Phuket

General information about Phuket

Kata Beach

Phuket Island is the most popular Thailand resort, located in the southeast of the country in the waters of the Andaman Sea of the Indian Ocean. Phuket is also an independent province. The capital of the island and the province is the city of Phuket (Phuket Town).

It has dimensions: length 50 kilometers, width 21 kilometers, area 543 km. sq. "Phuket" translates from Malaysian as "mountain" (Tanjung Salang, Mount Salang). The highest point is Mai Thao Sip Song (Twelve Reed Peak), rising 750 meters above sea level. Despite its small size, Phuket is the largest island in Thailand.

Phuket is separated from the mainland by a strait, the minimum width of which is only 600 meters. In the western part of the strait, it is connected to the mainland by two bridges: Sarasin (direction of traffic — to the mainland) and Thao Thep Krasatri (direction of traffic — to the island).

Phuket is known and popular among tourists for its beaches and well-developed resorts, picturesque coral reefs and coves, cliffs and clear sea. There are several resort places here at once, which differ greatly from each other in terms of atmosphere and infrastructure development. The most popular and developed resort is Patong Beach, which is almost as good as the capital of entertainment – the city of Pattaya. But there are places much quieter and calmer, where a rustic atmosphere reigns, and no one and nothing will interfere with a relaxing beach holiday. There are many small islands around, some of which are uninhabited and, at the same time, accessible to tourists. Most of Phuket is covered with tropical forests, which, combined with waterfalls, parks, coconut plantations, makes Phuket an ideal place for recreation and jungle excursions.

Chalong Temple

For tourists, all the conditions that one can only wish for are created here. You can settle in the most developed and noisy tourist area and Patong beach, which is hardly inferior to the famous Pattaya, or you can stay on the quiet and secluded Mei Khao beach, where for many kilometers you will not meet anyone. And you can find a middle ground and settle on Bang Tao beach, from where you can get to the entertainment of Patong very close, and there are very few vacationers on the beach. In general, a place to relax here can be chosen for every taste. There is, however, one feature: there are very few hotels on the first line in Phuket, and most often, to get to the beach, you will have to cross the roadway.

Phuket is not deprived of historical and cultural attractions: many temples and several museums. There are also a lot of natural attractions and beauties, you can take a trekking walk through the forest, ride ATVs, take a ride on elephants and so on. And yet, here are the best conditions for surfing in all of Thailand, and even international competitions are held.

The infrastructure in Phuket is well developed: the whole island is permeated by excellent roads, many shopping centers, hotels, cafes, restaurants, entertainment everywhere. But on the other hand, unfortunately, Phuket is no longer a wild tropical paradise, and if you are looking for a little–known place for tourists, it is better to look for another island.

Phuket weather, tourist seasons

Phuket is located in a tropical climate zone, and it is hot and very humid all year round. There is no winter, summer, spring and autumn here. In Phuket, as in all of Thailand, it is customary to distinguish only two seasons – the rainy season and the dry season. Throughout the year, the temperature does not fluctuate much and stays within 30-33 degrees. The hottest months are the months from March to May.

Dry season (high season) usually lasts from November to April. This is the most favorable time to relax on the island. If you really choose the time to visit the island, then it's best to go during this period.

Rainy season (low season) lasts from May to October. At this time, there may be prolonged rains, and the sky is overcast for several days. But there may be quite good sunny weather. During this period, the probability of getting into bad weather is much higher than in the dry season, but it usually rains, though torrential, still short-term.

An important factor for a holiday in Phuket are the waves. In April, monsoons begin to blow on Phuket from the west, forming constant waves. The maximum of the waves falls on June-August. In addition, the constantly blowing wind and waves wash up and throw garbage and dirt ashore. Considering that most of Phuket's beaches are located on the west coast of the island, tourists who prefer a "recumbent-floating" beach holiday disappear from the shores, and surfers who prefer active recreation take their place. Only on some beaches during this period it is safe to wallow in the water. In October, the waves are on the decline, and in November the influx of tourists and high season begins.

Seasons in Phuket by month, when is the best time to go

Current weather in Phuket and forecast for the near future:

* - прогноз указан по местному времени. Данные получены с https://openweathermap.org. Если отображаются устаревшие даты, обновите страницу с помощью F5+Ctrl.

Time in Phuket

The time difference between Phuket and Moscow is +4 hours in winter and summer.

Useful tips

• Pattaya-Phuket Bus. Very often tourists ask themselves how to get from Pattaya to Phuket or back. There is no regular bus route between Pattaya and Phuket, but one private company operates daily night flights on this route. You can find the information here - http://www.phuket-pattaya.com/english.html.
• One-way roads. If you rent a vehicle, keep in mind that there are a lot of one-way roads in major cities of Phuket, so be careful.
• Russian in Phuket. Even if you do not know English, you can relax in Phuket without any problems with knowledge of only Russian. In recent years, many signs have appeared here in Russian, the menu in restaurants is duplicated in Russian, there are free maps of the island in Russian.
• Conflicts with tuk-tukers and taxi drivers. Even if you have to bargain with them or swear to prove your case, remember that there is a whole mafia of carriers operating here, and tourists' conflicts with them often end in fights not in favor of customers, since the whole conflict includes The gang.
• Rent a chaise longue on the beach. Since 2014, all deck chairs have been removed from the beaches, because it is considered illegal. Now you can come to the beach with your own air mattress and umbrella, which you can buy at local stores.