Region

Southern Thailand

Pick one coast per trip: Andaman (Phuket, Krabi, Lanta) Nov–Apr, Gulf (Samui, Tao) Feb–Sep. Crossing coasts costs a day.

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Key facts · Thailand

Best months: Dec–Apr
Visa: Depends on your passport
Currency: Baht (THB, ฿)
Language: Thai (own script)
Plugs: A · B · C · O · 220 V
Time zone: UTC+7 all year

Month by month hereIn detail ↓

Rules in force · 6Drug trafficking can carry the death penalty in Singapore…

Southeast Asia ↗Drug trafficking can carry the death penalty in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Brunei and Myanmar; never carry a bag or parcel for anyone.
Southeast Asia ↗Carry a passport valid for at least six months from entry with two blank pages; airlines refuse boarding on less.
Thailand ↗Check entry rules and any arrival card on the official Thai government sites for your passport; visa-exempt stays and pre-arrival forms change.
Thailand ↗Do not criticise or mock the monarchy: insulting the royal family is a criminal offence.
Thailand ↗Temples and palaces: shoulders and knees covered, shoes off before entering halls.
Thailand ↗E-cigarettes and vapes are illegal to import or use; do not pack them.

Southern Thailand is two coasts, not one region. The Andaman side (Phuket, Krabi, Phi Phi, Lanta, Lipe) is dry November to April; the Gulf side (Samui, Phangan, Tao) is dry roughly February to September. Pick the coast that matches your dates, sleep in one or two bases, and treat the rest as boat day-trips. Trying to see both coasts plus the mainland in a week is mostly transfer time.

Sleep

Which bed, for how many nights, and what to do from it

Where to sleep

6 places in this region

Sleep base

PhuketCity guide
Andaman air hub; widest beach and resort range.
Best Nov–Apr
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Phuket →
Krabi ProvincePlanned
Ao Nang and Railay; limestone cliffs and boat trips.
Page planned: listed so the region plan is complete.
Ko LipeCity guide
Far south Andaman; reefs in a marine park, seasonal.
Best Nov–May
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Ko Lipe →
Ko TaoCity guide
Gulf side; dive schools and shore reefs.
Best Apr–Jun, Sep
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Ko Tao →

Day trip

Nakhon Si ThammaratCity guide
Mainland Gulf culture stop off the island circuit.
Best Jan–Mar
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Nakhon Si Thammarat →

Transit

Surat ThaniCity guide
Gulf ferry and train gateway; few stay.
Best Jun–Sep, Dec–Mar
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Surat Thani →

Night sequences

5 nights: Phuket 3 + Phi Phi or Krabi 2 (one coast only)
7 nights: Krabi 3 + Ko Lanta 3 + 1 night near Krabi airport
7 nights: Gulf: Samui 3 + Ko Tao 3 (Feb–Sep)

Booking an Andaman beach and a Gulf island in the same week usually means a full transit day each way via Surat Thani or Krabi.
Some Andaman islands and dive sites close seasonally in the monsoon; confirm before booking.

Day-trips door to door

To	From	Door-to-door p50	Last return	Note
Phi Phi Islands	Phuket	120 min	check	Ferry or speedboat; day-trippers arrive late morning, so go on the first boat.
Phang Nga Bay	Phuket	60 min	check	Longtail or charter from the east coast piers; hundreds of islands, one day is a sample.
Railay	Ao Nang	15 min	check	Longtail from the beach; last boats back are early evening.
Ang Thong National Marine Park	Ko Samui	90 min	check	Gulf side; day tours only, weather-dependent.

Bags between cities

Island hops mean carrying your own bags on and off boats; pack a soft bag and expect to wade at some piers.

When and how

Months, arrival and passes

Seasons at a glance

From each city's month table

Pick a month to see where to go.

Only good-now countries

Country	JJan	FFeb	MMar	AApr	MMay	JJun	JJul	AAug	SSep	OOct	NNov	DDec
Phuket	go	go	go	go	×	×	×	×	×	×	go	go
Ko Lipe	go	go	go	go	go	×	×	×	×	×	go	go
Ko Tao	×	×	ok	go	go	go	ok	ok	go	ok	×	×
Nakhon Si Thammarat	go	go	go	×	×	ok	ok	ok	ok	×	×	ok
Surat Thani	go	go	go	ok	ok	go	go	go	go	ok	×	go
Thailand (country-wide)	go	go	ok	ok	ok	ok	ok	ok	×	ok	go	go

Go: the good monthsFair: workable, mixedPoor: heat, rain or hazeAvoid: storms, floods, closuresno data yet

Computed from each country’s own data; hover a country name for the source. Advisory countries are left out.

Climate strip

Month by month

Zone	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
Andaman coast (Phuket, Krabi, Lanta, Lipe)west-facing coast	best	best	best	ok	wet	wet	wet	wet	wet	ok	best	best
Gulf coast (Samui, Phangan, Tao)east-facing coast south of Chumphon	ok	best	best	best	best	ok	ok	ok	best	wet	wet	ok

best: dry, mildok: workablewet: daily rain

Andaman coast (Phuket, Krabi, Lanta, Lipe): Dry roughly Nov–Apr; May–Oct brings rain and rougher seas, and some islands and dive sites shut.
Gulf coast (Samui, Phangan, Tao): Driest roughly Feb–Sep; heaviest rain and wind Oct–Dec.

The two coasts peak in different months, so the region always has a dry option — but not always the one you booked.

Get in

Door-to-door p50, 2026 estimate

From	To	How	p50	Note
Bangkok (BKK/DMK)	Phuket, Krabi, Hat Yai or Ko Samui	Domestic flight	1 h 20–1 h 40	Fastest way in; Samui flights are limited and pricier.
Kuala Lumpur or Singapore	Phuket, Krabi, Hat Yai, Ko Samui	Direct flight	1 h 30–2 h 30	Useful if you are coming from Southeast Asia rather than Europe or the US.
Bangkok	Surat Thani, Chumphon, Hat Yai	Sleeper or day train	8–12 h	Cheap and scenic; onward ferries and buses connect from Surat Thani.
Bangkok	Major southern cities	Long-distance bus	10–14 h	Frequent government and private services; international buses continue into Malaysia.
Phuket	Ko Phi Phi, Ko Lanta, Ko Lipe	Ferry (high season)	1 h 30–4 h	High-season ferries link down the coast toward Malaysia; the Thai stretch can be done in a day.

Regional passes

Verdict first

Island ferry and speedboat tickets

buy

Buy per leg at the pier or through your guesthouse; there is no single regional pass that pays off.

Domestic flight + ferry combos

check

Agents sell through-tickets from Bangkok to the islands; compare against booking the legs yourself.

Eat and move on

Regional food

Where and when it works

Dish	Where	Timing / trap
Massaman curry (kaeng matsaman)	Across the south	Malay-Indian style beef curry with roasted spices; mild and sweet by Thai standards.
Khao mok (Thai biryani)	Muslim communities, Hat Yai, Satun	Chicken or beef over spiced rice; a common breakfast and lunch plate.
Kaeng som (sour curry)	Mainland south	Tamarind-sour curry with fish, vegetables or fruit; ask for less chilli.
Tai pla	Nakhon Si Thammarat, Songkhla	Thick, sour, very spicy curry of fish innards with bamboo shoots; not a beginner dish.
Khanom chin	Everywhere in the south	Thin rice noodles, often eaten at breakfast with curry and fresh vegetables.
Roti and roti mataba	Muslim food stalls, night markets	Savory versions come with curry dip; mataba is the meat-stuffed one. Sweet banana roti is the tourist version.
Seafood	Coastal towns and resort beaches	Grilled fish, prawns and squid sold by weight; agree the price before cooking.

Go next

Phuket

Fly into HKT or ferry from Phi Phi and Lanta

Andaman air hub and the widest choice of beaches.

Krabi Province

planned

Fly into KBV or bus from Surat Thani, ~3 h

Ao Nang and Railay for cliffs, climbing and boat trips.

Northern Andaman Coast

planned

North from Phuket via Phang Nga

Quieter Andaman beaches and the Similan run.

Southern Andaman Coast

planned

Ferry chain south via Lanta and Lipe

Continues toward the Malaysian border.

Southern Gulf Coast

planned

Fly or ferry to Samui, then boat to Phangan and Tao

The dry-season alternative when the Andaman is wet.

Central Gulf Coast

planned

Train or bus to Chumphon and Hua Hin

Mainland Gulf stops on the way back to Bangkok.

Ko Lipe

Ferry from Pak Bara or Lanta in high season

Far-south island with marine-park reefs.

Ko Tao

Ferry from Chumphon or Samui

Cheapest place in Thailand to learn to dive.

Surat Thani

Train, bus or flight

Transfer point between the Gulf islands and the mainland.

Nakhon Si Thammarat

Bus or train from Surat Thani

Mainland Gulf culture stop.

Chumphon

Train from Bangkok, ~7–8 h

Gateway ferries to Ko Tao.

Ranong

Bus or boat along the Andaman coast

Border crossing toward Myanmar's Tanintharyi Region.

Thailand travel guide

Country overview

Plan the whole trip before fixing the south.

Thailand best time to visit

planned

Month-by-month

Match your dates to the correct coast.

Thailand itineraries

planned

Ready-made routes

See how the south fits with Bangkok and the north.

Northern Thailand

Fly via Bangkok

The other half of a two-region trip.

Isaan

planned

Fly or bus via Bangkok

Northeast food and Khmer ruins.

Central Thailand

Train or bus north

Ayutthaya, Kanchanaburi and the route to Bangkok.

Eastern Thailand

planned

Bus or ferry from Bangkok

Gulf islands closer to the capital.

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Photos, reading and every source

Sources

officialTourism Authority of Thailand
officialState Railway of Thailand
officialAirports of Thailand
officialThai Meteorological Department
secondaryWikivoyage: Southern Thailand, revision 5269658 (CC BY-SA 4.0)