Surat Thani Rain Radar - Live Weather Map | RainViewer
Track rain across Surat Thani in real time with RainViewer, a hyperlocal rain radar app, updated every 5 minutes, street by street.
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Track up to 20 locations
Home, office, kids' school - all at once, no switching tabs.
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Alerts for each of them
Get notified 15 minutes before rain - while you can still change your plans.
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Live radar without opening the app - on your lock screen or home screen.
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Rain in Surat Thani: What You Need to Know
Rain in Surat Thani arrives from two directions depending on the time of year. From May to October, the southwest monsoon pushes weather in off the Gulf. From October to January, the northeast monsoon turns the province wet again - making Surat Thani one of the few places in Thailand with no reliable dry escape. A heavy cell stalling over the mainland can cancel Koh Samui ferry services for an entire day, leaving passengers stranded at Donsak pier with no warning.
The Tapee River, which runs through the centre of Surat Thani town, floods repeatedly during peak northeast monsoon events. The town centre, the night market strip, and the bus terminal area have all been inundated in documented events. The flooding arrives from upstream when heavy rain falls in the hills to the north, not always when it’s raining at the pier.
RainViewer shows you cells forming over the gulf hours before they reach the coast, with street-level precision across the pier, the town, and the roads in between.
RainViewer Radar Coverage in Surat Thani
RainViewer combines signals from radar stations across southern Thailand for Surat Thani. From here, you can also track rain developing in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Chumphon, and Krabi - useful if you're driving the route to Donsak or planning a crossing to Koh Samui.
Southwest monsoon (May-October)
The first wet season brings daily rain from the Gulf, with peak intensity in September and October. Storms are often afternoon-weighted and can be intense, though the northeast season is typically heavier.
Northeast monsoon (October-January)
Surat Thani's heaviest and most sustained rainfall. Multi-day events with 200-300mm in a few days are documented. Generic forecasts consistently underestimate the intensity of these events.
Dry season (February-April)
The calmest window, though even in March isolated showers can develop.
Why You Need a Rain Radar in Surat Thani
Checking the Donsak-Koh Samui ferry before departure
The ferry to Koh Samui takes 1.5 hours across open water. A squall that forms over the Gulf can close this route for hours. Seeing the storm track before driving 30km to Donsak saves a wasted journey.
Timing the drive through Surat Thani town during northeast monsoon
The Tapee River flood zone covers the night market area during serious events. Seeing a heavy upstream cell on the radar before the water rises lets drivers reroute before the low roads are impassable.
Monitoring rubber and fruit orchards in the interior
Surat Thani is Thailand's largest rubber-producing province. Latex tapping is suspended when it rains - workers monitor the radar to time tapping windows.
Planning the ferry to Koh Phangan
The Koh Phangan pier approach is exposed to northeast swell. During November-January, departure windows matter. Real-time radar tells operators and attendees whether the crossing is workable.
Surat Thani Rain Radar: Frequently Asked Questions
- How often does the RainViewer map update for Surat Thani?
Every 5 minutes. During the northeast monsoon - when conditions can deteriorate rapidly - this near-real-time update is the most useful tool available.
- Does Surat Thani have a dry season?
Briefly - February through April is the quietest window. Surat Thani sits in a transition zone where both monsoons reach it, making it one of Thailand's wettest provinces on an annual basis.
- Why does the northeast monsoon affect Surat Thani so much when Bangkok stays dry?
Bangkok is sheltered from northeast monsoon rain by the Gulf's western orientation. Surat Thani's coast faces northeast - directly into the incoming monsoon flow - which funnels moisture onto the eastern Gulf coast between October and January.
- Can I track whether a Koh Samui ferry service is likely to be affected?
RainViewer shows storm cells crossing the Gulf and approaching the Donsak-Koh Samui route in real time, with direction arrows showing movement.
Track Rain in Surat Thani in Real Time
See rain in Surat Thani before it closes the ferry route
Surat Thani's rain arrives from two directions and doesn't follow Bangkok's forecast. The map updates every 5 minutes - often 2-5 minutes faster than other apps - so by the time a northeast monsoon cell is crossing the Gulf toward Donsak, you've already seen it coming.
RainViewer Essential gives you:
A 2-hour rain forecast in 5-minute slices
Not hourly blocks, so you can see the exact window when the squall passes and the Koh Samui or Koh Phangan crossing is workable again.
Rain alerts that trigger before rain arrives
Set Donsak pier, the Tapee River flood zone, or your rubber plantation and get notified while you can still change your plans.
Direction arrows on the map
So even when the animation is unclear, you can see whether the Gulf cell is tracking toward the pier or moving south toward Nakhon Si Thammarat.
48 hours of radar history
See how yesterday's northeast monsoon front moved through the province and recognise the same pattern building today.
Multiple locations
Track rain at Donsak pier, the Surat Thani night market, and your orchard in the interior at the same time.
A 7-day forecast tells you November will be wet. RainViewer tells you whether the Gulf is clear enough to drive to Donsak now or wait three hours.
Track rain in Surat Thani - free
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