Chiang Rai weather in March

In March, Chiang Rai sees average daytime highs of 33°C and overnight lows near 18°C, with 42 mm of rain across 5.1 wet days and about 11.9 hours of daylight. It is the 2nd-warmest and 9th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 33°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 74% of the time in March, and the air most often feels comfortable.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 36 min at the start of March to 12 h 12 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, March is Chiang Rai's 2nd-clearest and 1st-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Chiang Rai's year-round climate.

Daytime high
33°
2nd warmest
Overnight low
18°
4th coldest
Rainfall
42 mm
5.1 wet days
Daylight
11 h 54 min
6:35 AM – 6:26 PM
Cloud cover
29%
2nd clearest
Wind
5 km/h
1st windiest
Solar energy
6.19 kWh/m²
Travel score
4.1
out of 10

Chiang Rai is city in Chiang Rai province, Thailand.

Air quality
Very high
PM2.5 37 µg/m³ · 2019
Density
1,294/km²
people per km²
Founded
1936

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

Temperature in March

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 33°C through the month.

A typical March day in Chiang Rai reaches about 33°C in the afternoon and slips back to 18°C overnight — a 16°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 29°C and 36°C. Set against its neighbours, March runs about 2°C warmer than February and on par with April.

10°20°30°40°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
13216
23216
33316
43316
53316
63316
73316
83316
93317
103317
113317
123317
133317
143317
153317
163318
173318
183318
193318
203318
213318
223318
233318
243319
253319
263319
273319
283319
293419
303419
313420

How March really feels in Chiang Rai

Once humidity and wind are folded in, March averages 31 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
31
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

The story in March is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.

Chiang Rai weather by month

How March compares with the rest of the year at a glance. March is the 2nd-warmest and 9th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan28° / 14°22310.97.7
Feb31° / 15°132.411.35.9
Mar33° / 18°425.111.94.1
Apr34° / 21°13211.812.43.1
May32° / 23°29222.812.92.8
Jun31° / 24°29726.213.22.5
Jul31° / 24°39828.413.12.6
Aug30° / 24°38328.812.72.6
Sep30° / 23°29525.112.13.0
Oct30° / 22°13917.811.54.4
Nov28° / 18°496.711.16.7
Dec26° / 15°273.710.88.0

Cloud cover in March

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 74% of the time in March.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 11% of March, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 15%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
19010
29010
38911
48911
58812
68713
78713
88713
98614
108515
118515
128614
138614
148416
158416
168416
178416
188416
198416
208416
218416
228317
238317
248317
258218
268218
278020
288020
298020
308020
318020

Chance of precipitation in March

Any precipitation

Chiang Rai gets around 42 mm of rain over 5.1 wet days in March. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 17% and peaks near 27% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
110
210
310
410
510
611
711
812
912
1012
1113
1213
1314
1414
1515
1615
1716
1817
1918
2019
2120
2220
2321
2422
2523
2624
2724
2825
2926
3026
3127

Humidity in March

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, March lands in the comfortable band about 34% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 25% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
119462690
218462790
317462791
416462891
5154629101
6144529101
7134530111
8124431121
9114431122
10104332132
1194233142
1284134152
1384034162
1473935173
1563835183
1653735193
1753636204
1843436214
1943336234
2033136245
2133037265
2222837285
2322637305
2422437326
2522237346
2612136356
2711936376
2811736397
2911635417
3011435428
3111335448

Wind in March

Winds average 5 km/h in March, the windiest month of the year.

Across March, daily wind ranges from about 5 km/h on the calmest days to 5 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
15calm
25calm
35calm
45calm
55calm
65calm
75calm
85calm
95calm
105calm
115calm
125calm
135calm
145calm
155calm
165calm
175calm
185calm
195calm
205calm
215calm
225calm
235calm
245calm
255calm
265calm
275calm
285calm
295calm
305calm
315calm

Sunrise & sunset in March

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 36 min at the start of March to 12 h 12 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 36 minutes over March. Sunrise moves from 6:47 AM to 6:21 AM, and sunset from 6:21 PM to 6:30 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.66:476:21
211.66:466:21
311.66:456:22
411.66:446:22
511.66:446:23
611.76:436:23
711.76:426:23
811.76:416:24
911.76:406:24
1011.76:406:24
1111.86:396:25
1211.86:386:25
1311.86:376:25
1411.86:366:26
1511.86:356:26
1611.96:356:26
1711.96:346:26
1811.96:336:27
1911.96:326:27
2011.96:316:27
2112.06:306:28
2212.06:296:28
2312.06:286:28
2412.06:276:28
2512.06:276:29
2612.16:266:29
2712.16:256:29
2812.16:246:29
2912.16:236:30
3012.16:226:30
3112.26:216:30

Solar energy in March

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in March, about 6.19 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.1 kWh/m² to a high of 6.3 kWh/m² in April across the year — March's 6.19 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.9Bright
25.9Bright
36.0Bright
46.0Intense
56.0Intense
66.0Intense
76.1Intense
86.1Intense
96.1Intense
106.1Intense
116.2Intense
126.2Intense
136.2Intense
146.2Intense
156.2Intense
166.2Intense
176.2Intense
186.2Intense
196.3Intense
206.3Intense
216.3Intense
226.3Intense
236.3Intense
246.3Intense
256.3Intense
266.3Intense
276.3Intense
286.3Intense
296.3Intense
306.3Intense
316.3Intense
Planning a trip in March

Hazard calendar for Chiang Rai

In seasonPeak

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

Chiang Rai's monsoon runs May–September, when most of the year's rain falls.

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

Is March a good time to visit Chiang Rai?

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

4.1
Sightseeing
6th-best month of the year
7.3
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

March is a reasonable time to visit Chiang Rai for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Chiang Rai in March

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

In March, Chiang Rai sees daytime highs around 33°C and nights near 18°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection. About 5 days see rain.

light clothessun protection

UV index in Chiang Rai in March

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in March peaks around 9 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Chiang Rai peaks around July 17 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 21 at about 7 (high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecVery highExtremeVery highJul 17UV 13Dec 21UV 7
UV index (midday)Level
Jan7Very high
Feb9Very high
Mar9Very high
Apr10Very high
May11Extreme
Jun13Extreme
Jul13Extreme
Aug13Extreme
Sep11Extreme
Oct10Very high
Nov8Very high
Dec7High

Air quality in Chiang Rai in March

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

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

Air quality in Chiang Rai is worst in April — around 142 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 12.0× the cleanest month (July, 12 µg/m³).

Seasonal pattern from CAMS reanalysis, scaled to Chiang Rai's WHO annual average of 37 µg/m³.

0306090120150JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateUnhealthyModerateGoodModerateApr 11137 µg/m³Jul 2312 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan21Moderate
Feb36Poor
Mar117Unhealthy
Apr142Unhealthy
May34Moderate
Jun14Moderate
Jul12Good
Aug12Good
Sep12Moderate
Oct13Moderate
Nov14Moderate
Dec17Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Chiang Rai?

Chiang Rai sits at 19.9°N, 99.8°E, 401 m above sea level, in Thailand. The nearest listed city is Mae Chan, 27 km away.

San Kamphaeng

Topography around Chiang Rai

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Chiang Rai has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 66 m around an average of 398 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 815 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,937 m.

The land around Chiang Rai is covered by artificial surfaces (43%) and trees (36%) within 3 km, trees (52%) and cropland (33%) within 16 km, and trees (70%) and cropland (21%) within 80 km.

3 km
66 m
16 km
815 m
80 km
1,937 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
March weather nearby: Mae Chan 27 km · Ban Khoan 56 km · Mae Sai 59 km · Tachilek 60 km · Ban Houakhoua 75 km · Phayao 80 km · Dok Kham Tai 85 km · San Kamphaeng 149 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 Rai (19.9086°, 99.8325°, elevation 401 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).