Things to Do in Koh Samui in December
December weather, activities, events & insider tips
Low Season · Budget Friendly
December Weather in Koh Samui
Temperature, rainfall and humidity at a glance
84°F (29°C)
High Temp
75°F (24°C)
Low Temp
10.4 inches (264 mm)
Rainfall
70%
Humidity
⚠ Sudden lightning on open water - speedboats may divert to nearest beach and wait 30-60 minutes
Is December Right for You?
Weigh the advantages and considerations before booking
Advantages
- + Monsoon ends. The sky riots orange, purple, bruised blue. Chaweng's 7 km (4.3 mile) crescent lies nearly empty, you'll count maybe twenty other souls at sunset.
- + Koh Tao's water turns glass-clear after Christmas, 30 m (98 ft) of visibility. December is when underwater photographers lock in their trips.
- + Room rates drop 30-40% from peak season starting mid-month. Suddenly, restaurants that were impossible to book in November have tables.
- + 24°C/75°F evenings change everything. You can walk Lamai's night market without drowning in sweat. Locals emerge after 7 PM when the air turns bearable.
Considerations
- − First two weeks still catch monsoon tail-end, expect sudden 30-minute downpours. Beach roads turn into rivers. Motorbike helmets smell like wet dog for days.
- − From December 1st, boats vanish. Many dive operators shut down for annual maintenance through December 15th, your preferred boat might be dry-docked when you arrive.
- − Seaweed storms slam the south coast without warning, Chaweng and Lamai can vanish under thick brown mats for 2-3 days. Swimming turns unpleasant. The air reeks of low tide.
Best Activities in December
Top things to do during your visit
Ang Thong Marine Park Island-Hopping Tours
December's post-monsoon clarity makes the limestone karst islands look photoshopped, that specific shade of jade green water you see on postcards exists for two weeks each year. The park reopens mid-month after monsoon closure, so you'll get untouched beaches before the January rush. Sea conditions are settled enough for the 45-minute speedboat ride from Bophut pier without the pounding you get in November.
Booking Tip: Book 5-7 days ahead through licensed park operators, don't wing this one. Verify your tour includes the Emerald Lake climb (500 m/1,640 ft) and kayaking through the hidden lagoons.
Fisherman's Village Friday Night Walking Street
800 m (0.5 miles) of grilled squid and garlic, that's Bophut's December transformation. The old Chinese shop-houses turn into a street food maze. You'll smell it before you see it. Local vendors grill coconut pancakes that taste like Christmas in tropical form. The sea breeze keeps temperatures tolerable for once. Live music starts at 6 PM when the sun drops behind Koh Phangan.
Booking Tip: Skip the reservation, just roll up at 5:30 PM, snag a parking slot, and plant yourself until 9 PM sharp when the fire dancers hit the sand.
Secret Buddha Garden Jungle Trek
December's dry air changes everything. You can finally tackle the 1.5 km (0.9 mile) jungle trek to Khun Nim's sculpture garden without gasping through wet cotton. The 73-year-old fruit farmer spent 20 years building this fever dream, 15-foot dancers and warriors hacked from granite, stashed 450 m (1,476 ft) up the island's spine. Morning fog rolls between the statues like stage smoke. Bring bananas. The terrier won't bite.
Booking Tip: You'll need 4-low and steady nerves for the final 3 km (1.9 miles) out of Nathon, hire the 4WD there. No guide required, but don't expect signs. The track isn't marked.
Sunset Sailing Cruises
December skies throw sunsets that kill conversation, purple-orange blades slashing the calm above Koh Som's black-sand coves. You'll drop your sentence mid-word. Wind lifts just enough for sailing. It won't churn your stomach. Post-monsoon air scrubs the horizon clean, letting you eye Koh Phangan 12 km (7.5 miles) distant. Dolphins appear 60% of the time.
Booking Tip: 2 PM departures grab the best wind, the best light. Skip the big boats. Hunt down a small-group catamaran, sixteen souls max, that drops anchor mid-bay so you can dive straight off the ladder. Gear is basic but solid: mask, snorkel, fins. That's all you need.
Temple Cycling Routes
You won't melt. December mornings let you ride 25 km (15.5 miles) of coastal road before 9 AM, temperatures hold at 26°C (79°F) and the breeze stays cool. Start at Big Buddha Temple at sunrise. Head south through coconut plantations where the ocean's scent drifts over drying copra. Finish at Wat Plai Laem where the 18-arm Guanyin statue catches golden light. Need a workout? The island's interior hills give you 200 m (656 ft) of climbing.
Booking Tip: Grab a bike near Chaweng Lake, shops hand over a map that lists temple hours (6 AM-6 PM) and every spot you can top up water bottles.
Night Diving
Wave your hand in December and blue fire trails behind it. The plankton bloom turns every movement into liquid light, pure magic. Water temperature sits at 28°C/82°F, so skip the wetsuit. Visibility holds steady after dark because the monsoon churned everything up. Night-feeding whale sharks cruise Sail Rock. December gives you the best shot.
Booking Tip: You'll need advanced certification, no exceptions. Only book with operators who carry backup tanks and understand the currents ripping around Sail Rock. Night dives kick off at 6 PM sharp.
Where to Stay in Koh Samui in December
Hand-picked hotels across price tiers for December travellers.
December Events & Festivals
What's happening during your visit
Early December
Loy Krathong Water Festival
December's full moon doesn't just light the sky, it fills the sea. Every beach launches krathongs at sunset, banana-leaf boats carrying incense and flowers that drift like a second constellation on the water. Lamai Beach wins. The shallow bay packs hundreds of tiny boats, close enough to touch. Beachside stalls will set you up for 50 baht, flowers, candles, everything you need.
Packing Checklist
Bookmark this page — your progress is saved between visits
Need the full list with shopping links?
Climate-specific gear, brand recommendations, and what to leave at home.
View Koh Samui Packing List →Essential Tips
Insider knowledge and common pitfalls to avoid
Insider Knowledge
Book on the north coast, Bophut, Maenam. December's first half turns the south into a wind-battered seaweed slick.
Skip the Chaweng rip-offs. Fisherman's Village bike shops won't gouge you, they service their engines.
Monday at Lamai, Friday at Bophut, Sunday at Maenam. The local night market shifts. Each location serves different specialties. Locals know which night delivers what.
The 7-Eleven at Chaweng Lake has the best ATM rates on the island. 24 hours. Late-night cash emergencies covered.
Avoid These Mistakes
Skip speedboat tours in week one. Monsoon swells linger, operators cancel fast. You will burn the day hunting backups.
December's best beach bars and restaurants aren't in Chaweng, they're in Bophut. The action you came for? Gone. Chaweng feels empty post-monsoon, like someone forgot to flip the switch back on. You'll walk the main drag counting closed shutters, wondering where everyone went. They're ten minutes north in Bophut, that's where. Fisherman's Village hums with tables spilling onto sand, cocktails at 180 baht, live music that doesn't stop at 10 pm. Chaweng's beach chairs sit stacked in rows, unused. The clubs that throbbed in high season echo hollow. Stay here if you want quiet, but don't expect the scene you pictured.
Don't assume every beach is safe to swim. Lipa Noi turns hostile, jellyfish blooms roll in through December. Maenam looks calm. Yet rip currents yank tourists under every single year.
Book Experiences in Koh Samui
Top-rated things to do in Koh Samui this December
Explore More Activities in Koh Samui
Didn't see anything interesting yet?
Browse Viator's full catalog of tours, day trips, food experiences, and private guides in Koh Samui.
See All Koh Samui Tours on Viator