Limestone Karsts. Flat Water. Hong Lagoons.
Phang Nga Bay is the headliner; everything around it earns the trip.
Overview
Thailand bareboat charters depart from Phuket and work the Andaman Sea — flat-water cruising under towering limestone karsts, with hong lagoons (collapsed-cave atolls accessible at the right tide), the Phi Phi Islands south, and Phang Nga Bay north. The cruising is short-hop and protected — most overnights are in calm anchorages with limestone walls on three sides. Provisioning happens in Phuket before departure; the islands offer fresh seafood and almost nothing else.
What's hard: the wet season (May–October) is unreliable for charter — monsoon storms, reduced visibility. The dry season (November–April) is short and the most popular anchorages (Maya Bay on Phi Phi Leh) are subject to daily visitor caps; book around them. Long-tail tourist boats from Phuket converge on the same anchorages by 10am.
Best for charterers who want a Southeast Asian sailing experience, photographers (the karsts at sunrise and sunset), and groups willing to start days early to beat the day-tripper traffic.
Quick Facts
- Best months
- November – April. Peak season is December–February. May–October is monsoon.
- Sailing conditions
- Light to moderate NE 5–15 knots November–February. Flat water inside the karst islands.
- Water temperature
- 82–86°F year-round.
- Typical trip length
- 7-day most-booked.
- Cruising character
- Protected karst-island cruising. Short hops, flat water, dramatic anchorages, daily long-tail traffic.
- Customs
- Visa-free for most nationalities for tourist stays up to 30 days. Charter base handles permits.
- Currency
- Thai Baht. USD accepted at marina; baht for shore-side spend.
Sample Itineraries
All depart and return from the charter base. Distances are approximate nautical miles.
7-Day Active — Phuket Loop
- Day 1 — Phuket (Yacht Haven Marina) → Koh Yao Yai. ~12nm E. Short first sail. Anchor in one of the bays on the west side. Quiet — Yao Yai sees a fraction of the traffic of Phi Phi.
- Day 2 — Koh Yao Yai → Koh Hong (Phang Nga Bay). ~8nm N. The hong here is the namesake — a collapsed-cave lagoon you enter by kayak or paddleboard at low tide.
- Day 3 — Koh Hong → James Bond Island (Khao Phing Kan). ~10nm N. Famous from The Man with the Golden Gun (1974). Crowded mid-day with tour boats; anchor and wait until 4pm when they leave, then dinghy in.
- Day 4 — James Bond Island → Koh Roi. ~8nm S. Another hong; less-visited because it requires more time. Best at high water.
- Day 5 — Koh Roi → Phi Phi Don. ~30nm S. Long sail. Anchor in Tonsai Bay (loud) or Loh Dalum (quieter). Phi Phi town for dinner and the night scene.
- Day 6 — Phi Phi Don → Maya Bay (Phi Phi Leh). ~3nm S. Maya Bay — the Beach location — operates on daily visitor caps; book mooring access ahead. Anchor at Loh Samah Bay on the south side if Maya is full.
- Day 7 — Phi Phi Leh → Phuket. ~25nm W. Return sail back to Yacht Haven.
Anchorages Worth Planning Around
Koh Hong (Phang Nga Bay)
Getting There
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