Is November a good time to visit Phuket

November is the month Phuket switches seasons: the rain halves, the wind swings round to the northeast and the island parks are open again. Below are the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) normals for both island stations, TMD’s outlook for November 2026, what is open, what is on and how busy it gets. Checked on 27 October 2026.

Phuket weather in November: TMD numbers

These are 1991-2020 normals. The Phuket station is in Phuket Town in the southeast of the island, Phuket Airport is in the northwest. Rawai, Chalong and Kata are closer to the town station, Nai Yang and Mai Khao to the airport.

For comparison at the town station: October 336.0 mm, December 82.0 mm, February 24.0 mm. November is half as wet as October and twice as wet as December. The wettest single November day in the 1991-2020 record brought 92.9 mm to town, against 180.7 mm in October. All months are on Phuket weather by month.

A “rainy day” in TMD tables is any day with at least 0.1 mm, so a 30-minute afternoon shower counts. The report does not say how many hours it rains.

TMD outlook for November 2026

TMD’s cool season outlook was issued on 9 October 2026. On 27 October its seasonal page still showed no newer version. For the Andaman coast it says:

• From mid-October to mid-November: thunderstorms over 30-50% of the area, heavy rain in places, waves of 1-2 m
• November as a whole: minimum temperatures of 23-25 °C, thunderstorms over 40-60% of the area, heavy rain in places
• December: rain over only 10-20% of the area
• November and December: low-pressure systems may form and become tropical storms passing near the Gulf of Thailand and the south

This is a long-range outlook, not a forecast for your dates. Check the TMD forecast a few days before a boat trip.

Sea, waves and flags

The rough west coast surf of Phuket comes from the southwest monsoon. In November both TMD stations record the prevailing wind from the east or northeast, so it blows off the land on Patong, Karon, Kata, Kamala and Bang Tao. In practice the sea settles through the month, but swell left over from October and passing storms can still bring red flags.

• A red flag means no swimming. What to do if a current pulls you out is in red flag and rip currents
• On a windy day pick a sheltered bay, see calm beaches in Phuket
• Boats stay in port when TMD issues a strong wind warning. Book island trips early in your stay so you have a spare day

What’s open in November

Closure periods come from the DNP closure table (data as of 7 January 2026), fees from the DNP fee table for individuals (2 June 2023), children pay half. TAT confirmed on 20 October 2026 that the Similans reopened on 15 October with more than 1,300 visitors on the first day. The DNP table also lists several Similan dive sites and Ko Tachai as closed indefinitely.

Which trips suit November

• Phang Nga Bay and James Bond Island. The bay is sheltered by islands, so it is the most reliable boat trip in a month with leftover swell. Paddling into the caves is on the Phang Nga sea canoe page
• Phi Phi and Maya Bay. Open and less crowded than in December. Compare a catamaran with a speedboat on the Phi Phi trip page
• Similans. Open, but it is a long open-sea crossing. Better in the second half of the month, with a spare day
• Khao Sok. The lake and the jungle work in any weather. The Nam Thalu cave stays closed until 30 November
• Rainy afternoon. Phuket Old Town, the Big Buddha, Wat Chalong and evening shows such as Phuket FantaSea

Typical prices for all of these are on how much Phuket tours cost.

Events in November 2026

Loy Krathong is the full moon of the 12th Thai lunar month, when people float small candlelit rafts (krathongs) on water. TAT gives the end of Buddhist Lent, the 11th month full moon, as 26 October 2026. The 11th lunar month has 29 days, which puts the 12th month full moon on 24 November. As of 27 October TAT and Phuket’s municipalities had not published a 2026 programme, so we will confirm the venues when they do.

Crowds and hotel occupancy

According to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports (MOTS), Phuket hotel occupancy was 78.62% in November 2025, compared with 77.64% in October, 84.10% in December and 86.41% in January. Phuket received 997,188 foreign visitors in November 2025 and 1,091,792 in December. November is busier than the rainy months but still below the peak. Occupancy is the share of rooms taken, not a price, and we do not publish hotel rates until we collect our own dated measurements.

Getting to Phuket in November

New seasonal flights start around now. TAT reports that Virgin Atlantic flies London Heathrow-Phuket three times a week until 26 March 2027, and Belavia starts twice-weekly Minsk-Phuket flights on 29 October. British Airways, TUI and Norse Atlantic also run seasonal services from London Gatwick and Manchester to Bangkok and Phuket. From Bangkok, see Bangkok to Phuket, and from the airport to your hotel, Phuket Airport.

Should you go to Phuket in November?

Go if:

• you want warmth and the sea without peak-season crowds
• you can keep one or two spare days for boat trips
• you want to see Loy Krathong
• your dates fall in the second half of the month

Consider another month if:

• you have a short trip built around the Similans with no spare day
• you need a guaranteed calm sea in front of the hotel every day: December to March is safer, see Phuket in December

If your trip can only be in November and you are torn between islands, Phuket is the drier choice: Phuket or Koh Samui in November. Samui’s November is covered in Koh Samui in November, and the rest of the country in Thailand in November. The month before is Phuket in October, and all months are on when to go to Phuket.

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