The best time to visit Krabi depends on the weather but is usually between the months of December and February. During this time, there is often a cooler breeze from the northeast (China area) and the monsoon rains have stopped in November typically.
Overview of Krabi
Krabi is a province along the Southwest Coast of Thailand between Phang Nga, Suratthani, and Trang provinces. Much of Krabi borders the water, whether the Andaman Sea or the Krabi River in Town. Krabi is a tourist town known for its endless fun things to do and great weather.
When Is the Best Time of Year to Visit Krabi?
The best time to visit Krabi’s mainland, beaches, and islands is during November to February when it is a little bit cooler, a lot less crowded, and when there is very little rain.
We’ll talk more about these deciding factors below. Krabi is great to visit anytime, but if you visit during the suggested period you’ll have a better time for sure.
Weather
The weather is a big factor in planning your vacation because if you come during August, September, and October (Rainy Season), this is usually the time when the weather is at its worst. Meaning, there is lots of rain and you never know how long it will last. It might be a quick shower that blows through and is gone.
Or, it may be a series of showers that rain, stop, rain, stop, over and over all day – leaving you guessing whether you should go out and do something outside.
The Dry Season (November to April)
The Dry Season matches Thailand’s “High Season” when we have the most visitors. From the months of November to April, Thailand experiences what is known as the “Dry Season.” This is when it usually rains little and you can plan your entire vacation during this time without considering the rain.
It may still rain once or twice during your stay but rain during these months is not usually more than a quick shower passing through.
The Dry Season in Krabi has warm, sunny days and clear skies usually. The average temperature ranges from 28 to 32 degrees Celsius (82 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit).
The Rainy Season (May to October)
The first part of Krabi’s Rainy Season usually has sporadic rain showers with random 2-3 day near-constant showers every week or two. It’s impossible to predict, and we don’t pay too much attention to any weather forecast because they always seem to be wrong.
The rainy season in Krabi usually has heavy rain and occasional thunderstorms. The average temperature during this time ranges from 25 to 30 degrees Celsius (81 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit) on average. That doesn’t mean we can’t have a stretch of 3-5 warm sunny days in a row – we can and do! We just never know when they will be!
Crowds
After COVID and with the start of the Russia-Ukraine war, we have seen a big change in the makeup of people in Krabi and surrounding provinces. At the moment (Low Season) we have very few visitors, but there is enough to keep some of the foreign restaurants at Ao Nang Beach and in Krabi Town open.
Phuket is slammed with Russians and Ukrainians escaping the war. Krabi has very few, but we also have very few Chinese at this time. Even during our most recent High Season, we had few Chinese and mostly Russian visitors from Eastern Europe.
In the past, the Chinese crowds blanketed Krabi’s Island areas like Ko Phi Phi, Railay Beach, and Ao Nang Beach. We don’t know what will happen this year, but probably we’ll see a slow build-up of Chinese returning to Thailand. They seem to love Krabi!
We don’t think we’re going to see 10 million+ visitors again from China this year, so maybe it’s a good time to visit Krabi!
Activities
Regardless of when you visit, there will be many things you can enjoy during your Krabi stay. Here is a short list below, and here is a bigger list of Things To Do you can look at if you want more options, including climbing.
- Dragon’s Crest Nature Hike (trail)
- Tiger Cave Temple
- Emerald Pool and Blue Pool + Hot Springs
- 4-Island Tour
- Huay Toh Waterfall at the National Park
What Is Krabi’s Biggest Event and When Is It?
Southern Thailand cities like Phuket, Surat Thani, Trang, and Krabi celebrate the Jeh Vegetarian Festival each year in October. This is a fascinating look at some of the history of Southern Thailand involving gypsies in Phuket. Jeh Festival is their tradition to celebrate their healing from a rampant killer disease over 100 years ago.
The disease almost wiped out the gypsies in Phuket over a period of many months. Finally, they prayed to the gods of animism and fasted – avoided food – and the disease abated.
Every October is an event where hundreds of people among thousands in their parades in all the cities mentioned are possessed by monkeys, children, pigs, and gods. Many participants impale themselves with metal pieces through their cheeks. It’s quite a scene. Not recommended for kids, there is a lot of blood in this festival.
So, if you want to see the biggest event in Krabi (all of Southern Thailand) you should visit to see this bizarre festival.
Conclusion
- Come anytime to visit Krabi. Some of the best times to visit are in the early rainy season months like April, May, and June when the rain hasn’t started that often yet. Keep in mind, each year is different. Lately, we’ve had a lot of rain in the early season but that doesn’t usually happen.
- The best months to come (High Season) are also the most expensive months because room rates, transportation, and food prices rise a bit.
- There are lots of things to do in the rain, and if the rain isn’t coming down hard, you can still do most anything like snorkeling, swimming, diving, exploring the trails, etc.
- When is Temperature and Humidity Favorable in Krabi?
- Temperatures in Krabi are at their lowest between the months of December to February. Humidity also drops during this time and the environment for vacation and relaxation becomes the best time of the year during these months.
- It’s a common scene to see visitors sweating profusely in Thailand during the hotter months of March through September. A lot of people don’t enjoy the heat like that, but they would rather visit during a time when there are not so many people crowding Krabi Town, Ao Nang Beach, and Koh Phi Phi beaches.