Summer Season

This website is dedicated to Phuket and our Summer season. From the postcard perfect January days, to the Surf of April – November to the Monsoon rains that drench our island sporadically making the island tropical, green and verdant. Phuket is an Island for all seasons, and has sides to her personality. She can be tempestuous with a rocking storm for an hour, then break into bright sunshine and cooled streets, she can scorch with heat in April, allowing songkran revelers a great excuse to soak all within water gun range. The Islands interiors, with waterfalls and rainforests come alive with fresh rain, and with a huge range of both hotels and private rental houses anyone travelling outside of our peak Dec – March period will be presently surprised with excellent rates, and low local prices.

NOVEMBER / DECEMBER / JANUARY / FEBRUARY / MARCH

The ocean starts to settle, the waves die down and high season rolls in once again.

In November the islands weather settles, the waves die down, surf dwindles and the sea takes on a Maldives colour and transparency. In December it seems much of Europe fly in to escape the oncoming winter and the chills of Christmas. Instead a tropical Santa Klaus puts on his shorts and readies the reindeers for a summers Christmas day. January and February are also full tilt busy and rates are at their highest.

MAY / JUNE / JULY

May heralds the start of the South west monsoon, a word which is misunderstood and is a time of vitality and the very source of life in Phuket.

It's also a cooler period with highs down to a comfortable 31-32 degrees. Its a more relaxed time, staff wind down after busy 6 months and the Island becomes a quiet, fun, intimate and friendly place. Time for chatting, time for chilling out and a good period to learn some Thai!

John Everingham, a long time Phuket resident and one of the islands best photographers explains.

"The South West Monsoon gathers force as the Northern summer returns and surface temperatures rise across the Indian Ocean. Greeting Sri Lanka first, the rising winds blow Phuket about early May. Sailors are usually the first to sense the change in wind direction and quickly move their boats from the exposed west coast to one of the six marinas on the east coast. Rain might not come for a week or three."

"Its at this time of the year when the Gods do perform, putting on some of natures most spectacular displays of raw beauty and menacing power. Thunderheads, vast towers of Cumulous clouds, form through the middle of hot days, sucking heat and moisture into a mighty sky-turbine with a head that surges towards the stratosphere. They churn up mighty power to shoot lightning bolts off the coast, through the sunset and into the evening.

These amazing thunderstorms sometimes tower along the horizon, and as the sun lowers they fire up in a grand sometimes two hour display. This can be a more memorable show than any evening entertainment one pays for."

John continues, The very best days for me – ends with a huge storm. It means that the day has been clear and hot. The skies are often the clearest for the year, washed blue by earlier storms. Its also a promise of a clear tomorrow, and probably another evening storm.

This period of May June and July enjoy the most spectacular blue skies, the epitome of a tropical destination. The rain that is dumped quickly brings the island alive with an intense green that contrasts so strongly with the blue skies and puffy cumulus clouds.

"If plants could sing, the Andaman would now ring to a million orchestras."

Most days during the early monsoon experience a much higher percentage of sun than rain or cloud.

APRIL

Easter and Songkran fall in the first two weeks of April, when the island erupts with a festival attitude. Revelers line the streets and throw water at each other which, given that April is generally the hottest month is a good thing.Temperatures rise up to the mid 30’s and everyone heads to the beach. Hotels this month are generally 90% plus occupancy and require advance bookings. Its only after Songkran and Easter that the high season starts to relax, and the island takes on a more local, calmer pace. In 2010 the first day of surfing was on April 17th, and heralds the start of big waves and to many, SURF SEASON.

AUGUST / SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER

August is the start of European holidays and Phuket becomes alive with kids. The weather patterns are unpredictable, but weeks can look just like high season without the crowds.

Big waves sometimes surge up the west coast making it a haven for surfing and more recently kite surfing and windsurfing. There are a few surfing competitions and although ideal for beginners and intermediate riders there are only a few big surf days. The East coast and Phang Nga bay at this time of the year are perfect for boating as the westerly winds have little impact in the Bay. The boating import tax was dropped a few years ago with the result being a large increase in the numbers of new boats, which has helped make charters competitive from any of the four East coast marinas. (Yacht Haven, Ao Po Marina, Boat Lagoon and Royal Phuket Marina)

September and October is usually the wettest months and the weather can set in for 4 or 5 days however it normally falls in blocks, so chances of great weather is actually high.

Hotel rates are offering superb deals and you can get very lucky with the weather...

Come see for yourself...