the last; the lantern festivals land mid-month.
Where to go in November
The second half of November is the best all-round window of the year: the Andaman is dry, the north is cool and clear, and both coasts are workable. If your dates land between the 10th and the 30th, you can pick almost anywhere.
The exceptions are the far south's east coast and the Gulf islands, which can still see rain into the third week, and the north in the first week, which occasionally catches the tail of the wet season. Chiang Mai is usually fine by Loy Krathong, which falls in mid-to-late November.
The one thing to book early is accommodation in Chiang Mai and Sukhothai for the lantern festivals — Yi Peng and Loy Krathong — when the city fills and hotel prices double. If you are not interested in the festivals, avoid those three days and take the quieter week either side.
