Phuket month by month
The dry season runs December to March: 35 mm of rain over four days in January, 40 mm in February, 75 mm in March, with highs of 33 to 34°C. April is the transition (125 mm, 15 rainy days) and the hottest month. The southwest monsoon arrives in May (295 mm) and stays through October; September (325 mm, 19 rainy days) and October (315 mm) are the wettest. November is the tail: 195 mm over about 14 days, then December drops to 80 mm.
Two peaks, then: May at the start and September to October at the end. June to August is wet but playable, with rain arriving in showers rather than all-day drizzle.
Hua Hin month by month
Hua Hin's wet season is concentrated at the end: 97 mm in May, 66 to 91 mm from June to August, then 130 mm in September and 251 mm in October, the wettest month by far. November falls to 74 mm and December and February are almost dry at 13 mm. Highs sit at 29 to 33°C all year, with April the hottest. Operators consistently rate Hua Hin a stronger choice than Phuket during the Andaman wet season, and its main golf season as November to April.
What November actually looks like
November is the month everybody asks about, because flights are cheaper and the brochures say the season has started. On Phuket the honest answer is: it depends on the week. The monsoon is retreating, but 195 mm of rain over 14 days is still a lot; Fairways of Eden says conditions are less predictable early in the month and commonly settle toward December, and that golfers travelling from September into early November should accept a higher risk of interruption. In Hua Hin, November is already good: a third of October's rain and lower humidity.
Practical reading: for a Phuket trip in November, book the last two weeks rather than the first, keep one flexible day, and choose early tee times. For a Hua Hin trip, November is fine from the first week.
Heat and tee-time strategy
Daytime highs on both coasts sit between 31 and 34°C for most of the year, and humidity is the real opponent. In the hot months, March to May, operators recommend the earliest starts, 6 to 7 am, because midday golf becomes demanding; in the wet months the same early start has a second purpose: Phuket Expat Guide advises teeing off early so you finish by 2 pm, before the afternoon storms build. Rounds with caddies and carts typically run 4.5 to 5.5 hours, so a 7 am start is off the course before the heat peaks.
Late starts have their own logic in the dry season: courses are quieter, and some publish twilight rates from around 2 pm.
How Thai courses handle rain
Thai courses rarely close for rain; they suspend for lightning and let showers pass. What you should expect: an umbrella and a rain cover for the bag (Red Mountain suggests both, for sun as much as rain), carts confined to paths after heavy rain, and a rain-check policy for rounds cut short. Pineapple Valley in Hua Hin publishes a typical one: if severe weather stops play after three holes or fewer you receive an 18-hole credit, after four to twelve holes a nine-hole credit. Red Mountain also refers to a rain-check policy for rain-affected rounds. Ask at check-in what the course's rule is; it is usually printed in the pro shop.
Turf recovers fast. Zoysia and Paspalum fairways on the newer courses drain well, and a morning downpour often leaves a firm afternoon course.
High season means high demand
Prices and tee sheets follow the weather. Operators report peak demand from November to February, when popular hotels and tee times cost more and the good morning slots on Blue Canyon, Red Mountain and Black Mountain go first. If you want a specific course at 7 am in January, book weeks ahead; if you want value, late April to June on Phuket gives you dry-season-level prices only in the sense that agents cut rates 15 to 20 percent, at the cost of a shower or two.
The short version
- Phuket: best December to March; good from mid-November and in April; wettest September to October.
- Hua Hin: best November to April; wettest October; playable most mornings year-round.
- Tee off at 6 to 7 am in hot and wet months; expect 4.5 to 5.5-hour rounds.
- Carry an umbrella and bag cover; ask about the rain-check rule at check-in.
