Holiday season in Phuket. When to plan a trip?

Which month to choose for a holiday in Phuket?

The weather conditions in Phuket are determined by the tropical climate. The island is washed by the Andaman Sea which brings monsoons, The monsoons bring rain clouds and heavy rains. The rain season, which lasts from October till May, is considered to be the low season. The high season starts in the second half of November and lasts until April - this is the period of time when monsoons stop blowing. The driest and the most popular months for the holiday are January, February and March.

Despite the difference in the amount of rainfall during the year, the average temperature in Phuket is 28-29°C as well as the temperature of water all year round.

Low season (May - October)

Low season is not very suitable for a beach holiday, swimming in the sea and going on sea tours. High waves can be very dangerous. You can often see red flags at the beaches which signalise that swimming is forbidden on that day.

Some islands which are national nature reserves are closed for visiting by the Thai government during the low season, You can not visit the Similan islands, Koh Tachai and Koh Surin from 15 May to 1 November, even if the weather is good.

We recommend to have a raincoat at hand because the rain can start suddenly and won’t stop for a really long time. You can buy a raincoat almost anywhere, for example in a 7/11 store.

Anyway, in spite of a large amount of rainfall, sunny days still occur during the low season - about 10 days in a month are sunny.

The season of the most active rains (June - October) is popular among windsurfers in Phuket because of the waves.

A big advantage of spending your holiday in Phuket during the low season is the absence of crowds of tourists, low prices for tickets, accommodation and for other services. So, it is not surprising that more and more tourists tend to travel to Phuket during the low season.

High season (November - April)

During the dry (high) season in Phuket the sea becomes calmer, the amount of rainfall decreases, but it doesn’t mean that it won’t rain at all.

Short rains can happen, but as soon as the sun is out, there won’t be a single sign of the rain. This is the perfect period for a beach holiday, sea trips and swimming in the sea. These months are perfect for a short and long awaited holiday, when there is no time for waiting for the sunny day to go on a tour.

If you are going on your holiday during the high season, we recommend to book the tickets and accommodation in advance as there are very many tourists who have chosen the same destination to enjoy the warm sun and the sea in winter. Such a high demand can be explained by Christmas and New Year holidays. Many people want to celebrate Christmas and New Year in an exotic atmosphere of the Andaman coast. The prices for tickets and accommodation are really high during this time and the popular tourist places are overcrowded.

Best months for a holiday in Phuket

Both high and low seasons have their own advantages and disadvantages. We recommend to choose the time in between the low and high season - the end of March - beginning of April and the first half of November.

At the end of March and beginning of April there are still many sunny days and fewer tourists. However, you should know that in April the average monthly temperature is the highest during the year: +33°C. In the first half of November there aren’t so many tourists yet and less rains if compared to the previous months. The temperature is quite comfortable: 29-30 °C.

If you want to see and take part in the most popular Thai festivals, April and November are perfect for this. In April Thai people celebrate Songkran - Thai New Year which is a lot of fun. In November - Loi Krathong - a very beautiful festival which symbolises the end of the rain season.