Phang Nga Bay Weather, November to April
November is the one rough month of Phang Nga Bay's dry season, the national parks department says. Rainfall by month, what a bad-sea day does to a tour, and which boat to book (November 2026).
Phang Nga Bay’s calm season runs from December to March or April. November is the exception: the Department of National Parks, which runs Ao Phang-nga National Park, says the waves are calm in the northeast monsoon “except in November”, when they are “mild-moderate, sometimes heavy-very heavy” (park page, checked November 2026). For a date from December onward, book The Thai Tourism Company’s James Bond, Phang Nga Bay and Hong Island Tour from Phuket, from US$47 on promotion, usually US$49 a person (checked November 2026; the big boat cost US$49.37 and the speedboat US$58.35 on the November, January and March dates we read). In November, book it with the free cancellation in mind.
Free cancellation runs until 24 hours before, so a November booking can be dropped if the sea looks wrong the day before.
What the park says about the seasons
The park describes two monsoons. The southwest monsoon brings heavy rain from May until October, with moderate to rough seas. From November until March or April a steady northeast wind blows, and the sea is calm, apart from November. Visibility in the bay is excellent, the page adds, except in the rainy season. It gives an average temperature of 26 to 28 degrees and about 3,500 mm of rain a year.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand said the same thing in its own words on 20 October 2026: the Andaman season had begun, and “the dry season proper should settle in by December”.
Rainfall, month by month
The nearest long weather record is the Thai Meteorological Department’s station at Phuket Airport, on the island’s north side, about 21 km by road from Ao Por Pier.
| Month | Rainfall | Days with rain | Average high |
|---|---|---|---|
| November | 219.0 mm | 17.5 | 31.4 °C |
| December | 86.4 mm | 10.7 | 31.3 °C |
| January | 66.2 mm | 6.8 | 32.1 °C |
| February | 32.0 mm | 4.3 | not shown |
| March | 117.2 mm | 8.5 | not shown |
| April | 143.7 mm | 12.9 | not shown |
Thai Meteorological Department, climate normals 1991 to 2020, Phuket Airport station (checked November 2026). “Not shown”: we did not take those months’ highs from the table.
November has more than twice December’s rain and rain on more than half its days. February is the driest month, with rain on about four days.
What a rough afternoon looks like
The itinerary may change due to weather or tide conditions, and which caves your paddler takes you through depends on the sea. Of the 350 most recent reviews, dated 30 September to 10 November 2026, one describes the sea turning. On 7 November a reviewer on the big boat wrote that the weather became stormy late in the day; because the big boat was slow, the operator called two speedboats, moved the passengers across at sea and got everyone back to the pier quickly. The reviewer gave four stars and praised the crew. Another, on 25 October, enjoyed the day “despite the rain”.
No body publishes a sea forecast for the bay that we could find, and no issuer prints tide times for the canoe lanes. The tour’s route may be adjusted for safety, weather, tide or sea conditions, so the call is the operator’s on the day.
Which program for which month
The two programs cost US$8.98 apart on the dates we read and run the same core: Panak Island by canoe, Khao Phing Kan, lunch, a swim. The speedboat (9 hours, US$58.35) adds Khao Khian’s rock paintings, Hong Island and Naka Island. The big boat (8 hours, US$49.37) has its buffet on board and swims at Kaya Island.
Neither program is sold as suitable for people prone to seasickness. If you are, a November date is the one to avoid; from December the park describes the sea as calm.
The park ticket
Ao Phang-nga is one of the six marine parks the Tourism Authority of Thailand says have used electronic tickets since October 2025, with the advice to buy ahead and have your passport ready. On this tour the fee, 300 baht for a foreign adult and 150 for a child, is paid at the pier (the Department of National Parks’ rates since June 2022). Keep the receipt: the park asks visitors to carry it for inspection.
Before you go in November
- Watch the day before: the operator sends the pickup time then, and you can still cancel free until 24 hours before the start.
- Pack swimwear, a towel, sunscreen, sunglasses, a camera and cash; there are free showers and changing rooms at the pier.
How far the bay is from Phuket covers the road part of the day.
Other Days on the Bay
Phang Nga Bay Tours with Open Dates
Big boats, speedboats, longtails and twilight canoe trips with live availability. The pickup area and whether the park fee is in the price show before you book.
A Bay Day in the Dry Season
The Thai Tourism Company's day from Phuket by big boat or speedboat: the caves by canoe, Khao Phing Kan, lunch and a swim, with hotel transfer. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
See dates and options