Thailand Climate
Top 5 Cities: Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, Phuket, and Nonthaburi
This month in numbers
Thailand experienced a warmer-than-average April 2026, with temperatures reaching 28.68°C, an anomaly of +0.4°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. This ranked as the 29th warmest April in 86 years of records. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest on record for land temperatures, with an anomaly of +1.1°C, just shy of the all-time record set in April 2025.
What changed
The three-month period from February to April 2026 saw an average temperature of 27.28°C, marking a +0.6°C anomaly against the 1961–1990 baseline and ranking as the 22nd warmest such period on record. This trend aligns with the broader global picture, where global land temperatures for the same three-month period ranked as the 2nd warmest on record, with an anomaly of +1.2°C. Thailand's 1-month anomaly for April placed it 224th out of 234 regions, indicating that while warmer than average, its anomaly was less pronounced than many other parts of the world.
What’s driving change?
The prevailing climate driver influencing Thailand's conditions is the evolving ENSO state. The current ENSO state is Neutral, with a weekly Niño 3.4 SST anomaly of +0.9°C as of April 29, 2026. However, forecasts indicate a strong likelihood of an El Niño developing in the coming months, with a 61% chance for May-July and a 79% chance for June-August. Historically, El Niño phases in Maritime Southeast Asia typically lead to warmer and drier conditions, increasing the risk of severe drought and forest fires. Indeed, Thailand has been experiencing drought conditions, with one drought event logged from January 21 to May 4, 2026, representing 100% of the annual total for such events, an unusual concentration for the region. This has led to warnings of water shortages in 41 provinces. Additionally, Thailand experienced a period of extreme heat in early April, with temperatures in some northern and central areas reaching up to 43°C, followed by summer storms with thunderstorms, gusty winds, and hail across various regions from mid to late April. More information on active extreme weather events can be found at Extreme Weather tracker.
Looking ahead
With a strong El Niño phase forecast to develop in the coming months, Thailand can anticipate continued warmer and drier conditions, potentially exacerbating drought risks and impacting agricultural output through 2027.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
Loading climate data...
Data Sources
Data Sources for Thailand
Every figure on this page is sourced from official, openly published climate datasets. Anomalies are calculated against the 1961–1990 baseline (temperature) and 1991–2020 (rainfall, sunshine, frost) — see the Methodology & Sources page for the complete dataset list and update calendar.
FAQs
FAQs
How is the climate in Thailand changing?
Thailand is warming in line with the rest of the world. The page above shows the latest monthly temperature anomaly versus the 1961-1990 baseline, the long-term annual trend, and the region's rank in the historical record. The trend rate is shown as °C per decade in the headline panel; you can also see the warmest and coolest years on file.
Where does the climate data for Thailand come from?
Climate data for Thailand comes from Our World in Data, sourcing Copernicus ERA5 and HadCRUT5 (national temperature anomaly) and the Global Carbon Project via Our World in Data (CO₂ emissions), refreshed every month, when the upstream temperature and rainfall data are refreshed.
What is the climate baseline used on this page?
Anomalies on this page are calculated against the 1961-1990 climatological baseline, which is the standard reference period used by the Met Office, NOAA, IPCC and most national climate services. Some panels also show the source-native 1901-2000 (NOAA) or 1991-2020 (WMO) baselines for verification. See Methodology & Sources for the full reference.
Which areas does the Thailand climate data cover?
The Thailand climate profile covers Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, Phuket and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for Thailand
How often is the Thailand climate update refreshed?
The Thailand climate update is refreshed monthly, typically a few days after the previous month closes and the upstream provider (Met Office HadUK-Grid, NOAA Climate at a Glance, Copernicus ERA5 or the Global Carbon Project) publishes its update. See the Climate Rankings for cross-region comparisons.