Koh Samui
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March 1, 2024

Koh Samui in March: What to expect

While Koh Samui offers warm temperatures year-round, March is Koh Samui’s sunniest month – and one of the driest. Find out what to expect.

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Koh Samui in March

March at SALA Samui Choeng Mon's adult pool

March already! If you’re coming to Koh Samui in March you’ve chosen wisely: it’s the month with the fewest rainy days and the least cloud cover. For those of you still suffering winter, consider what’s waiting on Koh Samui...

Is March a good time to visit Koh Samui?

Yes. Put simply? There’s lots of sunshine, coming your way. While Koh Samui offers warm temperatures year-round, March is Koh Samui’s sunniest month – and one of the driest. With an average of just four rainy days in thirty-one, you stand 90% odds of nothing but sun.

Koh Samui questions? Start here

The Koh Samui Guide: Whether you’re only beginning your Thailand research or are already on the countdown for your trip, The Koh Samui Guide has been proven to make time go more quickly. And it definitely makes your Samui holiday better.

Where to stay in March

My pick: Anantara Lawana Koh Samui Resort

Anantara Lawana Koh Samui Resort

Are you an introvert who secretly kind of liked lockdown? This is the spot for you. It's a perfect place to pull up the drawbridge and stare at the horizon from sunrise daily. If you can't wait to travel but find the idea slightly (secretly?) daunting, Anantara's location is a great mix of "there when you want it". You're ten minutes to Chaweng's shops, bars and restaurants when you want human interaction and otherwise, you can enjoy a total tropical retreat.

Room choices? As a couple, consider a private plunge pool. Pool villas are ideal for more space if you're coming with kids and specific Family Villas are available (with toys). Add extra beds to any room or villa for a small nightly charge (cots are free). If you want a "read books, lie on a pool bed, eat a fancy dinner, repeat" itinerary – Anantara Lawana is my suggestion. A final feature you might not notice until you look? Much of your room or villa's outside space has an overhang so, if it rains, you can stay outside and enjoy the show.

See Rates + Details

Hotel Tip: Where to Stay in Thailand? To help you make short work of deciding where to stay in Thailand, use my country-wide hotel guide to every major destination in Thailand. For each location you’ll find a ‘best’ (four- to five-star resort), a boutique and a budget hotel option, plus a Thai-style hotel or bungalow.

More hotel ideas

Hotel questions? Start here

What to pack for March

1. Barefoot Aqua Socks

Note that some Samui beaches, including Anantara Lawana's, can be rocky at the shoreline. If you want to hop in and out of kayaks without wincing, these aqua socks are a genius inclusion.

2. The Koh Samui Guide

Ready to get going and don’t want to miss a minute? Arrive a total Koh Samui expert: The Koh Samui Guide covers all your transport options (and safety tips) in depth. It’s ideal to read now in advance of your trip, so you know your stuff when you need it.

3. Thailand Travel Adapter

Round hole square peg? If it's been a while since you travelled overseas, don't forget adapters. As a quick refresher, Thailand uses the same plugs as the U.S. and Canada (plug types A and B, two flat pins parallel to each other and two flat pins with a round ground pin) and also plug types C and F with two round pins (common in Europe).

4. Coconut Deodorant Wipes

An instant fix. Have we discussed Koh Samui’s humidity yet? It’s a steamy little place and March gets hotter as the month continues. Keep these in your bag and I promise you'll be grateful to find them when you reach Peak Melt, miles away from a shower.

It's Samui's sunniest month of the year, folks – double up on your sunscreen (these are my favourite non-toxic options for Thailand), and definitely pack a wide-brimmed sun-hat.

What to wear on Koh Samui in March?

Hint: leave your socks at home. If you’re coming for ‘regular vacation stuff’ (eating, swimming, a little sight-seeing, repeat), then just follow the advised dress codes for what to wear in Thai beach towns and resorts.

Packing questions? Start here

These suggestions will keep you both comfortable in the heat and earn a cultural gold medal.

Weather in March

A typical March day: sunshine and lots of it

March averages

  • Temperature: 29°C / 84°F
  • Sunshine (hours/day): 8
  • Rainy days: 4 days (30 mm / 1 inches)
  • Sea temperature: 27°C / 81°F

What’s the weather like on Koh Samui in March?

Need something to sway your vote? Measured by average cloud cover, March 16 is Koh Samui’s sunniest day of the year. Honestly? Don’t over-think it: weather never abides by averages anyway. Barring absolute freak weather, you’ll get your sunshine.

March events calendar

Late March at SALA Samui Chaweng Beach Resort

March 2024 events

Your March FAQs

What are the best things to do on Koh Samui in March?

Island events in March usually a beach volleyball tournament and, in years past, the Koh Samui Midnight Run (date TBD) – a popular charity fun-run through Samui’s busiest beach town, Chaweng. Mostly, though, it’s thirty-one days of picture-perfect skies and cold Singha beers.

The Koh Samui Guide: Relish the sunshine you’ve been longing for. To enjoy sunny days on the water, see the many water-sports and island day-trips recommended in The Koh Samui Guide . Some excursions are more suitable for children... and some involve Prosecco.

What are the beaches like on Koh Samui in March?

While The Koh Samui Guide explains the pros and cons of each beach, plus the different sand you can expect, you’ll generally find that hotels groom their beachfront. (The more expensive the hotel, the more obsessively the beach is tended. At Four Seasons Resort, for example, I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s sieved four times daily). In general, excepting big storms and rainy season (Oct-Dec), Koh Samui’s beaches are beautiful.

Koh Samui parties in March?

Lub d Koh Samui Chaweng Beach

If you’d like to leave Samui’s beaches in even better condition when you leave, consider joining a weekly Trash Hero Samui clean-up party. It’s a great way to meet and befriend Thai people outside of the tourist/service industry – with plenty of sanuk on offer.

If you'd like to dance near a DJ – start here:

Is March or April better on Koh Samui?

As temperatures soar towards 30°C/86°F (with major humidity to match) perhaps it’s all relative. Given that both Songkran and Easter fall in April this year, March will likely be quieter – and perhaps not quite as hot. If you're choosing between early March or late April – you'll notice a difference in the temperature. A week here or there? Consider it 'same same' weather-wise and choose based on flight or hotel rates and availability.

A March afternoon at Fair House Villas in Maenam

Is Koh Samui busy in March?

It depends on the year and where Easter holidays fall. (That’s March 31, 2024 and April 20, 2025). Outside of school holidays, March can be fairly quiet. If travelling without kids, just check the events calendar and choose your dates accordingly. You won’t have to share the sunshine with as many people – and fewer families enjoying school holidays.

A March morning at Casa de Mar on Chaweng Beach

Is Koh Samui or Phuket better in March?

Weather-wise, should you choose Koh Samui or Phuket in March? Rarely do I champion locations besides Samui, but truth and transparency are always on offer. As such, it’s a question of how hot you like your heat? Actually, there’s not much difference – March is the centre of Phuket’s hot season (March 11 is its average hottest day of the year, whereas Koh Samui’s is mid-April).

  • Temperature (avg): 29°C on Koh Samui vs 29°C in Phuket
  • Sunshine (hours): 8 on Koh Samui vs 8 in Phuket
  • Rainy days (avg): 4 days (30 mm) on Koh Samui vs 8 days (49 mm) in Phuket
  • Sea temperature: 27°C on Koh Samui vs 28°C in Phuket
A perfect March afternoon at Kamalaya

What are hotel rates like for Koh Samui in March? How do they compare between March and April?

March

April

Between the four hotels, rates are 21% (what!!) up to 126% comparing March to April. Rates via Booking.com for a random night in March 2024.

A March sunset at Tango Luxe Beach Villas

When are sunrise and sunset on Koh Samui in March? What time does it get dark?

Just shy of 7 pm (6:52 on March and April 1st). Are you a smug morning person? Dawn is at 6:13 am at the start of the month, and the roosters will be happy for your company.

Koh Samui in March

Time travel: March 2009 on Koh Samui

The Koh Samui Guide: I’ve written the Koh Samui travel guide I’d give my very best friends. I never planned on this travel guide becoming ‘my baby’, but I’ve expanded and updated it with obsessive love, care and attention for 8 editions and counting. Since 2012, The Koh Samui Guide has helped people in 97 countries plan and enjoy incredible Samui vacations.

“I just want to say Thank You for all the information in your book. I really enjoyed reading it. We (my Partner and I) are going to Koh Samui in March and now I cannot wait to go. It was a great read with great tips and everything you need to know.” – Ann & John

Weather details via Weather Spark, which promises that “snow is exceptionally unlikely to fall at this location in March”.

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