Temperatures vary across Thailand, but the provinces in the north at higher elevation are the coldest. If you had to pick a single coldest place in the country, however, a good case could be made for Doi Inthanon in Chiang Mai Province. In the winter, the average temperature on this mountain is six degrees Celsius (forty-three degrees Fahrenheit), and it sometimes gets below freezing.
The summit of Doi Inthanon is a popular tourist destination, and, like all remote sites, if you want to see it, it can be helpful to have a car. Once you get a car hire in Khon Kaen from Drive Car Rental, having your own wheels can make your time in Thailand much more enjoyable.
The same is true of knowing where to go and when to go there. Let’s dive in!
Doi Inthanon
Doi Inthanon is part of the Inthanon Range, named after a prince of Chiang Mai who died in 1897. It’s the highest peak in Thailand, boasting an elevation of 2,565 metres (8,415 feet). It’s unique in part because it’s one of just under 1,500 ‘ultra-prominent’ peaks in the world. These mountain formations, also called ‘ultras,’ are all more than 1,500 metres high and are taller than any of the peaks surrounding them.
Thailand’s Coldest Place
Doi Inthanon lies in the Chiang Mai province, the largest province in Thailand. Its capital, Chiang Mai, is the second-largest city in the country, and other than Bangkok, it’s the only city in Thailand with more than a million people. This is one of the top cities to visit in Thailand, with nearly 3.5 million international tourists visiting last year alone.
The province, like most of Thailand, has a tropical climate. In its warmest month, April, the average high is 36.7 degrees Celsius (98.1 degrees Fahrenheit) and the average low is 23.4 degrees Celsius (74.1 degrees Fahrenheit). In its coolest month, December, the average high is 29.2 degrees Celsius (84.6 degrees Fahrenheit) and its average low is 16.9 degrees Celsius (62.4 degrees Fahrenheit)—not exactly freezing temperatures.
It’s a different story at the top of Doi Inthanon, though. The average temperature at the summit in January is six degrees Celsius (forty-three degrees Fahrenheit), but temperatures can sometimes drop below zero degrees Celsius (thirty-two degrees Fahrenheit). In December of 2017, temperatures reached an all-time low of five degrees Celsius below zero (twenty-three degrees Fahrenheit)!
Why Visit Thailand’s Coldest Place
There are a number of things that make Chiang Mai and Doi Inthanon such popular destinations for travelers from both inside and outside Thailand. These include:
- The weather: Because of its northern location, Chiang Mai offers a more temperate climate than the rest of the country.
- History: This is true of much of Thailand, but Chiang Mai is no exception in its incredible collection of ancient temples and neighborhoods that stand as living history.
- Smaller size: While the official population of Chiang Mai is more than one million people, this number includes a vast swath of land. The heart of the city is smaller and the slow, more easily navigable way of life there appeals to visitors not interested in dealing with the madness of Bangkok.
- Doi Inthanon National Park: This gorgeous piece of land contains diverse plants and wildlife and has one of the largest numbers of bird species of any national park in the country.
- Ease of travel: Finally, it’s quite easy to get to Doi Inthanon with a car. After enjoying the national park and the surrounding area, visitors are able to drive almost all the way to the summit. A short hike at the end is all it takes to be standing at an elevation above every single person in this beautiful country.
When to Go
The tourism high season in Thailand is November to March, which are the cooler months of the year before the heat sets in. From April to June, visitors start to thin out, and July and August traditionally see the fewest tourists.
When planning your trip, research when it makes the most sense for your itinerary and desires. There are magic moments to be had connecting with tourists in cooler weather, but there’s also something special about having a place to yourself and seeing a side of Thailand that fewer travelers do.
Time for Thailand
Temperature is relative, especially when you’re traveling in the comfort of a rented car. Drive Car Rental can put you behind the wheel of a wide range of cars, including electric vehicles, and we cater to short-term visitors as well as those on extended stays for business. Check out our selection today and start planning your visit to The Land of Smiles!