Phuket rain season: a dealbreaker or the best time to visit?

If you’re planning a trip to Thailand, you may hear something called “Phuket rainy season” - take a closer look at it, because it has its own pros and cons you should be prepared for.

Phuket season of rains starts around June and keeps the weather wet till October. It is also can be referred to as Phuket monsoon season. During these days the weather in large (and often visited) cities, including Bangkok, Phuket and Chiang Mai can get moody - it can rain almost everyday, but it is fair to note that there are barely any times it rained the whole day through. Usually, downpours happen closer to sunset, however you can`t be 100% sure. The up side about this situation is that you can save up to 50% on your travel compared to a non-rainy period travel, so the best month to visit Phuket may be during this time. In fact, not only prices, but the number of tourists on the streets and at the places of interest goes down, which makes your trip much easier. 

Even a long rain may not have as much impact on your plans as seasonal flooding - something that turns the life of not only tourists but locals into a problem. In 2011 Thailand faced some of the worst floods in centuries - many people had to be evacuated, because of getting trapped on small islands. Rescuers had to use aircrafts to get people over to the mainland. It may sound like a real adventure to some tourists, but natives wished it had never happened. Transport connections were closed for days. Even some stretches of such big highways as Bangkok`s North main highway could not be gone through.

Nevertheless, thousands of tourist visit Thailand’s popular cities Phuket or Bangkok every year during the monsoon season and don’t run into any problems. June, July and August are pretty nice months to visit - there will be rain, but normally those are short heavy bursts. In between, Phuket, Thailand weather is completely comfortable. There are also periods of several days without any rain, which happen pretty frequent. Taking this risk can be fully paid off with lower prices, smaller crowds and empty beaches. However, if you see yourself outside most of the day, instead of hiding from the rain, there are places that get way less rain and will let you rest without any concerns. Samui, Koh Pha Ngan or Koh Tao are nice examples of them.

Another time-period to consider is cool season. Phuket`s average weather during the “cool season” (late November - early February) makes your vacation less hot and sticky and more comfortable and mild, even though it stays more than warm enough for spending a day on an island or a pleasant beach. You will definitely enjoy it!