Things to Do in Phuket in December
December weather, activities, events & insider tips
Peak Season · Premium Pricing
December Weather in Phuket
Temperature, rainfall and humidity at a glance
89°F (32°C)
High Temp
75°F (24°C)
Low Temp
2.9 inches (74 mm)
Rainfall
70%
Humidity
⚠ Rip currents can still strike on west-coast beaches, Patong, Kata, Karon, Surin. Lifeguards post red flag warnings. Take them seriously even on calm-looking days. Swim between flags. Ask locals.
⚠ UV index of 8 means unprotected skin can burn in around 20-25 minutes at midday. The sea breeze masks how much sun you are soaking up. Reapply sunscreen. Wear a rash guard. Seek shade.
Is December Right for You?
Weigh the advantages and considerations before booking
Advantages
- + By December the Andaman Sea finally settles. Southwest monsoon swells fade. Visibility at the Similan Islands hits 25-30 m (82-98 ft). This is the clearest water you'll see all year. That matters when you've flown halfway around the world to dive or snorkel.
- + December afternoons sit at 89°F (32°C) and 70% humidity. Sounds brutal on paper. It's 10-15% drier than Phuket from May through October. That difference means you're comfortable through a full day of beach-hopping instead of sweating through a shirt in an hour.
- + School holidays across Europe, Australia, and North America fire up Phuket's restaurant scene. Every beachfront kitchen in Kata, Karon, Surin, and Bang Tao is open, staffed, and serving. Smaller spots often close for renovation in shoulder months. Not now.
- + New Year's week turns Patong into one of Southeast Asia's biggest party destinations. If that's not your thing, head north. Mai Khao, Nai Yang, Layan are calm, sunny, and far enough from Bangla Road that you'll forget it exists.
Considerations
- − This is peak season, full stop. Hotel rates in Phuket run 60-100% above their May-October lows. The better beachfront properties in Surin, Kata Noi, and Pansea are often fully booked four to six months out for December 26-January 3.
- − Patong's Bangla Road and the beaches at Patong, Kata, and Karon get packed from December 20 to January 5. Sun-lounger rentals spike. Restaurant waits stretch past an hour. Songtaew prices creep up to match demand.
- − Even in the dry season, December still averages ten rainy days and 2.9 inches (74 mm) of rain. Expect short afternoon bursts, not monsoon washouts. Build flexibility into any single-day boat trip or outdoor plan.
Year-Round Climate
How December compares to the rest of the year
| Month | High | Low | Rainfall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32°C | 24°C | 1.2 inches |
| Feb | 33°C | 24°C | 0.9 inches |
| Mar | 34°C | 25°C | 2.9 inches |
| Apr | 33°C | 25°C | 5.6 inches |
| May | 32°C | 25°C | 10.2 inches |
| Jun | 32°C | 25°C | 8.4 inches |
| Jul | 32°C | 25°C | 10.2 inches |
| Aug | 32°C | 25°C | 11.3 inches |
| Sep | 31°C | 24°C | 14.2 inches |
| Oct | 31°C | 24°C | 12.6 inches |
| Nov | 31°C | 24°C | 7.0 inches |
| Dec | 31°C | 24°C | 2.9 inches |
Best Activities in December
Top things to do during your visit
Similan and Surin Islands Liveaboard Diving and Snorkeling
The Similan Islands National Park reopens in mid-October. December is when conditions settle. Water sits at 82°F (28°C). Visibility often reaches 25-30 m (82-98 ft). The northwest monsoon hasn't yet stirred surface chop that arrives up in February. Granite boulders the size of small houses rest underwater at Elephant Head Rock. Soft corals at Richelieu Rock (technically in the Surin group, a bit further north) are at their most photogenic. Day trips from Phuket pier mean four hours of boat time for three short dives. A 3-day liveaboard reaches better northern sites and costs less per dive once you do the math.
Booking Tip: Book 4-6 weeks ahead for liveaboards in December. Lock in before mid-November for the Christmas-to-New-Year week. Look for operators with PADI 5-Star ratings, fewer than 20 divers per boat, and Nitrox included rather than upcharged. Day trips are easier to grab on short notice. Check the booking widget below for current Similan options.
Phang Nga Bay Longtail and Kayak Tours
December delivers the calmest sea state Phang Nga Bay sees all year. Flat water lets even nervous travelers handle the 90-minute longtail crossing from Phuket's east coast. Limestone karsts at Koh Hong and Koh Panak rise 200-300 m (656-984 ft) straight from jade-green water. Hidden lagoons sit inside them. Enter sea caves at low tide. Paddle through pitch darkness for a minute. Emerge into open-air cathedrals where macaques watch from cliffs. Photos look impossible. Reality matches the hype. James Bond Island (Koh Tapu) appears on every itinerary and is the most crowded stop. Seek tours that hit quieter lagoons first.
Booking Tip: Book 7-10 days ahead in December. Choose small-group tours capped at 12-15 people. Skip the big speedboat operations. Longtails are quieter and They add 30 minutes of travel time. Operators with their own kayak guides are safer in the caves. See booking section below for current options.
Old Phuket Town Walking and Food Tours
Most first-time visitors skip Phuket Town's Sino-Portuguese shophouse district along Thalang Road, Dibuk Road, and Soi Romanee. They regret it later. December afternoons are bearable for a two-hour walk. Try this in April and you'll melt. The Sunday Walking Street (Lard Yai) runs along Thalang Road from late afternoon until around 10pm. Stalls sell moo hong (slow-braised pork belly in black pepper and palm sugar sauce specific to Phuket), o-aew (shaved ice dessert with banana and red bean), and grilled river prawns the size of your hand. The 192 Thai Hua Museum and the old Standard Chartered Bank building give historical context for the town's look.
Booking Tip: Walking tours run year-round. The Sunday market is the headline draw. Time your visit to include a Sunday. Book guided food tours 3-5 days ahead for December. Choose guides from Phuket Town. Skip Bangkok-based companies rotating guides. Family stories at specific shops make the tour worth every baht.
Phi Phi Islands Day Trips and Sunset Cruises
Maya Bay reopened to limited daily visitors in 2022 after a multi-year closure for reef recovery. Access rules are now strict. No swimming inside the bay itself. A capped daily visitor count. Entry only through licensed operators. December is when the boat ride is pleasant rather than punishing. Morning seas lie flat. The 50 km (31 miles) crossing from Phuket takes around 90 minutes. Summer feels like two hours of being slammed against fiberglass. The trade-off is crowds. Phi Phi Don's Tonsai Bay can have 30-plus speedboats anchored by 11am. Sunset cruises leave Phuket around 2pm. They hit Maya Bay and Pileh Lagoon in late afternoon. Day-trippers are heading home. Dinner is served anchored off Phi Phi Leh as the sky turns pink. This is the way to do this trip.
Booking Tip: Book 7-14 days ahead in December. Go longer for Christmas and New Year week. Maya Bay access requires a national park entry permit. It is included in the tour price. Verify this is bundled before booking. Sunset tours cost more than morning day trips. The experience is different. Check booking widget for current options.
Big Buddha and Wat Chalong Temple Cycling and Scooter Routes
The 45-meter (148-foot) marble-clad Big Buddha sits on top of Nakkerd Hill in southern Phuket. The road up is steep. It is narrow. It is impressive. It winds through rubber plantations. Small Muslim fishing villages line the way. December's lower humidity makes this rideable. Summer months simply don't. Wat Chalong, the island's largest and most important temple, sits 6 km (3.7 miles) downhill from Big Buddha. Local Thai-Buddhist families come here for Loy Krathong celebrations. End-of-year merit-making happens here too. The two together make a half-day loop. You see something most beach-focused itineraries miss. You witness the actual cultural heart of the island. Mornings before 10am are the right window. By midday the Big Buddha viewing platform gets crowded with tour buses.
Booking Tip: Guided cycling tours include the Big Buddha climb. They use e-bikes or a support van for the steepest section. Worth it unless you're seriously fit. Book 5-7 days ahead. For scooter rentals, only rent from operators who hold your passport copy. Never hand over the original. They must provide proper helmets. Phuket's road statistics are sobering. December traffic is heavier than usual. See current temple tour options below.
Southern Phuket Beach-Hopping (Nai Harn, Ya Nui, Promthep)
Phuket's southern tip is where the island's geography gets dramatic. Headlands. Hidden coves. Viewpoints that justify the postcards. Nai Harn Beach is the local favorite. It is a calm crescent backed by a lotus-filled lagoon. No high-rise development. The sunset earns the crowds it draws to Promthep Cape just up the road. Ya Nui Beach, between the two, is the size of a swimming pool. A tiny island sits offshore. You can swim or kayak to it in 15 minutes. December's calm seas make all three swimmable. June through October brings southwest swell. Nai Harn becomes dangerous. Ya Nui is closed-off on bad days. The Windmill Viewpoint sits between Nai Harn and Promthep. This is where to be for sunset. Arrive by 5pm. Claim a spot on the railings before the tour vans arrive.
Booking Tip: This is the trip you don't need to book through a tour. A private taxi or grab car for the half-day loop is more flexible. Negotiate the round-trip price upfront. Include three to four stops. Allow 4-5 hours minimum. The booking widget below lists guided photography tours of this route. They offer a structured option with sunset timing handled.
Where to Stay in Phuket in December
Hand-picked hotels across price tiers for December travellers.
December Events & Festivals
What's happening during your visit
December 31
Phuket Countdown / New Year's Eve at Patong Beach
Patong Beach hosts Phuket's biggest public New Year's celebration. Fireworks launch from barges offshore. Live music stages line Beach Road. Bangla Road turns into one continuous outdoor party. It runs from sunset until dawn. The fireworks themselves are good. Twenty minutes of synchronized barges. Visible from anywhere along the bay. The catch: Beach Road is closed to traffic from late afternoon. Getting back to a hotel outside Patong after midnight can take two hours. Pre-arrange transport. Better-quality dinners at Kalim Bay or Tri Trang Beach sit just north of Patong. They give you the fireworks view without the crush.
Early December (typically first week)
Phuket King's Cup Regatta
Held annually at Kata Beach since 1987, the King's Cup is one of Asia's most established yacht regattas. It draws around 80-100 boats from across the region. Even if you don't sail, the boats anchored off Kata for race week are a sight worth the trip down. Prize-giving evenings at the host hotel resort are open to spectators. The race village on Kata Beach has food stalls. Live music plays. A generally festive atmosphere develops. It feels quite separate from the rest of Phuket's tourism scene.
Early December (lunar calendar dependent, check current year dates)
Loy Krathong
Loy Krathong typically falls in November on the full moon of the 12th lunar month. Some years it spills into very early December. Check the lunar calendar. If your December dates align, head to Saphan Hin park in Phuket Town. The beaches at Patong, Karon, and Kata also fill with locals. They float small banana-leaf rafts onto the water. Each raft is decorated with flowers, candles, and incense. This wish-making ritual is quieter. It is more personal. It is more visually striking than any organized event. Krathongs are sold by vendors at every beach access point in the late afternoon.
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Insider knowledge and common pitfalls to avoid
Insider Knowledge
All west-coast beaches face the same sunset. Yet the vibe shifts beach by beach. Surin and Bang Tao stay quieter and more upmarket. Kata Noi claims the cleanest sand on the island. Patong roars the loudest. Mai Khao at the northern airport end lies essentially deserted because planes land directly overhead every few minutes, which is also why it is the most photogenic.
Songtaews, the blue open-air pickup-truck buses, run set routes between Phuket Town and the major west-coast beaches until around 6pm. They cost a fraction of taxi prices and locals ride them daily. After 6pm they stop running, which is when the price-gouging tuk-tuk and taxi mafias take over. Grab and Bolt apps work on Phuket and usually quote the honest price.
Head to the east coast, Rawai, Cape Panwa, Ao Yon, where Phuket's seafood arrives. The difference between a beachfront restaurant in Patong and a fisherman's pier restaurant in Rawai is night and day for both quality and price. Rawai Seafood Market lets you pick your own fish, prawns, or crabs from tanks and have it cooked at any of the surrounding restaurants for a small fee.
December's calm sea state means that 'snorkel from the beach' works at spots that churn the rest of the year. Banana Beach off the Sirinat coast road, Ao Sane south of Nai H, and Laem Singh between Surin and Kamala all hold decent reef life within wading distance, no boat required. Bring fins.
Avoid These Mistakes
Avoid booking accommodations in Patong simply because it is the name everyone recognizes, then spending the whole trip trying to escape it. Unless you come for nightlife, Kata, Karon, Kamala, Surin, and Bang Tao are all calmer, prettier, and only 15-30 minutes from the Patong scene if you want a night out.
Never rent a scooter without an International Driving Permit and proper insurance, then crash. Phuket's road statistics rank among the worst in Southeast Asia. December's heavier traffic makes things worse. Most travel insurance policies exclude motorbike accidents unless you hold the right license category. Just don't.
Do not ignore the dive-trip booking window. By early December the better Similan liveaboards for late-December and New Year are often full. Last-minute bookings land you on larger, less pleasant boats with the worst dive site rotations. Book early. Pay less. Dive better.
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Top-rated things to do in Phuket this December
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