April is the hottest month in Thailand and the one with the biggest party in Southeast Asia in the middle of it. Songkran runs 13 to 15 April – Thai New Year, three public holidays, and a nationwide water fight – while Bangkok pushes 34°C, Chiang Mai hits 35°C under the last of the burning season, and the Andaman islands enjoy their final clear weeks before the monsoon.
Songkran, 13–15 April 2027
Thai New Year is three public holidays and, in practice, closer to a week of disruption and celebration. The water-throwing is real, it is everywhere, and it is not optional: if you are on the street in Bangkok, Chiang Mai or Phuket during Songkran you will get soaked, repeatedly, by strangers with buckets and water cannons. Taking that in good humour is the whole deal.
What to plan around:
- Book internal transport weeks ahead. Songkran is the biggest domestic travel period of the Thai year – the entire country goes home. Trains, buses and domestic flights sell out, and roads are dangerous: Thailand’s road-death toll spikes every Songkran and the period is nicknamed the “seven dangerous days”.
- Chiang Mai is the most intense version, with the moat becoming a water source and days of it. Bangkok concentrates around Silom, Khao San and RCA.
- Protect your things. Waterproof phone pouches are sold everywhere for a few baht. Anything not sealed will get wet, including inside a backpack.
- Many businesses close for several days, especially family-run shops and restaurants.
- Do not throw water at monks, the elderly, or people on motorbikes. The last one causes crashes.
The heat is the other headline
- Bangkok – about 34°C by day and 27°C at night, with around 90 mm of rain across five days. The humidity makes it feel considerably worse, and the nights no longer cool down.
- Chiang Mai – the hottest place in the country in April at about 35°C, and still under the tail of the burning season.
- Phuket and the Andaman coast – around 32°C with roughly 105 mm of rain: the first pre-monsoon showers, usually short and in the afternoon.
- The Gulf islands – Samui, Phangan and Koh Tao are still in their dry season, which runs roughly January to August.
Plan Bangkok and the temples for early morning, take the middle of the day indoors, and treat air conditioning as part of the itinerary rather than a luxury.
The last weeks for the Similan Islands
The Similan and Surin Islands close from 16 May to 14 October every year – a fixed annual closure by Thailand’s Department of National Parks, not a weather decision. April is the final full month they are open, and it is one of the best: warm water, good visibility and manta and whale-shark season on the liveaboard circuit.
If the Similans matter to you, April is effectively your deadline. Liveaboards for the closing weeks book out months ahead.
Burning season ends – slowly
Northern Thailand’s agricultural burning runs from late February to April and fades as the rains arrive in May. April is better than March but not clean, and Chiang Mai can still record hazardous air. If the north is the trip, check air quality daily and consider shifting to May, when the first rains wash the valley and the mountains reappear.
Other April dates
- Tuesday 6 April – Chakri Memorial Day, a public holiday marking the founding of the current dynasty.
- 13–15 April – Songkran, three public holidays.
- Buddhist holy days carry a nationwide ban on alcohol sales, with exceptions for hotels, international airport terminals, licensed entertainment venues and designated tourist areas. The lunar dates are confirmed by the Thai Cabinet, so check the official list for your travel dates.
Prices and crowds
April is a strange market. Songkran week is expensive and fully booked in Chiang Mai and Bangkok; the rest of the month is shoulder season, with island rates easing as the hot season bites and the monsoon approaches. If you want the beaches without the crowds and without the rain, the last ten days of April are one of the better windows of the year.
See how much a trip to Thailand costs.
The April 2027 calendar
- Tuesday 6 April – Chakri Memorial Day, a public holiday.
- 13–15 April – Songkran: three public holidays, nationwide water festival, peak domestic travel.
- Through April – the hottest weeks of the Thai year; burning season fading in the north.
- To 15 May – the Similan and Surin islands remain open; April is the last full month.
- Late April – island rates ease; the first pre-monsoon showers on the Andaman coast.
Read alongside
- Thailand in March – calmer seas, and the peak of the burning season.
- Thailand in May – the monsoon arrives and the parks close.
- Best time to visit Thailand – all twelve months compared.
- How much a trip to Thailand costs – the numbers.
- Best islands in Thailand – and which coast they sit on.
- Thailand 2-week itinerary – and how Songkran changes it.
- What to pack for Thailand – the hot-season list.
Frequently asked
When is Songkran in 2027?
13 to 15 April 2027, three public holidays. In practice the celebrations and the disruption run longer, and it is the biggest domestic travel period of the Thai year.
Can you avoid getting wet during Songkran?
Not if you are on the street in a city centre. Water-throwing is indiscriminate and good-natured; the practical response is a waterproof phone pouch and clothes you do not mind soaking. Hotels, malls and restaurants are dry.
Is April a good time to visit Thailand?
It is the hottest month and it contains the best festival. The Andaman islands are in their final clear weeks, the Gulf islands are still dry, and the last ten days of the month are quiet and cheaper. The heat and the northern haze are the costs.
How hot is Thailand in April?
Bangkok averages about 34°C by day and 27°C at night; Chiang Mai is the hottest at around 35°C; Phuket sits near 32°C. Humidity makes all of those feel higher, and the nights stay warm.
Are the Similan Islands open in April?
Yes, and April is the last full month. They close from 16 May to 14 October every year under a fixed closure by Thailand’s Department of National Parks. Liveaboards for the final weeks book out months in advance.
Is Chiang Mai still smoky in April?
Often, yes. The burning season runs from late February to April and fades in May with the rains. April is better than March but can still record hazardous air; check air quality daily.
Is alcohol banned during Songkran?
Not for Songkran itself, but Thailand bans alcohol sales nationally on five Buddhist holy days each year, with exceptions for hotels, international airport terminals, licensed venues and designated tourist areas. The lunar dates are set by the Thai Cabinet each year.
Should I book transport in advance for April?
For anything crossing 13 to 15 April, absolutely – weeks ahead. Trains, buses and domestic flights sell out for Songkran and the roads are at their most dangerous of the year.
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Written by
John Morrison is the founder and lead travel writer at Packzup. Over the past decade he has explored destinations across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Oceania — always self-funded, never on a press trip.
