| Month | Mean, °C | Mean max, °C | Mean min, °C | Rain, mm | Rain days | Humidity, % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 28.3 | 33.0 | 25.0 | 49.9 | 5.6 | 71 |
| February | 29.0 | 34.0 | 25.4 | 24.0 | 3.4 | 69 |
| March | 29.4 | 34.4 | 25.9 | 80.7 | 7.5 | 71 |
| April | 29.6 | 34.2 | 26.3 | 135.1 | 11.7 | 75 |
| May | 29.1 | 33.2 | 26.1 | 236.9 | 18.9 | 79 |
| June | 28.7 | 32.6 | 25.8 | 249.4 | 18.6 | 79 |
| July | 28.4 | 32.3 | 25.6 | 240.2 | 19.1 | 79 |
| August | 28.3 | 32.2 | 25.6 | 308.7 | 19.5 | 79 |
| September | 27.8 | 31.8 | 25.1 | 350.4 | 21.7 | 81 |
| October | 27.6 | 31.8 | 24.9 | 336.0 | 22.7 | 82 |
| November | 28.0 | 32.1 | 25.2 | 178.2 | 15.9 | 79 |
| December | 27.9 | 32.1 | 25.0 | 82.0 | 10.3 | 75 |
| Year | 28.5 | 32.8 | 25.5 | 2,271.5 | 174.9 | 77 |
The table above is a climate normal: averages over 30 years, not a forecast for any given year. A single year can be drier or wetter. For planning a trip or a move, the normal is more useful than last year’s weather: it shows what to expect in a typical month.
What the numbers show
Temperature barely changes. The gap between the warmest month (April, 29.6 °C) and the coolest (October, 27.6 °C) is just 2 degrees. Nights at the town station average around 25-26 °C in every month. Phuket has no cool winter like Bangkok or the north of the country.
Rain sets the seasons. From December to March 24-82 mm falls each month, from May to October 237-350 mm. In September and October it rains on 22-23 days out of 30 on average. Mind the method: TMD counts a rain day whenever at least 0.1 mm falls. That includes short half-hour showers, so “22 rain days” does not mean “22 days without sun”.
Humidity rises with the rain: from 69% in February to 82% in October.
Seasons according to TMD
TMD describes three seasons for the country as a whole:
| Season | Months per TMD | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Cool | October-February | north-east monsoon, mostly dry weather |
| Hot | February-May | transition, variable winds, hot and dry |
| Rainy | May-October | south-west monsoon brings moisture from the ocean, heaviest rain on windward coasts |
Phuket is on the west coast, open to the Andaman Sea, which puts it on the windward side of the south-west monsoon. The station data shows it: westerly winds dominate from May to October, and rainfall in those months is 10-15 times February’s. TMD counts October as both rainy and cool season: it is the month the monsoons change over, and on Phuket it is one of the wettest.
In 2026, according to TMD’s May summary, Thailand’s rainy season began on 15 May, and Phuket had flooding on 18-20 May.
Town and airport: two stations
TMD has two stations on the island with 1991-2020 normals. Phuket town is in the south-east of the island, the airport in the north-west, about 30 km apart in a straight line (our calculation from the station coordinates in the TMD report).
| Annual figure | Phuket town (48 564) | Phuket Airport (48 565) |
|---|---|---|
| Mean temperature | 28.5 °C | 27.9 °C |
| Mean minimum | 25.5 °C | 23.9 °C |
| Rainfall | 2,271.5 mm | 2,664.3 mm |
| Rain days | 174.9 | 183.4 |
| Humidity | 77% | 80% |
| Wettest month | September, 350.4 mm | September, 399.2 mm |
Nights at the airport are 1.5 degrees cooler, and it gets 17% more rain a year. For southern areas (Rawai, Chalong, Kata) the town station is closer; for northern ones (Nai Yang, Mai Khao) the airport is. This is a guide based on where the stations are, not a measurement in those areas.
Method and limits
- Source: Thai Meteorological Department report Climatological Data of Thailand for 30 Year Period (1991-2020), 2023 edition, printed pages 82 (Phuket) and 83 (Phuket Airport). The report is published on a TMD subdomain.
- Period: 30 years, 1991-2020, the latest 30-year period for which TMD has published normals.
- How we compiled it: figures copied from the report without recalculation. We checked monthly totals against the annual values and found no discrepancies.
- Rain day: at least 0.1 mm in 24 hours, counted from 07:00 to 07:00
- What is missing: sea temperature and sunshine hours. We found no primary normals for sea temperature off Phuket, and the town station has no sunshine observations in the report. We will check and add sunshine hours from the airport station separately.
- Next update: when TMD publishes new normals or at our April 2027 review
What to do on the island in the wet months and where the sea is calmer then: Phuket in the low season.
Month guides with the sea, open parks, hotel occupancy and festivals: Phuket in October, Phuket in February.
Related: when to go to Phuket.
FAQ
What is the weather like in Phuket in October?
October is one of the two wettest months: TMD's 1991-2020 normals give 336 mm of rain on average and 22.7 rain days (from 0.1 mm). Highs are around 32 °C, lows around 25 °C, and humidity is 82%, the highest of the year.
What is the weather like in Phuket in November?
November is a transition month: rainfall halves compared with October (178 mm against 336) and there are 15.9 rain days. Temperatures barely change: a mean of 28.0 °C and highs of 32.1 °C. Dry weather sets in from December and lasts until March.
When is the rainy season in Phuket?
According to the Thai Meteorological Department, the south-west monsoon that brings the rain blows from May to October. In 2026 TMD recorded the start of the rainy season on 15 May. On the normals, September and October are Phuket's wettest months.
When is the dry season in Phuket?
December to March: TMD's 1991-2020 normals give 24-82 mm of rain in those months, with rain days ranging from 3.4 in February to 10.3 in December. April is hotter and wetter, up to 135 mm. The south-west monsoon arrives in May.
What is the hottest month in Phuket?
April: a mean of 29.6 °C and an average high of 34.2 °C. The record high at the town station over 1991-2020 also fell in April: 39.2 °C. March is almost as hot but drier.
Does it rain all day in Phuket's rainy season?
The normals cannot tell you that. TMD counts any day with at least 0.1 mm as a rain day, so the 22 rain days in October include short half-hour downpours. The report does not publish how many hours it rains.
Why do weather sites show different numbers for Phuket?
They often use different stations and periods. TMD has two stations on Phuket: in town and at the airport in the north of the island. The airport gets 2,664 mm a year, the town 2,272 mm. We show both and state the period of the normal.
Sources
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