Yachts for hire in Thailand

On Boataround, the Thai charter fleet is concentrated on the Andaman Sea coast: Phuket alone accounts for more than three-quarters of all Thailand listings, with Pattaya on the Gulf of Thailand a distant second. Catamarans are the single largest boat type in the fleet, ahead of motor yachts and sailing yachts.

Why Charter in Thailand

The Andaman Sea around Phuket is a sheltered cruising ground scattered with limestone karst islands, sandy bays and coral reefs, suited to short hops between anchorages rather than long open-water passages. Phang Nga Bay alone, a 400-square-kilometre national park between Phuket, Krabi and Phang Nga provinces, holds more than 40 major limestone islands. A catamaran's shallow draft suits this kind of cruising: it can anchor closer to shore than a monohull, and its wide, stable deck works well for a group spending most of the day at anchor rather than under sail.

When to Go

• November to April: the dry season on the Andaman coast, with calm seas and steady north-easterly winds; February to April is typically the calmest stretch.
• 15 May to 15 October: the Similan and Surin Islands close every year for the south-west monsoon, when the crossing from Phuket turns unsafe and the reefs are given time to recover.
• 1 August to 30 September: Maya Bay on Koh Phi Phi Leh closes annually for the same reason, though the rest of the Phi Phi islands stay open.

Charter Options: Skippered and Bareboat

Nearly every boat in the Thai fleet on Boataround can be chartered with a skipper, and only around a third is also available for bareboat charter. Thai law does not require a licence for a bareboat charter, but charter companies set their own bar: most ask for a sailing resume or logged experience on a similarly sized boat before handing over the helm, given the reef navigation and shipping traffic around Phuket. Hiring a skipper who knows the local channels and anchorages is the default for most visitors as a result, rather than a legal requirement as in some other countries.

Types of Boats in Thailand

Catamaran rental Thailand

The largest single boat type in the fleet, chosen for its shallow draft and stable, spacious deck, suited to island-hopping around Phang Nga Bay and the coast.

Motor yacht rental Thailand

The second-largest type, mostly chartered with a skipper for day trips and short multi-day cruises out of Phuket.

Sailing yacht rental Thailand

A smaller part of the fleet than in most European charter destinations, reflecting the short-hop, anchorage-to-anchorage style of cruising around Phuket's islands.

Where to Sail in Thailand

Yacht charter Phuket

Phuket is the centre of Thai boating on Boataround, home to more than three-quarters of the entire fleet. Chalong, on the island's south-east coast, is the main marina base. From here, boats reach the limestone islands of Phang Nga Bay, including Ko Tapu ("James Bond Island"), off-limits to landing since 1998 to prevent further erosion, and the Phi Phi islands to the south, where boats can no longer anchor directly in Maya Bay and instead drop passengers at the neighbouring Loh Sama Bay.

Yacht charter Pattaya

A distant second to Phuket in fleet size, on the Gulf of Thailand rather than the Andaman Sea, with calmer, more sheltered water and a shorter, more built-up coastline of islands close to Bangkok.

What It Costs to charter a yacht in Thailand

Price rises across most boat types in the dry season, the opposite pattern from Europe's summer peak. A sailing yacht for a week (Saturday to Saturday) costs about €1,461 in the May-October monsoon season, rising to about €2,277 in the November-April dry season. A catamaran runs from about €2,164 up to €3,600, and a power catamaran from about €3,370 up to €9,352 across the same window. A motor yacht was the exception, holding steady at about €7,040 in both periods checked - the same boat topped the cheapest listings both times.

Yachts for hire in Thailand

Charter a yacht and explore Thailand! Prices start from 208 € per day. Choose from the largest selection of catamarans, motor yachts, sailing yachts, motor boats and power catamarans.

Popular regions are Phuket, Chon Buri Province, Koh Chang, Koh Samui, Krabi Province, Prachuap Khiri Khan Province and Surat Thani Province.