When is the best time to go to Phuket?

When planning a trip to Phuket, whether in Patong Beach, Kata Beach or Karon Beach, the first question that arises is: "What is the best time to go to Phuket?". The question can also be reiterated into "Is this the right time to visit Phuket?" once the vacation has already been settled. These questions will be answered in this article to the best of our ability in order to help you make the most of your vacation in Phuket.

When To Go: The Best Months

The island of Phuket enjoys constantly warm temperatures all year round, due to its location near the equator. Phuket's climate is that of a humid tropical monsoon. The latter ensures that Phuket has two distinct seasons: the rainy season (May to October) and the dry season (between November and April).

The best months to visit Phuket are from late November to early April. The other months of the year, even if it is not all the time, the island receives a higher level of rainfall and the sky is often overcast with clouds.

However, this latter period can be a good time to visit the island without the crowds of tourists in the high season (one should still avoid if possible the month of September when it rains greatly with at least 400mm of rainfall). One must be informed: most links with others surrounding islands have been cut off during these periods because of a very agitated sea and therefore, you can not access the islands like Koh Phi Phi.

The Best Months to Visit Phuket

In terms of weather, the month of January in Phuket is ideal (tied with the month of February). There is almost no rain, the heat is not overwhelming whatsoever and clear skies are present all day long. However, it is also in January that the island of Phuket suffers from the largest increase in crowds. Thus, if the weather is beautiful, the island is overrun with tourists and everything is much more expensive than the rest of the year ...

Moreover, when looking at the attendance report in comparison with the weather, the best month to travel along the "Pearl of the Andaman Sea" is March: tourists are fewer (the prices are a bit cheaper too) and the rainy season only begins its return for the month of April. One benefits from the ideal climate to bask on the beaches of Patong, Kata or Karon without having to jostle to find the perfect place!

So, when is the best time to go to Phuket? Here's some more information to help you in your decision:

  • In Phuket, the weather is good everywhere in January, February and March
  • The best months to go to Phuket town are January, February and March
  • On average, it is hot all year round in Phuket town
  • The rainiest months in this city are May, June, July, August, September and October
  • The cities with the best climate are Phuket town, Patong, Bang Rong, Bang Tao Beach, Bang Wad, Chalong, Coral Island (Koh Hey), Kamala Beach, Karon Beach and Kata Beach, with good weather at least 3 months a year
  • The sea temperature is suitable for swimming all year round in Phuket town



Annual weather in Phuket

For information about the climate and the weather city by city in Phuket for a specific month, click on the corresponding line below:

January 85°F
9 to 11 days*
February 86°F
4 to 5 days*
March 86°F
10 to 11 days*
April 88°F
18 to 19 days*
May 86°F
21 to 22 days*
June 86°F
17 to 19 days*
July 85°F
17 to 19 days*
August 85°F
18 to 20 days*
September 83°F to 85°F
17 to 21 days*
October 81°F to 85°F
19 to 22 days*
November 85°F
17 to 20 days*
December 85°F
13 to 15 days*
* weather varies across the country

Best time to travel to Phuket by cities

Chargement en cours
See full list of cities


Climate and Weather in Phuket

The climate in Phuket is a tropical monsoon-type. It is hot all year, but the two periods of April-May and September-October are the hottest. The September-October period is also the wettest because of the monsoon season coming in from the southwest.

Phuket is located in a temperate zone. Although typhoons and tropical storms occasionally batter Hong Kong and the Philippines, Phuket enjoys a mild climate. While heavy rains in September and October can disrupt things a little, it is rare that the island has several consecutive days of heavy rain.

Phuket: Freedom Beach à Phuket


Temperatures and rainfall in Phuket

On these 3 graphs, we present the evolution of temperatures of Phuket and month-by-month rainfall for the cities of Phuket town, Patong, Bang Rong, Bang Tao Beach and Bang Wad, as well as the month-by-month sea temperature for coastal cities.


Peak visitor numbers and tourist seasons in Phuket

Find out when Phuket has its high tourist season (the period when the influx of tourists is highest) and off-peak tourist season using our data and figures.

Tourist seasons in Phuket

The months with low numbers of tourists are: April, May, June, July, August, September and October. The number of visitors to Phuket is high in: January, February, March, November and December.

  • Very low season in Phuket: May, June, July and September.
  • Low season in Phuket: April, August and October.
  • High season in Phuket: March and November.
  • Peak season in Phuket: January, February and December.

Figure: Visitor index for Phuket month by month




Where to go in Phuket?

This table allows you to see the maximum temperature for each city and our opinion on the weather month by month (see colour legend below the table).

Cities jan.feb.mar.apr.mayjun.jul.aug.sep.oct.nov.dec.
Phuket town85°F86°F88°F88°F86°F86°F85°F85°F85°F85°F86°F85°F
Patong85°F86°F88°F88°F86°F86°F85°F85°F85°F85°F86°F85°F
Bang Rong85°F86°F88°F88°F86°F86°F85°F85°F85°F85°F86°F85°F
Bang Tao Beach85°F86°F88°F88°F86°F86°F85°F85°F85°F85°F86°F85°F
Bang Wad85°F86°F88°F88°F86°F86°F85°F85°F85°F85°F86°F85°F
Chalong85°F86°F88°F88°F86°F86°F85°F85°F85°F85°F86°F85°F
Coral Island (Koh Hey)85°F86°F88°F88°F86°F86°F85°F85°F85°F85°F86°F85°F
Kamala Beach85°F86°F88°F88°F86°F86°F85°F85°F85°F85°F86°F85°F
Karon Beach85°F86°F88°F88°F86°F86°F85°F85°F85°F85°F86°F85°F
Kata Beach85°F86°F88°F88°F86°F86°F85°F85°F85°F85°F86°F85°F
Kathu85°F86°F88°F88°F86°F86°F85°F85°F85°F85°F86°F85°F
Koh Lon85°F86°F88°F88°F86°F86°F85°F85°F85°F85°F86°F85°F
Koh Mai Thon85°F86°F86°F88°F88°F86°F86°F86°F85°F85°F85°F85°F
Koh Siray85°F86°F88°F88°F86°F86°F85°F85°F85°F85°F86°F85°F
Mai Khao Beach85°F86°F88°F88°F86°F86°F85°F85°F85°F85°F86°F85°F
Nai Yang Beach85°F86°F88°F88°F86°F86°F85°F85°F85°F85°F86°F85°F
Pa Klok85°F86°F88°F88°F86°F86°F85°F85°F85°F85°F86°F85°F
Panwa Beach (Khao Kad Beach)85°F86°F88°F88°F86°F86°F85°F85°F85°F85°F86°F85°F
Rawai85°F86°F88°F88°F86°F86°F85°F85°F85°F85°F86°F85°F
Sai Kaew Beach85°F86°F88°F88°F86°F86°F85°F85°F85°F85°F86°F85°F

Legend:

good weather

tolerable weather

bad weather

very bad weather


About Phuket

What can I do in Phuket?

Beaches / swimming

Nature and countryside

Culture and heritage

Sports

Family travel

Crafts / shopping

Gastronomy

Nightlife




Is this weather information for Phuket reliable?

Climate data for Phuket has been gathered every day since January 2009. The analysis of these meteorological data for Phuket allows us to determine the average for each month in Phuket town, Patong, Bang Rong, Bang Tao Beach, Bang Wad, Chalong, Coral Island (Koh Hey), Kamala Beach, and 14 other cities.

So yes: this data is reliable except in cases of temporary climate disruption in the region.

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