Southeast Asia / When to go · 15 min read
In December the wind decides, and this year El Niño is arguing with it.
Where it is actually dry at Christmas, which coast to pick, and the three dates that move everything.
In this guide
Southeast Asia in December and January: Weather by Region
Two things set the weather in these months, and one of them is unusual.
Where in Southeast Asia is it dry at Christmas? Most of the mainland, and very little of the equator. From December the northeast monsoon pushes cool, dry air down over Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and southern Vietnam, which is why Chiang Mai starts its January mornings at about 15°C while Singapore sits through the wettest month of its year. The same wind crosses the South China Sea, loads up with water and empties it on whatever faces east: Hoi An, Koh Samui, the far side of Peninsular Malaysia.
So a guide to Southeast Asia in December and January is mostly a guide to which coast you are standing on. This one covers nine places for December 2026 and January 2027, with figures from national weather services and tourism boards, and it has a complication to deal with. On 8 October the World Meteorological Organization said the El Niño now building could rank among the strongest ever recorded. That makes this winter warmer, and in places drier, than the old averages suggest. Below is where I'd go, and where I'd wait.
Two things set the weather in these months. The first is the northeast monsoon. The Thai Meteorological Department runs its cool season from late October to mid-February, and in its forecast for the 2024–25 season, the latest I could open, the Andaman coast sees rain over only 10 to 20 per cent of its area from December, while the Gulf coast stays wet into early January.
Vietnam splits three ways: a grey north, a soaked central coast, a dry south. Near the equator the pattern flips. Singapore's weather service lists December as its wettest month, at 331.9mm, and Bali's rains normally peak between December and February. Our month-by-month guide to the best time to visit Southeast Asia covers the other ten months.
The second is El Niño. The WMO now sees it lasting through February 2027, ICIS reported on 9 October, and the ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre's outlook of 5 October gives a high chance of above-normal temperatures across the region to December, with below-normal rain over the southern and eastern Maritime Continent, the meteorologists' name for the island belt that includes Indonesia. I read that as decent news for anyone booked on an equatorial beach, and a reason to trust old averages a little less. A seasonal outlook is a set of odds, though, and one storm can still write off a week. The table is how I'd choose.
Every option, sortable
| If you want | Go to | December and January weather | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cool mornings, mountains and the best eating | Chiang Mai, northern Thailand | Dry; nights of 15–16°C, afternoons of 29–30°C | High season, so book early |
| A beach with the best odds | Krabi and Koh Lanta, or Phu Quoc | Dry season on both, with calm seas | Christmas and New Year crowds |
| Temples before the heat | Siem Reap, Cambodia | About 5mm of rain a month; 30–31°C | Thai land border closed, so fly in |
| A slow river town | Luang Prabang, Laos | Nights of 15°C, days of 27–28°C, fog at night | Pack a jumper; be careful with spirits |
| A city to eat in | George Town, Penang | North-west Malaysia's dry spell starts in January | December can still be showery |
| Bali regardless | A base with food close by | Wet season, running late this year | Rain peaks in January and February |
The two months, in three pictures
Chiang Mai Is My First Pick
Ringed by mountains that clear the air, and cool enough to need a jacket.
Northern Thailand's main city is ringed by mountains that climb to Doi Inthanon, which the national tourism authority bills as the highest point in the country. From late October to mid-February the region is in what Thais call winter. The Thai Meteorological Department's 2024–25 forecast put the upper north's coolest stretch in January, with mean lows of 15°C to 17°C.
The numbers describe a different country from the one on the beach posters. Climates to Travel's long-term averages give Chiang Mai two days of rain in December and one in January, eight to nine hours of sun, afternoons of 29°C or 30°C and nights of 15°C or 16°C. On the coldest nights the same Thai forecast expected the upper north to drop to between 6°C and 8°C. In town, that adds up to weather for walking between meals, and our guide to what to eat in Chiang Mai covers the meals.
I'd give it four or five nights between early December and the third week of January. The cool season is also Thailand's high season, so book the bed before the flight. Pack one warm layer for the mornings and for any night spent higher up. If the mountains are the point, add a night or two in the hills, and leave Bangkok for the way out, once you have had enough cool air.
Smoke is the risk. The UK Foreign Office's health advice says Chiang Mai suffers seasonal haze from farmers burning crops, with pollution at times reaching dangerous levels. It gives no dates, and after a dry El Niño winter I would not bet on a late start. Check an air-quality index before committing to February.
The cool-morning towns
Thailand’s Beaches: Andaman Yes, Koh Samui Not Yet
Two coasts, and in December they are in different seasons.
Thailand has two coasts, and in December they are in different seasons. The Andaman side faces west and holds Phuket, Krabi and Koh Lanta. The Gulf side faces east and holds Koh Samui and its neighbours. The UK Foreign Office puts the country's rainy season at May to October, but gives November to March for Koh Samui and the south-east.
The Thai Meteorological Department's seasonal forecast spells out the gap. From December to mid-February it has rain over just 10 to 20 per cent of the Andaman coast, against heavy rain and thunderstorms over 60 to 80 per cent of the Gulf coast until early January. The long-term averages agree: Krabi gets 70mm in December and 30mm in January, while Koh Samui takes 265mm and 125mm, on top of 445mm in November. The sea is 28°C on both sides, so the water is warm whichever one you choose.
My pick is Krabi province, and within it Koh Lanta, for anyone who wants the beach with less of Phuket's volume; our round-up of the best islands in Southeast Asia explains the trade. Go any time from early December. If you are set on Samui, hold it until late January or February, by which point the Thai forecast has Gulf rain down to 30 or 40 per cent of the area.
Everyone else has read the same forecast. Christmas and New Year are the Andaman coast's fullest fortnight, and I'd book ferries along with rooms. The Foreign Office also warns that Thai passenger boats have sunk through overloading and rough seas, so choose operators with life jackets you can see.
Wanting both coasts in one January trip is reasonable if you take them in order. Start on the Andaman side, then cross to Samui in the final week of the month. Doing it the other way round spends your driest days in the rain.
Vietnam: Go South, to Saigon and Phu Quoc
The country runs far enough north to south that winter gives it two climates.
Vietnam runs so far from north to south that winter gives it three climates at once. Vietnam Tourism's winter guide, updated in September 2026, has Hanoi under drizzle at 15°C to 20°C in January, Hue as the coldest and wettest stop on the central coast, and the south warm and mostly sunny. Phu Quoc, an island off the far south-west, is the one it names the best winter beach.
Phu Quoc runs at 28°C to 31°C in both months, the same guide says, with calm seas and little rain. The national tourism site, Vietnam.travel, gives November to April as the island's season and points visitors to the night market near Duong Dong, where you pick your seafood and have it grilled on the spot. Ho Chi Minh City is drier still: climate normals list two rain days and eight hours of sun a day in January. Vietnam Airlines' December guide adds New Year countdowns on Nguyen Hue walking street.
I'd fly into Ho Chi Minh City, spend three nights eating, starting with our list of the best street food in Ho Chi Minh City, then take the short flight to Phu Quoc. Vietnam.travel lists direct flights to the island from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, plus ferries from Rach Gia and Ha Tien. Mid to late January is my window, before Tet travel builds.
Don't attempt the full north-to-south run in December. Hue averages 310mm of rain that month and Da Nang 215mm. Hanoi is dry but gets two hours of sun a day in January; it is a soup city, so the Hanoi food guide still earns a stop, with a coat.
Angkor in January Is the Right Call, If You Fly In
The coolest and driest stretch of Cambodia’s year — and the overland route is shut.
Angkor's temples lie just outside Siem Reap, the town that houses almost everyone who comes to see them. Passes are sold by the state-run Angkor Enterprise: $37 for one day, $62 for three days to be used within a week, and $72 for seven days within a month. The park opens at 5am and closes at 6.30pm.
This is the coolest and driest stretch of Cambodia's year. Climates to Travel's figures for Siem Reap show about 5mm of rain in each of December and January, highs of 30°C to 31°C and lows of 21°C to 22°C. The site calls December to mid-February the country's best window, and sets Phnom Penh's 30°C December highs against 35°C in April. Five degrees is the argument for coming now: Angkor is a day of walking across open stone, and I'd rather do that at 30°C.
Buy the three-day pass and use the 5am opening. I'd go in for sunrise, retreat at midday and return after 3pm. The Foreign Office notes that Angkor's religious sites can refuse entry to anyone with bare shoulders or with shorts and skirts above the knee, so dress for that from the start. The second or third week of January is my choice, after the New Year groups have flown home.
The old overland route from Bangkok is shut. The UK Foreign Office says land crossings between Cambodia and Thailand remain suspended and advises against all but essential travel within 20km of that border, where there are landmines. Fly.
Three temples near the Thai frontier are closed as well: Preah Vihear, Ta Krabey and Tamone Thom, according to the same advice, which was still current on 9 October 2026. None belongs to the Angkor park, but take them off any wider Cambodia loop for now.
Luang Prabang: The Cold-Morning Town
Cold by the region’s standards, which is the whole appeal.
A small river town in northern Laos, Luang Prabang was listed by UNESCO in 1995 for a townscape that fuses traditional Lao building with the architecture European colonial authorities added in the 19th and 20th centuries. The UK Foreign Office gives the Lao rainy season as May to October, which leaves December and January dry.
Cold, by the region's standards. Climates to Travel lists lows of 15°C in both months and highs of 27°C to 28°C, with about two days of rain. It adds that fog often forms at night and that cold spells can pull the temperature to 10°C or below; in January 2016 it touched 5°C. Sunshine averages five and a half hours a day against seven in Vientiane, which I'd put down to that fog. Think jumper at breakfast, T-shirt by noon.
Give it three nights and plan the outdoor things for late morning onwards. I'd pair it with northern Thailand or with Hanoi, since the weather is of a piece, and save the hot south for the end of the trip. Bring one proper warm layer, and I wouldn't count on heating in the room. January is marginally the sunnier of the two months.
Laos has a problem with spirits. The Foreign Office reports deaths and serious illness from methanol in drinks sold in licensed bars, shops and hotels in tourist areas, and says the authorities have banned Tiger Vodka and Tiger Whisky. I'd keep to beer from a sealed bottle.
Where the dry season actually shows
Where to Eat: George Town, Penang
The old port city on the dry coast, and January gives the better odds.
The old port city on Penang island, off Malaysia's north-west coast, George Town was inscribed by UNESCO in 2008 as a trading town shaped by centuries of exchange between East and West. That history ended up on the plate, in Peranakan, Cantonese and Malay cooking sold largely from street stalls. It also sits on the right side of the peninsula for winter.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department's climate summary has the peninsula's east coast taking its heaviest rain in November, December and January, while the north-west, Penang's corner, has its main dry spell in January and February. The eating needs no season. The Michelin Guide lists 33 Bib Gourmand addresses in Penang, its award for good cooking at modest prices, and the names read like a hawker's roll call: Green House Prawn Mee & Loh Mee for prawn noodle soup, Lum Lai Duck Meat Koay Teow Th'ng for flat rice noodles in broth, Moh Teng Pheow Nyonya Koay for Peranakan rice cakes.
I'd come in January for the drier odds, stay inside the heritage zone and eat on foot: noodles for breakfast, Peranakan cooking at lunch, a hawker centre at night. Three or four nights is enough. Use the Bib Gourmand list as proof that a stall is open and consistent, then let the length of the local queue settle the order.
December is a shoulder month here and can still be showery; by the same summary, the north-west's wetter peak is October and November. Lunar New Year falls on 6 February 2027, and I'd expect family-run stalls to shut for it, so ask before building a trip around one.
Where to go in Southeast Asia in December and January
Bali: Wet Season, With an El Niño Asterisk
South of the equator the seasons run the other way.
South of the equator the seasons run the other way, and Bali spends these months in its rains. The UK Foreign Office gives Indonesia's rainy season as October to March, and 1991–2020 averages for Denpasar show the cost: 290mm of rain in December and 350mm in January, over 16 and 19 wet days. Christmas and New Year fill the island all the same.
This year is odd. Indonesia's weather agency, BMKG, said on 22 September that a very strong El Niño would delay the rainy season across 61 per cent of the country. For Bali it expects rain to begin in November in some districts and in December across most of the island, with the peak pushed to January in central Bali and to February elsewhere. Even an ordinary wet season leaves six or seven hours of sun a day, and the Foreign Office warns that the rain brings severe localised flooding, traffic jams and power cuts.
If your dates are fixed, I'd go early: the first half of December has the best odds of catching the late start. Choose a base with plenty to eat within a short walk over a remote villa at the end of a lane; our guide to where to stay in Bali compares the areas. Keep the plan loose and put beach time in the mornings.
A late monsoon is a forecast, and BMKG still expects about 18 per cent of the country to be wetter than normal. Foreign visitors also pay a 150,000 rupiah levy, about $9, on top of a 500,000 rupiah visa on arrival, about $30.
Where I Would Skip in December
Three coasts and a city.
Central Vietnam comes first. Hoi An, Hue and Da Nang sit on the coast that catches the northeast monsoon, and the UK Foreign Office dates the region's rainy season from October to December, with flooding most likely in October and November. January is better without being good: Hue still averages 14 rain days.
Malaysia's east coast is second. The national weather service puts the peninsula's east-coast rain peak in November, December and January, the mirror image of Penang. Koh Samui and its neighbours are third, for the reasons above, until late January.
The city is Singapore, at least as a destination in its own right. Its weather service counts 19 rain days in an average December. As a two-night stopover with a hawker centre roof over your head, it does fine.
Christmas, New Year and Tet 2027
Three dates shape these two months.
Three dates shape these two months. Christmas and New Year come as a pair: the fortnight around them is the season's most booked, every beach in the dry zone is at its fullest, and Vietnam Airlines' December guide lists countdown fireworks in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Da Nang. If you have to travel then, reserve rooms and internal flights first and build the route around what you get.
The third date is Tet, Vietnam's Lunar New Year. New Year's Day falls on Saturday 6 February 2027, and the Ministry of Home Affairs has confirmed a seven-day public holiday from 4 to 10 February, Tuổi Trẻ reported on 10 October. That sits just outside January, but its pull does not. I'd expect transport inside Vietnam to tighten from the last days of the month and family-run kitchens to close for much of the holiday week. The same new year is celebrated in Singapore and Malaysia.
Every Place, Side by Side
Weather, what it is best for, and the weeks that work.
Every place, sortable
| Place | December and January weather | Best for | Best weeks | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiang Mai | Dry; nights 15–16°C, afternoons 29–30°C | Food, mountains, cool mornings | Early December to late January | Smoke haze later in the season |
| Krabi and Koh Lanta | Dry season; 70mm in December, 30mm in January | The beach with the best odds | From early December | Christmas and New Year crowds |
| Koh Samui | Wet; 265mm in December, 125mm in January | A late-January beach | Final week of January onwards | Heavy Gulf rain into early January |
| Phu Quoc | Dry; 28–31°C with calm seas | Vietnam's winter beach | December to late January | Tet travel in early February |
| Ho Chi Minh City | Dry; two rain days in January | Street food and New Year | January | Tet holiday, 4–10 February |
| Siem Reap | About 5mm of rain a month; 30–31°C | Angkor at its coolest | Second or third week of January | Thai land border closed |
| Luang Prabang | Nights 15°C, days 27–28°C, fog | Slow days and cold mornings | December or January | Methanol in spirits |
| George Town, Penang | Dry spell from January; December showery | Eating | January | Lunar New Year, 6 February |
| Bali | Wet; 290–350mm a month, starting late | Fixed dates only | First half of December | Flooding; rain peaks January–February |
Temperatures and rainfall are long-term monthly averages, taken from Climates to Travel, the Thai and Malaysian meteorological departments and Vietnam Tourism. The 2026–27 outlook comes from BMKG and the ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre. These cards carry no price band, because peak-season room rates change by the week and no reliable published figure covers all nine places.
Timing, Borders, Money and Booking
What to settle before the Christmas fortnight closes in.
When to go: Of the two months, I'd take the second and third weeks of January: the mainland is at its driest, the Gulf of Thailand is clearing and the New Year crowds have left. December suits Chiang Mai, Cambodia and southern Vietnam from the first day. For beaches, later is safer.
Getting around: Plan on flying between countries. With the Thailand–Cambodia land border closed, Bangkok to Siem Reap is an air route for now. The Foreign Office gives the same ferry advice for Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines: avoid overloaded boats and look for life jackets. To ride a hired motorbike legally in Thailand, British visitors need a 1968 international driving permit as well as a home licence.
Money: Some costs ignore the season: the Angkor pass, Bali's levy, Indonesia's visa on arrival. Thailand's Digital Arrival Card is free on the official immigration site, and Indonesia's arrival card is free too, so close any page that asks for payment.
Booking: For the Christmas and New Year fortnight, book beds and internal flights before anything else. For the rest of January I'd be comfortable booking a week or two ahead, except inside Vietnam close to Tet.
How long: Two weeks covers one country well or two neighbours: Chiang Mai with Luang Prabang, or Saigon and Phu Quoc with Siem Reap. Chasing the sun across five countries mostly gets you airports.
Safety: The UK advises against all but essential travel within 20km of the Thailand–Cambodia border and to Thailand's far-southern provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat; the US rates Thailand at Level 1 overall. Bangkok flooded badly in late September 2026 and the British advice, current on 11 October, still carries the warning, so check before routing through the capital. Vaping is illegal in Thailand, with fines of 5,000 to 30,000 baht (roughly $150 to $900), and shops may not sell alcohol between midnight and 11am.
The Bottom Line
Pick the coast first, then the country.
December and January are the months Southeast Asia makes easy, provided you stop treating it as one place. The mainland is cool and dry, the east-facing coasts and the equator are wet, and a very strong El Niño is nudging the whole map warmer and, on Bali, later. Given a free choice, I'd spend a week eating around Chiang Mai and a week on the Andaman coast, and I'd do it in January. Hoi An and Koh Samui will still be there in spring, with better weather and no New Year crowds.
Pick the coast first, then the country.
Before you go
Is December a good time to visit Southeast Asia?
Yes, for most of the mainland. Northern Thailand, the Andaman coast, Cambodia, Laos and southern Vietnam are in their cool, dry season, and Chiang Mai averages two rain days in the month. December is a poor choice for central Vietnam, Koh Samui, Malaysia's east coast and Singapore, and it is normally the start of Bali's wettest stretch.
Where has the best weather in Southeast Asia in January?
Siem Reap, Chiang Mai, Ho Chi Minh City and Phu Quoc have the most reliable January weather. Climate averages give Siem Reap about 5mm of rain in the month and Ho Chi Minh City two rain days, with highs of 31°C to 32°C. Chiang Mai is cooler, at around 15°C overnight and 30°C in the afternoon.
Where is hot and dry at Christmas for a beach?
Thailand's Andaman coast and Vietnam's Phu Quoc are the safest Christmas beaches. Krabi averages 70mm of rain in December against 265mm on Koh Samui, and Phu Quoc runs at 28°C to 31°C with calm seas. Book early, because these are the two answers everyone asking this arrives at.
When is Tet in 2027?
Tet falls on Saturday 6 February 2027. Vietnam's official holiday lasts seven days, from Thursday 4 February to Wednesday 10 February, under the Ministry of Home Affairs schedule reported by Tuổi Trẻ in October 2026. Expect full trains and flights and closed family businesses around those dates, and book any late-January travel inside Vietnam early.
Is it rainy season in Bali in December?
Yes. Bali's wet season normally runs from November to March, and Denpasar averages 290mm of rain in December and 350mm in January. For 2026, Indonesia's weather agency expects a late start because of El Niño, with rain setting in across most of the island in December and peaking in January or February 2027.
How will El Niño affect Southeast Asia this winter?
It should make the region warmer than normal, and drier in parts of the south. The ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre gives a high chance of above-normal temperatures for October to December 2026, with below-normal rain over the southern and eastern island belt. Signals for the mainland are weaker, so plan by coast and keep checking forecasts.
Keep going
Sources
Checked against official and institutional sources · Thai Meteorological Department · BMKG: Indonesian meteorology agency · Malaysian Meteorological Department · World Meteorological Organization · Angkor Enterprise: official passes · UNESCO: Town of Luang Prabang · UK FCDO Thailand travel advice · UK FCDO Laos travel advice · UK FCDO Indonesia travel advice · MICHELIN Guide Penang
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