Short answer
In December 2026 Phuket hosts the 38th Phuket King's Cup Regatta from 5 to 12 December and EDC Thailand at Rhythm Park from 18 to 20 December, with a beach pre-party on 17 December. Banks close on Monday 7 December (the substitute for the 5 December holiday), Thursday 10 December and Thursday 31 December. Christmas Eve is Thursday 24 December. The peak season starts in mid-December: Phuket 101 says hotel prices run 30 to 50 percent above low-season levels, so book rooms one to two months ahead.
What is on in Phuket in December 2026?
The two big dated events are a sailing regatta and a music festival. The 38th Phuket King's Cup Regatta runs from 5 to 12 December. EDC Thailand takes place on 18, 19 and 20 December at Rhythm Park, and its organisers announce a beach pre-party on 17 December. Around them are three bank holidays, Christmas Eve on Thursday 24 December and New Year's Eve on Thursday 31 December.
Phuket 101's events calendar lists mostly hotel events for December: Christmas Eve dinners, Christmas Day brunches and New Year's Eve galas. It also lists one fundraiser for a dog shelter, at Niran Farm in Cherngtalay on 5 December, at 3,000 baht per person. We found no other public event with an organiser's date, so these are the fixed points of the month.
When is the Phuket King's Cup Regatta in 2026?
The organisers' website says the 38th Phuket King's Cup Regatta will run from 5 to 12 December 2026, and it opens online entry for keelboats. We read the site in a copy archived on 14 October 2026, and it did not yet show the 2026 daily schedule. The 2025 schedule shows the pattern: registration, a practice day, five days of racing with one lay day, and a closing ceremony on the last day. The keelboats were based at the Beyond Kata resort in Kata.
In 2025 the dinghy classes raced off the north end of Karon Beach, and a prize-giving party was held at 18:30 on each of the first four racing days, at hotels and a bar in the Kata and Karon area. If you stay there, ask your hotel whether it hosts one. For where to watch and what the regatta means for hotels and traffic, see our guide to the King's Cup Regatta 2026 in Phuket.
When is EDC Thailand in Phuket, and what does it do to traffic and hotels?
EDC Thailand takes place at Rhythm Park, Phuket, on 18, 19 and 20 December 2026, according to the festival's own website. Event hours are 15:00 to 24:00 each day. You must be 20 or older and carry valid photo ID, and the festival has a zero-tolerance policy on drugs, with police working inside and outside the grounds. Official shuttles run between pick-up points and the venue, with departures from 14:00 to 19:00 and returns from 23:00 to 02:00. The organisers advise guests to use public transport, and they prohibit overnight camping near the venue.
Phuket 101 says the festival moved from January to December this year. It says hotels near Bang Tao fill up fast once the dates are known, and that Surin and Kamala, 15 to 20 minutes away, tend to have more rooms. It also says roads in the Bang Tao area get busy at the start and end of each night, and that taxis and ride apps are hard to find at closing time. If you stay nearby but are not going, plan airport and hotel transfers outside the hours around 15:00 and midnight on those three days.
Which December dates are bank holidays?
The Bank of Thailand's list, as the Nation reported on 28 August 2026, has three bank holidays in December. The 5 December holiday, which marks King Bhumibol's birthday and is also National Day and Father's Day, falls on a Saturday this year, so banks close on Monday 7 December instead. Thursday 10 December is Constitution Day, and Thursday 31 December is New Year's Eve. Christmas Day is not on the list, so banks are open on 25 December.
These are bank holidays, and the government's own list for offices can differ a little. Thai Holiday Guide says that on Constitution Day banks, government offices and schools close, while tourist attractions, malls and restaurants stay open. Draw cash before the holidays, and read our guide to ATM fees and cash in Thailand so you know what each withdrawal costs.
What is on for Christmas and New Year in Phuket?
Christmas in Phuket is mostly a hotel event. Phuket 101's calendar lists Christmas Eve dinners on Thursday 24 December and Christmas Day brunches on Friday 25 December at resorts in Patong, Kamala, Karon, Nai Yang, Naithon and Panwa. The Hyatt Regency Phuket Resort, for example, lists its Christmas Eve dinner at 3,430 baht per person and its Christmas Day brunch at 3,480 baht, both as food and alcohol packages. Each hotel sets its own menu and price. Our guide to Christmas in Phuket 2026 covers dinners, church services and what is open.
New Year's Eve is on Thursday 31 December, so banks are closed from Thursday 31 December to Sunday 3 January. The main free countdown is at Patong Beach, and hotels and beach clubs run their own. Phuket 101 says the New Year's Eve gala dinner is often compulsory and expensive, so check whether your room rate includes it before you book. Our guide to New Year's Eve in Phuket 2026/27 lists where the fireworks are and how to get home.
How busy and expensive is Phuket in December?
Phuket 101 says the peak season runs from mid-December to February. Hotel prices are then 30 to 50 percent above low-season levels, and the most popular beachfront hotels sell out weeks ahead, especially over New Year. It advises booking at least one to two months ahead for December and January. It names Patong, Kata, Karon and Nai Harn as the busiest beaches and says traffic between the southern beaches can be frustrating. For quieter sand it points north, to Bang Tao, Naithon and Mai Khao.
For a sense of scale, the Nation reported on 16 December 2025 that the president of the Phuket Tourist Association put daily visitor numbers in the 2025 high season at about 60,000 to 80,000. That was last year's season, not a forecast for this one. For what to pay when you move around the island, see our guide to Phuket taxi prices, Grab and tuk-tuks.
Where should you stay to match these dates?
For the regatta, stay in Kata or Karon, where the keelboats were based and the dinghies raced in 2025. For EDC Thailand, stay in Bang Tao or the Laguna area, or in Surin or Kamala if those are full. If you want neither crowd, Phuket 101's advice for the peak season is to stay in the north, in Bang Tao, Naithon or Mai Khao, and drive south for a night out in Patong, which it says takes about 30 to 40 minutes.
Allow for traffic on the nights of the events, and do not plan an airport transfer for the hour before midnight on 18, 19 or 20 December near Bang Tao. Our guide to the best beaches in Phuket shows which beaches suit which month and which side of the island is calm. For a quiet evening between the big dates, our guide to Phuket night markets says which market opens on which night.
What does December weather mean for boat days?
December is the first fully dry month of the season, and our Phuket in December guide gives the rainfall figures and sea conditions. Every classic boat day runs. Maya Bay is open, because the park closes it only from 1 August to 30 September, and the Similan Islands are open until 14 May. Our Phi Phi and Maya Bay speedboat tour is from $75 per person, and our Similan Islands speedboat day is from $105.
Phuket 101 says the popular boats fill days ahead in the peak season, so send us your date and hotel early for any day between Christmas and New Year. We confirm availability, the pickup time and the total before you pay. If the sea is unsafe, the operator moves the trip to another date or refunds it.
Practical checklist
- Book beachfront hotels one to two months ahead, and earlier for New Year.
- Draw cash before the bank holidays on 7, 10 and 31 December.
- If you stay in Bang Tao or Laguna, plan transfers around the hours near 15:00 and midnight on 18–20 December.
- Check whether your hotel makes a Christmas or New Year gala dinner compulsory before you book.
- Send us your date and hotel a few days ahead for boat days, and earlier around Christmas.
- Bring photo ID for EDC Thailand: guests under 20 cannot enter.
Questions and answers
When is the Phuket King's Cup Regatta in 2026?
From 5 to 12 December 2026, according to the organisers' website, which calls it the 38th edition. In 2025 the keelboats were based at the Beyond Kata resort in Kata.
When is EDC Thailand 2026 in Phuket?
On 18, 19 and 20 December 2026 at Rhythm Park, from 15:00 to 24:00 each day. Guests must be 20 or older with valid photo ID. A pre-party takes place at XANA Beach Club on 17 December.
Are banks open in Phuket on 10 December 2026?
No. Thursday 10 December is Constitution Day, a bank holiday. Banks also close on Monday 7 December and Thursday 31 December.
Is 25 December a public holiday in Thailand?
No. It is not on the Bank of Thailand's list, and banks, shops and offices are open as normal. Hotels in Phuket hold Christmas dinners on 24 December and brunches on 25 December.
How far ahead should I book Phuket in December?
Phuket 101 advises one to two months ahead for beachfront hotels in December and January, and a few days ahead for popular boat tours.
Are Maya Bay and the Similan Islands open in December?
Yes. The park closes Maya Bay only from 1 August to 30 September, and our Similan Islands day runs from 15 October to 14 May.