Khao Lak weather in January
January in Khao Lak: sweltering, a little rain, with clean air — fine if you can take 37°C afternoons.
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
#2 of 12 months in Khao Lak · #221 of 1413 destinations to visit in January · comfort 88/100 (tier A)
- Days
- 32°C
- Nights
- 23°C
- Wet days
- 12
- Sun
- 10.2 h
- Humidity
- 78%
- Daylight
- 12 h

Traveller notes on Khao Lak in January
Khao Lak's forum rates January among the best months of the year — hot, sunny days around 32-34°C, clear blue skies, with rain minimal. Regulars flag online forecasts as unreliable here, routinely showing thunderstorm icons that rarely translate into more than an isolated hour-long shower, and note evenings can turn cool enough for a light cardigan.
Other months in Khao Lak
Regulars are specific this marks the start of the dry season here, though real residual rain remains common, any shower typically short-lived and, on a hot afternoon, genuinely welcome rather than disruptive. Our row backs that hot, genuinely wet read, 31.4C reading as a scorching 37C, over 23.6C nights feeling 28C, with a substantial 235.2mm of rain across 24.4 days and humidity at 87 percent. Regulars are consistent tours to the Similan and Surin Islands are back in full swing by this point, restaurants, bars and shops all open again after the quieter wet-season months. Multiple repeat visitors report consistently good weather in mid-November specifically across several different years. The sea sits at a bath-warm 29.8C. The record: 8.2 hours of sun, a 12.9 kph wind and AQI 31.
Regulars describe this as the tail end of dry season, hot and sunny overall, with afternoon thunderstorms becoming a real possibility as the wet season approaches - when they do arrive, they're usually short and heavy rather than sustained, and regulars note the air and even the humidity level afterward is no worse than earlier in the dry season despite the added moisture. Our row backs the building wetness, 155.7mm of rain across a real 20.8 days, alongside intense heat, 33.1C reading as a hot 40C at 81.5 percent humidity, over 24.7C nights. Regulars call this a good month for value, with online accommodation rates noticeably lower than peak season despite the weather still being broadly enjoyable. The sea holds a warm 30C. The record: 10.4 hours of sun, a 14.4 kph wind and AQI 53.
December opens the three months regulars rate highest here and they claim it is steadier than the coast further south: clear skies, calm sea, and rarely more than a short shower in a day. Some report a little rain daily and none of it lasting - which is the sense to make of our 99.1mm across 14.6 days, seven millimetres apiece. Their claim that the heat and humidity are moderate holds only against the Thai year: 31.5C at 82 percent reads as 37C, and the sea is 29C, bath water in their phrase. Peak season runs mid-December to mid-January, so the best weather and the highest prices arrive together. The record: 23.2C nights, 9.4 hours of sun and a 14.8 kph wind.
March is one of the hottest months in Khao Lak and one of the drier ones, and regulars say visitors usually welcome any rain that arrives because the heat is so high by now. Our row is the most extreme feels-like figure in this collection: 33.3C reading as 39C, with nights at 23.8C that feel like 28C. The 12.4 precipitation days look wrong against a dry month until you see the 74.5mm behind them - six millimetres a wet day, which is the odd afternoon thunderstorm they describe as the wet season approaches from early May. Seas are calm now. What the numbers make plain is that there is no relief in the water: the Andaman is 29.6C, warmer than most swimming pools. December to February is the better weather; March and April are the better value outside Songkran. The record: humidity 76 percent and 10.8 hours of sun.
Add your own note from Khao Lak's card on the map.
Khao Lak climate normals — January
Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.
Crowds in Khao Lak in January
How busy the place itself is — school and mass holidays, the months an editor tagged, and how sought-after the weather makes them. Never part of the comfort score.
Peak crowdsDry season, calm Andaman, Christmas and New Year peak, school holidays in 6 of the markets that fill it(estimated)
Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet
Best months for Khao Lak's weather
Ranked by this destination's own climate comfort score across the year — a different thing from how busy it gets (see Crowds above).
Best weatherKhao Lak's weather peaks January–March, best around February.
Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather
What's on in Khao Lak in January
Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.
- Season
Dry season, calm Andaman
1 Nov – 20 Apr · usuallyCrowdedFlat water, no shore break and the whole coast open for business. This is the northern-European charter season and the beachfront runs at capacity from Christmas to March.
- Holiday
Christmas and New Year peak
18 Dec – 5 JanChristmas & New YearCrowdedBook earlyThe weeks around Christmas and New Year are the busiest of the year here for both foreign and Thai visitors: rooms and transport sell out early and rates run at their highest. Source ↗
Nearby, and something's on
Within 300 km of Khao Lak — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.
Where is Khao Lak?
Khao Lak in January — FAQ
- Is January a good time to visit Khao Lak?
- January in Khao Lak: sweltering, a little rain, with clean air — fine if you can take 37°C afternoons. It ranks #2 of 12 months for Khao Lak on SeasonMap's comfort score (88/100).
- What is the weather like in Khao Lak in January?
- In January, Khao Lak averages a daily high of 31.9°C and a low of 22.7°C, with about 75.6 mm of rain over roughly 11.9 rainy days.
- What is the air quality in Khao Lak in January?
- Khao Lak has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 49 in January.
Within 300 km: Khao Sok's Rafflesia in bloom around 1 Jan – 15 Mar, and Phuket's Dry season, calm sea around 15 Nov – 15 Apr.