Geography & general
With over 8.5 million inhabitants, according to abbreviationfinder, Bangkok is by far the largest city in Thailand and has been the capital of the kingdom since 1782. According to the latest estimates, over 15 million people live in the entire metropolitan area of Bangkok.
The pulsating metropolis Bangkok is the heart of Thailand, it forms the center of the country in terms of politics and economy as well as culturally and infrastructurally.
With the opening of the Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi Airport in 2006, the former Don Mueang International Airport was converted into a domestic airport for domestic flights. The popular low-cost airline Air Asia still uses it as a hub for international flights.
However, travelers from Germany land at the large, international Suvarnabhumi Airport, which, with over 50 million passengers, is one of the 20 largest airports in the world.
Although Bangkok can be perceived as loud, poor, turbulent and stressful at first glance, behind the scenes tourists quickly come across a uniquely colorful and fascinating city with unbelievable diversity. So it’s no wonder that Bangkok is the second most visited city in the world, just behind London.
The direct flight time from Frankfurt am Main to Bangkok is around 10 hours. Since Thailand does not have summer time, the time difference is +5 hours in summer and +6 hours in winter. At 3:00 p.m. German time (summer) it is 8:00 p.m. in the evening in Bangkok.
Climate in Bangkok
The climate in the Thai capital Bangkok is a classic tropical climate with year-round high temperatures and comparatively high humidity. Even the coldest month of December has an average daily temperature of 31.3 ° C, even at night temperatures are consistently above 20 degrees.
From a statistical point of view, the hottest month in Bangkok is April, which usually also introduces the rainy season with increased rainfall. The rainy season in Bangkok runs from May to October and is characterized primarily by the humid and hot air and a very oppressive climate with very high humidity (September 84%).
The highest amount of rain usually falls in September and slowly runs out in October, which is also very humid. From November to around the beginning of April, the dry season makes for a much more pleasant travel climate. The lowest humidity in Bangkok is in December and January (around 73%).
With an average daily maximum temperature of 32.7 ° C, Bangkok is the hottest city in the world.
When is the best time to visit Bangkok?
In general, Bangkok is a year-round destination, as the capital is often used primarily as an entrance gate to onward travel through wonderful Thailand. One or the other tropical shower can therefore be coped well even during the rainy season, as there are enough covered retreats in the city.
However, if you want to take a closer look at the sights and attractions of the metropolis of Bangkok, you need perseverance, a good mood and patience. The traffic is often chaotic, the markets are sometimes overcrowded and as a tourist it often seems as if the whole city is literally on its feet.
So it’s no surprise that we don’t recommend the humid and hot rainy season as the best time to visit Bangkok. If possible, when choosing your travel time, rely on the dry season from November to mid-April. This largely coincides with the best travel time for the holiday regions in the south (e.g. Phuket).
Temperatures, precipitation, sunshine
| Jan | Feb | March | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| Daytime temperature | 32 ° C | 33 ° C | 34 ° C | 35 ° C | 34 ° C | 33 ° C | 33 ° C | 33 ° C | 32 ° C | 32 ° C | 32 ° C | 31 ° C |
| Night temperature | 21 ° C | 23 ° C | 25 ° C | 26 ° C | 26 ° C | 25 ° C | 25 ° C | 25 ° C | 25 ° C | 24 ° C | 23 ° C | 21 ° C |
| Water temperature | 26 ° C | 27 ° C | 27 ° C | 28 ° C | 28 ° C | 28 ° C | 28 ° C | 28 ° C | 28 ° C | 27 ° C | 27 ° C | 27 ° C |
| Precipitation in mm | 9 | 30 | 29 | 65 | 220 | 149 | 155 | 197 | 344 | 242 | 48 | 10 |
| Rainy days | 2 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 21st | 22 | 16 | 5 | 2 |
| Hours of sunshine | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 9 |
| Sunrise | 6:45 | 6:40 | 6:25 | 6:05 | 5:50 | 5:50 | 6:00 | 6:05 | 6:05 | 6:10 | 6:20 | 6:35 |
| Sunset | 18:10 | 18:25 | 18:30 | 18:30 | 18:35 | 18:45 | 18:50 | 18:40 | 18:20 | 18:00 | 17:50 | 17:55 |
Temperatures
The annual average temperature is 28.4 ° C. For comparison: Munich reaches an average of 8.6 ° C, in Berlin it is 9.6 ° C. The warmest month is April (30.5 ° C), coldest month of December with averages of 26.1 ° C. The maximum water temperature is 28 ° C. Comfortable bathing is possible at these temperatures. All months have a water temperature of at least 21 ° C and are therefore suitable for a beach holiday.
Precipitation
The annual precipitation is 1498 mm on 137 days with precipitation. For comparison: In Munich, 967 mm, in Berlin 570 mm, precipitation is measured annually. The months of May, August, September and October are considered the rainy season, as more than 175 mm of precipitation can be expected per month. Overall, about 1003 mm of precipitation can be expected in the rainy season. Snowfall is generally not expected in any month.
Sunshine
As our climate table shows, January is the sunniest month with an average of 8.8 hours of sunshine per day. On average over the year, the sun shines 7.2 hours per day. For comparison: In Munich and Berlin, the sun shines an average of 4.7 hours per day throughout the year.
Cities nearby
The following major towns are nearby and have a similar climate: Nonthaburi and Pak Kret.
Bangkok weather in March, April and May
Daily temperatures averaging 34 to 35 ° C can be expected over the next three months. The temperatures hardly fluctuate during this time.
Do you want to go on a beach holiday? The water temperatures are in March, April and May 27-28 ° C. This is great weather for a great time on the beach and in the water.
The expected rainfall is around 5 days in March, around 8 days in April and around 17 days in May.
In the period from March to May, the sun shines an average of 7 to 9 hours a day. The sunniest weather is in March in Bangkok, with less sun you will have to get by in May.
