March to May, before the monsoon, and the weather is hot and humid across Thailand, South East Asia’s famed ‘land of smiles,’ and the temperature sometimes too stifling for some, at between 27 and 36 °C (81-97 °F) in the capital, Bangkok. Temperatures are cooler in the sleepy city of Chiang Mai in the north, with lows of around 20 °C (68 °F). Songkran (Thai New Year) occurs in the middle of April, and an already fun nation dials the good times up to 11. Varied festivities break out across the country, usually involving drinking, feasting and, probably, being drenched in water, which many find pleasantly cooling in the summer heat. Favorable conditions for diving continue off the west and east coast at this time, with a particularly good chance of spotting manta rays and whale sharks during March. Cool breezes on the idyllic south east coast offer respite from the extreme heat, with April a great time to catch the beach before the monsoons sweep in.