If you’re like us and booked an incredible family holiday to Phuket, during the Australian winter school holidays… only to realise that it is smack bang in the middle of monsoon season… this is what you can expect!

When is Monsoon season in Phuket

The rainy season starts in May and runs through to October and this is also considered the low season. You can expect the heaviest rainfall around September and October.

The rainy season consists of a mix of some sunny days, and days mixed with some heavy downfalls which can often be short periods rather than for hours at a time. That being said, you can certainly expect days of rain… afterall, it is the rainy season!

With the rainy season, also comes strong winds which means the ocean and otherwise calm beaches can be rough with some decent well, making it somewhat unsafe to go swimming.

You can expect some tours to be cancelled, depending on the weather forecast for the day. For example, it might be too rough to go out for a boat trip. We did a day trip with some wind and swell, and instead of taking an hour to get to our destination, it was nearly 2 hours and VERY bumpy!

What was it like in July?

We were expecting and planning for the worst, but we hit the jackpot. The weather for our trip was sunny with a few brief showers that only lasted a few minutes.

It was hot and humid but the strong winds kept it somewhat comfortable compared to other months we’ve visited.

The water was pretty rough, making it not as safe to swim in the ocean. The other difference for us is when we visited Freedom Beach. When we visited in April, the water was so calm and crystal clear! When we visited in July, it was a different experience and much more rough. I am glad we were able to see it peaceful and calm!

How does it compare to other months?

We have also visited Phuket in December and April and my opinion is that April was by far the most hot and humid. That was our first trip as a family, when Henry was just a baby!

For a comparison of months and estimated rainfall, visit this website.

What to pack?

In addition to the standard packing items for your Thailand trip, be sure to pack a rain jacket or poncho that you can easily just pop in your backpack. We thankfully only needed them for an hour or so during our Hidden Forest Elephant Sanctuary tour as it was drizzling a little (which was quite refreshing being in the rainforest!).

Planning a trip to Thailand?

If you’re wanting to get ideas on other amazing things to do in Thailand, or options on where to stay, take a look at all of our Thailand posts here.