In order to investigate the effect of thermochromic microcapsules on the surface coating performance of basswood board, two types of microcapsules prepared with syringaldehyde and sodium tripolyphosphate crosslinking agents were added to a UV primer and coated on the surface of basswood board. The color-change effect of the surface coating on basswood board with microcapsules added with syringaldehyde as the crosslinking agent was better than that with microcapsules added with sodium tripolyphosphate as the crosslinking agent, and the color difference varied more significantly with temperature. The effect of the two types of microcapsules on the glossiness of the surface coating on basswood board was relatively weak. The glossiness of the surface coating on basswood board with microcapsules containing syringaldehyde as the crosslinking agent showed an overall increasing trend with the increase in microcapsules, and the change trend was relatively gentle. The glossiness of the surface coating on basswood board with microcapsules containing sodium tripolyphosphate as the crosslinking agent increased first and then decreased as the amount of microcapsules added increased. The addition of microcapsules with syringaldehyde as the crosslinking agent had no significant effect on the reflectance in the visible light band of the surface coating on basswood board. Among the two groups of samples, the hardness increase in the surface coating on basswood board with syringaldehyde as the crosslinking agent was more significant. The adhesion level of the coating on the surface of the basswood board with the two microcapsules did not change. Neither of the microcapsules had a significant effect on the impact resistance of the surface on basswood board. In the comprehensive analysis, the surface coating on basswood board with microcapsules added with syringaldehyde as the crosslinking agent at a content of 4.0% had better comprehensive performance, better surface morphology, better color-change effect, and moderate mechanical properties. The color difference was found to be 21.0 at 25 °C, the reflectivity was found to be 57.06%, the hardness was found to be 3H, the adhesion was found to be five, and the impact resistance was found to be three.