Bangkok in Winter: Why December-February Is the Best Season

December: 28-33C, minimal rain. Humidity 65%. Nights relatively cool for Thailand - 22-25C. Peak tourist season begins, lodging prices climb. Main holidays: Constitution Day (December 10) and New Year.

January: 26-32C - the coldest and driest month. Ideal for walks and temple visits. Humidity 60%. January is peak tourist season: hotels full, but festive atmosphere.

February: 28-34C, warming begins. Chinese New Year (date varies each year - usually late January or February) turns Yaowarat into a massive festival. By month's end the gradual shift to hot season begins.

Day 1 - Royal Island: Grand Palace (Wat Phra Kaew) - the most visited place in Thailand. Entry 500 baht. Shoulders and knees must be covered (clothing rental at the entrance). Nearby - Wat Pho with the Reclining Buddha. After - river taxi up the Chao Phraya to Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn). Best photo - at sunset from the opposite bank.

Day 2 - Modern Bangkok: Chatuchak Weekend Market - the largest market in the world (Saturday-Sunday). 15,000 stalls. Then - cafes and galleries of the Ari district, dinner on a skyscraper terrace (Vertigo Bar in the Banyan Tree hotel, 61st floor).

Day 3 - Chinatown and Yaowarat: Morning - fresh seafood market Talat Noi. Day - Thai massage (Wat Pho Massage School, the legendary school inside the temple, 1 hour - 420 baht). Evening - Yaowarat street food.

Winter is the best time for street food: not as hot to stand by a fiery wok, longer walks and more tastings possible. Pad Thai - stir-fried noodles with egg, sprouts and fish sauce. 60-80 baht from street vendors, 150-200 in restaurants. Tom Yum - spicy coconut soup, goes especially well in winter. Mango sticky rice - first young mangoes appear in January.

Best food streets: Yaowarat (Chinatown) - seafood and dim sum in the evening. Silom Soi 20 - authentic Thai breakfast. Bang Rak - cafes and bakeries. Or Tor Kor Market - premium street food with farmers' produce.

Important: in winter season (December-January) Bangkok takes in many tourists, and prices in tourist districts can be 30-50% higher than in "non-tourist" spots. The fair price benchmark is what locals pay.

Loy Krathong (November, date varies by lunar calendar): thousands of floating lotus kratongs with candles and incense launch on the Chao Phraya. Sky lanterns go up across Thailand at the same time. The spectacle is unforgettable - the entire river glows.

New Year (December 31): Bangkok celebrates at scale - fireworks over the Chao Phraya, concerts at Central World plaza, crowds at Siam Sky. The center is closed to vehicles.

Chinese New Year (late January-February): Yaowarat completely transforms. Red lanterns, street performances, midnight fireworks. Come by 8 PM, leave after midnight.

King Rama IX Day (December 5): streets decorated in yellow and gold (the colors of Monday, the late King's birthday). Locals wear yellow shirts.

Transport: BTS Skytrain and MRT metro - the main transit. A single ride costs 17-62 baht. Rabbit Card available at stations. Metered taxis are cheap but slow in rush hour. Tuk-tuks - only for short trips and with bargaining.

Accommodation: best winter districts - Silom (close to BTS, business center), Sukhumvit (nightlife), Rattanakosin (near temples but noisy). Hostel from 500 baht/night, budget hotel 800-1500 baht, good hotel 2000-4000 baht.

Money: Thai baht, 1 EUR is about 37-38 baht. ATMs everywhere, fee around 200-220 baht per withdrawal. Payment cards accepted in malls and restaurants but not always at markets.