Thailand's largest island, joined to the mainland by bridge, and the base for most Andaman trips: Patong's nightlife, quieter Kata and Karon, the Big Buddha, Phuket Old Town, and boat days to Phi Phi, Phang Nga Bay (James Bond Island) and the Similans. Direct flights from Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Kolkata. Patong has many Indian restaurants, several pure-vegetarian and Jain-friendly. Seas are rough and red flags common from May to October.
Highlights
- Phang Nga Bay & James Bond Island by boat
- Phi Phi Islands speedboat day
- Big Buddha viewpoint
- Phuket Old Town Sino-Portuguese shophouses
- Promthep Cape sunset
- Patong and Bangla Road nightlife
- Kata and Karon beaches
- Simon or Carnival Magic show
- Similan Islands day trip (Oct–May)
- Sunday Walking Street in Old Town
- Indian vegetarian and Jain food in Patong
Things to do
- Phi Phi Islands & Maya Bay speedboat dayMorning · 8h
- Phang Nga Bay & James Bond Island sea-canoe tourMorning · 7h
- Big Buddha & Wat ChalongMorning · 2h 30m
- Phuket Old Town walk & café lunchAfternoon · 3h
- Promthep Cape sunsetEvening · 1h 30m
- Kata or Karon beach afternoonAfternoon · 3h
- Bangla Road nightlife or a cabaret showEvening · 3h
- Similan Islands snorkel dayNov–AprMorning · 11h
Tours & tickets
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When to go
Best time: November – April
Heads up
No Similan Day Trips from Phuket
Similan Islands day trips from Phuket and Khao Lak stop from 16 May to 15 October while the park is closed. Phi Phi and Phang Nga Bay trips still run, sea permitting.
Heads up
Maya Bay Closed to Landings
Phi Phi tours from Phuket cannot land at Maya Bay from 1 August to 30 September; the boat only views it from the water.
Worth knowing
Andaman Monsoon: Rough Seas and Red Flags
The south-west monsoon brings rain most afternoons and rough seas from May to October, worst in September. Red flags (no swimming) are common on Phuket's west-coast beaches, where rip currents drown swimmers every year; speedboat trips are cancelled at short notice and the crossings are bumpy. Hotels are much cheaper than in the high season.
- Songkran (Thai New Year water festival) — Three days of nationwide water fights, biggest around Chiang Mai's old-city moat, Bangkok's Silom and Khao San Road, and Pattaya, where it runs on to about 19 April. Expect to be soaked anywhere outdoors: carry phones and passports in a dry bag. Buses, trains and flights sell out as Thais travel home; book two months ahead.
- Loy Krathong · 24 Nov — On the full moon of the twelfth lunar month, people float candle-lit krathong baskets on rivers and ponds. Sukhothai's historical park holds the oldest celebration, with light shows over the ruins; Bangkok's riverside piers get very crowded. Hotels in Sukhothai and Chiang Mai fill weeks ahead.
- Phuket Vegetarian Festival (Nine Emperor Gods) · 10–18 Oct — Nine days of Taoist processions from Phuket Town's shrines, with devotees piercing their cheeks, and stalls selling strictly vegetarian food (look for yellow flags). Good for vegetarian travellers, loud with firecrackers along the processions; the pole-raising opens it the evening before.
- Chinese New Year in Yaowarat — Bangkok's Chinatown closes Yaowarat Road to traffic for lion dances and food stalls; Phuket Old Town also celebrates. Some Chinese-run shops close for two or three days; Chinese tour groups push up island hotel prices that week.
- Buddhist holy days (Makha Bucha, Visakha Bucha, Asahna Bucha) · Visakha Bucha 31 May; Asahna Bucha and Buddhist Lent 29–30 Jul — Candle-lit processions round the temples at dusk, worth seeing in Chiang Mai and Ayutthaya. Alcohol may not be sold anywhere, bars included, for 24-48 hours (hotels and airport duty free excepted); the Full Moon Party moves a night.
- Christmas and New Year peak — The most expensive fortnight of the year on the islands: resorts set 5-7 night minimums and compulsory gala-dinner charges on 24 and 31 December, and Phi Phi, Samui and Phuket ferries and flights fill a month ahead. Indian school holidays add to it. Book by October.
Part of a longer route
Phuket is a stop on 2 curated circuits through Thailand.