Thailand gives you two coasts and two weather systems, a few hours' flight apart. Choose the right one for your month and the rest of the plan falls into place: the villas, the sunsets, the guest travel. This planner sets them side by side, from the venues' own rates and the sea's own seasons.
Two seas, two calendars
Thailand's wedding villas sit on two different seas. Phuket and the long beach at Natai, in Phang Nga, face west onto the Andaman Sea; Koh Samui sits on the other side of the peninsula, in the Gulf of Thailand. November to April is dry and calm on Phuket's west coast; May to October is monsoon, with September and October the wettest. Samui sits in the Gulf and runs on its own calendar — January to April is the driest, and November is the wettest month of the year.
So the choice of coast is, first, a choice of month. A December or February wedding belongs on the Andaman, at the height of its dry season; for a date between May and August, Samui's warm months with short bursts of rain are usually the safer bet than the Andaman's monsoon. On the Andaman, July to October is the monsoon, wettest in September and October; on Samui the stretch to avoid is November into early December.
The sunsets differ less than the rain. Both coasts sit between seven and ten degrees north of the equator, so the sun sets within the same hour all year — about 6:05 pm to 6:50 pm at Kamala, and about 5:55 pm to 6:45 pm on Samui's north coast.
Plan by month · 2027
Tap a month to set the Andaman against the Gulf: the season on each coast, the sunset, and when to begin a golden-hour ceremony.
| Phuket | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natai, Phang Nga | ||||||||||||
| Koh Samui |
Phuket
BestJanuary — peak dry season
November – February
Calm Andaman Sea, low humidity, reliable sunsets. The most-booked window and the one that goes first — expect to hold dates 12 months out.
- Sunset · Kamala
- ≈ 6:25 pm
- Golden-hour vows
- ≈ 5:00 pm
Natai, Phang Nga
BestJanuary — peak dry season
November – February
Calm Andaman Sea, low humidity, reliable sunsets. The most-booked window and the one that goes first — expect to hold dates 12 months out.
- Sunset · Natai Beach
- ≈ 6:25 pm
- Golden-hour vows
- ≈ 5:00 pm
Koh Samui
BestJanuary — the dry window
January – April
Samui's most reliable stretch: calm sea, low rain, and the months worth planning an outdoor wedding around.
- Sunset · Bophut
- ≈ 6:15 pm
- Golden-hour vows
- ≈ 5:00 pm
Sunsets are calculated for the 15th of each month (local clock, summer time where it applies) and move a few minutes either side across the month. Golden-hour vows start about an hour and a quarter before sunset.
Where the villas are
We list 18 wedding villas and estates in Thailand: 6 on Phuket, 7 at Natai Beach in Phang Nga, and 5 on Koh Samui. On Phuket they cluster on the cliffs around Kamala, the stretch of the west coast its villas call Millionaire's Mile. At Natai the estates sit side by side along one beach, so a wedding weekend often takes two of them together. On Samui the villas are spread around the island, from the cliffs above Bophut to the beach at Lipa Noi.
Almost all of them are private villas rather than resorts, so the wedding comes with the house: the rooms, the lawn and the pool are yours for the stay, and everything else — catering, styling, furniture, a wet-weather plan — is brought in. 4 of them quote on request rather than publishing a rate.
| Coast · area | Venues | Largest party | Lowest “from” rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andaman · Natai Beach | 7 | 150 guests | $6,357 · Villa Essenza |
| Andaman · Kamala | 4 | 80 guests | $6,180 · Villa Amanzi |
| Andaman · elsewhere on Phuket | 2 | 150 guests | $7,062 · Villa Saengootsa |
| Gulf · Koh Samui | 5 | 120 guests | $5,652 · Element of 8 |
Your number: who can hold it
10 of the 18 Thai villas take 100 guests or more; the largest take 150. For 80 guests the lightest published wedding package starts at $10,410 — Mid Season, at Villa Aye. Set your number and a coast below to see which villas hold it, from their own published rates.
Find a venue for your number
12 of 18 Thai villas hold 80 guests · wedding packages first, lightest first
Phuket · Thailand
Villa Aye
For 80 guests · $10,410
Mid Season · 3 nights · up to 150 guests
Natai Beach · Thailand
Jivana Beach Estate
For 80 guests · $17,409
Low Season · 3 nights · up to 150 guests
Bophut Hills · Thailand
Suralai
For 80 guests · From $6,003
Venue hire · event fees and minimum stay may apply · up to 80 guests
Natai Beach · Thailand
Villa Amarelo
For 80 guests · From $6,357
Venue hire · event fees and minimum stay may apply · up to 120 guests
Natai Beach · Thailand
Villa Essenza
For 80 guests · From $6,357
Venue hire · event fees and minimum stay may apply · up to 120 guests
Natai Beach · Thailand
Villa Jia
For 80 guests · From $6,711
Venue hire · event fees and minimum stay may apply · up to 150 guests
Each venue’s own published package or hire rate for that party, in its own currency — taxes as the venue states them on its page. Your concierge confirms the date and the full total before anything is booked.
Getting there: Phuket
- Airport. Phuket International (HKT), in the island's north
- To Kamala. About 30–40 minutes by road from HKT
- To Kata / Karon. About 50–60 minutes from HKT, longer in high-season traffic
- To Natai Beach (Phang Nga). About 25 minutes north of HKT — closer to the airport than most of Phuket itself
- Guest accommodation. Most villa weddings house the couple and immediate family on site and place remaining guests in a nearby resort, with shuttles on the day
Getting there: Koh Samui
- Airport. Samui (USM) — a small private airport, usually via Bangkok or Singapore
- Alternative. Surat Thani (URT) plus a ferry crossing — cheaper, and adds roughly half a day each way
- Island transfers. Most points on Samui are within 20–45 minutes of the airport; the south and west coasts are the furthest
- Note for guests. Samui flights are fewer and pricier than Phuket's. Give a guest list plenty of notice
Legal or symbolic in Thailand
- Most couples marry symbolically at the venue. The ceremony you plan — the aisle, the vows, the photographs — is almost always a symbolic one held at the villa or resort. It carries no legal weight anywhere, and that is the normal, expected choice for international couples in Thailand. Nothing about it looks or feels different from a legal ceremony.
- The legal registration is a separate, paperwork-only errand. To marry legally in Thailand, both partners obtain an affirmation of freedom to marry from their own embassy in Bangkok, have it translated and legalised by the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs, then register at any district office (amphur). It is an administrative day in Bangkok, not a ceremony, and it is usually done before or after the celebration — not on the wedding day.
- A Buddhist blessing can be added to either. Many couples add a morning monk blessing — nine monks, chanting, an offering — before the Western-style ceremony. It is ceremonial rather than legal, and the venue arranges it locally.
- Confirm the current process before you book flights. Embassy requirements, fees and translation rules change. Confirm the exact document list with your own embassy in Bangkok and with the venue before committing to dates. Your Brides Venues concierge will tell you what the venue has seen most recently, but we are not lawyers and this is not legal advice.
What sits on top of villa hire
A villa wedding starts with the house and an empty lawn. These are the lines that make up the rest of the day:
- Venue hire. The figure shown on each venue page. Private villas usually price a multi-night stay with the wedding day included; resorts price the event separately from rooms.
- Catering and bar. Charged per head and the largest variable in the budget. It moves with menu style — grazing and Thai stations sit well below a plated Western four-course — and again with whether the bar is on consumption or a package.
- Wedding planner or on-site coordinator. Either a percentage of total spend or a flat fee. In Thailand a local planner is close to essential for a villa wedding, where nothing is provided in-house.
- Décor, florals and furniture. The single biggest lever you control. A villa wedding starts with an empty lawn, so tables, chairs, linen, lighting and a marquee or wet-weather cover are all rentals.
- Photography and film. Priced by coverage hours and crew size; day-before and day-after shoots are commonly added on the Andaman coast.
- Sound, lighting and entertainment. Generator-backed sound is standard at villas. Note that many residential areas enforce an amplified-music curfew — ask before you plan a late party.
- Guest transfers. Villa weddings are rarely walkable. Budget minibus transfers between hotels and the venue for the whole guest list.
- Hair, make-up, celebrant, marriage licence errands. Individually small, collectively not. The Bangkok embassy trip, if you are marrying legally, is its own line.
When to book for 2027
Twelve months for a Saturday between November and February. Phuket's clifftop villas are a small set and the same dates are chased by the same couples every year.
Nine to twelve months for January–April. Samui's supplier pool is smaller than Phuket's, so the good planners and photographers book out first.
Keep planning
Frequently asked
Questions couples ask.
Is Phuket or Koh Samui better for a wedding?
It depends on the month. November to April is dry and calm on Phuket's west coast; May to October is monsoon, with September and October the wettest. Samui sits in the Gulf and runs on its own calendar — January to April is the driest, and November is the wettest month of the year. Phuket has more flights and a larger supplier pool; Samui is quieter and its flights are fewer and pricier.
What is the best month for a Phuket wedding?
November to April is dry and calm on Phuket's west coast; May to October is monsoon, with September and October the wettest. November to February is the peak dry season and the first to book.
What is the best month for a Koh Samui wedding?
Samui sits in the Gulf and runs on its own calendar — January to April is the driest, and November is the wettest month of the year.
What time is sunset in Phuket and Koh Samui?
About 6:05 pm to 6:50 pm at Kamala on Phuket and about 5:55 pm to 6:45 pm at Bophut on Koh Samui, depending on the month.
Can foreigners legally marry in Thailand?
To marry legally in Thailand, both partners obtain an affirmation of freedom to marry from their own embassy in Bangkok, have it translated and legalised by the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs, then register at any district office (amphur). It is an administrative day in Bangkok, not a ceremony, and it is usually done before or after the celebration — not on the wedding day.
Inside Phuket.
Phuket, in motion.
Swipe the feed — moments from the story, in motion.
Plan this at Villa Aye.
Send your dates and a rough guest count — our concierge checks them with the venue and builds your shortlist, quote and itinerary. Nothing is charged until both sides confirm.
Where you could host this.
More from the Journal.
Château de Villette Wedding Cost 2027: Full Price Breakdown
What a Château de Villette wedding costs in 2027: every rental from EUR 28,750, the 85-guest dinner line and the Glasshouse, the suites, deposits and what is quoted separately.
Villa Astor Wedding Cost 2027: Full Price Breakdown
What a Villa Astor wedding in Sorrento costs in 2027: every rental from EUR 34,500, the weekday rule, the 40-seat dining room, deposits and what is quoted separately.
Europe Wedding Planner 2027: Italy and France, Month by Month
Lake Como, Sorrento, Rome, Paris, Provence and Normandy compared — the season at each, long summer sunsets, the legal routes in Italy and France, and six historic estates by guest count, from their own rates.
Save your shortlist. Let us handle the rest.
Enquiring and receiving a proposal cost nothing. Nothing is booked or charged until you say yes.