Today's weather for Krabi, Thailand6th Jan 2009 09:00

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Weather Overview for Krabi

Krabi, made up of 130 islands, lies to the east of Phuket on the shores of the Andamen Sea and is one of Thailand’s southern provinces.

The region is one of dual seasons- the Rainy Season, which runs from May to October and the Dry Season which runs from November to April.

Krabi is humid and hot all year round, with the Dry Season being the hottest time of year (April in particular.) This period also coincides with the tourist high season. The temperature in Krabi generally sits around to 30’s all year round, with occasional cooler days brought on by rainfall and chilly nights one the sun sets and a maximum tempature of about 37 degrees.

The Krabi province is probably most well known for it being the setting for ‘The Beach,’ the 2000 film starting Leonardo DiCaprio. The film was shot on the island of Ko Phi Phi Lee, which incidentally was the area worst hit by the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami.

The entire region was hit quite badly by the Indian Ocean tsunami. The area has been almost entirely reconstructed; however signs of damage are still visible in some of the worst hit areas.

RAINY SEASON (May- October)

In recent years the Thailand Tourism Authority is promoting the ‘Rainy Season’ as the more amicable and appealing ‘Green Season’ in an attempt to spread out tourism throughout the year rather than cramming all the visitors into the more popular months of December to March.

The rainy season on the whole is fairly unpredictable, as you are just as likely to be met with long periods of clear skies and sunny weather as you are with over a week of heavy rain and overcast skies.

June to August sees periods of sunshine interrupted by spurts of heavy downpours with an average temperature of 20 to 33 degrees. June see periods of phase 1 monsoon winds, rough seas and rain which makes it very difficult, if not impossible, to visit some of the outer islands.

If you are to visit in the rainy season, July and August is generally the best time as the strong winds die down and the weather is slightly finer and is just prior to the regions wettest month of September.

September brings phase 2 monsoon winds, which begin to ease come late October. The temperature during this time sits in the 30’s, but cools slightly during periods of rain.

If you can endure the heat, May is also a good time to visit, though it is during the period known as the ‘hot season’ as temperatures reach scorching highs of 37 degrees and are made all the more uncomfortable by very high humidity. The winds during this period are mild however and there is minimal rainfall.

The benefits of visiting Krabi during the rainy season are the same as any location during its ‘low season’- there are less tourists and travel on the whole is cheaper. This can be perfect for those who wish to enjoy a more ‘authentic’ Krabi as the locals are friendlier, the beaches are deserted and the greenery and wildlife abundant.

If you are willing to take the gamble of the weather, this period could well be an ideal time to visit- particularly if you are interested in the all weather activities such as jungle trekking, temple visits, diving and kayaking.

The jungles are at their most luscious as they have recovered from the dry season and are flourishing with greenery and wildlife (though keep in mind humidity is much more uncomfortable when in a jungle environment.)

If you are lucky enough to have a prolonged period of sunshine, uninterrupted by rain, you may find you’re self enjoying the utopian beaches without anyone else in sight.

On the flipside however, if you do visit Krabi in a particular bad spell you may find your self stuck in your hotel avoiding the heavy rain and unable to visit outer islands as travel to them will off limits due to the dangers off the rough seas.

DRY SEASON (November- April)

The dry season in Krabi is comprised of the busiest time of the year- from December to January, and the hottest time of the year beginning in April.

November is quite a pleasant time to visit Krabi, as it will not be as busy as December once the Christmas and New Year crowds arrive. The South West monsoon winds have died off as has rainfall. This period much like the rest of Thailand, is very busy and beaches, cafes and restaurants and travel costs are at their peak.

January brings flat seas, clear skies and gorgeous idyllic sunny weather broken up by slight off shore winds. Once the Christmas and New Years crowds die down January is an amazing time to visit Krabi. This weather continues into February, starting to warm up come the end of the month.

January and February are great times to visit if you are a diving fanatic, as the seas are calmer and it is just prior to when plankton starts to affect water clarity in March. The water temperature in Krabi stays at a bath like 28 – 30 degrees all year round.

Monsoon Winds

The Monsoon Winds are the main determinant of Krabi’s climate as the speed and direction of the winds will affect the temperature and conditions of the region. The North Eastern monsoon winds affect the region from December through till March. The north-easterly winds create dry air streams which results in tranquil clear blue skies.

It is when the Monsoon winds change directions that cooler temperatures and showers occur, this is generally around June and September.

Tsunami

Many tourists have been scared away from the region in the aftermath of the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami. The region has since been rehabilitated, helped by the $7 billion in aid and donations that was received.

Tsunami’s are caused when the plate boundaries suddenly shift and this has the affect of displacing the overlying water. The shifting of the plates below the ocean cause an undersea earth quake which disrupts the water, sending waves across the ocean than build into catastrophic tidal waves which can be devastating to a region once they hit the coast.

In the case of the 2004 tsunami, the earth quake that was the cause was second largest ever recorded for the region.

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