Best Time to Visit Phi Phi Island
Best time for a Phi Phi day trip from Phuket: December to April, Phuket's rain month by month, the monsoon swell and Maya Bay's Aug-Sep closure.
The best time for a Phi Phi day trip from Phuket is December to April, when the sea is calm and the rain light: on the Thai Meteorological Department’s 1991 to 2020 normals for Phuket, February has 24 mm of rain on about 3 days, against 350 mm on about 22 days in September. From mid-May to mid-October the southwest monsoon brings swell, which makes the crossing rough and can stop small boats going out; and every year from 1 August to 30 September Maya Bay is closed. The classic speedboat day runs all year and is from US$42 a person in current promotion (usually US$56) (checked October 2026).
Phuket month by month
| Month | Rain | Rainy days | Average high | Prevailing wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 50 mm | 5.6 | 33.0°C | North-east |
| February | 24 mm | 3.4 | 34.0°C | East |
| March | 81 mm | 7.5 | 34.4°C | East, south-east |
| April | 135 mm | 11.7 | 34.2°C | South-east, west |
| May | 237 mm | 18.9 | 33.2°C | West |
| June | 249 mm | 18.6 | 32.6°C | West |
| July | 240 mm | 19.1 | 32.3°C | West |
| August | 309 mm | 19.5 | 32.2°C | West |
| September | 350 mm | 21.7 | 31.8°C | West |
| October | 336 mm | 22.7 | 31.8°C | West |
| November | 178 mm | 15.9 | 32.1°C | North-east |
| December | 82 mm | 10.3 | 32.1°C | North-east |
On a phone, swipe the table sideways.
Thai Meteorological Department, climatological data for Phuket (station 48564), 1991 to 2020.
The wind column is the one that matters for a boat day. From December to March it blows from the north-east and east. From May to October it turns west: the southwest monsoon, blowing in off the open Andaman Sea, with the swell that comes with it.
The dry season: December to April
These are the best months for a Phi Phi day: the least rain, with January and February the driest months of all. April is the hottest and wettest of the dry months, and the first westerly days begin.
The monsoon: mid-May to mid-October
The Thai government counts mid-May to mid-October as the rainy season. For a boat day, the trouble is less the rain than the sea. When the monsoon strengthens, the Thai Meteorological Department issues advisories of waves of 2 to 3 metres in the Andaman Sea off Phuket, higher in thunderstorms, and tells small boats to stay ashore. On those days the tours change the order or the stops, or cancel. The classic day’s listing offers a reschedule or full refund when it cancels for weather.
Tours do run on most monsoon days, and many guests have a good day. But the low reviews in the wet months tell the story: on Sea Angel’s speedboat, one guest described a return of “1hr 20, miserable, wet roller-coaster, people vomiting”, and another an island skipped because of a storm. Good Morning Holiday’s late-departure listing warns that from June to October the sea can be rough, with waves and splashes.
August and September add Maya Bay’s annual closure, from 1 August to 30 September, with Loh Samah Bay and Ao Lo Ko; the boats pass them without landing. Maya Bay’s rules explains.
October and November: the turn
The rain peaks in September and October, then falls away: November is wetter than December but half as wet as October. In 2026 Maya Bay reopened on 1 October and the Similan Islands, further north, on 15 October.
How to book around the weather
- Pick a date you can move. The shared days here allow free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
- Check the marine forecast two days out, and look at the Thai Meteorological Department’s warnings page for the Andaman Sea.
- In the monsoon, think about the boat. Guests prone to seasickness often find a catamaran easier than a crowded speedboat; speedboat vs big boat compares them.
Check the classic day's dates →
Rain, rainy days, temperatures and winds from the Thai Meteorological Department’s 1991 to 2020 climatological data for Phuket; wave advisories from the Thai Meteorological Department’s 2026 Andaman Sea warnings; the seasons from the Thai government’s “Seasons of Thailand” page; the Similan and Maya Bay reopenings from TAT News’s October 2026 Andaman report; the Maya Bay closure from the Department of National Parks’ seasonal closures as published by TAT. Weather policies and review quotes from the GetYourGuide listings and the newest 350 reviews of Sea Angel’s speedboat day, read on 29 October 2026.
Book a Calm-Season Date
One Asia's speedboat day runs all year; from December to April the crossing is usually at its calmest. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before, and a reschedule or full refund if the operator cancels for weather.
Check Dates