My husband and 2 kids are flying in to Phuket for 7 nights in July. We would like to hit 2 beaches. We are absolute beach bums. A beautiful beach with a cocktail hut is all we need. Will do a few snorkeling and inland excursions. I was thinking 1 remote beach and the other with a city center with great shopping and restaurants.

Where is the rainy season in July? Thanks everybody.

Have you done any research on the web about Phuket, weather, snorkeling?

Most likely the sea will be rough for July and most of the boats will not go out to the islands where the best snorkeling area are located. It will be dangerous for you and especially your kid to swim in the sea under these conditions.

Please allow me elaborate. I am looking for destinations to stay that we can easily get to by car or boat from Phuket. Not beaches in Phuket. Thanks

Hanuman's warning about weather and rough water applies to ALL of the beaches on that side of the peninsula, whether in Phuket itself or in adjoining areas (Krabi, PhiPhi, etc.) If you want to go somewhere you can snorkel or swin in July, you need to choose a place in or around the Gulf of Thailand, such as Koh Samui. If you want to go to Koh Samui, you don't want to fly into Phuket.

It's rainy season in Phuket in July. Have you considered making Ko Samui your destination with side trips?

Ah, Craig, like minds... not only the same thought, but posting at the same time.

I just came back to this post to give you the weather website I like for checking on weather patterns all over the world. www.weatherbase.com

As other have said, you need to look at the Gulf Side. Koh Phangan may suit for the quieter time ( outside of Full Moon time ) and then just a short boat trip to Samui for a more lively stay. That give you laid back 'plus' a lively island.

When you say flying 'in to' Phuket is that perhaps becuase you are on a flight 'direct' to Phuket ?

To get to Gulf side, i.e Koh Samui it's about 50 minutes by connecting flight. Or 4-5 hrs by road and then ferry.

If you can tell us your flight routings that can help.

You 'can' get lucky with weather in July but it's a big risk. There are some great small islands but getting to/from in July can be difficult so it is not wise.

If you are on say Jetstar long-haul direct into Phuket or a charter or something let us know.

Hate to be the 'fly in the ointment', but July is a great time to visit Phi Phi.....from personal experience!!!

Locals enjoy June, July and August, since the weather is usually fine and favourite haunts remain uncrowded. The usual weather pattern is brief, but heavy showers, with plenty of sunshine between downpours. Everything is a little less expensive at this time of year, as well. Temperatures range between 70ºF and 90ºF (20ºC to 33ºC). Actually....very pleasant!

No unique problems with transfers, and snorkeling is as ever....fabulous. Some of the more adventurous snorkel sites can be a little tricky when the sea is running high, but there are plenty of easy sites for Mr Average snorkeler pretty much anytime.

Yes, it is according to statistics, the wet season, in these parts.....but I prefer to call it the green season.

Don,t wish to be a bore....but many of the photos on our site were taken in July....take a look....wonderful weather!!!

You might like to tie this in with Railay at Krabi. Just perfect.

Leigh, while adults might choose PhiPhi or Phuket, I think having kids along changes the situation. There will very likely be red flags up all along the Phuket side because of rough seas for swimming.

Most of the drownings in Phuket happened in the "green" months, as Leigh put it, and most of the time the people who drowned are careless tourist, locals and foreign. Try googling "Phuket drowning" and read some of the stories there. People give well meaning opinions here but you must do your own research as well especially when you travel with your kids.

Here's a cut and paste from last July:

PHUKET: A Russian housewife and a Saudi Arabian man are the two latest drowning victims at Phuket beaches, where dangerous surf conditions have claimed the lives of three foreign tourists over the weekend.

Cherng Talay police received a report of a drowning at Bang Tao Beach about 5:45 pm on Saturday. Pol Lt Col Jessada Sangsuree of the Cherng Talay Police Station identified the victim as 43-year-old Ekaterina Burova, a Russian woman who was on holiday with friends and relatives.

“When I arrived at the scene she was already dead. I noticed red warning flags and some members of the beach guard in the area where her body was recovered, but I am not sure if she entered the sea where a beach guard was present,” he said.

The victim was swimming with her two children and one other relative when she started having difficulty staying on the surface of the water, and finally succumbed to the waves. Local people helped bring her body back to shore, but she could not be resuscitated, Col Jessada said.

Ms Burova’s body is being kept at Thalang Hospital.

The Russian Embassy have been notified and her family will fly her body back to Russia, where funeral services will be held, he said.

The third victim over the weekend was identified as 32-year-old Abrahi Altalt of Saudi Arabia, whose body was discovered at Patong Beach yesterday afternoon.

Pol Capt Padungpong Duksukkaew of the Kathu Police said Mr Altalt had traveled to Phuket with friends for a holiday.

His body was recovered after disappearing in heavy waves and later sent to Patong Hospital.

The Saudi Arabian Embassy has been notified, Capt Padungpong said.

The two drownings followed that of Singaporean Chua Holk Beng, 34, whose body was pulled from the surf at Patong Beach on Saturday afternoon along with that of a friend who was alive but unconscious to Patong Hospital.

Phuket Gazette 16-7-07

Kathie and Hanuman, whilst I accept your points about the dangers of Phuket sea swimming during wet season, the OP makes it clear that she does not want Phuket beaches.
Quote-
'' I am looking for destinations to stay that we can easily get to by car or boat from Phuket. Not beaches in Phuket.''

So my response was based on that.

Not all beaches in this area are dangerous during wet season. Because strong winds in Thailand’s wet season come from the western quadrant, it is usually the WESTWARD FACING BEACHES where the swell can get up, creating sizable surf and dangerous currents.
So unless you are an expert at swimming in big surf, you should avoid such conditions.

However, one option is to seek an island with EASTERN FACING BEACHES. These beaches are sheltered from the western winds and swell of wet season. Unfortunately, more beaches in the popular Andaman face WEST than east - eg all the good beaches on Phuket, Lanta, Jum, etc.

There are however, nice eastern facing beaches on Phi Phi, Ko Ngai, Ko Kradan, Ko Bulon Lae, Ko Taratao, Ko Lipe.

So for absolute 'beach bums', there are options from Phuket, in July, I believe!

I can only speak from my experience...maybe three visits during this time of year, and can clearly say that we have never encountered particularly bad weather nor particularly difficult sea conditions.

Just because it's wet season, doesn't, IMO, rule out this beautiful part of Thailand.

We are on a Discovery Pass from Siem Reap so I can call to see if we can change it to fly into Sumai instead. This our first time to Thailand and we don't expect to travel back anytime soon. I have always dreamed of going to Phuket and Phi Phi and it's a major disappointment, but this is only time we can travel. Don't mind sunny day rain, but it would be a shame if our kids can never go into the water.

I didn't want to spend anymore money on flights, but perhaps, I will change the discovery pass to Samui and then add a flight into Phuket since I have a non-refundable flight booked from Phuket back to Bangkok and I can at least experience Phuket for myself -- rain or shine.

Thanks for everyone's replies.

BTW -- Leigh, can you post the link of your July in Phuket pictures? Thanks

Weather anywhere in the world is never entirely the same all the time.

I lived for 'many' years in Phuket ( both west and east coast ) and still frequent there very often. Sure, you can get plenty of sunshine in the rainy season, it could be just some light rain, often at night, but you can also get full scale tropical storms.

It is a chance, again, you could be lucky and get solid sunshine but if your time was ruined becuase you caught a bad spell of heavy rains or even some rain and overcast, well, you couldn't complain.

It is not just sea conditions, though those affect those who want beach and sea swimming. Roads can be very wet and 'very' dangerous in storms, you can also get some flooding etc.

It is very cheap at that time of year, things are a lot quiter, which can be nicer, but fishing boats and boats to/from islands 'do' get told not to 'put to sea' and that can be more than a 'nuisance' when keeping to a schedule, and that includes other islands in the area.

As Leigh rightly points out, you will in all likelyhood have plenty of sunshine on Phi Phi in July and there are plenty of beaches where swimming will be possible. The risk is, particularly when travelling with kids is the lack of a plan B at Phi-Phi if the weather does turn nasty. Statistically, Krabi receives 294mm of rain in July and Phuket 288mm so it will be safe to assume that the figures for Phi Phi would be similar on average. Samui, on the other hand only averages 123mm. Also, if you were unlucky with the weather on Samui there is a plan B with plenty to keep the kids entertained from snake farms to bowling alleys. The beach at south Chaweng or Chaweng noi is magnificent at that time of year and the water will be very safe for the whole family. The downside is that there is no quality snorkelling off the beach, but, if you take a day trip to the marine park or Koh Tao you will find heaps of great spots. You could even spend a few days on Koh Tao as your second beach destination.

kvyanez, as requested, here is a link to a few photos taken in July.
http://tinyurl.com/39qkqb

The shots with the low-tide caption show how gently graduated the beach is. Ideal for kids. What it doesn't show is further to the right there is quite a lot of coral, which at low-tide is often completely exposed. So it is possible for even quite young kids to look at coral and the associated fishes without getting 'out of their depth'.

Shane makes a very good point that with Phi Phi, there is no plan 'B', and if you ARE unlucky with the weather.......
So with that in mind you could consider Island Village which is probably more suited to young kids. The rooms have TV and generally there is a bit more for them to do.

From a personal and VERY biased point of view....As 'this is your first time to Thailand and you don't expect to travel back anytime soon. And you have always dreamed of going to Phuket and Phi Phi'. I wouldn't miss this opportunity....just because it's July!

Just a follow up to my original post. We stayed 3 nights at the Meridien Khao Lak and 3 nights and Sheraton Grande Laguna Phuket for 3 nights. We were there in mid-July 2008 and was lucky enough to have missed any rain entirely. It was a huge storm flying out of Bangkok (I almost had a coronary on such a small plane). Weather and water was absolutely wonderful.

The Meridien was gorgeous and hosptality overwhelming - great buffets, lovely quiet beach, pool w/ slide - though not a lot of guests. The town itself has no nightlife although the restaurants were awesome.

The Sheraton Phuket was okay. It was huge, a lot of walking to get from one place to the other. The pools seem really dirty - maybe because there were a lot of kids. The beach was full of solicitors.

We took a private day trip to Phi Phi island. It was even better than my dreams. WOW. The boat ride there almost cracked my spine but once you get there - it is incredible.

Not sure about all this drowning from the other posts. Maybe I just don't know any different, but the water was superb.

It sounds like you were very lucky with the weather.

Glad you enjoyed yourselves. Your experience with the weather reflects my experiences entirely, which is why I become slightly irritated when advice is given to avoid this part of Thailand during the 'green' season.
Yes, Phi Phi is incredible. Try to do more than a day trip next time you visit this part of the world.

Leigh,

When you give advice to people you should caution them at the same time since there are always possibilities that they will be there during a major front or storm during July. When children are concern I believe you should caution them first and then let the OP make up his/her own mind after reading all the facts. I fail to see why you should be "slightly irritated" since the weather during the wet months are often WET and the beaches are dangerous. At the same time the OP could had gone during the prime months and still get wet weather but odds will be against it.

kvyanez,

I am happy for you that you had luck with the weather and that you had a good time.