Chiang Mai weather in December

In December, Chiang Mai sees average daytime highs of 29°C and overnight lows near 16°C, with 9 mm of rain across 1.2 wet days and about 10.9 hours of daylight. It is the 12th-warmest and 10th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 29°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 62% of the time in December, and the air most often feels humid.

Daylight stretches from about 11 hours at the start of December to 10 h 54 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Chiang Mai's 4th-clearest and 9th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Chiang Mai's year-round climate.

Daytime high
29°
12th warmest
Overnight low
16°
2nd coldest
Rainfall
9 mm
1.2 wet days
Daylight
10 h 54 min
6:54 AM – 5:46 PM
Cloud cover
34%
4th clearest
Wind
4 km/h
9th windiest
Solar energy
4.27 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.2
out of 10

Chiang Mai is city in Chiang Mai province, Thailand.

Air quality
High
PM2.5 33 µg/m³ · 2019
Density
314/km²
people per km²
Founded
1201

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in December

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 29°C through the month.

A typical December day in Chiang Mai reaches about 29°C in the afternoon and slips back to 16°C overnight — a 13°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 26°C and 31°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 2°C cooler than November and about 1°C cooler than January.

10°15°20°25°30°35°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12918
22917
32917
42917
52917
62917
72917
82917
92917
102917
112916
122916
132916
142916
152916
162916
172916
182916
192815
202815
212815
222815
232815
242815
252815
262815
272815
282815
292815
302915
312915

How December really feels in Chiang Mai

Once humidity and wind are folded in, December averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

December sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Chiang Mai weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 12th-warmest and 10th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan30° / 15°71.3116.7
Feb33° / 17°30.711.45.0
Mar35° / 20°122.111.93.1
Apr37° / 24°264.412.41.9
May35° / 25°9913.212.92.3
Jun33° / 25°12018.313.12.5
Jul32° / 25°17521.9132.6
Aug31° / 25°23625.112.62.7
Sep31° / 24°22723.412.12.8
Oct31° / 22°11415.711.64.0
Nov30° / 19°21411.15.8
Dec29° / 16°91.210.97.2

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 62% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 17% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 21%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17525
27426
37426
47426
57525
67624
77624
87624
97723
107822
117822
127921
137921
148020
158119
168119
178119
188317
198317
208317
218317
228317
238317
248317
258218
268218
278218
288119
298119
308020
318020

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Chiang Mai gets around 9 mm of rain over 1.2 wet days in December. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 4% and peaks near 7% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
17
27
36
46
56
65
75
85
95
105
115
125
134
144
154
164
174
184
194
204
214
223
233
243
253
264
274
284
294
304
314

Humidity in December

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of December feels humid — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, December lands in the humid band about 33% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 31% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
1313294313
2313304212
3414304012
4415313911
5416313811
6417323710
741833369
841933358
942034348
1042135337
1152235326
1252435315
1352536295
1462636284
1572835273
1672935263
1783135242
1883235232
1993334221
20103534211
21103634201
22113633190
23113733180
24113833180
25113933170
26124033160
27114033160
28114133150
29114133150
30104133150
31104133151

Wind in December

Winds average 4 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 4 km/h on the calmest days to 4 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
14calm
24calm
34calm
44calm
54calm
64calm
74calm
84calm
94calm
104calm
114calm
124calm
134calm
144calm
154calm
164calm
174calm
184calm
194calm
204calm
214calm
224calm
234calm
244calm
254calm
264calm
274calm
284calm
294calm
304calm
314calm

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 hours at the start of December to 10 h 54 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 6 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 6:45 AM to 7:01 AM, and sunset from 5:42 PM to 5:54 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.06:455:42
210.96:465:42
310.96:475:43
410.96:475:43
510.96:485:43
610.96:485:43
710.96:495:44
810.96:495:44
910.96:505:44
1010.96:515:44
1110.96:515:45
1210.96:525:45
1310.96:525:45
1410.96:535:46
1510.96:535:46
1610.96:545:46
1710.96:545:47
1810.96:555:47
1910.96:565:48
2010.96:565:48
2110.96:565:49
2210.96:575:49
2310.96:575:50
2410.96:585:50
2510.96:585:51
2610.96:595:51
2710.96:595:52
2810.97:005:52
2910.97:005:53
3010.97:005:53
3110.97:015:54

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 4.27 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.96 kWh/m² to a high of 6.3 kWh/m² in March across the year — December's 4.27 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

012345151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.2Bright
24.2Bright
34.2Bright
44.2Bright
54.2Bright
64.2Bright
74.2Bright
84.2Bright
94.2Bright
104.2Bright
114.2Bright
124.2Bright
134.2Bright
144.2Bright
154.3Bright
164.3Bright
174.3Bright
184.3Bright
194.3Bright
204.3Bright
214.3Bright
224.4Bright
234.4Bright
244.4Bright
254.4Bright
264.4Bright
274.4Bright
284.4Bright
294.4Bright
304.4Bright
314.4Bright
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Chiang Mai

In seasonPeak

None of Chiang Mai's seasonal hazards are active in December. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Chiang Mai's monsoon runs June–October, when most of the year's rain falls.

Monsoon
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is December a good time to visit Chiang Mai?

Our two travel scores rate December for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

7.2
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
8.8
Beach & pool
2nd-best month of the year

December is one of the better times to visit Chiang Mai for general sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Chiang Mai in December

From December's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In December, Chiang Mai sees daytime highs around 29°C and nights near 16°C. Pack light clothes.

light clothes

UV index in Chiang Mai in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 7 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Chiang Mai peaks around August 13 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near January 1 at about 7 (very high).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecVery highExtremeVery highAug 13UV 13Jan 1UV 7
UV index (midday)Level
Jan7Very high
Feb9Very high
Mar9Very high
Apr10Very high
May12Extreme
Jun13Extreme
Jul13Extreme
Aug14Extreme
Sep12Extreme
Oct10Extreme
Nov8Very high
Dec7Very high

Air quality in Chiang Mai in December

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where December falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Chiang Mai is worst in March — around 69 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 4.3× the cleanest month (July, 16 µg/m³).

Seasonal pattern from CAMS reanalysis, scaled to Chiang Mai's WHO annual average of 33 µg/m³.

020406080JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecPoorUnhealthyModerateMar 2067 µg/m³Jul 1216 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan37Poor
Feb46Poor
Mar69Unhealthy
Apr60Unhealthy
May28Moderate
Jun16Moderate
Jul16Moderate
Aug17Moderate
Sep21Moderate
Oct25Moderate
Nov28Moderate
Dec32Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Chiang Mai?

Chiang Mai sits at 18.8°N, 99.0°E, 313 m above sea level, in Thailand. The nearest listed city is Hang Dong, 13 km away.

Phayao

Topography around Chiang Mai

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Chiang Mai.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Chiang Mai has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 45 m around an average of 313 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,399 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,341 m.

The land around Chiang Mai is covered by artificial surfaces (72%) and trees (22%) within 3 km, trees (57%) and artificial surfaces (21%) within 16 km, and trees (84%) within 80 km.

3 km
45 m
16 km
1,399 m
80 km
2,341 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
December weather nearby: Hang Dong 13 km · San Kamphaeng 15 km · San Pa Tong 20 km · Lamphun 23 km · Pa Sang 30 km · Lampang 77 km · Pai 86 km · Phayao 104 km

Thailand travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type A / B / C
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 31% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$8,057
2025
Happiness
6.3 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Homicide rate
4.8
per 100k, 2011
Road deaths
32.2
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Upper middle
World Bank
English
Very low
EF EPI 402
Religion
Buddhist 93%Muslim 5%Christian 1%other 1%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Chiang Mai (18.7904°, 98.9847°, elevation 313 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).