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Where do I travel?, Phuket or Koh Samui?
Both islands are excellent, so it is not an option with a clear answer or a definitive recommendation.
One of the most important factors in your decision will be the climate and the time of year you visit.
I enter the variations from month to month below, but in general the weather on Phuket is better from November to January.the weather on Koh Samui is better from May to September.the weather is very good on both places from February to April.the weather is awful on both islands in October, when a visit to Koh Samet or Hua Hin would be a better choice.
If you only plan to visit one island or have a week or less, I recommend Koh Samui, it has a more Thai feel, handles crowds better (busy without feeling overwhelmed or incredibly touristy), and always has better food.
If you have more than 10 days to spend in southern Thailand and are open to the idea of seeing another island, divide your time between Koh Samui and Phuket. There are more than 6 direct flights per day between Phuket and Koh Samui and the flight lasts approximately 55 minutes.
Phuket VS Koh Samui
Phuket
- Dense tourist atmosphere
- 10-12 good beaches
- Good December weather to June
- 62 direct flights from Bangkok per day
- 1h 20m flight time from Bangkok
- The airport is 60 minutes away by car of the best beaches
- Many activities and day trips
- Some difficulty in finding good Thai food
- Many large spas
- Very familiar
- Few restaurants or bars on the beach
- Lots of nightlife
- Very safe removing some bad areas in Patong
Koh Samui
- More relaxed tourist atmosphere.
- 3 or 4 big beaches
- Good weather from January to August
- 24 direct flights from Bangkok per day
- 1h and 10m flight from Bangkok
- The airport is 10 minutes drive from the best beaches
- Few excursions and activities
- Good Thai food is easy to find
- Many small and medium sized resorts
- Very familiar
- Many restaurants and bars on the beach
- Lots of nightlife
- Very safe except for a few shanty towns in Lamai.
Climate by month of Phuket and Koh Samui
Climate in January
- Koh Samui: The end of the wet season. The big storms have passed, but it can still rain every day on the island (especially at the beginning of the month). Even when it rains, the clouds quickly disappear and the sun returns.
- Phuket: Excellent weather, sunny skies, little rain, calm seas.probably the least wet month in Phuket.
- Recommended: Both good, Phuket a little better.
Weather in February
- Koh Samui: Excellent weather from start to finish.blue skies, calm seas.
- Phuket: Warm and dry, calm seas.best month for Phuket weather.
- Recommended: Both, incredible.
Weather in March
- Koh Samui: Perfect skies, perfect seas and perfect sun. The best month for Koh Samui weather.’, ‘
- Phuket: Great weather with rising temperatures and humidity.
- Recommended: Both, tie.
April weather
- Koh Samui: Getting warmer but still blue skies and calm seas.
- Phuket: Sunny weather with patches of rain.The heat and humidity can make some days uncomfortable.
- Recommended: Both good, Koh Samui a little better.
Weather in May
- Koh Samui Warm blue skies.a slight increase in the amount of rain.
- Phuket: The beginning of the rainy season, but most days will still have plenty of sunshine.
- Recommended: Koh Samui
Climate in June
- Koh Samui Warm, humid, mostly blue skies.
- Phuket: The climate is humid with many sunny breaks.The seas are getting rough and many beaches have red flags which discourage swimming.
- Recommended: Koh Samui
July weather
- Koh Samui: Warm, humid, mostly blue skies.
- Phuket: Rainy season but sunny days are still common.
- Recommended: Koh Samui
Climate in August
- Koh Samui Warm, humid, mostly blue skies.
- Phuket: Rainy season but sunny days are still common.
- Recommended: Koh Samui
Climate in September
- Koh Samui Warm, humid, mostly blue skies