Phuket, where the sea sets the calendar

1. Jan 32°
2. Feb 33°
3. Mar 34°
4. Apr 33°
5. May 32° not sold
6. Jun 32° not sold
7. Jul 31° not sold
8. Aug 31° not sold
9. Sep 31° not sold
10. Oct 31° not sold
11. Nov 31°
12. Dec 31° today's fare

6 of 12 months on sale. The reason is below, not in the numbers.

1. 01

   Walk Phuket Old Town in the morning

   Free, and the thing most visitors skip. Thalang, Dibuk and Krabi roads are lined with Sino-Portuguese shophouses from the tin-mining boom, now coffee shops, galleries and hostels, with the Sunday walking street market filling Thalang from four in the afternoon. Half a day covers it comfortably. Go early for the light on the facades and to eat breakfast where the town does, which is the real reason to be there.

2. 02

   Take the Phi Phi day trip on a small boat

   Speedboat trips run about 1,990 to 2,590 baht (£46 to £60), and the 400 baht (£9.30) national park fee is almost never included — budget it separately. The big cruise boats are cheaper and slower and land you at Maya Bay with four hundred other people. Whatever you book, it is a long day on the water starting before seven, and it is a rough crossing when the wind is up, so ask about conditions rather than assuming the trip runs regardless.

3. 03

   Climb up to the Big Buddha

   A forty-five metre marble figure on a hill between Kata and Chalong, visible from most of the south of the island. Entry is free — it is funded by donation — and it reopened in 2026 after a period of closure. Shoulders and knees covered; free sarongs at the entrance for anyone who forgets. The road up is steep and narrow with hairpins, which is worth knowing before you rent a scooter to do it. The view over Chalong Bay is the reward.

4. 04

   Learn the flag system on your first morning

   This is free and it is the most useful ten minutes of the trip. Red means the sea is closed, and on this coast that is enforced by drowning rather than by lifeguards — rip currents form fast on the west-facing bays and pull outward, not under. If you are caught, swim parallel to the beach rather than against it. Two red flags crossed means no swimming at all. Kata and Karon have lifeguards; several smaller bays have none.

5. 05

   Eat at a night market rather than on the strip

   The Chillva market in Phuket Town and the Naka weekend market are where the island eats, and both are free to walk into with dishes at 50 to 120 baht (£1.20 to £2.80). This is a different proposition from the Bangla Road end of Patong, where a plate of the same food costs four times as much and is cooked for people who will not be back. Go hungry, and let the queues at individual stalls choose for you.

• Beer, local bar £2.30 a large Chang; a Patong beach club is nearer £8
• Dinner for two, mid-range £20 a proper Thai restaurant; two night-market plates is under £5
• Airport to Patong £17 official taxi with the airport surcharge; Grab is £10 to £14
• Scooter hire, per day £6 cheap, common and the single biggest cause of tourist injury here
• Sunbed and parasol £4 per set on Kata or Karon; some beaches restrict them entirely
• Pad kra pao from a stall £1.30

Checked August 2026. Sources at the foot of this page.

Airport

HKT, in the north of the island, and further from the beaches than people expect — forty-five minutes to Patong, an hour to Kata, and about thirty minutes to Phuket Town. The taxi rank has an official fare board and a surcharge on top; Grab is cheaper and must be met at a designated pickup area rather than at the kerb.

Entry

Visa exemption plus a compulsory digital arrival card. No fee. Up to 60 days, extendable once by 30. Expiry at least 6 months after the date you arrive, and at least one blank page. Since 1 May 2025 every arrival by air, land or sea must file the Thailand Digital Arrival Card online, and it can only be submitted within three days of arriving. It is free and takes minutes, but it is not optional and there is no paper fallback at the airport. The 60-day exemption is generous by regional standards and was 30 days until 2024.

Currency

Thai baht. Cards work in hotels, malls and larger restaurants; markets, songthaews, stalls and most taxis want cash. ATMs charge a fixed fee of around 220 baht per withdrawal regardless of the amount, so draw larger sums less often.

Language

Thai. English is widely spoken across the tourist areas to a working standard and thins quickly in the town and the villages. Written Thai transliterations vary a great deal, so have addresses on a phone map rather than written down.

Time zone

Six hours ahead of the UK in winter and five ahead of British Summer Time. Thailand does not change its clocks, so the gap moves when Britain does rather than when Thailand does.

Plugs

Type A, B and C, 220V. A British type-G plug does not fit. Most sockets here accept both flat and round pins, so a single simple adapter covers everything.

Health

The GHIC does not apply. Bangkok Hospital Phuket and Vachira are both used to treating visitors and expect payment or an insurer's guarantee up front. Two things to check on the policy: that it covers scooter riding, which most exclude unless you hold a full motorcycle licence, and that it covers diving to the depth you intend. Drink bottled water.

Safety

The FCDO advises against all but essential travel to parts of the far south near the Malaysian border, hundreds of kilometres from here. On the island the two real risks are the sea and the scooter: drownings on red-flagged west-coast beaches and road injuries among riders without licences or helmets are the commonest serious incidents involving tourists.