May is when Bangkok's hot season meets its rainy season. For a week or two you get both at once. Then prices fall off a cliff and the city belongs to the people who live in it.
Weather#
| Typical | |
|---|---|
| Days | Mid 30s °C, humid |
| Nights | High 20s |
| Rain | A late-afternoon storm on about half the days, heavier late in the month |
| Mornings | Nearly always dry |
April is hotter and drier; June is wetter and a little cooler. Weather by month.
The May day#
7 to 11 Temples, markets, the river. The light is clear and the heat is still bearable. 11 to 3 Indoors: a mall, a long lunch, a pool, a massage. 3 to 5 The storm, if it comes. It is loud, brief and a relief. Be under a roof, not on a boat. After 5 Everything the city does best: the canal boats, Chinatown, a rooftop with the air washed clean, the night markets. Bangkok at night.
What's on#
Visakha Bucha, usually in May: candlelit circuits of the temples after dark, and a dry day in the bars. Fruit season peaks: the mango sticky rice is at its best and the durian stalls appear on every corner. Chatuchak on a Saturday morning, before the heat and before the rain.
Crowds and prices#
Low season. The Grand Palace is quiet by Bangkok standards, and hotels that were full in January have rooms at the year's lowest rates. Where to stay with a pool; Bangkok on a budget works best in exactly this month.
Early May vs late May#
Early is hotter and mostly dry, a continuation of April. Late May brings the storms properly, and with them a few degrees of relief and greener parks. Neither is wrong; late is cheaper.
What to pack#
Lightest clothes, two sets a day, temple cover, a small umbrella or a packable rain shell, sandals that dry. What to wear in Bangkok.
Plan it#
The 3-day itinerary with the afternoons swapped for indoor stops. A Bangkokian reads the sky at 3pm better than any app; post your dates on Roavi Community and a Local Friend can plan around the storm with you.
Bangkok in May? Cheapest month, loudest storms. Do it with a local.
Meet a Local FriendFrequently Asked Questions
Is May a good time to visit Bangkok?
It is the cheapest month that still has mostly dry mornings. If you can take the heat and treat a daily afternoon storm as a built-in break, it is good value. If you want cool, dry weather, come between November and February instead.How much does it rain in Bangkok in May?
Rain usually comes as one heavy storm in the late afternoon or evening, lasting under an hour, on perhaps half the days. Whole wet days are rare. Mornings are almost always dry.How hot is Bangkok in May?
Daytime highs around the mid-thirties Celsius with high humidity, nights in the high twenties. Early May can feel like April, which is the hottest month of the year.What is on in Bangkok in May?
Visakha Bucha, the most important Buddhist holiday, falls in May most years, with candlelit processions at the temples in the evening. Bars do not serve alcohol that day. It is also the start of the best fruit season: mango, durian, mangosteen.
