A Guide To The Weather In Phuket Thailand

Phuket is Thailand’s most popular island for a reason. Blessed with palm-fringed coves and a tropical climate, the largest island in the Land of Smiles is warm throughout the year, with temperatures hovering between 25° and 34°C (77 to 93°F). Arrive anytime between late December and mid-April, and you can count on the sun boosting your mood. While the dry season ends in late April, the weather in Phuket Thailand is hottest between April and May. You can still pick out your light summer outfit in the rainy season from June to October, as lousy weather for days on end is rare.

Whether you’re a price-savvy traveller comfortable when the crowds thin out or a family traveller favouring the dry season – here’s Metadee Concept Hotel’s guide to help you decide the best time to go to Phuket.

April and May see the warmest weather in Phuket, with temperatures up to 36°C (95°F). At this time of year, it’s pretty humid, making the days feel even hotter. Every now and then, brief, thunderous downpours offer respite from the heat. Mid-April also brings the Thai New Year holiday of Songkran, an annual water festival with unabated water fights.

Phuket’s tropical monsoon creates a dry season and a rainy season. Prevailing winds blow from the northeast for half the year and then reverse and blow from the southwest, producing the wet season. In between are transitional phases, which last for a month or two.

The weather is generally unpredictable in May, the period before the rainy season, as well as in the second half of October and in November, the time before the dry season. It could pour down or be dry all day. But the shift in October and November before the nice Phuket weather in December starts is generally chillier and rainier than in May.

Phuket typically sees its worst weather in September and the first half of October. While sun-seekers draw the short straw in the rainy season, surfers love the strong winds of the Indian Ocean’s southwest monsoon, resulting in squalls of rain and rough two-metre seas. It’s wet, hot, and humid. The beaches are near-deserted, as are the roads, restaurants, and tourist attractions.

A Phuket weather forecast is typically more reliable in the low season than in the transitional period, yet online weather predictions are often overly negative. Sunny spells between showers do happen regularly, even if the forecast’s thunderstorm symbol appears for the rest of the week. Temperatures range from 20°C to 33°C (70°F to 90°F) from June to October.

Arguably the most enjoyable time to travel to Phuket is between December and March when the northeast monsoon draws dry air from Asia. Rains are blocked by the mainland, leaving Phuket with cool breezes, clear skies, and the year’s lowest humidity.

Many holidaymakers visit the island in the peak season, as the weather in Phuket Thailand is at its best from late December to March.