When is the best time for diving on Koh Tao?

Roughly March to September, when seas are calm and visibility at its best. Diving runs year-round, but October to December brings wind, rain and reduced visibility.

When is the rainy season on Koh Tao?

October to December, peaking in November. Like the rest of the Gulf, Koh Tao stays largely dry through the European summer months.

Can ferries to Koh Tao be cancelled?

Yes — in the November–December monsoon, rough seas occasionally halt crossings from Chumphon and Surat Thani for a day or two. Build slack into travel plans in those months.

When can you see whale sharks at Koh Tao?

Sightings happen year-round and are never guaranteed. Many divers report clusters of sightings in the settled months around March–May and again around September–October.

Gulf of Thailand · Seasons & weather

Best time to visit Prachuap Khiri Khan

December to April is the easy season on this bay. October and November are the wet ones — and even then, this is a working town rather than a resort, so it never really closes.

The same calendar as Ban Krut

Prachuap Khiri Khan sits 70 kilometres north of Ban Krut on the same narrow strip of coast, so it keeps the same weather calendar. December to April is dry and breezy, May to September brings warm afternoon showers that pass, and October and November are the genuinely wet months when the Gulf can turn grey and choppy.

The bay at Prachuap Khiri Khan seen from the coast road

What makes Prachuap different from an island is that the weather matters less. This is the provincial capital: a fishing town with a seafront promenade, a morning market and a naval air base. The restaurants, the market and the temple on the hill are open in the rain, so a wet week here is disappointing rather than wasted.

Transport

Tickets & connections

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In short

Prachuap Khiri Khan seasons

December–April: dry, breezy, calm sea — the main season
May–September: short afternoon showers, green and cheap
October–November: the wet months, wind and swell in the bay
Hottest: April, with Songkran mid-month
Same weather calendar as Ban Krut, 70 km south

December to April, the easy months

December through February is the best of it: warm days in the low thirties, cool enough at night to sleep with the window open, and a steady breeze off the bay. The sea is flat, which matters if you want to swim at Ao Manao or take a boat out. This is also when Thai visitors come at weekends, so book ahead for Friday and Saturday nights.

March and April are hotter and stiller, with April the hottest month of the year and Songkran mid-month. The climb up Khao Chong Krachok — 396 steps, monkeys the whole way — is best done at first light in these months, before the stone gets too warm to sit on.

Good to know

Planning around the weather

Weekends fill with Thai visitors from December to February — book Friday and Saturday early.
Ao Manao sits inside an air force base: bring your passport and it closes at sunset.
Climb Khao Chong Krachok early in the morning, and carry nothing loose past the monkeys.
In October and November, pick a hotel in town rather than out on the beach road.

May to November: showers, then real rain

From May to September the rain usually arrives as a heavy hour in the afternoon and then clears. Mornings are often bright, prices are lower, and the coast is green. If you are flexible about swimming, this is good, cheap travelling weather, and the seafood does not care what the sky is doing.

October and November are the two months to think about properly. The north-east monsoon pushes wind and swell straight into the bay, the sea goes brown with sand, and rain can settle in for days rather than hours. Nothing closes, but the beach stops being the reason to come — the market, the temples and the food carry the trip instead.

Month by month

January	Dry, breezy and cool at night — the best month
February	Dry and sunny, flat sea, ideal for Ao Manao
March	Hot and dry, brilliant early mornings
April	Hottest month, Songkran mid-month, still dry
May	Hot, first afternoon showers arrive
June	Warm, mostly dry, quiet and green
July	Warm with occasional heavy showers
August	Short sharp showers, very few visitors
September	Showers more frequent, sea starting to build
October	The wettest month — wind, swell and grey days
November	Still wet early, easing towards the end
December	Dry season returns — the town at its best

Frequently asked questions

When is the best time to visit Prachuap Khiri Khan?

December to April. The air is dry, a breeze comes off the bay and the sea is calm enough to swim at Ao Manao. December to February is the pick of it.

When is the rainy season in Prachuap Khiri Khan?

October and November are the genuinely wet months. May to September has afternoon showers, but they usually pass within an hour and the mornings stay bright.

Is Prachuap Khiri Khan worth visiting in the rainy season?

Yes, with adjusted expectations. It is a working provincial town, so the market, the seafood restaurants and Khao Chong Krachok are all open. Only the beach really suffers.

Does Prachuap Khiri Khan have the same weather as Ban Krut?

Effectively yes. They are 70 kilometres apart on the same coast, with the same dry season from December to April and the same wet October and November.

Travel guides

More guides to Prachuap Khiri Khan and this stretch of the upper Gulf coast.

Part of the guides for

Prachuap Khiri Khan

Prachuap Khiri Khan