Thailand
Phuket in December
☀️ Dry seasonHot, humid and some showers.
🎒 Pack: light, breathable clothes & sunscreen · quick-dry fabrics · sunglasses & hat
Why December scores 8.3What goes into the score
How it works- Weather comfort7.3
- ✓Hot (32°C highs / 24°C lows)
- !Very humid/sticky (dew point 24.2°C)
- ✓Mostly dry (~72 mm rain)
- Air quality9.3
- ✓Good (within WHO guideline) (PM2.5 ~9 µg/m³)
- Seasonal hazards10.0
- ·No notable seasonal hazards
- Safety baseline8.0
- ·Normal precautions
| Dec | Jan | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 8.3 Very good | 8.3 Very good |
| Season | ☀️ Dry season | ☀️ Dry season |
| High / low | 32° / 24° | 33° / 25° |
| Rain | 72 mm | 30 mm |
| Humidity | dew pt 24° | dew pt 24° |
| PM2.5 | 9 µg/m³ | 12 µg/m³ |
Typical-month data: NASA POWER (MERRA-2 reanalysis) 2015–2024 (modelled, not a forecast). Temperatures: Phuket weather-station normals. Rainfall: Phuket weather-station normals (national met service).
Holidays & crowdsDecember 2026
Long weekendThere's at least one long weekend. Domestic travel picks up and popular spots get busier over those days.
- HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great's Birthday 5–7 Dec · 3 days off in a row
- New Year 31 Dec – 3 Jan · 4 days off in a row
Other public holidays: Constitution Day (10 Dec)
National holidays only; regional holidays and school breaks aren't included. Source: holidays (open-source public-holiday calendar).
Explore PhuketEvents, sights, food & souvenirs
Check event dates locallyThailand's largest island, on the Andaman Sea, visited for its beaches, island-hopping boat trips and the Sino-Portuguese shophouses of Phuket Old Town.
Phuket King's Cup RegattaDate variesUsually early December
A long-running international sailing regatta held around the late King Bhumibol's birthday.
Why go: Good for watching yachts from the beach; hotels near Kata fill up that week.
Where: Kata Beach area
Coming up later
Songkran (Thai New Year)Every year13–15 April every year
Thai New Year is celebrated with temple visits and a public water fight.
Why go: Expect to get soaked in tourist areas; keep phones and documents in waterproof bags.
Where: Island-wide, especially Patong and Phuket Town
Phuket Vegetarian FestivalDate variesNinth lunar month — usually late September or October, date moves each year
Nine days of vegetarian food, processions and ritual acts of self-mortification by spirit mediums, with constant firecrackers.
Why go: Street processions are loud and graphic; vegetarian food stalls marked with yellow flags appear all over town.
Where: Chinese shrines in Phuket Town, especially Jui Tui and Bang Neow
Loy KrathongDate variesFull moon of the 12th lunar month — usually November
People float small decorated baskets with candles on water to give thanks and let go of bad luck.
Why go: A calm, pretty evening festival; beaches get busy at sunset.
Where: Beaches, lakes and Saphan Hin park
Phuket Old Town
Streets such as Thalang Road and Soi Romanee are lined with restored Sino-Portuguese shophouses, cafes and small museums.
💡 A walking street market runs on Thalang Road on Sunday evenings.
Big Buddha
A large white marble seated Buddha on Nakkerd Hill with wide views over Chalong Bay.
💡 Cover shoulders and knees; sarongs are usually available at the entrance.
Wat Chalong
Phuket's most important Buddhist temple, with a tall chedi said to hold a relic of the Buddha.
Phang Nga Baygreat in Dec
Boat and sea-kayak trips through limestone karst islands, including Ko Tapu, known as James Bond Island.
💡 Sea conditions are calmest from November to April.
Similan Islandsgreat in Dec
A marine national park north-west of Phuket known for clear water, granite boulders and diving and snorkelling day trips.
💡 The park closes to visitors during the south-west monsoon, roughly mid-May to mid-October.
Promthep Cape
A headland at the island's southern tip that is a popular sunset viewpoint.
💡 West-coast beaches such as Patong, Kata and Karon get strong rip currents in the May to October monsoon; obey red flags.
Mee Hokkien
Thick yellow Hokkien-style noodles stir-fried or in broth with seafood and pork, a dish of Phuket's Chinese community.
💡 Local noodle shops in Phuket Town
Moo hong
Pork belly slowly braised with black pepper, garlic and soy, a Phuket Peranakan dish.
💡 Family-run restaurants in Phuket Town
Phuket dim sum
Steamed buns, dumplings and small plates eaten for breakfast with tea.
💡 Morning dim sum shops in Phuket Town
Kanom jeen
Fresh rice noodles served with curries and a table of fresh vegetables, often eaten for breakfast.
💡 Morning markets and street stalls
O-aew
A cooling dessert of jelly made from a local fig seed, served with shaved ice and syrup.
💡 Dessert stalls in the Old Town
Cashew nuts
Phuket is known for its roasted and flavoured cashews, sold vacuum-packed.
💡 Cashew factory shops and markets
Pearls
Pearls cultivated in Andaman Sea farms are sold as loose pearls and jewellery.
💡 Pearl showrooms and jewellery shops
Batik
Hand-painted batik cloth, shirts and sarongs in southern Thai style.
💡 Craft shops and markets