What is the best time to visit to Phuket?
Contents
- What is the best time to visit to Phuket?
- 1. Best month to visit Phuket: December to March
- 2. Rainy Season in Phuket: June, September to November
- 3. Hottest Months in Phuket: April and May
- 4. Online Phuket Weather Forecasts:
- 5. Phuket Yearly Rain Chart
- 6. Phuket Weather Webcams
- 7. Phuket Weather Month by Month
- Phuket Weather in January
- Phuket Weather in February
- Phuket Weather in March
- Phuket Weather in April
- Phuket Weather in May
- Phuket Weather in June
- Phuket Weather in July
- Phuket Weather in August
- Phuket Weather in September
- Phuket Weather in October
- Phuket Weather in November
- Phuket Weather in December
Phuket weather has always been a hot topic, especially between June and November which are considered the raining season. Most frequent questions will then be “What is the best month to visit Phuket?”, “Does it rain all day in rainy season?”, ‘Will it rain really everyday”?
The Island of Phuket lies in a tropical region and is warm all year round, but how much rain can you really expect during the raining season?
The weather in Phuket ranges from ‘not too hot’ to ‘too hot’, but locals and longtime residents will consider the weather to be ‘very cold‘ if temperature gets close to 20˙C! Anyway, no matter which month you will visit Phuket, it is always warm and the sea always feels like entering a bath.
Now the real question is always about the rain: How much rain can you really expect during the rainy season?
Don’t panic when you see ‘Thunderstorm everyday’ on your online weather forecasts: they are always pessimistic!
1. Best month to visit Phuket: December to March
The coolest and supposedly the best time to come to Phuket is between December to March, with a perfect weather: clear blue skies, turquoise calm seas and a nice permanent breeze. It’s also the high and peak season so expect to pay a lot more for your hotel, especially during Christmas and New Year time, but if you really care about blue sky, this is when you should come. If you worry about the crowds (because it does get crowded), stay in the northern part of the island, past Bangtao beach!
2. Rainy Season in Phuket: June, September to November
The rainy season is a tricky subject. It’s supposed to occurs roughly at the same time each year, but has become seriously unpredictable.
June to August is a mix of rain and sun, usually very enjoyable. Some months are considered more wet than others: September, October and November are definitely the wettest months, but some year it can drag all the way to December. No one can really tell.
Despite some unlucky series of really rainy days, there is still plenty of sun with occasional showers. On the good side, everything is much cheaper! If you decide to come to Phuket during this time of the year, you might want to read: ‘12 Things to Do in Phuket when it Rains‘. Read more about the rainy season
3. Hottest Months in Phuket: April and May
April and May are the hottest months in Phuket. At least we are sure of that. Temperature can reach 40˙C, and everyone in Thailand is celebrating the end of the hot season by splashing each other madly with water. That’s the famous Songkran Festival and it can last 3 days or more, depending on which part of Thailand you are.
4. Online Phuket Weather Forecasts:
Note that online weather forecasts are always pessimistic! If it rains for 1 hour in a day, they will display the big scary ‘thunderstorm’ icon, just to be on the safe side.
5. Phuket Yearly Rain Chart
All these are average indications… we all know each year is different, even my grandmother knew that!
6. Phuket Weather Webcams
7. Phuket Weather Month by Month
Phuket Weather in January
High Season
| January Weather | |
|---|---|
| Record high | 36.3 °C |
| Average high | 32.7 °C |
| Average rainfall | 30.3 mm |
| Average rainy days | 4.6 |
| Average humidity | 70 % |
| Daily sunshine hours | 7.6 |
January weather in Phuket is what we would call ‘perfect’ probably the best month of the year to visit. Rain showers go from rare to none and temperature is a cool as it can get. Sure, prices are higher and the island is busy (In recent years beaches are not as packed as they used to be). Sea is quiet and blue, perfect for your holiday photos. Cruising the sea to the nearby islands is usually a smooth ride.
Phuket Weather in February
High Season
| February Weather | |
|---|---|
| Record high | 36.7 °C |
| Average high | 33.6 °C |
| Average rainfall | 23.9 mm |
| Average rainy days | 3.1 |
| Average humidity | 69 % |
| Daily sunshine hours | 7.6 |
The weather in Phuket in February is quite similar to January, it’s a bit dryer and hotter. Those are the best months to explore the islands around as the sea is in general calm and clear.
Phuket Weather in March
High season
| March Weather | |
|---|---|
| Record high | 37.8 °C |
| Average high | 34.0 °C |
| Average rainfall | 73.5 mm |
| Average rainy days | 6.7 |
| Average humidity | 71 % |
| Daily sunshine hours | 6.6 |
Phuket weather in March clearly gets hotter, sea and weather remain spotlessly blue.
Phuket Weather in April
Hottest month of High season
| April Weather | |
|---|---|
| Record high | 37.8 °C |
| Average high | 33.9 °C |
| Average rainfall | 142.9mm |
| Average rainy days | 11.8 |
| Average humidity | 75 % |
| Daily sunshine hours | 6.1 |
April sees the temperature reaching some of the highest peaks of the year. If you travel on short budget and picked one of the few hostels without air con and just a fan, you better be ready for some sweaty nights.
April being so hot each yes, it is also the occasion to celebrate the famous Songkran festival where people shower each other copiously for several days (and nights). It’s fun for most but if you don’t like getting wet and party wild, consider avoiding the Songkran week (which dates vary each year).
Phuket Weather in May
Last month of high season
| May Weather | |
|---|---|
| Record high | 37.8 °C |
| Average high | 32.8 °C |
| Average rainfall | 259.5mm |
| Average rainy days | 18.8 |
| Average humidity | 79 % |
| Daily sunshine hours | 4.9 |
May Weather in Phuket stays in line with April weather, just hotter and drier. Vegetation turns brown and people have a common topic of conversation: It’s hot isn’t it? Phuket is a small island so you can refresh in the water frequently. Just remember to protect your skin from the sun!
Phuket Weather in June
Start of rainy season
| June Weather | |
|---|---|
| Record high | 35.8 °C |
| Average high | 32.4 °C |
| Average rainfall | 213.3mm |
| Average rainy days | 18.2 |
| Average humidity | 79 % |
| Daily sunshine hours | 5.0 |
Phuket in June sees the return of the rains. However in recent years rainy season arrive later and later so you might be lucky in June. Seas start to be rough or even dangerous. Respecting the red flags is not a warning to take lightly and your life could depend on it, no matter how good a swimmer you think you are.
Phuket Weather in July
Rainy Season
| July Weather | |
|---|---|
| Record high | 35.0 °C |
| Average high | 32.0 °C |
| Average rainfall | 258.2 mm |
| Average rainy days | 19.6 |
| Average humidity | 79 % |
| Daily sunshine hours | 4.6 |
In July, the weather in Phuket in is a little bit wetter than in June but you might get quite a few sunny days. It’s definitely rainy season so expect some rainy days.
Phuket Weather in August
Rainy Season
| August Weather | |
|---|---|
| Record high | 35.5 °C |
| Average high | 32.0 °C |
| Average rainfall | 286.8 mm |
| Average rainy days | 19 |
| Average humidity | 79 % |
| Daily sunshine hours | 4.9 |
August weather in Phuket is not much different than in July. On the bright side the island is more peaceful, less traffic jams and beaches are all yours. Sea can be rough so respect the flags and pick a hotel with a nice pool and a spa and you will have wonderful holidays.
Phuket Weather in September
Rainy Season
| September Weather | |
|---|---|
| Record high | 35.0 °C |
| Average high | 31.5 °C |
| Average rainfall | 361.2mm |
| Average rainy days | 22.1 |
| Average humidity | 82 % |
| Daily sunshine hours | 3.6 |
Weather in Phuket in September usually shows a mix of sun and rain, but with more rainy days than sunny, so September is not the best month to travel to Phuket.
Phuket Weather in October
Wettest month of rainy season
| October Weather | |
|---|---|
| Record high | 35.3 °C |
| Average high | 31.5 °C |
| Average rainfall | 320.1mm |
| Average rainy days | 22.5 |
| Average humidity | 82 % |
| Daily sunshine hours | 4.7 |
October weather in Phuket is not much different from weather in September, again a mix of sun and rain, also not the best month to visit to Phuket if you have a choice. To be on the positive side and if you have no choice, this time of the year is the most challenging lucky draw. The rain WILL fall, there is no doubt about it, and as it comes in series of 3, 6 or 9 days as they always say here. Just pray that it is not during your week!
Phuket Weather in November
Last month of low season
| November Weather | |
|---|---|
| Record high | 34.8 °C |
| Average high | 31.7 °C |
| Average rainfall | 177.4mm |
| Average rainy days | 15.4 |
| Average humidity | 79 % |
| Daily sunshine hours | 5.8 |
November weather in Phuket usually shows some signs of recovery. Again it frequently is a mix of sun and rain but the risk of rain is still quite high. Thailand celebrates the beautiful Loy Krathong in November.
Phuket Weather in December
Peak season
| December Weather | |
|---|---|
| Record high | 34.2 °C |
| Average high | 31.7 °C |
| Average rainfall | 72.4mm |
| Average rainy days | 9.3 |
| Average humidity | 75 % |
| Daily sunshine hours | 6.4 |
In December the weather is usually great… unless it’s an unlucky month which. These tend to happen more frequently in the recent years. Usually the weather is great: blue sky with tiny clouds and a cool temperature.24 C is considered ‘cold’ by locals or those who lived here too long. Prices start to switch to high season rate.
