Phuket in December
Updated
December in Phuket is hot, with less than half November's rain, a calmer sea and the high season in full swing.
- Weather: Days around 32°C, nights around 25°C, and about 82 mm of rain in the month, on roughly 10 days, counting even a light shower.
- Sea: Usually calmer than in November, around 28–29°C and clear enough for snorkelling. The flags still say where to swim.
- Sunset: From 18:06 early in the month to 18:19 by the end.
- What's on: The King’s Cup Regatta from 5 to 12 December, Patong’s carnival, then the countdown to the new year.
- Booking: High season: book rooms and boat trips early.
The weather in December
On an average December day in Phuket the thermometer reaches 32°C, and nights stay around 25°C. Humidity averages about 75%, a little below November's 79%, and the month brings about 82 mm of rain, against 178 mm in November.
Rain falls on about 10 days, counting even a light shower, and thunderstorms are rare, on about 2 days a month. These are the Thai Meteorological Department's averages for its Phuket station, 1991 to 2020.
One December can be much wetter than the next: in three years out of five over that period, the month had between 41 mm and 128 mm of rain.
Phuket's rainy season runs from May to October, so December is well clear of it. If you're weighing up the best month to visit, January and February are drier still, with about 50 mm and 24 mm of rain: When to visit Phuket
The sea in December
By December the south-west monsoon, which brings strong surf and rip currents from May to October, has given way to the north-east monsoon, which lasts from about mid-October to mid-February. The prevailing wind is north-easterly, and the west coast's sea is typically calmer than in November.
Calmer isn't calm every day, so read the flag before you swim: red, stay out of the water; yellow, swim with care; green, calm. Red-and-yellow flags mark where lifeguards are watching, and how many there are is up to each beach's municipality.
The water is around 28–29°C, and the Tourism Authority of Thailand singles out December for diving and snorkelling: its water is clear. December also falls in the open season of the Similan and Surin national parks, 15 October to 15 May.
Sunset and golden hour
The sun sets between 18:06 and 18:19 in December, a little later each week. Skies are a little clearer than in November: on an average day, cloud covers about half the sky.
The warm, low light comes in the last half hour or so before sunset, and the sky glows for a while after it.
What's on in December
The King’s Cup Regatta brings yachts to Phuket from 5 to 12 December, with its base at Kata.
Patong marks the start of Phuket's tourist season with a carnival of a few days around Bangla Square, parade and all, on dates Patong announces each year.
EDC Thailand, a dance-music festival, is at Rhythm Park from 18 to 20 December.
On the last night of the year, Patong has held its countdown at Bangla Square: in 2025 it was billed from 16:00 until midnight.
Christmas, the countdowns and New Year’s Day: Christmas and New Year in Phuket
The high season
The Tourism Authority of Thailand recommends November to April for Phuket, December included. Going into December 2025, the island's tourist association expected hotels to be about 90% full through the high season.
Thailand's public holidays fall on Monday 7, Thursday 10 and Thursday 31 December this year, so Saturday 5 to Monday 7 December is a long weekend for many people in Thailand.
Book your room and boat trips early.
What to pack
- Light, loose clothes that breathe: the days are hot and humid.
- A thin layer for a boat ride back after sunset, or a cold air-conditioned room.
- Sun cream without oxybenzone, octinoxate, 4-methylbenzylidene camphor or butylparaben for a day in a national park, such as the Similan or Surin islands: since 2021 the parks have banned bringing in or using sun cream that contains them, with fines of up to 100,000 baht.
- A hat and sunglasses.
- A sarong or long skirt to slip on at a temple, and a scarf for bare shoulders.
At the bow of a catamaran, an island across the water. 
Holding each other in the long grass above the sea as the low sun flares. 
Out in Old Town after dark, under the street lamps.
Photos of your own in Phuket's golden light: portrait photography in Phuket