How does the Koh Phangan rain radar work?

The map is built from the Thai Meteorological Department's Surat Thani weather radar, which scans every 15 minutes. We compare the latest scans to measure which way the rain is moving and how fast, then slide the current rain along that path to show where it will be over the next hour.

How far ahead can I trust the forecast?

Roughly the next 30 minutes. Showers grow and fade between radar scans, so the further ahead you look the rougher the guide: treat the second hour as a hint rather than a promise.

Why can the radar miss light rain on Koh Phangan?

The radar sits on the mainland near Surat Thani, about 120 km from Koh Phangan, and by the time its beam reaches the island it is a couple of kilometres above the sea. Heavy rain shows clearly; thin, low drizzle can slip underneath.

Where does the data come from?

Radar images come from the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD), Surat Thani radar. Coastlines come from OpenStreetMap contributors and Natural Earth. We redraw and animate the radar, and the forecast is our own extrapolation, not an official TMD forecast.

Koh Phangan Rain Radar

Radar 5:30 pm · 20 min ago

Dry for the next two hours

No rain is heading for the island. Beyond the first half hour this is a rough guide.

Radar

faint light 1–3 mm/h moderate 3–6 heavy 6–20 torrential 20+

Rain over the island · Thailand time

Rain is moving: from the E, 25 km/h
Nearest rain: 28 km W of the island

Show the outlook as a table

Radar sees rain a couple of kilometres up, so thin drizzle can slip underneath. The forecast slides today's rain along its current path: good for the next half hour, a rough guide after that. Rain alerts store only your browser's push address; turn them off any time.

See whether it is raining on the island, which way the rain is moving, and when the next shower reaches you. For seasons and the best months to visit, see weather & seasons.

How to read the radar

Shades of blue show how hard it is raining, from faint cloud echoes to heavy rain. The warm orange is reserved for torrential downpours and thunderstorms. The gold dashed circle marks the island; the white arrow shows how far the rain travels in one hour and from which side it arrives.

Press play to watch the last 90 minutes and the next hour. Gold frames are forecast, not radar. Switch to Island to zoom in on Thong Sala, Haad Rin and the north coast.

Rain radar questions

How does the Koh Phangan rain radar work?: The map is built from the Thai Meteorological Department's Surat Thani weather radar, which scans every 15 minutes. We compare the latest scans to measure which way the rain is moving and how fast, then slide the current rain along that path to show where it will be over the next hour.
How far ahead can I trust the forecast?: Roughly the next 30 minutes. Showers grow and fade between radar scans, so the further ahead you look the rougher the guide: treat the second hour as a hint rather than a promise.
Why can the radar miss light rain on Koh Phangan?: The radar sits on the mainland near Surat Thani, about 120 km from Koh Phangan, and by the time its beam reaches the island it is a couple of kilometres above the sea. Heavy rain shows clearly; thin, low drizzle can slip underneath.
Where does the data come from?: Radar images come from the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD), Surat Thani radar. Coastlines come from OpenStreetMap contributors and Natural Earth. We redraw and animate the radar, and the forecast is our own extrapolation, not an official TMD forecast.