When is the best time for diving on Koh Tao?

Roughly March to September, when seas are calm and visibility at its best. Diving runs year-round, but October to December brings wind, rain and reduced visibility.

When is the rainy season on Koh Tao?

October to December, peaking in November. Like the rest of the Gulf, Koh Tao stays largely dry through the European summer months.

Can ferries to Koh Tao be cancelled?

Yes — in the November–December monsoon, rough seas occasionally halt crossings from Chumphon and Surat Thani for a day or two. Build slack into travel plans in those months.

When can you see whale sharks at Koh Tao?

Sightings happen year-round and are never guaranteed. Many divers report clusters of sightings in the settled months around March–May and again around September–October.

Gulf of Thailand · Seasons & weather

Best time to visit Sichon

Same southern Gulf season as Khanom and Koh Samui: dry February to September, wet October to December. Busiest on Thai weekends, whatever the weather.

A Thai beach town on the north-east monsoon

Sichon lies thirty kilometres south of Khanom and shares its calendar exactly: the dry half of the year runs from February to September, and the rain arrives with the north-east monsoon from October to December. February to April is hottest and clearest; November and December are the months that wash the coast road.

What sets Sichon apart is who comes. This is a domestic beach town, and the busy days are Thai weekends and public holidays rather than the northern European winter. Weather aside, a Tuesday in July can be emptier than a Saturday in November.

Transport

Tickets & connections

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In short

Sichon seasons

February–September: the dry half of the year
March–April: hottest, calmest and clearest
October–December: heavy rain, rough sea, local flooding
Busiest days: Thai weekends and public holidays, year round
Same calendar as Khanom and Koh Samui

The dry months, February to September

From February the wind drops, the sea flattens and the water clears. March and April are the hottest of the year and the best for swimming; the bays at Hin Ngam and Ao Thong Yang are shallow, calm and shaded at the back by casuarina trees.

May to September stays mostly dry here while the Andaman coast is in its monsoon. Showers come and go, prices are low, and the crowds are Thai families rather than tour groups. For a quiet beach in the middle of the European summer, this coast is one of Thailand's better answers.

Good to know

Planning around the weather

Book ahead for Thai weekends and holidays — that is when the town fills, not at Christmas.
Wat Chedi Ai Khai is calmest on a weekday morning.
Very little English is spoken; a translation app earns its keep here.
In November and December, treat the coast road as slow and possibly flooded.

October to December, and the temple crowds

October brings the first settled rain, and November and December are heavy: long downpours, rough sea, local flooding. Beach life stops. Most guesthouses stay open because the town does not live on tourism, but there is very little reason to be here for the sand.

One thing runs all year regardless: Wat Chedi Ai Khai, the shrine north of town, draws a constant stream of Thai pilgrims and is at its busiest at weekends and around Thai holidays. If you want the quiet version, come on a weekday morning.

Month by month

January	Showery early, quiet, clearing towards the end
February	Dry and calm — the good season begins
March	Hot and dry, clear shallow water
April	Hottest month, Songkran mid-month, busy with Thai visitors
May	Hot with short showers, very cheap
June	Warm and mostly dry, empty beaches
July	Warm, brief showers, Thai holiday weekends
August	Warm and largely dry, a good European-summer month
September	Showers increasing, still swimmable
October	The rains set in, sea turns rough
November	Wettest month — heavy rain and flooding
December	Wet and windy, easing at the very end

Frequently asked questions

When is the best time to visit Sichon?

February to September, with March and April the hottest and clearest. June to September is quiet and cheap and stays largely dry, unlike the Andaman coast.

When is the rainy season in Sichon?

October to December. November and December are the heaviest, with long rain and local flooding along the coast road.

Is Sichon crowded?

Only at Thai weekends and public holidays. Foreign visitors are rare, so the busy calendar here is domestic, not international.

How far is Sichon from Khanom?

About thirty kilometres north along the coast, roughly forty minutes by road. The two towns share the same weather and the same season.

Travel guides

More guides to Sichon and the southern Gulf coast.

Part of the guides for

Sichon

Sichon