Bangkok in December: the weather, what's on in 2026, and what to book early

December is Bangkok's best month for weather. It's dry, sunny and as cool as the city gets: highs around 32°C, nights near 23°C, and rain on one or two days in the whole month. It's also one of the busiest. In 2026 the month holds a three-day weekend from 5 to 7 December, the royal cremation of Queen Sirikit from 15 to 19 December, and the New Year countdowns. Book your room early.

We checked everything below on 22 October 2026. Christmas themes and most countdown line-ups weren't out yet, so we'll update this page in mid-November.

What's the weather like in Bangkok in December?

Warm days, cooler nights and almost no rain. These are the 30-year averages (1991 to 2020) from the Thai Meteorological Department, with October for comparison:

"Cool" means cool for Bangkok. In December a mass of dry, high-pressure air from China sits over Thailand all month, so mornings feel fresh and the sticky air of the rainy season is gone. Lunchtime is still hot. You get about seven hours of sun a day, the sun rises at about 6:30am, and it sets between 5:48pm on the 1st and 6:01pm on the 31st.

The catch is haze. Dry, still air holds fine dust from November to March. From 1 November 2025 to 8 March 2026, Bangkok had 29 days above Thailand's PM2.5 limit, down from 65 the winter before, Khaosod English reported from Pollution Control Department data. That's 29 days out of about 128, so most days are fine. Check the Air4Thai app in the morning, and on an orange or red day swap the park for a museum.

Public holidays in December 2026

The dates are from the Bank of Thailand's 2026 holiday list. On each of them government offices and banks close, immigration offices included, so don't plan a visa extension for the 7th or the 10th. Malls, restaurants, markets and the trains carry on as usual. Christmas Day isn't a holiday in Thailand: the 25th is a normal working day.

The royal cremation, 15 to 19 December

Queen Sirikit, the Queen Mother, passed away on 24 October 2025. Her royal cremation ceremonies run from Tuesday 15 to Saturday 19 December 2026 at the royal crematorium on Sanam Luang, the field beside the Grand Palace. The cremation itself is at 4:30pm on Wednesday 16 December, Nation Thailand and Thai PBS World reported, and all five days will be shown live on Thai television.

It's a solemn national event, and the old town is its centre. By 22 October no road closures or Grand Palace hours had been announced. When a royal funeral ceremony was held in June 2026, the Bureau of the Royal Household closed the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew for all seven days (Thairath). So:

• See the Grand Palace before the 15th or after the 19th, and check its notices that week.
• Expect crowds around Sanam Luang and Ratchadamnoen. The MRT and the river boats beat a taxi.
• If you go near Sanam Luang, wear dark, plain clothes and keep your voice down.

What's on in Bangkok in December 2026

Vijit Chao Phraya's dates are the tourism authority's plan, as Bangkok Biz News reported it; last year the river was lit from 6 to 10pm every night. The BTS shows matter even if you aren't going: they land on the same weekend as the 5 December holiday, and hotels fill fast. Wonderfruit and Tomorrowland are both outside Pattaya, a week apart.

Christmas lights and markets

Christmas isn't a Thai holiday, but the malls go all out. In 2025 the trees and lights went up in mid-November and came down in early January: CentralWorld's on 6 January, Siam Paragon's on 11 January. ICONSIAM's riverside Bangkok Illumination, with a tree over 20 metres tall, ran to 25 December (MGR Online). Expect the same timing in 2026.

For markets, One Bangkok ran four Christmas markets last year. The main one filled its Boulevard from 3 to 10pm every day from 5 to 28 December (One Bangkok). Embassies, clubs and hotels add one-day charity fairs in late November and early December. Hotel Christmas dinners and brunches on the 24th and 25th fill up, so book a few weeks ahead.

New Year's Eve countdowns

Two of the big ones have announced for 2026. ICONSIAM posted on 15 October that its Amazing Thailand Countdown 2027 runs for five nights, 27 to 31 December, on the river. CentralWorld followed on 19 October with a countdown on the 31st, fireworks and a drone show, line-up to come (thaich.net).

Last year One Bangkok, the Sukhumvit junctions at Asok, Phrom Phong and Thong Lo, ChangChui, and NEON Countdown at Rajamangala held countdowns too (TAT). None had announced for 2026 by 22 October. Last year most line-ups came out in the first half of December.

Getting home is the hard part. On New Year's Eve 2025 the MRT and BTS ran until 2am (Khaosod English); the 2026 hours aren't out yet. Grab fares jump at midnight, so walk ten minutes away from the crowd before you book, or take the train a few stops first. For the river fireworks without the crush, riverside hotels, rooftop bars and dinner boats sell New Year's Eve packages, and the good ones go early.

What to wear and pack

• Light, loose clothes for the day. It's still over 30°C at lunchtime.
• One thin layer for early mornings, boat rides and cold air-con.
• Covered shoulders and knees for temples. Our Thai etiquette post has the rest.
• Something smart-casual for rooftop bars. Many turn away shorts, flip-flops and sleeveless tops for men.
• Sunscreen, sunglasses and a few N95 masks for hazy days.
• The free Thailand Digital Arrival Card, filled in within three days before you land.

Prices and booking ahead

December is high season. In 2025 Bangkok's hotels were 75.7% full on average, and over 80% in January, February and December (Knight Frank). Rooms cost more, and the good-value ones go first. Book early for:

• 3 to 7 December: the long weekend and three sold-out stadium shows.
• 11 to 13 December, in Pattaya: Tomorrowland sold about 150,000 tickets.
• 24 and 25 December: Christmas dinners.
• 27 December to 1 January: the countdowns. Riverside rooms with a view of the fireworks are the first to go.

Street food, trains and boats cost the same in December as in any other month.

Four December plans

An evening on the river. Board the blue-flag tourist boat at Sathorn pier, under BTS Saphan Taksin, at about 5pm and ride north as the sun goes down. It costs 40 baht a ride or 150 baht for a day pass and runs every day until about 7pm. The cheaper orange-flag boat now runs on weekdays only, mostly at rush hour. Stay for the lights: Wat Arun glows after dark, and until 13 December Vijit Chao Phraya lights the banks.

A rooftop in the cool air. December nights are dry and a little cooler, which is what you want 45 floors up. Octave, at the top of the Bangkok Marriott Hotel Sukhumvit, is a short walk from BTS Thong Lo exit 3 and opens at 5pm, in time for sunset. Cocktails start at about 360 baht before tax and service. Map. If you'd rather skip the drinks, the Mahanakhon SkyWalk by BTS Chong Nonsi charges 500 to 1,200 baht depending on the time slot. Map. More bars, from 99-baht happy hours to Sky Bar, are in Bangkok rooftop bars by budget.

Street food after dark. Chinatown's Yaowarat Road fills with stalls from about 5pm, and the cooler nights make the queues bearable. Many stalls take Monday off. The nearest station is MRT Wat Mangkon. Map. What to order there: Yaowarat street food. Or try the city's new hawker centre on Ratchadamri Road, beside Lumphini Park, open since April 2026 and serving until midnight. Map

Street food is better with two. You can share twice as many dishes, and someone who reads Thai can order from the stalls with no English menu. A Thai friend from Bangkok can come along for exactly that.

The parks in the dry season. No rain means you can plan a park day and keep it. Benjakitti Forest Park, by MRT Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre, has raised walkways over its wetlands and is open from 4:30am to 10pm (Nation Thailand). An elevated footbridge, the Green Bridge, crosses to Lumphini Park next door. Both parks are free. Go before 9am or after 4pm, when it's cooler. Map

Arriving in late November

Loy Krathong 2026 is on Tuesday 24 November, and Chiang Mai's Yi Peng lanterns are on the 24th and 25th. In Bangkok people float krathongs at the river piers and the park lakes; our Loy Krathong 2026 post has where to go and how. Late November is a little wetter than December, with about 45 mm over four days on average, but by then the Christmas lights are up and Vijit Chao Phraya has started.

Thailand in December, beyond Bangkok

Most of Thailand is dry in December, but not the south. The weather department's regional averages:

The north has the coldest nights, so bring a jacket for Chiang Mai and the hills. Pattaya is as dry as Bangkok. Phuket still gets showers, and the Gulf islands are still in their rainy season.

Want company in Bangkok this December?

Take any plan on this page, pick a friend in Bangkok, send the day and the time, and meet them there. They come along to your plan, whether that's the boat at sunset, a Chinatown stall or the countdown crowd, and they order in Thai and share the food. You book them by the hour, and it's always platonic: no sex, no kissing, no harassment. For drinks or a rooftop bar, your friend will be 20 or over. Their time is the booking; food, drinks and tickets are paid on the day. New accounts are checked first, usually within a few hours, so sign up before you fly. How booking works.

Questions people ask

Is December a good time to visit Bangkok?

Yes. For weather it's the best month: dry, with average highs of 32°C and lows of 23°C. It's also high season, so hotels are fuller and pricier. Book early, especially for 3 to 7 December and the last week of the year.

How cold is Bangkok in December?

Not cold. Nights average about 23°C and afternoons reach 32°C. A thin layer for early mornings and air-conditioning is all you need.

Does it rain in Bangkok in December?

Hardly. The 30-year average is about 12 mm of rain, falling on one or two days in the whole month.

Is Christmas a public holiday in Thailand?

No. 25 December is a normal working day. Thailand's December holidays in 2026 are the 7th (in place of Saturday the 5th), the 10th and the 31st.

Where can you watch the New Year fireworks in Bangkok?

ICONSIAM, on the river, and CentralWorld, by BTS Chit Lom, hold the two biggest countdowns, and both have announced for 2026. Riverside hotels, rooftop bars and dinner boats are the calmer way to see the river fireworks.

Is the Grand Palace open in December 2026?

Normally every day from 8:30am, with the last tickets sold at 3:30pm. Expect closures around the royal cremation from 15 to 19 December. The Bureau of the Royal Household often announces them only days ahead.