Phuket · Month comparison
October vs November
November ranks #1 overall vs October at #6. Dry season returns — good conditions at shoulder prices before the Christmas peak.
October
#6 of 12 months
Best match
End of monsoon — conditions improving, prices still low, and the Vegetarian Festival.
- ↑Phuket Vegetarian Festival (variable date, usually mid-October): one of Thailand's most extraordinary events — fire-walking, piercing rituals, and Chinese shrine processions through Phuket Town
- ↑Prices remain at off-peak levels while the sea begins to calm in the final week
November
#1 of 12 months
Best match
Dry season returns — good conditions at shoulder prices before the Christmas peak.
- ↑Dry season beginning: rainfall drops sharply, sea conditions calm week by week from mid-month
- ↑Prices 30–40% below the December–February peak: the best value window for quality beach time
| Factor | October | November |
|---|---|---|
| Weather score | 3 | 8 |
| Value score | 8 | 6 |
| Crowd score | 8 | 6 |
| Events score | 7 | 5 |
| Atmosphere | 6 | 7 |
| Avg high temp | 31.2°C | 31.7°C |
| Monthly rain | 230mm | 80mm |
| Daily sunshine | 5hrs | 7hrs |
October trade-offs
- ↓Still 230mm of rainfall, especially in early October — the monsoon lingers
- ↓West coast beaches unreliable for swimming until the final days of the month
- ↓Vegetarian Festival rituals are intense and graphic — not suitable for all visitors or children
November trade-offs
- ↓Early November still variable: some rain days linger from the monsoon transition
- ↓Sea conditions improving but not yet at the February optimum — some choppier days on the west coast
- ↓Accommodation fills quickly from mid-November as the peak season accelerates toward Christmas
Scores compare months within Phuket. Climate data: Open Meteo ERA5 30-year normals (1991–2020). Methodology →