Best Time Of The Year To Visit Koh Samui

Make sure to go to Koh Samui while the weather is nice so that you can go snorkelling! (Photo courtesy agoda.com)

A huge reason why people plan trips from halfway across the world to this island is for its idyllic climate, which can be enjoyed throughout most of the year. In addition to the white sand beaches and crystal-clear ocean, the warm sun, cool breezes of wind from the sea, and moderately humid atmosphere makes the tropical getaway spot even better.

While the Koh Samui weather is unquestionably ideal for all foreigners, there are times during certain months wherein the climate can turn a bit ugly, since the sublime temperature conditions and all-around humidity are affected by the Northwest Monsoon and Southeast Monsoon systems.

The NW monsoon shifts towards the island all the way from India during June, July, and the first week or so of August. However, Koh Samui isn’t severely affected by this system, mainly because the Thai mainland shields the islet against most of the rain showers and strong winds.

From June to August, heavy showers usually take place between the afternoon and late evening, but typically doesn’t last any longer than thirty minutes, meaning it isn’t something that a tourist should really worry about.

On the other hand, the SE monsoon sweeps in from the Philippines and Indonesia during the months of October, November and December – the problem here is there isn’t anything that stands in the way to absorb most of the heavy rain showers and strong gusts of wind.

With that being said, the beautiful Koh Samui weather can quickly take a turn for the worse sometime in between October during this time, tropical storms are expected to bombard the island. Torrential rains and high winds can carry on non-stop for a week, which could easily ruin anyone’s vacation.

However, it’s important for the readers of this article to know that the climate doesn’t constantly remain that way throughout the entire duration of the month. It should be known that in between the powerful rain and relentless winds are dry, sunny days.

Nevertheless, if a storm does continue to pour hard, risks of flash floods hitting the coastal towns is a definitely a possibility. These floods can also cause power outages, which can last several days and beyond.

To avoid having a holiday ruined by bad Koh Samui weather, common-sense will tell any vacationist that planning a vacation during the times of year wherein it’s expected NOT to rain would be a wise course of action. With that said, the months which receive the driest and highest temperatures include February, March, April and May.

The problem is these months are considered the high season, so families that thinking about going to Samui should book a hotel at one of the top hotels like the ShaSa resort in advance.