Short answer
Phuket in January is dry, hot and calm: the Thai Meteorological Department's 1981–2010 normals give 30.3 mm of rain over 4.6 rainy days, a mean daily maximum of 32.7 °C and a sea that local guides rate as calm and clear. Every classic boat day runs, Maya Bay is open (it closes only on 1 August to 30 September) and the Similan Islands are in season. The price of perfect weather is crowds: January is peak season, so book hotels one to two months ahead and boat tours a few days ahead.
January is the driest stretch of the Phuket year
January sits at the dry end of the year in Phuket. The Thai Meteorological Department's 1981–2010 normals for the Phuket station give 30.3 mm of rain over 4.6 rainy days, against 2,219.5 mm and 171.1 rainy days across the whole year. Only February, with 23.9 mm over 3.1 days, is drier. The mean daily maximum is 32.7 °C and the mean daily minimum 24.5 °C, so days are hot and nights are warm. The station's record for the month is 36.3 °C at the top and 19.5 °C at the bottom.
The newer 1991–2020 normals tell the same story with slightly different figures. Wikipedia's Phuket City page prints the World Meteorological Organization table for that period and gives 49.9 mm of rain in January, 4.3 days with 1 mm or more, and a mean daily maximum of 33.0 °C. The two tables give different yearly totals of rainy days (171.1 and 145.9), so do not compare their day counts directly. For a traveller both say the same thing: rain in January is rare and short, and a wet day is the exception.
Why the sea is calm in January
The calm comes from the wind. The Thai Meteorological Department's climate summary says the northeast monsoon runs from mid-October to mid-February, and that winds in southern Thailand then blow mostly from the east or northeast. Phuket 101, a long-running local guide, says the west-coast beaches get their worst waves from May to October, so in January, with the wind on the other side, they are sheltered. It rates the January sea as calm and clear with a low risk of strong currents, and gives the water temperature as 28 °C.
That matters on a boat day. Phuket 101 says cruising to the nearby islands is usually a smooth ride in January and that snorkelling visibility is at its best, and the Thai Meteorological Department adds that cloud cover is normally lower from November to March. None of this is a promise for one particular morning. A wind change can still make a crossing choppy, and on our tour the operator moves the trip to another date or refunds it if the sea is unsafe.
Which boat days run in January
All of them. Maya Bay is open, because the national park closes it only from 1 August to 30 September, and Phuket 101 says the Similan Islands are closed from mid-May to mid-October, so January falls inside their season. Our Phi Phi and Maya Bay speedboat tour is from $75 per person for about 8.5 hours, with hotel pickup between about 7:00 and 8:30 am and the speedboat leaving Royal Phuket Marina at about 9:30.
Phi Phi is not the only choice. The Similan Islands speedboat day runs from 15 October to 14 May, costs from $105 per person and takes 12–13 hours door to door. Phang Nga Bay is the third classic. Our Phi Phi or James Bond Island comparison helps you pick between the first and the third, and the Similan season guide explains the dates. The stops and timings of the Phi Phi day are in our tour schedule, so we do not repeat them here.
Crowds, prices and booking in the peak month
January is the busiest month on the island. Phuket 101 calls it peak season with peak prices, says hotel rates are highest in the first two weeks, when visitors extend Christmas and New Year holidays, and warns of heavy evening traffic around Patong and the southern beaches. Its high-season guide advises booking beachfront hotels at least one to two months ahead for December and January. Wikivoyage also puts the high season at November to May and suggests booking popular hotels a couple of months ahead.
Boat days fill up as well. Phuket 101 says popular trips to the Similans, Phi Phi and Phang Nga Bay should be booked a few days ahead in January, because walk-up places are limited. At Maya Bay the national park caps each one-hour round at 375 people between 07:00 and 18:00, according to its December 2021 announcement, so the beach has a ceiling even when the island is full. For our Phi Phi day, send your date and hotel on WhatsApp early; we confirm availability, pickup and the total before you pay.
Sun, heat and what to pack for a January boat day
January is bright and hot, but not humid. The Royal Irrigation Department's figures, printed on Wikipedia's Phuket Province page, give 235.6 hours of sunshine in January, about 7.6 hours a day, and relative humidity of 70 percent, the second lowest of the year after February. Phuket 101 lists the UV index at 11, which it labels extreme. Sunscreen matters even when the air feels comfortable, and a light layer helps in air-conditioned restaurants and on cooler evenings, as Phuket 101 suggests.
Choose the sunscreen with care. Thailand's marine national parks ban sunscreens containing oxybenzone, octinoxate, 4-methylbenzylidene camphor and butylparaben, and a 2021 report put the fine at up to 100,000 baht. For the Phi Phi day, bring swimwear, a towel (towels are not included), sunscreen, a hat and a dry bag for your phone, plus cash for the park fee. On our tour the operator collects 400 baht per adult and 200 per child in cash; we give this as what the operator collects, not as an official rate, because we could not confirm a current schedule.
Events in January: the New Year rush and Chinese New Year
The first days of January still feel like December. Phuket 101 puts the highest hotel rates in the first two weeks of the month, because many visitors extend their Christmas and New Year breaks, so the second half of January is the easier time to find a room. The weather does not change between the two halves: the dry northeast monsoon runs until mid-February according to the Thai Meteorological Department. If your dates are flexible, a later January date costs less effort and often less money.
Chinese New Year follows the lunar calendar and falls in late January or in February, depending on the year. Phuket 101 says that when it falls in January, Old Phuket Town fills with decorations, dragon dances and celebrations, and its high-season guide says popular beachfront hotels sell out earlier over New Year and Chinese New Year. Check the date for your year before you book. The festival is a good reason to spend an evening in the Old Town, though hotels near the beach will be the first to fill.
Who January suits, and who should pick another month
January suits first-time visitors, snorkellers and anyone who wants the best odds of a calm crossing. It suits families too, with one condition: our Phi Phi speedboat is not suitable for pregnant women, infants under 1 year or guests over 70, and the ride can be bumpy in the open sea even in a calm month. Our guide to Phi Phi with kids covers ages, fees and packing for children.
It does not suit travellers on a tight budget, or anyone who dislikes queues and traffic. Phuket 101 says February has almost identical weather with slightly fewer people, and that November and March are good compromises for fewer crowds and lower prices. Read our guides to Phuket in February, Phuket in March and Phuket in November. For quieter beaches in January itself, Phuket 101 points to Mai Khao, Nai Yang, Nai Thon and Banana Beach in the north.
Practical checklist
- Book beachfront hotels one to two months ahead if your dates fall in the first half of January.
- Send us your boat-day date and hotel a few days ahead, because popular tours fill up in January.
- Pack sunscreen without oxybenzone, octinoxate, 4-MBC or butylparaben, plus a hat and a dry bag.
- Keep cash for the Phi Phi park fee: 400 baht per adult and 200 per child on our tour.
- Check the Chinese New Year date for your year if you want hotels near Old Phuket Town.
Questions and answers
Is January a good month to visit Phuket?
Yes, for weather. The Thai normals give about 30 mm of rain over 4.6 rainy days and the sea is calm. The trade-off is peak-season crowds and the highest hotel rates of the year, especially in the first two weeks.
Does it rain in Phuket in January?
Rarely. The Thai Meteorological Department's 1981–2010 normals for the Phuket station show 30.3 mm over 4.6 rainy days, against 171.1 rainy days across the whole year. A brief shower is possible, but long wet spells are unusual.
Is Maya Bay open in January?
Yes. The national park closes Maya Bay only from 1 August to 30 September each year. In January you walk in from the Loh Samah pier on a boardwalk, in rounds of up to 375 people an hour, and swimming at the bay is not allowed.
Are the Similan Islands open in January?
Yes. Phuket 101 says they are closed from mid-May to mid-October, and our Similan tour runs from 15 October to 14 May, so January sits inside the season.
Is the sea calm enough for a speedboat in January?
Usually. Phuket 101 rates the January sea as calm and clear. A speedboat can still be bumpy in open water, and on our tour the operator moves the trip to another date or refunds it if the sea is unsafe.