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Two weeks before: boat, route and season
Your group is 14, two more than the 12 passengers a boat may carry before it counts as a passenger vessel. That one number decides the boat, so it comes first.
Choose the boat by guest count and licence first. A yacht charter checklist for Thailand starts here, because a group of more than 12 needs a licensed passenger vessel or a second boat. Then pick the coast by month: the Andaman side around Phuket is driest from December to March, the Gulf around Samui from February to April.
☐ Boat licensed for your full guest count
☐ Route matched to the coast and month
☐ Park closures checked: Ang Thong Marine Park near Samui is closed from 1 November to 15 December 2026
☐ Deposit of 50% with the booking and the balance 1 day before, paid to a registered company account against a written quote
Our yacht charter guide compares boats and coasts.
What is included, and what to ask for
Most day charters include the captain and crew, fuel for the agreed route and soft drinks on board. A chef, alcohol, a DJ and water toys are extra on most boats. Ask for every item in the written quote, so you know what is on board before you sail.
Every boat we book comes with soft drinks, water, ice and seasonal fruit on board. Snorkel gear and fishing tackle depend on the boat, and we can add them. Day trips return by about 7 pm; a later return is possible with an hourly overtime charge, agreed on board.
In Pattaya, our private boat day starts from ฿49,000 for 8 hours, for up to 16 guests, VAT included. Other boats are quoted on request.
One week before: food, drink and the guest list
Send the menu choices, dietary needs and the final guest list a week ahead. Halal, vegetarian and allergy needs are easy to meet with notice. Check that your date is not a Buddhist holy day, when alcohol may not be sold. The next is Makha Bucha on Sunday 21 February 2027.
☐ Menu and dietary needs sent to the crew
☐ Drinks ordered and loaded
☐ Guest names and passport copies; foreigners must carry a passport or a copy
What to pack
Pack light and soft, as space on deck is limited. Bring reef-safe sun cream, because sun cream with oxybenzone, octinoxate, 4-MBC or butylparaben is banned in every national park. Add hats, cover-ups and a little cash in small notes for park fees.
☐ Reef-safe sun cream, hat and sunglasses
☐ Swimwear, a cover-up and a light jacket for the evening
☐ Non-marking deck shoes or bare feet
☐ Seasickness tablets and a dry bag for phones
☐ Cash for park fees
Park rules on the water
Most island trips enter a national park, and the rules are strict. Boats must moor at buoys, piers or marked areas, never on coral. Within 100 m of the shore, reefs and dive sites, boats keep to 3 knots or less. Drones need the park's permission.
Each guest pays a park fee. The Department of National Parks charges foreign adults ฿100 to ฿300 at most parks. It charges ฿400 at Phi Phi and ฿500 at the Similan and Surin Islands. There is also a small fee per boat.
Maya Bay closes from 1 August to 30 September each year, and swimming there is not allowed. See our guides to Phang Nga Bay and island hopping for the best routes.
Weather and the back-up plan
The captain decides whether it is safe to sail, and that decision is final. Rough seas are most likely from May to October on the Andaman coast, and from October to December on the Gulf. Book the boat for the second or third day of your stay, not the last. If the captain cancels for weather, we move the charter to another day of your stay. If no new date works, the money is refunded.
On the day and after
Arrive at the marina 20 minutes early. The crew gives a safety briefing and shows you the life jackets before you leave. Agree the return time, so drivers are waiting at the pier. At the end, settle any extras. Tipping the crew is welcome, at your discretion.
☐ At the pier early, with sun cream already on
☐ Safety briefing and life jackets
☐ Return time agreed with the captain and the driver
Planning a Phuket day? See our Phuket yacht charter page.
Share the checklist and plan it with Tanner
Share this page with your group before you sail. Or hand the list to Tanner, your planner, and we work through it for you. We match a licensed boat to your group and route, add the chef and the drinks, and book the car to the marina. You receive one written quote, with VAT included.
Two weeks before
What to pack
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