Where are the best watersports in Thailand?
The best watersports in Thailand depend on the coast that is calm in your month. The Andaman coast, with Phuket, Khao Lak and the Similan Islands, is driest from December to March. The Gulf coast, with Koh Samui and Koh Tao, is wettest from October to December. TAT names June to September as the diving season around Koh Tao.
Phuket suits yacht days, diving trips and paddling in Phang Nga Bay. Koh Tao is known for diving. Hua Hin and Pranburi, on the upper Gulf, draw kitesurfers. Pattaya has boat days close to Bangkok. Each place offers more when you have a private boat and a crew who know the water.
From your yacht: jet skis, seabobs and wakeboards
The most private way to enjoy watersports is from your own chartered yacht or catamaran. Many boats carry toys such as jet skis, seabobs, paddleboards and wakeboards. You anchor in a quiet bay, the crew lowers the seabob off the swim platform, and the only wake is yours. The crew watches you in the water and packs everything away.
Example plan. The yacht leaves Phuket in the morning for Phang Nga Bay. You paddle into the lagoons of Koh Hong while the water is still quiet. Lunch is at anchor, then the jet skis and the seabob come off the platform. Day trips return by about 7 pm.
Toys depend on the boat and can be added, so tell us what you want and we match the boat to it. The price depends on the boat, and Tanner quotes to your plan. Group size matters. Under the Navigation in Thai Waters Act, a boat with more than 12 passengers is a passenger vessel. It may not carry more people than its licence allows. A large group needs a bigger boat or a second one. See our Phuket yacht charters.
Where is the best diving in Thailand?
The Similan Islands are Thailand's best-known dive site, and they open only part of the year.
Most Similan boats leave from Thap Lamu pier near Khao Lak. Daily visitor numbers are limited, and tickets are e-tickets linked to your passport. Ko Tachai and several reefs are closed indefinitely. Read about the Similan Islands.
Diver recompression chambers in Phuket are at Bangkok Hospital Siriroj and Vachira Phuket Hospital. None was confirmed on Koh Samui or Koh Tao. Our guide to diving and snorkelling covers the best sites by season.
When is the kitesurfing season?
Hua Hin and Pranburi, on the upper Gulf coast, are Thailand's main kitesurfing spots. Local kite schools report a season of about October to May, on the north-east monsoon wind, with the steadiest wind from December to March. Their long, open beaches give you room to launch and land.
Lessons and board hire are available on the beach, and we can arrange a private instructor for your level. Wind changes from day to day, so we keep one spare morning in the plan and confirm the forecast with the school the evening before.
Can you surf in Thailand?
Phuket's west-coast beaches get surfable waves in the wet season, from May to October. This is the quiet season, with fewer visitors and the best resorts easier to book. Surf with care: a red flag on Phuket beaches such as Patong, Surin, Nai Harn, Kata and Karon means you must not swim.
Beginners should take a lesson with an instructor and choose a beach with lifeguards. Outside the surf months, the same beaches are calm enough for swimming and paddleboarding, so plan the activity around the season.
When are the sailing regattas?
Thailand has a busy sailing calendar, centred on Phuket and Koh Samui.
We can charter a yacht to watch the racing or to join the parties ashore. See our guide to the King's Cup Regatta.
Where is the best kayaking and paddleboarding?
Phang Nga Bay is the best place in Thailand to paddle, with sea caves and hidden lagoons among limestone islands. Koh Hong is one of the most visited. Ao Phang Nga is a ฿300 national park for foreign adults. Go early to have the lagoons almost to yourself.
A private boat takes your kayaks or paddleboards to the quietest spots. Read about Phang Nga Bay.
What are the rules on the water?
National park rules apply at most island sites, and they protect both you and the reefs. Boats may go no faster than 3 knots within 100 metres of shore, reefs and dive sites. They must moor only at buoys, piers or marked areas, never on coral. Drones need park permission.
The Department of National Parks bans sunscreen containing oxybenzone, octinoxate, 4-MBC or butylparaben in all parks. The fine is up to ฿100,000. The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources also runs smoking and litter rules on 24 pilot beaches. Penalties reach up to one year in prison, a fine of up to ฿100,000, or both. Park boat entry fees are charged per boat, such as ฿50 for a speedboat carrying up to 30 people. We book jet skis and other toys through your yacht, so you avoid beach rentals.
Plan your day on the water with Tanner
Tell us your dates, your group and what you love on the water. Tanner matches the coast to the season and charters the right boat with the right toys. He also books a dive guide or instructor if you want one. One planner handles the boat, the toys, the guide and the hotel, from one guest to 30 or more. If a coast is in the wrong season for your plan, we move you to the other one. See more experiences in Thailand.
