Best Time to Visit: Climate and FCDO Advice for UK Travellers
A. FruchardCo-founder & CEOLast updated: 2 November 2026When is the best time to visit each destination?
Thailand's met service describes cool weather in the upper part of the country from November, Japan's describes sunny days in October, and Turkey's describes hot, moderately dry summers on its coasts. We also show each FCDO status, read on 31 October 2026.
This hub puts three destinations side by side: what each national weather service says about the seasons, and whether the FCDO advises against travel to any part of the country. Each row links to our entry requirements page for British passport holders. We sell no flights or holidays and take no payment from any airline, hotel or tour operator.
We add a destination only when we have read both its FCDO page and a national weather service source for it. Where a source was silent on a point, the cell stays out of the table instead of being filled from memory.
Every guide on hellosafe.co.uk is written from official sources: GOV.UK and the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, and the embassies and immigration services of each destination. Each fact is checked on the date shown under its table, and the page is updated when a rule changes. No airline, tour operator or visa service pays for a place in our guides.
Learn moreWhat do the FCDO and the weather services say, country by country?
- ThailandThai Meteorological DepartmentSeasons, from the national weather serviceCool weather in the upper part of the country from November. April is the hottest month and, in most areas, September the wettest. The south has abundant rain in the first half of November, especially on the east coast.Advises against all but essential travel to parts of the south and to areas within 20km of the Cambodian border. Updated 12 October 2026.FCDO adviceOur guide
- JapanJapan Meteorological AgencySeasons, from the national weather serviceSunny in the second half of spring and in October. The Baiu rainy season runs through early summer, and September has large monthly rainfall. The Sea of Japan side gets heavy winter snow.No area named where the FCDO advises against travel. Updated 28 August 2026.FCDO adviceOur guide
- TurkeyTurkish State Meteorological ServiceSeasons, from the national weather serviceAegean and Mediterranean coasts have cool, rainy winters and hot, moderately dry summers. Inland, the Anatolian plateau has a steppe climate with low rainfall and a large difference between day and night.Advises against all travel within 10km of the Syrian border. Updated 27 October 2026.FCDO adviceOur guide
Destination | Seasons, from the national weather service | FCDO advice | Our guide |
|---|---|---|---|
Thailand Thai Meteorological Department | Cool weather in the upper part of the country from November. April is the hottest month and, in most areas, September the wettest. The south has abundant rain in the first half of November, especially on the east coast. | Advises against all but essential travel to parts of the south and to areas within 20km of the Cambodian border. Updated 12 October 2026. | |
Japan Japan Meteorological Agency | Sunny in the second half of spring and in October. The Baiu rainy season runs through early summer, and September has large monthly rainfall. The Sea of Japan side gets heavy winter snow. | No area named where the FCDO advises against travel. Updated 28 August 2026. | |
Turkey Turkish State Meteorological Service | Aegean and Mediterranean coasts have cool, rainy winters and hot, moderately dry summers. Inland, the Anatolian plateau has a steppe climate with low rainfall and a large difference between day and night. | Advises against all travel within 10km of the Syrian border. Updated 27 October 2026. |
How do you read the FCDO's advice for a country?
The FCDO does not give a country one grade. Its pages name the areas it advises against travel to, and the wording differs. Thailand's page says "all but essential travel" for its southern provinces and the Cambodian border zone, and Turkey's says "all travel" within 10km of the Syrian border.
A page with no named area, like Japan's, still says no travel can be guaranteed safe. Every FCDO page shows when it was last updated, and you can sign up for FCDO email alerts for the countries you care about.
- The page for your destination: Read the named areas against the places on your route, not only the headline.
- Any country you pass through: The FCDO tells travellers to check the advice for every country or territory they transit.
- The update date: Advice can change between booking and departure, so read it again before you go.
- Your airline or tour operator: The FCDO also advises checking their latest updates when travel is disrupted.
What do the weather services say about each destination?
Thailand
The Thai Meteorological Department describes the 1991 to 2020 normals month by month. In the upper part of the country, November brings cool weather, and December has the lowest temperatures of the year in most of the country, with morning fog. April is the hottest month of the year, and in most areas September has the most rain.
The south follows a different pattern. The TMD says the south has abundant rain mostly in the first half of November, especially on the east coast, because of the north-east monsoon. Rules for entering are on our Thailand entry requirements page.
Japan
The JMA says temperatures rise gradually in spring and sunshine is long in the second half of the season. Early summer is the Baiu rainy season, and the second half of summer is hot and sunny, with western Japan sometimes reaching 35°C or above.
In autumn, the JMA says September has large monthly rainfall because of the autumnal rain front and tropical cyclones, while in October anticyclones bring sunny conditions and refreshing air. In winter, the Sea of Japan side has heavy snowfall and the Pacific side has sunny weather. See our Japan entry requirements page for the rules.
Turkey
The Turkish State Meteorological Service describes a different climate in each region. It gives Istanbul and the Sea of Marmara a winter of 4°C and a summer of 27°C, and Western Anatolia 9°C in winter and 29°C in summer. The Black Sea area is wet and humid, and its eastern part is the only region with rain all year.
Inland, the Anatolian plateau has a steppe climate with a large difference between day and night, and in Eastern Anatolia snow stays on the ground from November to the end of April. The FCDO's Turkey page also carries a regional tensions section, updated on 27 October 2026, so read it before you book. Entry rules are on our Turkey entry requirements page.
Where else do UK travellers go?
We have entry requirements pages for India, Sri Lanka, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Each joins the table above once we have read its FCDO page and a national weather service source. For ideas by theme, see holiday destinations from the UK, and for every country page see our entry requirements hub.
What else should you sort before you leave?
Check that your passport meets the destination's rules, using our UK passport guide. If you fly, the Civil Aviation Authority's rules on delays and bags are on our airlines page. For a road trip, read driving abroad from the UK, and for a general checklist see our travel tips.
Best time to go and FCDO advice questions answered
The Thai Meteorological Department describes cool weather in the upper part of the country from November, with the lowest temperatures of the year in most of the country in December. April is the hottest month and, in most areas, September the wettest. The south has abundant rain in the first half of November, especially on its east coast.
The JMA says early summer is the Baiu rainy season. It also says September has large monthly rainfall because of the autumnal rain front and tropical cyclones.
The JMA says sunshine is long in the second half of spring, and that in October anticyclones bring sunny conditions and refreshing air.
The Turkish State Meteorological Service says the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts have cool, rainy winters and hot, moderately dry summers, with annual rainfall of 580 to 1,300 millimetres depending on location.
Yes, to parts of it. On 31 October 2026 the page, updated 12 October 2026, advised against all but essential travel to Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat provinces, four districts of Songkhla and areas within 20km of the Cambodian border.
The page we read on 31 October 2026, last updated 28 August 2026, names no area it advises against travel to. It still says no travel can be guaranteed safe.
To one area. On 31 October 2026 the page, updated 27 October 2026, advised against all travel within 10km of the border with Syria.
Each page shows its own update date. Thailand’s was updated on 12 October 2026 and Turkey’s on 27 October 2026. You can sign up for email alerts for any country.
We add a destination only when we have read both its FCDO page and a national weather service source for it. A cell we could not verify is left out.