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Phuket prices by month: high season vs low season
What a hotel night and a villa month cost in each month of the year — quoted today for the next twelve months, plus the observed history as it accumulates, next to hotel occupancy and rainfall for the same month.
No forward quotes yet — the first monthly quote run is scheduled for the 3rd of November 2026Key facts
as of October 2026 · All sources- 82.9% in January
- Busiest month (hotel occupancy, median 2013–2026)
- 60.8% in September
- Quietest month (hotel occupancy, median 2013–2026)
- 343 mm in May
- Wettest month (rain, median 2015–2025)
- $3,572n = 681
- 3-bedroom villa, long-term asking rent (island median per month)
Island hotel quotes by stay month
The chart appears after the first forward quote run. The table below already carries occupancy and rainfall for every month.
Month by month
Forward quotes (island medians, USD) next to the two things that make a month expensive: how full the hotels are and how much it rains.
| Month | 3★ / night | 4★ / night | 5★ / night | Villa 3-bed / month | Hotel occupancy | Rain, mm | Index season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | — | — | — | — | 82.9% | 37 | high |
| February | — | — | — | — | 82.1% | 21 | high |
| March | — | — | — | — | 80.8% | 73 | high |
| April | — | — | — | — | 81.2% | 183 | high |
| May | — | — | — | — | 67.6% | 343 | low |
| June | — | — | — | — | 72.0% | 275 | low |
| July | — | — | — | — | 64.3% | 241 | low |
| August | — | — | — | — | 62.1% | 270 | low |
| September | — | — | — | — | 60.8% | 309 | low |
| October | — | — | — | — | 67.2% | 340 | low |
| November | — | — | — | — | 73.6% | 270 | high |
| December | — | — | — | — | 78.7% | 113 | high |
Occupancy: median of the month over 2013–2026 (Ministry of Tourism and Sports, Thailand). Rain: median monthly total over 2015–2025 (Open-Meteo (ERA5), 2015–2026). Hotel and villa columns fill after the first forward quote run.
What the seasons look like in the data
The index uses the hotel calendar: high season runs November to April, low season May to October. The climate follows a similar but not identical rhythm — the dry north-east monsoon from November to March, the hot transition in April, the green south-west monsoon from May to September and a wet but calming October. Prices respond to both, and to the holiday calendar of the visitors who come in each month.
Hotel occupancy on the island, taken as the median of each month over 2013–2026, peaks in January at 82.9% and bottoms out in September at 60.8%: a spread of 22.1 percentage points between the fullest and the emptiest month. That gap is the fundamental reason nightly rates move with the season — a hotel that is 82.9% full has no reason to discount.
Rainfall tells the same story from the other side: the wettest month is May with a median of 343 mm, the driest is February with 21 mm. The months with the most rain are the months with the emptiest hotels, and the cheapest quotes cluster there.
The observed series started in September 2026. In the latest snapshot (October 2026, high season, stay 30 days ahead) the island medians were $56 for a 3★ hotel night, $107 for 4★ and $213 for 5★, and $5,941 per month for a 3-bedroom villa. These are the anchors every forward quote can be compared with.
Forward quotes are collected on the 3rd of each month for the next twelve months; the first set has not been taken yet, so the seasonal curve below is still empty and the table shows only what is already measured.
Long-term rent is a separate market. From 1575 listings collected October 11, 2026, the island median asking rent for a 3-bedroom villa is $3,572 per month (120,000 THB; n = 681), against $5,941 per month for a 30-night holiday stay in the observed series — the discount an annual tenant gets for signing a year. By area the long-term median spans from $2,232 in Phuket Town to $7,144 in Patong among areas with at least five listings.
Observed history
What the index actually recorded month after month — one point per snapshot, island medians. 2 points so far; the series grows with every weekly snapshot and is never rewritten.
| Snapshot | 3★ / night | 4★ / night | 5★ / night | Villa 3-bed / month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026 | $34 (n = 177) | $62 (n = 210) | $141 (n = 87) | $3,975 (n = 125) |
| October 2026 | $56 (n = 181) | $107 (n = 210) | $213 (n = 95) | $5,941 (n = 148) |
Each point is a snapshot taken 30 days before the stay (hotels: 1 night; villas: 30 nights). Compare it with the forward quote for the same month to see how far ahead the market moved.
Long-term rentals: asking rent per month
A different product from the holiday villa: what owners ask for a 6–12-month contract, by area and bedrooms, from 1575 listings collected October 11, 2026. USD at 33.595 THB per dollar; medians with sample sizes; a dash below 5 listings.
| Area | 2-bed / month | 3-bed / month | 4+ bed / month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patong | — | $7,144 (n = 5) | $14,139 (n = 20) |
| Kata | — | $3,498 (n = 6) | $9,376 (n = 12) |
| Karon | — | — | — |
| Kamala | $2,605 (n = 26) | $4,465 (n = 27) | $9,525 (n = 26) |
| Surin | — | — | $20,836 (n = 21) |
| Bang Tao | $2,977 (n = 55) | $4,465 (n = 205) | $6,549 (n = 154) |
| Layan | — | $4,465 (n = 30) | $10,418 (n = 82) |
| Nai Thon | — | — | — |
| Nai Yang | $2,366 (n = 10) | — | — |
| Mai Khao | $595 (n = 5) | $2,828 (n = 7) | $5,358 (n = 9) |
| Nai Harn | $2,679 (n = 11) | $3,870 (n = 19) | $5,358 (n = 23) |
| Rawai | $2,485 (n = 28) | $3,572 (n = 86) | $4,614 (n = 58) |
| Chalong | $2,084 (n = 149) | $2,977 (n = 279) | $5,358 (n = 173) |
| Phuket Town | — | $2,232 (n = 7) | $3,572 (n = 8) |
| Panwa | — | — | $14,016 (n = 10) |
| Phuket | $2,352 (n = 289) | $3,572 (n = 681) | $5,953 (n = 599) |
Asking prices before negotiation, usually excluding utilities; the long-stay market does not follow the hotel season as closely as nightly rates do. Refreshed on the 1st of each month.
How to read this page
A forward quote is what the search showed on the quote date for a stay starting on the 15th of that month — it is not the price anyone paid on that date. Inventory and rates change daily, so a quote for next month is a reliable guide, while a quote for eleven months out describes the properties that have opened their calendars early and priced in a full season.
Near months are quoted on more open properties than far months; the sample size next to every figure says how many. Below five properties the median is not published at all — a dash is honest, a guess is not.
The observed history is the second source: once a month the index records what a stay 30 days ahead actually cost. Put the forward quote for a month next to the observed point for the same month and the difference is how much the market moved as the date approached.
Three sources, three questions: the observed median answers what it cost; the forward quote answers what it costs to book now for then; the long-term asking rent answers what a year costs. They are kept in separate tables and never averaged together.
First observation of the index: September 2026. · Methodology · Events and seasons calendar · Open data (CC BY)
What next
Frequently asked questions
Which month is the most expensive for a hotel in Phuket?
The forward quotes that answer this are collected on the 3rd of each month for the next twelve months; the first set is not in yet. Hotel occupancy, the driver of nightly rates, peaks in January and is lowest in September.
How big is the gap between high and low season?
Hotel occupancy spans 22.1 percentage points between the busiest month (January, 82.9%) and the quietest (September, 60.8%); the price gap will be quoted here after the first forward run.
Is a forward quote the price I will pay?
No. A quote is what the search showed on the quote date for a stay on the 15th of that month, before taxes and fees. Rates and availability change daily; a quote for next month is close, a quote for eleven months out describes early inventory only. The sample size next to each figure shows how many properties it rests on.
When is the low season in Phuket and is it cheaper?
The index counts May to October as low season; the climate's green season is May to September, with the wettest month being May (343 mm median). Hotels are emptiest in September (60.8% occupancy), and nightly quotes are lowest in the same stretch of months.
How does a villa month differ between a holiday stay and a long-term lease?
The observed 30-night holiday median for a 3-bedroom villa is $5,941 per month; the long-term asking rent for a 3-bedroom villa is $3,572 per month (120,000 THB, n = 681). The long-term figure is an asking price for a 6–12-month contract and excludes utilities.
How often are these numbers refreshed?
Observed prices: every Monday (one point per month enters the history). Forward quotes: the 3rd of each month for the next twelve months, the last twelve quote dates kept for comparison. Long-term rentals: the 1st of each month. Occupancy and rainfall: when their official sources publish a new month.