Vitamin D in Thailand in March: sun, UV and what to expect
Excellent Excellent. The sun is strong for most of the day in Thailand in March, so a full vitamin D dose takes only about 6 minutes at midday, and the usable window lasts 8.3 hours a day.
8.3 hsun window (UV 2.5+)
8.7peak UV Index
6 minto a full dose
32°Cafternoon high
12/30rainy days
29/30sunny days
Best places in Thailand in March: Ao Nang (excellent), Ko Tao (excellent), Ko Lipe (excellent), Ko Phi Phi (excellent), Ko Samui (excellent).
How long in the sun in March?
- Plan your sun session around midday (roughly 11:00 to 15:00), when the UV Index peaks at about 8.7. With about a quarter of your skin bare, a full dose takes around 6 minutes for skin type III at age 30, and about 11 minutes at age 65.
- Stop well before your skin turns pink. At this UV level skin type III can start to burn after about 23 minutes of midday sun, so cover up, find shade and use SPF 30+ on skin that stays out.
- On clear days the UV Index reaches about 9.1, which is very strong. Keep sessions short and protect the rest of the day.
- Water, sand and light surfaces reflect UV, so at the beach you get a little more sun than the number suggests, for the good and the bad.
| Skin type | Full dose, age 30 | Full dose, age 65 | Time to burn |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type I | 4 min | 8 min | 15 min |
| Type II | 5 min | 10 min | 19 min |
| Type III | 6 min | 11 min | 23 min |
| Type IV | 9 min | 17 min | 34 min |
| Type V | 12 min | 23 min | 46 min |
| Type VI | 20 min | 38 min | 77 min |
Minutes at midday for about 1,000 IU of vitamin D with a quarter of the body bare, at Pattaya, the median coastal place. Time to burn is the time to reach one minimal erythemal dose and does not depend on age. A rough planning guide, not medical advice.
Places in Thailand in March
| Place | Rating | Sun window | Full dose | Afternoon high | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ao Nang | Excellent | 8.5 h | 6 min | 30°C | 7/30 |
| Ko Tao | Excellent | 8.5 h | 6 min | 29°C | 1/30 |
| Ko Lipe | Excellent | 8.4 h | 6 min | 30°C | 8/30 |
| Ko Phi Phi | Excellent | 8.5 h | 6 min | 31°C | 8/30 |
| Ko Samui | Excellent | 8.5 h | 6 min | 32°C | 7/30 |
| Ko Pha Ngan | Excellent | 8.5 h | 6 min | 32°C | 7/30 |
| Ko Lanta | Excellent | 8.4 h | 6 min | 34°C | 6/30 |
| Phuket | Excellent | 8.5 h | 6 min | 34°C | 8/30 |
| Pattaya | Excellent | 8.3 h | 6 min | 32°C | 12/30 |
| Bangkok | Excellent | 8.4 h | 6 min | 33°C | 12/30 |
| Ko Samet | Excellent | 8.4 h | 6 min | 31°C | 15/30 |
| Hua Hin | Too hot | 8.4 h | 6 min | 35°C | 6/30 |
| Chiang Mai | Too hot | 8.4 h | 6 min | 36°C | 1/30 |
| Railay Beach | Too hot | 8.0 h | 6 min | 35°C | 13/30 |
| Ayutthaya | Too hot | 7.9 h | 6 min | 36°C | 7/30 |
| Khao Lak | Too hot | 8.0 h | 6 min | 34°C | 16/30 |
| Krabi | Too hot | 7.9 h | 6 min | 35°C | 13/30 |
| Ko Chang | Bad weather | 8.3 h | 6 min | 31°C | 21/30 |
Other months in Thailand
- Jan Excellent
- Feb Excellent
- Mar Excellent
- Apr Too hot
- May Too hot
- Jun Bad weather
- Jul Bad weather
- Aug Bad weather
- Sep Bad weather
- Oct Bad weather
- Nov Bad weather
- Dec Good
Best months: December to March. Full Thailand guide