This is a very mis understood time of year for so many people around the world. Yes phuket thailand is in the tropics and does have a wet season and a dry season rather than summer and winter. The dry season is “high season”. But low season is not how most people think of it. Yes it is called monsoon season but that does not mean that everyday is driving rain and storm force winds. Just like other parts of the world winter does not mean blizzards everyday. What it really means is that between the end of May and the end of October you may get some rain. This is why diving Phuket during low season is so amazing as we can dive all year round in great conditions. Around phuket scuba diving is blessed with so many islands that no matter what direction the weather comes from there are many dive sites that are well protected.
During the “monsoon season” in phuket thailand yes the Similan Islands are closed but this is as much to do with them being a marine national park as anything and the turtles and the rest of the wildlife need time to breed in peace and generally have a break from the divers and snorkelers who flood the the Similans each year during the season. The similan islands and Surin islands are open from mid October each year until mid May.
The weather for the six months is slightly cooler (which is nice) but still in the 80s during the day and top 60s at night. The main reason for the cooling is it can rain at night which cools everything down. I am not saying its perfect all year round as for sure you can have three or four days of rain during the week. Monsoon season just says that during this time you can have a tropical storm. From November till May the chance of any rain is very remote indeed. During June to October then in a 2 week holiday you will have some sunny days, some rain, some cloud all mixed together but a fair chance of some rain at night.
Mornings are normally the best time of day for the sun and the cloud normally comes in the afternoons making for stunning sunsets. Plus there are many Phuket tours in which the rain actually make for exciting like white water rafting and ATV driving. Ok the tours like James Bond island which you need to use a speed boat for you do need to choose the right day for this. The of course Big game fishing phuket is second to none with different speicies passing through during the different seasons. This applies to the phuket safari tours too as they vary greatly depending on the seasons.
This again is why the diving is fine here all year round as all the phuket scuba diving starts in the mornings and the last dive is normally over three ish in the afternoon with the aim of giving people the best chance of missing the rain. Generally the mountains of Phuket draw the cloud and out on the ocean its sunny. The other good thing with the tropical storm is that on the ocean you can see them coming as make plans to be having lunch inside when the storm comes past and then with luck it will be passed by the time for the next dive. Or we can just change the order of the dives to fit with avoiding the rain as much as possible. But as all divers know that when you are under the water it makes no difference other than the rain can wash the salt off you and your gear for you.
For those of us lucky enough to live on phuket thailand all year round we tend to like the off season far more as its quieter, more relaxed, empty beaches and best of all quiet dive sites. This means we get to see far more as the noise from so many boats and divers from high season are gone. The ocean is quiet again and the more shy creatures come back. The top dive sites are less crowded and the scuba diving in phuket can really be seen at its best. Yes there may be some rain left over in the mornings or rain on the way back. May be you can not sit on the sun deck during lunch break but the quality of the diving more than makes up for that. All the downsides are may be and all the plus sides are certainties. When in phuket scuba diving it really is warm water diving all year round. Monsoon season is not typhoons everyday, its really just island life as normal with a chance of rain.
Low, monsoon or green season in phuket thailand really is a great few months or quiet, relaxation on a warm tropical island with the odd day for shopping, watching a movie or having a massage in the afternoon while the rain passes. This can be a great time of year to come as so many people assume its floods, typhoons and tropical storms everyday. When in reality it could not be further from the truth and at worst its like summer in England.
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