Southern Thailand has two weather seasons. High season begins in November and features higher percentage occupancy in hotels and higher prices for goods and services. In Phuket, the change in prices can be pretty dramatic. The weather is generally clear and sunny.

The coolest weather is in late December through early January. Peak high season is the Christmas-New Year period. It's crowded and more expensive.

Paddle Asia trips are, however, never crowded. Our trips are limited to 2 to 6 guests. Bigger group trips are available if booked as a group.

Low season, or the monsoon season, features wind predominantly from the southwest. Storms which originate in Antarctica, pass by Sumatra on the way to Phuket and Phang Nga Bay.

The bay is actually sheltered by Phuket, so even if there is fairly bad weather on the west side of Phuket, Phang Nga Bay can be calm.

Phuket Rainy Season

What if it rains? Rain does not detract from your paddling experience.  Brief rains, which are the norm, actually enhance it. Both Phang Nga Bay and Khao Sok get more mystical in the rain.

If there is rain, it is normally passing quickly.  If there is lightning, we will go to a beach or get on the longtail escort boat until it passes.  This too seldom lasts long.

Phang Nga Bay Kayaking Weather

Cloudy days are cooler, making paddling more comfortable. Conditions often change by the hour. We put on sun screen in the morning and watch approaching rain fronts in the afternoon. It's beautiful!

The good news is that Paddle Asia specializes in finding out-of-the-way destinations. We much prefer to see the natural world sans the crowds!

What is the Monsoon?

The word monsoon most likely comes from the Arabic word mausim, which literally means season.

The monsoon is the seasonal wind reversal. It is not the rain as commonly assumed. Rain is the byproduct of this wind. For half of the year, the wind comes from one direction and for the other half, it comes from the direct opposite direction.

From about mid April through October and into November a bit, the predominant wind direction on the Malay Peninsula is from the southwest. For the rest of the year, the wind shifts to coming from the northeast.

The western side of the Malay Peninsula—the side that has Phuket, Krabi, Trang and Tarutao—gets more rain during the summer months. The eastern side—the side with Koh Samui, Koh Pang Ngan, Koh Tao and Koh Chang—is drier during this time. The wind is coming from the southwest. The wind direction shifts in November and the seasons change. During the winter months, the eastern coastline of the Malay Peninsula gets less rain.

The tourist high season on the eastern side of the Malay Peninsula is from about November through the middle of April. This is the low season for tourism in the Gulf of Thailand side (Ko Samui).

Don't let a little rain prevent you from enjoying either side of the Malay Peninsula. Low season means cheaper prices on almost everything, fewer tourists, rainbows, and awesome sunsets.

 

 

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18/58 Thanon Rasdanusorn, T, Rasada, Phuket Town (we do not take walk-in business) Dave's mobile: 081 8936558 Moo's mobile: 081 7974855

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