As a general rule, the high and low seasons in Pattaya are determined by the seasonal weather. The high season starts at the beginning of the dry (cool) season in November, and finishes the beginning of the wet season in May. The low season continues throughout the wet season from May to November.
Of course, so far as the weather is concerned, those dates are anticipated. As for hotel high and low season prices adjustments in Pattaya, the dates are “the norm”, not the rule. See below.
High Season in Pattaya, November to May
The best time to visit Pattaya for good weather, and the most expensive time to visit Pattaya.
Quite often the worst of the monsoon season weather arrives in Pattaya during early October, this is frequently the month when Pattaya receives its highest monthly rainfall. Although Pattaya may see occasional rain in early November, by now the weather has usually broken, and drier, cooler weather has arrived on the north-east winds.
High season in Pattaya includes the cool season and the hot season.
The Cool Season: November to March
During this period you can expect very pleasant daytime temperatures of 30 degrees Celsius, dropping by 4 or 5 degrees at nigh time. The average humidity of around 74 percent will make daytime temperatures feel more like 33 – 34 degrees Celsius.
NOTE: Around late December and early January it can get unseasonably chilly, but don’t worry, only chilly enough to warrant wearing a sweater or light jacket at night time.
Hours of daylight for the period are 12 hours per day in November and February, and 11 hours per day in January and December, and there is 7 – 8 hours of sunshine per day.
The average number of rainy days for the period is 15, with 10 of those most likely to occur in November.
The Hot Season: March to June
Temperatures will rise to an average daytime temperature of 32 degrees Celsius, and possibly as high as 40 in April. Humidity will rise to around 75 – 80 percent.
March and April both average 12 hours of daylight and 8 hours of sunshine, while May averages 13 hours of daylight and 6 hours of sunshine.
The period March to June averages 22 days of rainfall, 12 in May, 6 in April, and 4 in March.
Pattaya High Season Hotel Rates
November 1st to April 31st is the period most hotels in Pattaya start charging high season rates. The start and finish dates of high season vary from hotel to hotel. Some hotels start charging high season rates as early as October 1st or mid October. You might find a few hotels extend their high season to June 1st, some until May 1st, some until late April to include the Songkran festival. Some might start reducing their rates as early as March.
Example Pattaya Hotels High & Low Season Periods
Very few hotels in Pattaya display their high and low season periods on their websites, but here are a few examples I did manage to find. As you can see, it varies considerably from one hotel to the next.
- Jasmine Hotel: High Oct 1 – April 20 | Low April 21 – Sept 30
- Jomtien Thani: High Nov 1 – April 30 | Low May 1 – Oct 31
- Lek Villa: High Nov 1 – March 31 | Low April 1 – Oct 31
- Royal Twins: High Nov 1 – May 31 | Low June 1 – Oct 31
- Inn Place: High Nov 1 – May 1 | Low May 2 – Oct 31
- Destiny: High Oct 1 – Feb 28/29 | Low March 1 – Sept 30
- Siam GH: High Oct 1 – April 30 | Low May 1 – Sept 30
- Boomerang GH: High Nov 1 – April 30 | Low May 1 – Oct 31
Peak Season
Peak season in Pattaya is the Christmas and New Year period. Not all hotels charge peak season rates, but those which do (usually larger hotels) may start as early as mid December, and continue through to as late as mid January.
Pattaya High Season Tips
Book early: Christmas and New Year is the busiest period in Pattaya. To ensure you get a room at your preferred hotel you must book early.
Compulsory gala dinner: Some hotels have a compulsory gala dinner, usually on New Year’s Eve, it could cost as much as 5000 baht per person. Compulsory means you have to pay for it, regardless of whether you attend. This information might not be displayed on a third party booking site, you might be asked to pay when you check-in, so check the hotel website, choose another hotel if you don’t want to pay.
Book excursions, day trips and entry tickets in advance: It’s not only hotels you should book in advance during high season. Tickets to popular attractions, domestic flights, VIP bus tickets, overnight sleeper trains, and shuttle services to islands near Pattaya should be booked well in advance. Take a look at the best options on this Pattaya online ticket and tour booking guide.
Book your Christmas dinner: Sounds like a minor detail, but most restaurants and bars in Pattaya put on a Christmas dinner, and they sell out fast.
For those that like to party, this is the time when Pattaya is in full swing. High season is a time of high employment and high profit for tourism related businesses in Pattaya, which in turn creates a contagious feel good factor.
Low Season in Pattaya, May to November
The cheapest time of year to visit Pattaya. This is the time to take advantage of reduced hotel rates, if you’re not looking for guaranteed good weather.
May – the time most hotels in Pattaya start charging low season rates, often remains dry, but hot. The wet season is expected to arrive on the southwest monsoon wind, but quite often doesn’t arrive until June.
Pattaya rainfall statistics from May to November are as follows, below:
- May: 148.3mm – Rainy days: 12
- June: 119mm – Rainy days: 11
- July: 97.4mm – Rainy days: 11
- August: 97.6mm – Rainy days: 12
- September: 204.7mm – Rainy days: 17
- October: 216.1mm – Rainy days: 18
Hours of daylight for the period is 12 – 13. Hours of sunshine is 5 to 6, with June, July, August and September averaging 5 hours.
May is the hottest month of the low season, averaging 32 Celsius, from June to October the temperature dips from an average of 31.7 to 30.8 Celsius. Humidity is around 77 – 78 percent from May to September, and 81 – 83 during September and October.
Is it Worth Visiting Pattaya in Low Season
Cheaper hotel rates, and less crowds, those are the two main advantages of visiting Pattaya in the low season. The disadvantage is, there’s a much higher chance of rain.
Let’s say you’re visiting Pattaya for 1 week in the low season, here’s what could happen:
- It rains non stop every day: I’ve never known it rain non stop for a full 24 hours, even 12 hours of non stop rain is considered an extremely long time.
- Cloudy all day, every day: That can happen, but it’s quite rare.
- It rains every day: That happens, especially in September and October, but usually there will be a heavy downpour for an hour or two, followed by sunshine or broken cloud.
- Sunshine all day, every day: You’ll probably consider yourself lucky, but yes, that happens too.
The most likely worst case scenario is every day of your 7 day visit to Pattaya is cloudy all day, every day, with a short downpour of rain every day or every other day.
What usually happens is, there are heavy downpours lasting an hour or two, followed by sunshine, sometimes broken cloud. For days on end the weather can follow a similar pattern, it might start and stop raining about the same time every day. So, if you want to make the most of the available sunshine, plan your day around it. If it rains longer than expected, find some things to do on rainy days.
Pattaya Nightlife and Bar Scene in Low Season
The only noteworthy difference in low season is, there’s not as many people around. That means less bums on seats in the bars, and the nightlife scene generally doesn’t have the same ‘party feel’ to it. But don’t worry, if you like to party, you’ll find the popular discos and nightclubs on Walking Street are still very lively.
Need more info? Like where to stay in Pattaya, how and where to get the best hotel deals, read these hotel booking tips. First visit to Pattaya?, don’t know where to start, start here.