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About PhuketPhuket, well-known holiday paradise in Southern Thailand, is just that -- a tropical paradise where sunny days and dream beaches guarantee for the best holiday of your life. Phuket Resort of the Month
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Monday, June 30, 2008 Phuket rainfall on live radar image
If you are worried about rainfall in the last 24 hours on Phuket (a valid concern in May and June on Phuket Island, as it is time of the southwest monsoon), than the image below is the right resource for you.
It is a secondly updated, live radar image of rainfall and clouds on Phuket Island. The same radar image can be found for many other locations in Thailand, here.  Live Phuket rainfall radar imageLinks of Interest: Labels: weather Read more of this blog entry! Sunday, June 29, 2008 False killer whales beach on Koh Racha
A pod of thirty false killer whales (Pseudorca crassidens) stranded itself this Thursday on Koh Racha, a small island near Phuket that is a regular destination for daytrips, divers and fishing boats. Local residents and hotel staff saved all but one of them, according to Wannakiat Thubthimsang, director of the Phuket Marine Biological Center.
The majority of small whales, which were up to 4.2 meters long could be carried or pushed back to sea by local volunteers, but ten of them had to be loaded onto trucks and carried to another beach less than a kilometer away, where calmer waters made it easier to return them to sea. Unluckily, one of the false killer whales died of shock. Scientists weren't sure why the whales swam themselves ashore. "They may have run aground because of the strong wave, or they could have been misled by their leader's sonar signal", K. Wannakiat told AFP. "It's not the first time this has happened, but this is a very large number." As other media reported, it was one of the largest mass strandings of cetaceans in the last years for the region around Phuket. False killer whales are not a threatened species. They are much smaller and less aggressive than their distant relatives, the Orca or killer whale. Like Orcas, scientists classify them as dolphins rather than whales, however other than their cousins they are completely black in color. Adult males reach a length of 5.7 m; females, 4.9 m. Groups of these whales may number from two to several hundred with both sexes and all age groups represented. False killer whales are social creatures and are known for stranding themselves, especially if the pod leader is sick. When stranded, the whole group of whales often refuses to return seaward, despite the best efforts of volunteers, and even beach themselves again as long as the pod leader is still alive. Therefore some whale rescue organizations go even so far as to advise that the sick individual that led the group on the beach must be killed if it cannot be brought back to sea successfully. See the video below for more: Links of Interest: Labels: diving Read more of this blog entry! Saturday, June 28, 2008 Bor Pla Restaurant in Kathu
A little-known restaurant in Kathu, right over the mountain from Patong, is one of my favorite spots to have a peaceful afternoon meal. I am a sucker for Thai food and do not mind to eat it the Thai way (eg sitting at a very low table on the floor -- but they also have 'normal' tables with chairs). Portions are large and I can especially recommend the Spare Ribs, incredible juicy and fleshy for just THb 100.
Besides the food, the view is stunning: you look over a quiet tin lagoon, overgrowing with reeds at the edges which are a spawning ground for lots of fishes; the unlucky ones you might encounter right there on your plate, and the lake does also invite for fishing yourself. How to get there: Coming from Patong, turn right at the traffic light at the fuel station, then pass through Kathu Village. At the next traffic light go right again and drive a further 300 meters until you come to the end of the houses. Instead of going straight on, reaching Central after a few hundred meters, enter a tiny street coming out of the field to your left right after the last house of Kathu Village. A parking space at the lake after 200 meters signals that you have foudn Bor Pla Restaurant.  View from Bor Pla RestaurantLabels: thai food Read more of this blog entry! Party at Nai Yang Beach
Kite surfing is the new hobby on Phuket, but not everybody does know what it really is all about. Therefore, Kitesurfing Asia organized a party at Nai Yang Beach tonight for anyone interested: KITE ZONE - Opening Party and Kitesurfing Demo Day. Have a look yourself!
Kite surfing, which is definitely a lot of fun and action, is when you use a massive kite (more like a parachute) to let the wind pull yourself across the sea while you stand on a kind of small surfboard.  Kitesurfing on Nai Yang Beach, Phuket (Picture: Kitesurf Thailand)Nai Yang Beach is ideally suited for this kind of sport and the kitesurfing school is only a few meters from the entry of Nai Yang Beach when you come from the airport. And even if you do not plan on getting wet in action: the demo day party has free drink and food (pig on a stick!) and starts at 09:00 am in the morning. The party is expected to go on into the night, with DJ Jon Bellgamba on the decks from sundown. For additional information, visit the Thailand Kitesurfing group on Facebook or the website of Kitesurf Thailand. Links of Interest: Labels: activities, nai yang beach Read more of this blog entry! Phuket beaches late June weather
Finally! Blue skies are back in Phuket! A quick view out of my window shows me a clear sky and there also has been no rainfall in phuket since yesterday.
A quick look on the Karon Beach Phuket webcam of the Marina Phuket Resort overlooking the whole of Karon Beach shows it to be cloudy there, but my guess would be that this will clear up fast and become a great day on the beach (it is still really early now, not even 09:00 in the morning).  A later evening stroll through Loma Park in Patong Beach showed the beach then in a delightful evening light, beach chairs already stacked away and the three kilometers of Patong Beach only the domain of a handful of joggers catching the last light of the day. Labels: karon beach, patong beach, webcam Read more of this blog entry! Friday, June 27, 2008 Phuket Weather Webcam on Karon Beach
The Phuket Weather Webcam on Karon Beach must be one of the most-linked resort features of any hotel on Phuket. Difficult then to understand why the webmaster of the Marine Phuket website decided to change the link to the Karon Beachcam.
This great webcam shows the whole crescent of Karon Beach, from the "On the Rocks" restaurant of the Marina Phuket Resort. It offers a great opportunity to have a little 'sneak preview' if you come to Karon Beach for your Phuket holiday, as the webcam is updated by the second. Below is the Karon Beach webcam in live action: Links of Interest: Labels: karon beach, weather Read more of this blog entry! Thursday, June 26, 2008 Phuket and todays southwest monsoon
A strong southwest monsoon prevails over the Andaman Sea, Southern Thailand and the upper gulf. Heavy rainfall and isolated downpours in Southern Thailand are expected.
High waves in the Andaman Sea and the Gulf are likely with significant wave height at 2-3 meters.
Read more of this blog entry! Wednesday, June 25, 2008 2007 good tourism season
2007 was definitely a very good tourist season for Phuket, with barely anything like a 'Low Season' (and the locals call it the Green Season anyway). Bookings did pick up already in May and June and the drop off after the summer holidays in August did also not happen last year.
According to the TAT's latest statistics, about 8 million tourists visited Phuket, Phang Nga and Krabi provinces, together spending a total of 120 billion baht. Specifically with regard to tourist numbers for Phuket, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has announced that more than 5 million tourists visited Phuket in 2007, spending a total of 94.239 billion baht, making it the leading destination out of the three local provinces. The official TAT forecast for 2008 for Phuket is a -- rather very optimistic -- 6 million visitors to Phuket, a number totally unquestioned by local media like the Phuket Gazette (why such official numbers are never cross-checked by this newspaper is of course a question only their publishers would be able to answer). However rising oil prices are seen by many locals as one main reason why Patong Beach and other beaches on Phuket seem to be in reality unnaturally quiet this year. Which of course means, all the more tropical ambiance for those that do come! Labels: hotels Read more of this blog entry! Tuesday, June 24, 2008 Cloudy days and rain in Phuket
Already for the last two days, Phuket is experiencing clouds and rain. Quite the miserable atmosphere, at least for me -- but the rain and bad weather is expected to stop around Friday.
From the Phuket Gazette: Following heavy rainfall over the past 24 hours, the Meteorological Department of Thailand has warned of flooding and possible landslides in Phuket. Labels: Phuket Town Read more of this blog entry! Monday, June 23, 2008 Rip Tides at Nai Harn Beach
From a post in one of the Phuket Internet Forums: Remember, when caught in a rip current sucking out to sea, swim parallel to the shore and then come in. Don't exhaust yourself swimming against the current. Be safe and enjoy the beach.
Just a reminder to all we are into that time of year where the sea can get really dangerous. Many times the sand bottom can change pretty rapidly, cause a bit of a dugout which can create super mean undertows and rip tides. I was at Nai Harn beach on Sunday and watched a rip tide form really quickly. Meanwhile the gal that was in the rip tide, well, her boyfriend went up on the beach and walked away as she began to struggle. I went down and motioned for her to move to one side or the other of the rip tide and then to come into shore. Labels: nai harn beach Read more of this blog entry! Sunday, June 22, 2008 Phuket - a rainy stay?
Phuket literally puts a smile on the face of most visitors, with its generally good weather and tropical beaches. As currently is the time of the southwest monsoon, there might be occasioonal rain showers, but as this trip report from today from Patong Beach shows, they often do not last long and are no detriment to have a nice day on the beach!
 Picture: Patong Beach Image GalleryFrom a trip report to Patong Beach from Mambo Italiano: After arriving on that airplane with propellers, we got a a minibus that took us to our hotel and the day looks just glorious! Gorgeous beaches, gorgeous weather, and a smile on all our faces. We needed the beach more than anything. TIME TO RELAX!How different weather patterns can be with even a few kilometers distance between can be read in yesterdays post: Rain in Phuket but Sun on Phi Phi Labels: patong beach Read more of this blog entry! Saturday, June 21, 2008 Rain on Phuket but sun on Phi Phi
The last 2 days have also been mostly dry and sunny, but the current weather forecast warns of rain for the coming week. Let's see where it falls...
I was on a trip to Phi Phi today, where we had great weather and the best sunshine (a painful sunburn bears witness that living in the tropics does not make one more immune to UV than a tourist!).
 It is worth noting that during the rainy season, even if it's raining on the island of Phuket, you are likely to have more sun when you are out at sea. The mountains on Phuket top 500m, so trap clouds and promote thunderstorms. Often a day's diving is sunny, with a rain shower speeding over, you'll get a suntan, but you get wet back on land! Pictures: Phuket sights image galleryRead more of this blog entry! Friday, June 20, 2008 Phuket weather forecasts from the Weather Channel
One of the meany weather websites offering free (but branded) weather information and weather forecasts for Phuket is the Weather Channel.
The current forecast for Phuket looks as follows: Labels: weather Read more of this blog entry! Thursday, June 19, 2008 Phuket weather posts will now be published with ScribeFireEven though the interface coming with our current blog was already helpful, it was quite cumbersome having to log in first every single time (I know, I know, it is for security...).
I found now a new tool which will hopefully make posting to this blog much faster: ScribeFire. This is a Firefox Plugin that allows me to publish to multiple blogs and has a better functionality to include pictures and videos than our previous system. To witness, this post was created using ScribeFire and then publish automatically to this blog. Links of Interest: Read more of this blog entry! Wednesday, June 18, 2008 Blue sky in Patong and Phuket Town -- but I am not happy!
And why would I not be happy on a day that presents me with a blue sky in a place like Patong Beach on Phuket? A visit to the dentist, that is the reason.
 The picture above was taken in the late afternoon, while over midday I was in Phuket Town.I do find the great Chinese Temples in Phuket Town very relaxing and if I have time like to spend a few minutes sitting there. The picture below is from today and shows Bang Niang Shrine just a few steps from the Robinson Mall.  Labels: Phuket Town Read more of this blog entry! Tuesday, June 17, 2008 4th annual Kalim Surfing Contest from July 18
The Phuket Boardriders Club is pleased to present the 4th annual Kalim Surfing Contest, to be held at Kalim Beach on July 18 to 20, 2008.
In its 4th year, this annual contest aims to promote the sport of surfing to the general public as well as promote tourism to the island of Phuket. The contest has grown in size and interest every year and continues to draw more and more participants from around Thailand as well as internationally.  Links of Interest:Labels: activities, patong beach Read more of this blog entry! Monday, June 16, 2008 Picture-postcard Phuket weather in June
The sunny weather is again in full swing here on Phuket, with a picture-postcard sunny day inviting to drive around the island.
The pictures come from a viewpoint over Nai Harn Beach, looking south towards Laem Phrom Thep Cape, the southern-most point of Phuket Island (right under the giant wind turbine).  View towards Laem Phrom ThepWe stayed until the -- today very beautiful -- sundown, which bathed the beaches below us in a magic golden light. This is one of the picture opprtunities you definitely should take when having your holiday on Phuket!  Outlying islands off Nai Harn BeachLinks of Interest: Labels: nai harn beach Read more of this blog entry! Sunday, June 15, 2008 Lunch overlooking the Phuket sea
As predicted two days ago, the good weather is back with us here on Phuket, as those pictures from a lunch on the famous uan Thalee Restaurant on Koh Sirey shows.
 From here, you have a beautiful view over the Phuket Sea and their speciality, Roasted Pork Knuckle, could be savored under their newly repaired roof. Recommended!Labels: Phuket Town, thai food Read more of this blog entry! Saturday, June 14, 2008 Heavy rain and high waves in Phuket
The following is a warning notice from the Thai Meteorological Department:
The southwest monsoon over Thailand has intensified. Abundant rainfall and isolated heavy rain are likely over the areas. The significant wave height is 2-3 meters. All ships should proceed with caution for a few days.Links of Interest:
Read more of this blog entry! Friday, June 13, 2008 Respite from stormy June weather on Phuket
Finally it looks like we will get a respite form the stormy weather here on Phuket which held the island and its beaches in its grip. Around midday we had a few specks of blue sky here in Phuket Town.
Later while walking along Patong Beach, a light drizzle disappointed a little bit, and the grey unfriendly sky did not seem to be too promising; but I would guess that the latest storm front has passed us for good now and we will have much better weather form tomorrow on (not my wisdom alone, as that is what the forecast also tells us). As a rule of thumb, while there might occur stretches of bad weather in June, they do not tend to go on for more than a few days.  Links of Interest: Labels: patong beach Read more of this blog entry! Thursday, June 12, 2008 Kata Beach roadworks to stop monsoon flooding
As PhuketWan writes, major works are being undertaken on the road at Kata beach. Large pipes are being placed underground so the water drains away, putting an end to the annual flooding coming with each monsoon season.
A parade of shops has recently opened on the other side of the street, outside the expanded Kata Beach Resort. Access to the shops is now via a narrow footpath. Traffic headed for Kata beach has to enter and leave via the beach road's northern access. The closure of the road is in some ways a practice run for the traffic flow along the Kata beach road, in front of Club Med. A proposal to turn the road between the Kata Beach Resort and the Karon Tessaban into a walking street each night after 6pm is likely to be tested next high season. The roadworks should be finished by June 20, provided there were not too many delays caused by rain.  Roadworks outside Kata Beach ResortLinks of Interest: Labels: kata beach, transport Read more of this blog entry! Wednesday, June 11, 2008 Bangla Suites 1 month late due to adverse weather in Phuket but will catch up!
Weather on Phuket does not only affect tourists, but also the speed with which building and construction work can go on around the island.
One example is the Bangla Suites project, which suffered some delays because of the current weather.  Labels: patong beach, realestate Read more of this blog entry! Tuesday, June 10, 2008 Rainy June days in Patong Beach
Of course, the stretch of good weather days around the beginning of this June could not hold on forever here on Phuket Island; it is still Green Season and the monsoon is bound to send it's rainy clouds over this part of the tropics.
Yesterday night, we had a strong storm shaking everything up and the heavy rain even caused flooding in some parts of Patong (as it does every year, as nobody seems to clear the storm drains in time). This led to a lot of debris being washed onto the beach, most of it coconut fronds and half ripe coconuts; not a pretty sight, but it will all be cleaned away in the coming days.  Still, quite a number of people used the respite from the June rains and wandered along the beach and its stormy waves. ... and all the more reason to have a drink in one of the many beer bars one can find in the streets of Patong. Links of Interest: Labels: patong beach Read more of this blog entry! Monday, June 9, 2008 Surin and Laem Singh Beach in June
A trip report from Jesse and Zoe...
Laem Singh Beach on June 9th, 2008: After a good breakfast, we went to Laem Singh beach. Surprisingly, there was nobody on the beach, and it was a bit cloudy. We went in the water, which was much calmer than the other day. The sun started to peak out and it turned out to be a really nice day. It was very relaxing but around 3pm we decided to come back to the hotel, we were pretty tired from all the sun.Surin Beach on June 9th, 2008: After dinner we walked down to Surin beach for the sunset. Surin Beach is supposed to be the best place on Phuket to watch the sunset. It turned out to be really good. Near the end the sky was very orange and red.Links of Interest: Labels: surin beach Read more of this blog entry! Sunday, June 8, 2008 Barbecue on Tri Trang Beach
Friends of mine had a little barbecue and a few quiet beers on Tri Trang Beach. This is a little known stretch of sand right over the mountain on the south end of Patong Beach, offering a great panoramic view of Patong.
 The sky was overcast, just the right weather for a BBQ; maybe not so good for swimming, but Tri Trang Beach does not invite for this activity anyway, as a coral reef and rocks are located right off the shore. However, Merlin Beach Resort has begun to develop the beach, and therefore you can find now sun lounges and a beach bar located there. If you did not bring your own beverages, they are happy to serve you right there on the sand.Links of Interest: Labels: patong beach, thai food Read more of this blog entry! Saturday, June 7, 2008 Diving in the Similans in June
The southwest monsoon on Phuket means that the waves and the wind come from the southwest and since Phuket faces the west, the waves are hitting the West Coast beaches directly, making the Andaman Sea feel more like an ocean rather than the glassy lake it usually is.
Waves One of the islands which offers world class diving year-round, Koh Similan, is large enough that if there are large waves during the southwest monsonn in June, we can get shelter behind the island (on the East Coast). We will not have as many dive site choices if the waves are larger than normal (normal wave height is about 1m or 3ft), but that doesn't mean that we can't dive. Visibility And, since the Similans are almost 40 nautical miles from shore, visibility is never affected by rain run off. In fact, during the southwest monsoon, since the water is moving up from the southwest, waves and currents are bringing in clear, clean water from offshore.  Liveaboards June schedule to the SimilansThe main problem diving the Similan Islands during the summer months, June until September, is the lack of people wanting to go--not that we physically cannot. At that time of year, people are traveling to more temperate climes rather than the hot tropics, so there are very few scheduled liveaboards during this time as we can't get enough people together on a consistent basis. Almost every boat at one time or another has tried a summer schedule and few, if any, have ever been successful at it. Links of Interest: Labels: diving Read more of this blog entry! Friday, June 6, 2008 Surin Beach Mornings on Phuket
A light cloudy sky greeted me this morning after I woke up, having spent the night in one of the resorts directly opening onto Surin Beach. It was very early, so I could fully enjoy an empty tropical beach right here on Phuket, one of the busiest tourist destinations on Thailand.
  Labels: surin beach Read more of this blog entry! Thursday, June 5, 2008 Phuket weather overview: seasons on Phuket
As residents of Phuket, Thailand, for over 10 years, we have a fair clue about the weather patterns here. It basically goes like this:
November - April: Dry season, with NE monsoon winds. Can still get quite a bit of rain in November even though the Phuket hotels start charging already full rates. The hottest months on Phuket Island are March and April. This season can continue well after the Thai New Year (Songkran, in mid April) and into May. May - October: Wet season, with SW monsoon winds. Actually not too wet. The periods at the start and end of the season are wettest (mid-late May and September/early October). The summer months June-August are actually quite nice, but you can't expect all good weather. Still, if you are budget-minded this might be the best time to visit Phuket, as many hotels have reduced rates or price specials on their room rates.  Waves after a June storm on the north end of Patong Beach towards KalimIn the wet season the weather is highly variable. It can change every day, or every few days. The "monsoon" is a bit of a myth as we don not get continual rain like in South Asia (India/Bangaldesh etc.). Most of the time, the low season is very nice and a good time to visit Phuket; this is why it is called the 'Green Season' here and even better Phuket hotel specials can be had. Links of Interest: Labels: weather Read more of this blog entry! Wednesday, June 4, 2008 Phuket Weather in June
Phuket, well-known holiday paradise in Southern Thailand, is currently just that: a tropical paradise where every single day in the past week has been sunny and warm -- and that even though it is supposedly the rainy season (or Green Season in travel marketing speak :-)
There have been a few drops of rain here and there... I think Tuesday had a light sprinkling of rain, but on Tuesday night the sky was so clear, a wonderful sight of stars (which we do not get too often at sea level). Temperatures are also bearable, around 24 - 25 degrees C in the last days.  Sunny evening on Patong Beach on June 3, 2008Labels: patong beach Read more of this blog entry! Tuesday, June 3, 2008 Patong Beach in the June Sun
After work, I took a little stroll along Patong Beach, again the best weather for this time of year. Large parts of the sky were blue, some clouds and a little wind, which made the late afternoon sun very agreeable: not too hot, but one could still feel the tropical burn on the skin.
As most of the beach chairs were already stowed away and also the jetski operators had vacated the beach, it was a great atmosphere to jog in the white sand of Patong Beach or maybe sit at the beach walk under the big trees that give shade when the sun is much stronger. Labels: patong beach Read more of this blog entry! Monday, June 2, 2008 Phuket Tide Tables June 2008
The Phuket Tide Tables for June are not only of interest for divers and yachties, but also for those who do like a stroll on the beach in the evenings. Low tide means hard sand good for walking, while tyhe high tide forces a walk on the soft sand on the top of the beach, which can be a struggle sometimes.
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