Best Travel Time for Phuket

Phuket , actually Koh or Ko Phuket, is the largest island in Thailand and one of the kingdom’s most popular travel destinations. Even if, unlike in the past, there are only a few areas with real jungle. Rather, the palm trees determine the image of the island today. The paradisiacal appearance, the location in the Andaman Sea in the south of the country and its own international airport are reasons why countless tourists travel to the island of Phuket every year. But is every month the best time to travel to Phuket ? Here you get the answer. I’ll give you information about the ideal time to travel to Thailand’s largest island. I’ll give you all the information about the weather and climate. You will also learn everything you need to know about the rainy and dry seasons.

When is the best time to travel to Phuket?

Due to the permanently high temperatures, Phuket is suitable as a year-round holiday destination . If you want to spend your vacation in paradise with little rain, most hours of sunshine and pleasant humidity, the best time to travel to Phuket is from November to April . During these months you can count on the best weather conditions . If you want to be even more certain about the weather, travel in December , January , February or March to Phuket. November marks the end and April marks the beginning of the rainy season. In these months the probability of rain and the humidity is slightly higher than in the other months. Nevertheless, they are among the best travel time for Phuket, as they have good overall values. During the recommended travel time, it rains a maximum of 16 days (in November). In February there are only 3 rainy days a month. As a comparison: In September, outside of the best travel time, it rains 23 days.

In the best travel time, you can look forward to top- class summer temperatures . From November to April up to 34 degrees Celsius are waiting for you. The humidity is lower in these months than in others, so you can endure the temperatures well. Even if the jump into the sea is not really a cooling off. The water temperature at the best travel time is 27 to 28 degrees Celsius. It is not worth hoping for cooler temperatures in another month, because you cannot see them all year round. The nighttime temperatures do not drop below 24 degrees Celsius. The differences between day and night temperatures are therefore only minimal.

If you travel to Phuket at the ideal time to travel, you can also look forward to most of the hours of sunshine of the year. February is not only considered the driest, but also the sunniest. The sun shines up to 10 hours a day.

Best travel time for Phuket in the monthly overview:

• November : 32 ° C, 7 hours of sunshine, 28 ° C water temperature, 16 rainy days
• December : 32 ° C, 8 hours of sunshine, 27 ° C water temperature, 8 rainy days
• January : 32 ° C, 9 hours of sunshine, 27 ° C water temperature, 4 rainy days
• February : 33 ° C, 10 hours of sunshine, 27 ° C water temperature, 3 rainy days
• March : 34 ° C, 9 hours of sunshine, 28 ° C water temperature, 6 rainy days
• April : 34 ° C, 8 hours of sunshine, 29 ° C water temperature, 11 rainy days

Climate and weather on Phuket

According to shoefrantics, Phuket has a tropical climate and so it is summer all year round on the popular island. The temperatures and humidity are consistently high. You can look forward to temperatures around 30 degrees Celsius all year round. Sometimes they are higher and sometimes lower, but it’s summery at all times. Even at night, temperatures rarely drop below 24 degrees Celsius. The water temperature is at a high level all year round. It is between 27 and 29 degrees Celsius. There are no major differences in air and water temperatures over the course of the year. However, the number of rainy days and the number of hours of sunshine differ from one another over the course of the year. From November to April there are 7 to 10 hours of sunshine per day. In the months of May to October they drop to a minimum of 5 to 6 per day. The rainy days per month are as follows: In the months of November to April, the rainy days are 3 to 16 days per month. From May to October it rains 19 to 23 days per month. The reason for these differences is the monsoon. The southwest and northeast monsoons divide the year on Phuket into two seasons: the rainy and dry seasons.

Dry season on Phuket

The dry season on Phuket is from late November to March, early / mid-April . The northeast monsoon is responsible for the dry air . The temperatures reach values ​​of up to 35 degrees Celsius during these months. Since the humidity is lower than in other months, you can withstand these high temperatures better. The highest temperatures await you in February, March and April. In some places the thermometer is at 40 degrees Celsius during this time. December and January are less extreme, but very hot at 32 degrees Celsius. In addition to the high temperatures, most hours of sunshine await you in the dry season. In February, for example, the sun shines for 10 hours. The opposite is true for rainy days . They are at their lowest value during the dry season on Phuket. As driest month of the entire year are December, January, February and March. In February, for example, it rains only 3 days a month. Note that it can rain unexpectedly even during the dry season. The showers are usually short but can be heavy. Nevertheless: Enjoy the rain, it provides a small but nice cooling.

Rainy season on Phuket

The rainy season prevails on Phuket from late April to early / mid-November . The southwest monsoon influences the probability of rain and the hours of sunshine. The monsoons take precipitation from the Indian Ocean and bring it to the peninsula. In the climate table below for Phuket you can see that already in April there is twice as much rain as in August. April marks the beginning of the rainy season and as the year progresses the number of rainy days increases further to. Most rainy days await you in September and October. During these months it rains for up to 23 days. Precipitation is not a problem for vacationers. The extremely high humidity paired with temperatures of 32 degrees Celsius is uncomfortable. The oppressive air can be very stressful for inexperienced holidaymakers. Even at night, the air does not cool down properly at 25 degrees Celsius. Anyone who knows the rainy season from other tropical countries knows that it usually only rains briefly, but it rains heavily. After the shower, the sky tears open and you can continue enjoying yourself here. That doesn’t have to be the case on Phuket. It can rain for days.

Climate table for Phuket

My conclusion on the best travel time for Phuket

If you want excellent and constant weather for your Thailand vacation , you should choose the months November to April as the best travel time for Phuket . The best weather conditions prevail in these months. Sunny temperatures of up to 35 degrees Celsius combined with a comparatively low level of humidity allow you to enjoy your holiday to the full. Little rain and lots of sunshine – these are the other characteristics of the ideal travel time for Phuket! If you travel to Thailand’s largest island in the dry season , you are doing everything right. What you have to consider: At the recommended travel time, it can get crowded on the island. It is the main season on Phuket and that also affects hotel and flight prices.

Despite the worse weather conditions with a lot of rain, less sunshine and higher humidity, the off-season on Phuket is also popular with holidaymakers. You take advantage of the lower hotel prices from May to October to visit a dream destination and save money in the process. Warning: If you choose the off-season, it can happen that it rains on Phuket not only briefly, but permanently. You may not be able to use the beaches due to the rain masses. If you have no problem with that, you can travel to your well-deserved Phuket vacation .