Phuket Tours in the Rainy Season: What Still Runs

Why do boat trips get cancelled?

Wind and swell. When a storm warning goes up, the authorities close the sea to speedboats altogether — for every operator, not just ours. The decision comes on the morning of the trip. If it goes against you, the trip moves to another date or the payment comes back.

A rainy morning on its own changes nothing. A tropical shower is usually over within the hour, and the weather over your hotel is not the weather over Phi Phi; the guide checks the sea forecast for the route.

The wet months also bring fewer visitors, so on the days the sea is open the famous stops are noticeably less crowded.

Which sea trips hold up best in the wet months?

Sheltered water first. James Bond island and Phang Nga Bay spends the day inside a bay by longtail and kayak, away from open-sea swell. The near south is next: Racha and Coral has short crossings, and Coral island from Rawai is half an hour each way.

The long open-sea days — Phi Phi, the eleven-islands run, the two-day trips — are the ones the swell cancels first. And the Similans simply are not there: the park is closed from mid-May to mid-October. Maya Bay has its own calendar on top of the weather, so check whether Maya Bay is open before you book a Phi Phi day. The October edge of the Similan closure is covered on are the Similan Islands open.

Phang Nga Bay is the classic wet-season sea day for a reason: the bay is sheltered, the longtail stays in calm water, and the day is spent between cliffs rather than on open sea. The near-south speedboats are the next choice when the forecast allows. What the day includes, and who it doesn't suit, is on is the James Bond island tour worth it.

What can I do on a day the sea is closed?

Go inland. Rafting is at its liveliest when the rivers have water in them. The Khao Lak safari, the rafting and elephant spa, the Avatar world day with its hot springs, Cheow Lan lake, Secrets of Krabi with the warm Emerald lake — none of them depends on the sea. Our jungle tours page compares them. Which of the two jungle days suits you, the Khao Lak safari or the Avatar world, is the subject of this side-by-side. The Krabi lakes day doesn't depend on boats either; is the Secrets of Krabi day trip worth it covers what you get for the early start.

On Phuket itself, the sightseeing tour covers the viewpoints, the Big Buddha, Wat Chalong and the old town in about six hours — a good first-day plan in any season. Our half-day sightseeing page lists every stop with its time, and who should skip it. The Avatar world day, from the lily café at 08:30 to the hot pools at Natai, is reviewed hour by hour on is the Avatar world tour worth it. A Thai cooking class in Thalang, Phuket Town or at Phuket Sea Farm is another plan for that day; who runs the school and our other partner services is on is PhuketGO legit.

Is rafting better in the rainy season?

Livelier, yes. The rivers near Phuket are short and the rapids small; what makes the difference is the water level — in the rainy months the river runs brisker, in the dry ones it goes slowly. Our rafting and elephant spa covers five kilometres with an instructor on every raft, and the minimum age is six. The Avatar world day has a river too: bamboo rafting through the jungle, then ATV trails, a waterfall and hot springs by the sea. Families with young children will find the whole day on is the Avatar world tour suitable for children. If the sea isn't for you, our land tours from Phuket gathers the jungle, Phang Nga, Cheow Lan and Krabi days in one place.

Wear clothes you do not mind soaking, and bring a change for the ride home. If you want the river and the quads on the same day, read is the rafting and ATV day from Phuket worth it.

What should I pack in the wet months?

A light rain jacket — several of our land cards list it as not included. A dry bag for the phone. A spare T-shirt for the way back; wet clothes in an air-conditioned minivan are how people catch colds in the heat. Sunscreen still, because the sun between showers is strong. If a wet day turns into the land sightseeing tour, pack a cover-up for the temples: the dress code at the Big Buddha and Wat Chalong is shoulders and knees covered.

On the boats, rain ponchos are handed out on some trips if the weather turns — the fishing boat and the sunrise Racha trip among them. The Similans are a dry-season trip only; when they reopen, Similan Islands from Phuket or Khao Lak helps pick a base.

How should I plan a rainy-season holiday?

Make land days the base and put one sea day early, with a free day behind it. If the sea day is cancelled, you move it rather than lose it. Take a light rain jacket on land trips — several of our cards list it as not included.

Send us your dates in the chat. We see the forecasts every day and will tell you which trip suits the week you are here. Outside the Similan season, Racha Yai is the clearest water within a short crossing, for snorkelling or a first dive: beginner dive day or snorkelling tour.

A wet-season habit worth copying: check the sea, not the sky. A grey morning over your hotel says little about the water off Racha or inside Phang Nga Bay, and the guide gets the marine forecast for the route before you are out of bed. In strong wind the captain calls off the fishing at Rang Yai; sunrise fishing or the Phi Phi fishing day explains both weather rules.

If a sea day is cancelled, you do not need to rebook from scratch: tell us which date works instead, and the trip moves there. For the elephant beach day that ends in Mantra Spa's pools, see is the elephant beach and spa day worth it. If the sea closes on a booked date, the rule is the same for every trip, and it is set out on who we are and how booking works. Families planning the Similans once the park reopens in mid-October: the Similan islands with children.

Questions people ask