KOH PHANGAN BEACHES, AREAS AND WEATHER
For a lot of people Koh Phangan is synonymous with the world famous Full Moon Party which takes place every month in Haad Rin. The party is definitely worth experiencing but remember that Haad Rin is a small part of the island's shoreline and Koh Phangan has much more to offer. Koh Phangan has more than 20 different beaches each with its own characteristics and atmosphere.
KOH PHANGAN BEACHES AND AREAS
Haad Rin is the beach where the one and only full moon party in Thailand takes place and is the busiest. The Northwest of Koh Phangan , with villages like Haad Salad, Haad Yao and Chaloklum, is well developed and offers many nice resorts and good restaurants. This is the area to be for romantic dining, stunning sunsets, beautiful snorkeling and the occasional intimate beach party. The Southwest of Koh Phangan, with the villages Thong Sala, Ban Tai and Ban Khai has the longest beach of the island with views over Koh Samui. It is a central location to explore the island and there are several good resorts to choose from. The Northeast of Koh Phangan offers beautiful secluded bays like Thong Nai Pan and Than Sadet and some of the most luxurious resorts on the island. The Southeast of Koh Phangan is the most remote area with some undeveloped beaches. Haad Yuan has some nice accommodation and is close to Haad Rin.
WEATHER ON KOH PHANGAN AND BEST TIME TO VISIT
Due to its proximity to the equator, Koh Phangan has a tropical climate with an average temperature of 25˚ - 34˚ C, with lots of sunshine, high humidity and - as the word tropical rainforest implies - the occasional showers. The average annual rainfall is about 1,800 millimeter, February has the lowest average of about 34 millimeter whereas November has the highest average of about 450 millimeter.
The weather is pretty constant during the year but roughly there are three main seasons: the dry season (mid December - April) when it is mostly dry and relatively cool, the hot season (May - September), when it can be very hot with occasional storm showers and the wet season (October - mid December), when there can be a strong and windy monsoon and a lot of rain. However, like in every country the weather can be unpredictable and local: on one part of the island you might lie on the beach while on the other side you may have to shelter for a scattered thundershower.
There are roughly two tidal seasons: April to November (low) and November to April (high). In low tidal season swimming on the West coast is not always possible during certain hours of the day due to sand banks and shallow water, where as it is possible on the Northeast side of the island.
Overall we would say the best time to visit Koh Phangan is from January to August, when the weather conditions are usually at their best. If you like a tan, be aware that the sun can be extremely strong. Even on a cloudy day you can get sunburned easily.
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