What 'Rainy Season' Actually Means on Koh Samui

Summary

Rainy season on Koh Samui does not usually mean rain all day, every day. For most of the wetter months, rain falls as short, heavy tropical showers - often in the afternoon or at night - with sunshine in between. The big exception is the northeast monsoon peak (roughly late October to early December), when the island can get several days in a row of grey, wet, windy weather, and storms can flood roads and cancel ferries.

Key points

• Short heavy showers are the normal pattern for most wet months; mornings are often sunny.
• In the November peak, multi-day rain events are possible - different from the usual 'one afternoon storm' pattern.
• Even in the wettest months, most visitors still see dry hours most days - but boat trips and ferries are the first services to be cancelled.
• Rain varies a lot from year to year. Any monthly rain figure is only an average.