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Did It Snow in Thailand in 1955? (The Truth Revealed)

As parts of the Western world head into winter and the cold weather sets in, there's one thing on everyone's mind: “Will it snow this year?”

Unsurprisingly, except for a few chilly mornings in the mountainous North, there is no sign of snow in Thailand, yet!

Okay, it's unlikely to happen, but according to Thailand's national weather archives, it did snow once!

The only ever official (I use that word loosely) snowfall recorded in Thailand was in Chiang Rai on January 7, 1955 (see the picture below).

According to the notice on this picture, the snow came after rainfall at 6 p.m.

The event was well documented at the time, and the story has been passed down through generations.

Snow in Thailand: The Truth About 1955

The story goes that after the rain came snow-like hail, which produced a white blanket on the ground.

You have to admit, the ground does look white and fluffy in that picture.

This “snow” remained for about 14 hours before melting away.

The story is fiercely contested by snow enthusiasts, who argue that the “snow” was formed by hail and therefore doesn't constitute a proper snowfall.

However, residents beg to differ, proudly boasting their claim to snow fame.

Snow or not, this is as close as you're going to get to it in Thailand, as this is the one and only time “snow” has ever fallen in the Kingdom.

snow in thailand

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Lowest Temperature Ever Recorded in Thailand

Those who live in the North know that it does get pretty chilly from December through February. The northern regions, with higher elevations, are more likely to experience rare events such as frost and even snow.

The lowest temperature ever recorded in Chiang Rai (where it snowed) was 2°C (35°F), which is just low enough for snow. Heavy dew is quite common in the North, and frost on leaves and vegetation in the higher elevations is sometimes reported late in the year.

This isn't the record for the lowest temperature in Thailand, though. That title belongs to Sakhon Nakhon, in the Isaan region.

Situated near the Phu Phan mountain range, Sakhon Nakhon reached a record low temperature of -1.4°C (29°F) in 1974. Locals, however, cite an even lower record of -2.5°C (27°F) on December 24, 1999.

Side note: Apparently, Doi Inthanon National Park, near Chiang Mai, has also experienced freezing temperatures on occasion, but these were never authenticated.

Lowest Temperature Ever Recorded in Bangkok

Let's compare that to Bangkok.

The Big Mango hit its coldest record in 30 years on January 23, 2014, when the temperature fell to 15.6°C (60°F). While this is basically a warm day in Scotland, it was quite a shock for residents accustomed to a year-round average of 30°C (86°F).

However, the lowest-ever recorded temperature in Bangkok was 9.9°C (49.8°F) in January 1955, which coincidentally was the same year snow fell in Chiang Rai.

Does Thailand Have a Winter?

Thailand doesn't have a winter in the traditional sense, but the cool season typically occurs from November to February.

During this time, temperatures are relatively cooler, especially in the northern and central regions of the country. Daytime temperatures can range from 20°C to 30°C (68°F to 86°F), while nighttime temperatures may drop to around 10°C to 20°C (50°F to 68°F).

Thailand generally experiences a tropical climate with three main seasons: hot, rainy, and cool. For cooler weather, head to Chiang Rai in the North or Sakhon Nakhon in the Northeast for some respite from the southern heat.

In December and January, typical daytime temperatures in northern Thailand hover around the low 80s°F (27-28°C), while nighttime lows settle in the mid-60s°F (17°C).



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  1. Gregg Macklin says

    I was stationed at Udorn, learned to speak Thai and was married to a Thai. The idea of snow was something she thought was funny and when she finally saw it snow stateside, she just sat and watched for hours. I had no idea there was word for snow in the Thai language
    Reply

  4. Max says

    Ok than. Before last week, all the reports of snow in Thailand were FAKE (or incorrect). True.
    I myself commented here regarding the NOT SNOW (soft hail indeed) pictures of 1955.
    But this time WAS DIFFERENT.
    Thai meteorologists said something incorrect 3 days ago

    http://bangkok.coconuts.co/2016/01/26/hold-snow-impossible-thailand-says-meteorologist

    It could have been justified saying so 1 week ago albeit "impossible" was still too strong

    This is the Doi Ang Khan 1500m of elevation ONE THOUSANDS METERS lower than the Doi Inthanon

    http://ogimet.com/cgi-bin/gsynres?ind=48302&decoded=yes&ndays=2&ano=2016&mes=01&day=27&hora=00

    So, are he still claiming that cold and cloud cover (and precipitations) is an impossible combination ?
    It happened this time ! And this was enough to have snow on the Inthanon.
    And more, I would say it's almost impossible that it didn't snow at all, it could have been intermitent, weak, mixed with pellets and some frozen rain (unlikely since no thermal inversions) but not snow at all...it would be unexplainable.
    I am very sad and disappointed by what that meteorologist say 3 days ago (AFTER THE EPISODE) because either he has no competence at all in meteorology or he is denying the evidence. Doi Ang Khan is an official TMD and also international WMO synoptical station. Its data doesn't lie.
    We had that "impossible" combination this time ! Can he deny this ?
    Reply

    • christopher c burt says

      Need photographic evidence of snowfall in Thailand. If the 'snow' does not accumulate on the trees but only on the ground then it is sleet or hail, not real snow. P.S. Where is Chang Ma and what is the altitude?..just curious!
      Reply

    • christopher c burt says

      P.S. Chris

      There is virtually no question that snow has accumulated on Doi Inthanon today Jan. 26. Perhaps for the first time in centuries. Never before in recent cliamatological history has there been a situation like this with an intense Siberian high pressure system (up to an amazing 1066mb strength!) that retroraded southwest into SE Asia including Thai;and and Laos. But the kicker is that a stream of moisture from the Andaman Sea has overridden the cold air (from the southwest) and resulted in BOTH extreme cold AND moisture. Hence we have a very cold rainy day in northern Thailand. Chiang Mai has seen about half an inch of rainfall today with a temp spread of 10-12°C. With a gradient of 2°celcius per thousand feet (and no inversion process) the temperature at the peak of Doi Inthanon (many spellings) must be around -2°--3°C. That means snow, and a lot of it. I would estimate about 10 cm of snow on the summit today. If only someone had the balls to drive up the mountain early Wednesday (before the snow melts) or some pilot could report snow on the Thai mountain tops then we would have the proof that for the first time since at least the 17th century accumulated snow has fallen with the Thai borders. Trouble is that clouds will likely still encompass the peak throughout Wednesday, so someone must make the trip up the mountain to check it out firsthand. Probably extremely treacherous! The road will be ice covered for sure!
      Reply

      • Max says

        Hallo Chris. Did you Google "snow Inthanon" and just come here ?
        Yes, that episode of 1955 was NOT snow but soft hail, it's clear in the pictures and despite Jan 1955 saw tremendous low temperatures, lower minima than now in 2016, there was not a compact cloud cover with moisture to cause any snowfall. In fact, maximum temperatures at Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai etc were higher than past days' max.
        Unfortunately TMD meteorologists are not competent , one of them said 3 days ago that snow "is impossible in Thailand because there is not a combination of cold temperatures and cloud cover" But there was THIS TIME ! Official TMD and WMO synoptical station of Doi Ang Khan located at 1500m recorded RAIN WITH 1.4c DEGREES (34F), so is this guy still claiming there was no cold+cloud cover ??? At 2500m that was snow for sure, given there were not thermal inversions, at very most mixed with ice grains,little snow pellets or iced rain, but we had ALL THE CONDITIONS to have falling flakes.
        Reply

        • christopher c burt says

          Hi Max, Yes, I googled "snow in Thailand' and found this conversation. I was hoping someone might report in on this conversation of witnessing some snow on Doi Inthanon on Jan. 26. But doesn't look like that happened.
          Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      I'd love it too Joseph, but sadly, not to put a downer on it, a lot of old people really suffer here when the temperature dips in certain parts of the country because they don't have heating and access to proper clothes, blankets, etc. I was looking at some stats and a fair number of people pass away up North due to cold related illness each year.
      Reply

  7. Hi says

    I don't know if it's true,but the Thai letters below the picture said like "There were a tiny hail after raining and have something like snow,in 14 hours there were all around with snow,but 18 hours later the snow is disappear"
    Reply

  9. Steve says

    Snow is one of the reasons I skipped out of the US and headed to Thailand. There were many others of course, but I despise the time after the snow is finished falling. Sometimes weeks of slush and ice and cold biting winds...no thanks. I am much happier sweating versus shivering.
    Reply

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