Thailand in November

Is November a good time to go?

Yes. Thailand in November is one of the best months for a party trip: the rainy season ends in most of the country, the evenings are warm without being sticky, and the December crowds haven't landed yet.

November is the start of the high season, but prices stay below the December and January peak, and beach prices are lower still in the first half of the month.

On the Andaman side, Phuket's sea settles as the month goes on, so yacht days are back with clear water and calm bays.

The one catch: Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao run on a different weather pattern, and November is their wettest month. So make it a Bangkok, Phuket and Pattaya month. Ask Tanner which coast fits your dates.

What is the weather in Thailand in November?

The Thailand November weather is dry and warm almost everywhere. The 1991–2020 averages put Bangkok at 33°C by day and 25°C at night with 45 mm of rain, Chiang Mai at 31°C with 20°C nights, and Pattaya at 31°C with 57 mm.

Phuket runs 32°C with 178 mm over about 13 rain days on the same averages: showery early, with swell on the west-coast beaches, and better toward December. Koh Samui has its wettest month, 445 mm over about 16 days.

Chiang Mai has the coolest nights in the country, so pack a light layer for the lanterns.

Match the coast to your dates, so the yacht day lands on the calm, dry side. Ask Tanner which week suits Phuket.

What's on in Thailand in November 2026?

The month is built around Loy Krathong and the Full Moon Party, both on Tuesday 24 November 2026, and Yi Peng in Chiang Mai from 23 to 25 November, with lantern releases on the 24th and 25th in permitted areas only, the Chiang Mai Office of Tourism and Sports says.

Photo: Takeaway, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, edited

Loy Krathong and the Full Moon Party are on the same night this year, so the group chooses: the river in Bangkok, or the beach at Haad Rin on Koh Phangan in its wettest month.

In Bangkok, the best seat for Loy Krathong is your own boat on the Chao Phraya, with the candles drifting past and the temples lit up behind you.

Sukhothai Historical Park holds its Loy Krathong festival from 15 to 24 November, with a light-and-sound show every night at 7pm and an extra show at 8:30pm on the full-moon night, the Thai government's festival listing says (checked November 2026).

In Chiang Mai, the licensed lantern releases are ticketed and held outside the city, because releasing your own lanterns inside the city is banned. November 2026 has no public holidays on Thailand Highlights' 2026 list, so there are no holiday closing nights to plan around.

The month closes with the Pattaya International Fireworks Festival over Pattaya Beach on 27 and 28 November, the government's Thailand.go.th Pattaya events page lists, and the rooftop tables over the beach fill early.

There are more things to do in Thailand in November than the big nights. In Bangkok, Vijit Chao Phraya lights up 13 riverside sites, from Wat Arun to the Memorial Bridge, from 13 November to 13 December, with light shows, drones and fireworks, TAT's festival listing says (checked November 2026). A Loy Krathong pool party is also planned on the Centara Grand's 26th-floor pool deck on Saturday 21 November.

Early in the month, the Royal Barge Procession sailed the Chao Phraya from Wasukri pier to Wat Arun on Friday 6 November, at about 3pm, the government's Public Relations Department says. For the river later in the month, ask Tanner for your own boat on the Chao Phraya on Loy Krathong night.

See the Loy Krathong guide, the Yi Peng guide and the full Thailand party calendar, and ask Tanner for the river boat.

What should we book first?

Chiang Mai lantern tickets sell out first, then the river boats for Loy Krathong. Here is the order to book.

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Photo: AI-generated image

Goes first: Yi Peng release tickets and Chiang Mai hotels for 24 and 25 November. Lock these in first.

Goes next: private boats on the Chao Phraya for Loy Krathong. Ask Tanner early.

Then: Phuket villas and yachts for the second half of the month. Book four to six weeks ahead.

Then: Pattaya villas for the fireworks on 27 and 28 November.

Don't leave late: a Pattaya villa for Tomorrowland, 11 to 13 December, if the group is staying on.

Ask Tanner to hold the boat this week; Loy Krathong boats won't wait.

Before you fly

Check the new 30-day visa-free rule and fill in the free TDAC arrival card before you fly.

From 15 September 2026, travellers from 60 countries, including the US, the UK, Canada and Australia, can stay visa-free for up to 30 days, down from 60.

Fill in the free TDAC arrival card online; it opens three days before you land.

Pack light clothes, and smart casual for the clubs: a collared shirt, smart trousers or dark jeans, and closed shoes.

Check your own passport's rules before you book, because they differ by country. Then ask Tanner to have the van waiting at arrivals.

Where to go in Thailand in November?

In November, take your group to Bangkok for the big city, Phuket for villas and yachts from late in the month, Pattaya for the easy trip, and Chiang Mai for the lanterns.

Bangkok is the big-city start: rooftop bars, a big club with your own VIP section, and a private boat on the river for Loy Krathong.

Phuket is the best beach in November. Book a pool villa on the hills and your own yacht for a day in the bays, best from late in the month.

Pattaya is the easy trip from Bangkok. Yachts leave from Jomtien, and Koh Larn is 15 to 20 minutes away by speedboat. Your own boat for up to 16 starts from ฿49,000 for 8 hours, with the party on top. A Pattaya pool villa starts from ฿12,500 a day.

Chiang Mai is worth two days for the lanterns, then fly back to Bangkok or down to Phuket for the party; Koh Samui can wait until the new year. Ask Tanner to split the week between the lanterns and the beach.

Two closures shape Thailand in November. Ang Thong Marine Park, the big boat day from Koh Samui, is closed until 15 December, and the Khao Sok trails are closed until 30 November. Take a Phuket bay day instead, and ask Tanner.

Is November better than December?

November is better for weather with smaller crowds and lower prices; December is better for big events, with three music festivals, the Full Moon and New Year's Eve.

In November you get the same dry weather in Bangkok, Pattaya and Chiang Mai, more choice of villas and boats, and Loy Krathong.

In December you get Wonderfruit, Tomorrowland Thailand and EDC Thailand, and the busiest, most expensive week of the year after Christmas.

A November trip is the calm before it. See Thailand in December for the month after, and ask Tanner which month fits your group.

Seven days in November

A seven-day November plan is two days in Bangkok, Loy Krathong on the river on the 24th, then four days in a Phuket villa with a yacht day.

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Photo: AI-generated image

For the river, see the Bangkok dinner cruise. For the Bangkok days, your own van keeps the group together.

Add Chiang Mai for two days at the start if the group wants the lanterns, with ticketed releases on 24 and 25 November. Plan it with Tanner, and the week runs itself.

When to book

Book Chiang Mai lantern tickets and Loy Krathong boats now, and Phuket or Pattaya villas and yachts four to six weeks ahead.

Groups of 20 or more should book earliest, because the big villas and boats go first.

November still sits before the December rush, so you get more choice for the same money. Ask Tanner to put yours on hold today.

Thailand in November in short

Weather: about 31 to 33°C by day; dry in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Pattaya; Phuket calmer late in the month.

Skip: Koh Samui and Koh Phangan, at their wettest.

Loy Krathong: Tuesday 24 November, the same night as the Full Moon Party.

Yi Peng: 23 to 25 November in Chiang Mai, with ticketed releases on the 24th and 25th.

Fireworks: Pattaya Beach, 27 and 28 November.

Holidays: none in November 2026, and no alcohol-ban days.

Tanner's pick: Bangkok for Loy Krathong on the river, then a Phuket villa and yacht.

Plan it with Tanner, from the river boat to the Phuket villa.

Checked: November 2026