# Driving in Phuket in the Rainy Season Page URL: https://kolesio.com/en/guide/rainy-season-driving-phuket/ Driving in Phuket in the rainy season is manageable in a car if you slow down, leave a much longer gap to the car ahead and keep the air conditioning on to stop the windscreen fogging. The advice stops working where water covers the road: a flooded stretch is a reason to turn back or wait, not to test the car. **A week from 5 145 ฿ total** — economy car 735 ฿/day · crossover from 9 555 ฿ · refundable deposit from 5 000 ฿ · live search, 7 days from 2 November, pick-up in Patong. [Ask on WhatsApp: Driving in Phuket in the Rainy Season](https://kolesio.com/go/wa/?p=%2Fen%2Fguide%2Frainy-season-driving-phuket%2F) ## In short - Automatic — every car we deliver - Tyres — checked together at handover - Air conditioning — clears a fogged windscreen - Any hour — delivery, night arrivals included Kolesio Car Rental Phuket — car rental in Phuket. Booking and support by Kolesio on WhatsApp +66 99 647 8676. Checked 19 October. ## Short answer When rain comes, most trouble comes from carrying dry-season habits into it: the same speed, the same gap, the same late braking into hill bends. This guide takes the wet months situation by situation, from visibility and fogged glass to hill passes, standing water and what to do with a day the weather takes over. ### Who this guide is for It is written for visitors who booked a car for the monsoon or hit a stormy week at any time of year. For a closer walkthrough of technique, our rainy season at the wheel guide goes deeper; this page is the map, with each topic linked out. ## What that means for the car On wet roads, tyres and glass matter most. Tread is what clears water from under the car, so look at the tyres at handover, where we check them together with the body, air conditioning and fuel level. The air conditioning does a second job in the rain: humid air fogs the inside of the windscreen quickly, and a cool, dry flow onto the glass clears it faster than wiping with a hand. Every car we deliver is an automatic, which keeps both hands free for the wheel and the wiper stalk when a shower hits in traffic. Pick the class by passengers and bags as usual; there is no special rainy-season model, but a calm automatic with good tyres is what you want on a wet hill. If you are arriving in the wet months, we can have the car waiting at the airport arrivals or at your hotel, villa or apartment anywhere in Phuket, at any hour including night arrivals: automatic, first-class commercial insurance, refundable deposit, the total for your dates fixed in chat. Send the dates on WhatsApp or use the booking form; the full offer is on the car rental in Phuket page. ## Step by step Most of the preparation takes a few minutes and happens before the first shower, not during it. - Check the tyres at handover — tread is what keeps the car on wet asphalt - Test the wipers and air conditioning before you drive off — together they are your view in a downpour - Switch on dipped headlights in rain — other drivers need to see you as much as you need to see them - Leave a much longer gap than in the dry — a wet road needs more room to stop - Slow down before hill bends, not in them — the car stays settled when the speed is already calm - Keep a plan for a rainy day ready — a heavy afternoon is easier to wait out than to drive through ## Visibility and hill passes Visibility is the first thing rain takes away. The road ahead turns grey, markings fade and the car in front becomes a pair of red lights. Slow down to a speed at which you could stop within the distance you can actually see, and keep the longer gap, because the driver ahead may brake hard for a puddle you have not noticed yet. Left-hand driving adds load in the first days, so our notes on left-hand driving are worth reading before a wet evening drive. Hill passes are where aquaplaning happens. Water runs down the slope across the asphalt, and at speed the tyres ride on it instead of the road: the steering goes light and the car stops answering. If that happens, ease off the accelerator, hold the wheel straight and do not brake hard until the grip comes back. The real cure is to take the passes slowly from the start, above all on the descent into a bay. ## Flooded roads and waiting it out After a heavy downpour, low stretches of road can turn into standing water. From the driver's seat you cannot judge the depth or what lies under the surface, and water drawn into the engine can stop the car where it stands. The rule is simple: do not drive into water when you cannot see the road beneath it. Turn around, take another route or wait for it to drain. Waiting is often the smartest move in the wet months. Keep a plan for a rainy day in mind, so the hours while a storm passes stay useful instead of being spent in a queue of cars with the wipers on full. Stay parked somewhere safe, a cafe or a mall, and set off again once the rain eases and the road is visible again. > Do not drive into a flooded stretch of road. Depth cannot be judged from the seat, and a car stalled in water turns into a recovery job that ends the day; turn back or wait until the road drains. ## Sharing the wheel and fuel Rain makes long drives more tiring, which is a good reason to share the wheel. A second driver is added in advance with the same documents: passport, national licence and International Driving Permit, which is valid only together with the national card. An unlisted driver at the wheel voids the insurance, as does a missing licence; our driving licence rules explain the details. Fuel is the other small thing that becomes annoying in a storm. Fill up before a longer wet drive rather than hunting for a station in a downpour, and check the sticker by the filler flap for the grade, since the wrong fuel is paid for separately. ## Cars for this question If a car makes more sense than a scooter here, these are easy to start with: - [Nissan Note: a hatchback for daily runs in town](https://kolesio.com/en/cars/nissan-note-rental-phuket/) - [Honda City: an economy sedan for rainy days instead of a scooter](https://kolesio.com/en/cars/honda-city-rental-phuket/) - [Suzuki Swift: a small automatic that is easy to park](https://kolesio.com/en/cars/suzuki-swift-rental-phuket/) - [MG 3: a city hatchback instead of a scooter](https://kolesio.com/en/cars/mg-3/) ## FAQ ### Is it safe to drive in Phuket in the rainy season? In a car it is manageable if you slow down and leave a longer gap. The danger comes from dry-season speed, hill bends taken fast and driving into standing water. ### How do I stop the windscreen fogging in the rain? Turn on the air conditioning and direct the flow onto the glass. Humid air fogs the inside quickly, and cool dry air clears it faster than wiping. ### What should I do if the road ahead is flooded? Do not drive into it. Turn around, take another route or wait for the water to drain, because the depth cannot be judged from the seat. ### Where does aquaplaning happen in Phuket? Mostly on hill passes, where rainwater runs across the road and the tyres can ride on it. Slow down before the pass rather than braking hard on it. ### Can I still plan day trips in the monsoon? Yes, but keep a backup for each day. Drive in the dry hours, wait out a heavy shower somewhere safe and keep a plan for a rainy day ready. --- Source: kolesio, https://kolesio.com/en/guide/rainy-season-driving-phuket/. The canonical version of this page is the HTML at this address.