Illustrative photograph
The guide
37 answers to the questions a charter broker will not raise first
Every article opens with the complete answer in three to five sentences, so you can read one paragraph and stop. The rest is there when the paragraph is not enough.
Start here
The 13 that change a booking
Chartering for the first time
Bareboat, skippered or fully crewed
Should I charter a bareboat, take a skipper, or book a fully crewed yacht?
Chartering for the first time
How many days each cruising ground actually needs
How long should a yacht charter in Phuket be?
Chartering for the first time
From enquiry to boarding: what the process actually looks like
How does booking a crewed yacht charter work, step by step?
Money and the contract
What a charter week in Phuket really costs
How much does a yacht charter in Phuket actually cost, with everything included?
Money and the contract
APA explained: what it pays for and what comes back
What is the Advance Provisioning Allowance on a yacht charter?
Money and the contract
National park fees, park by park
What are the national park fees for a yacht charter in Thailand, and who pays them?
Law and safety
The Thai charter licence, and what happens to a charter without one
Does a yacht need a licence to charter in Thailand, and what happens if it does not have one?
Law and safety
The 24 metre rule since 2025 and who it changed things for
What changed when Thailand lowered the charter licence threshold from 30 metres to 24?
Law and safety
Five questions that separate a legal operator from a hopeful one
What should I ask a Phuket charter operator before I pay a deposit?
Law and safety
Which sailing certificates Thailand actually accepts for bareboat
What sailing licence do I need to charter a bareboat yacht in Phuket?
Cruising grounds and weather
Northeast against southwest monsoon, and what each one closes
When is the best time to charter a yacht in Phuket?
Cruising grounds and weather
Month by month in the Andaman Sea
What is the weather like for sailing in Phuket in each month?
Choosing the yacht
Catamaran or monohull in the Andaman Sea
Should I charter a catamaran or a monohull in Phuket?
5 articles
Chartering for the first time
What the booking actually involves, how many days a route needs and how big the yacht has to be for the group you are bringing.
Bareboat, skippered or fully crewed
Start hereShould I charter a bareboat, take a skipper, or book a fully crewed yacht?
How many days each cruising ground actually needs
Start hereHow long should a yacht charter in Phuket be?
How many cabins a group actually needs
What size yacht do I need for my group?
From enquiry to boarding: what the process actually looks like
Start hereHow does booking a crewed yacht charter work, step by step?
Which route suits your group
Which Phuket charter itinerary should I choose?
6 articles
Money and the contract
The base rate is about two thirds of the bill. APA, VAT, park fees, gratuity and the four clauses in a MYBA contract that decide who pays when something goes wrong.
What a charter week in Phuket really costs
Start hereHow much does a yacht charter in Phuket actually cost, with everything included?
APA explained: what it pays for and what comes back
Start hereWhat is the Advance Provisioning Allowance on a yacht charter?
National park fees, park by park
Start hereWhat are the national park fees for a yacht charter in Thailand, and who pays them?
The MYBA contract and the four clauses that decide who pays
What should I look for in a yacht charter agreement?
Deposits, payment schedule and cancellation
How much deposit does a yacht charter need and when is the balance due?
Crew gratuity: how much, when and how
How much should I tip the crew on a yacht charter?
7 articles
Law and safety
A foreign-flagged yacht needs a Thai charter licence, and chartering without one puts the yacht and the guests at risk. Also: which sailing certificates Thailand accepts for bareboat.
The Thai charter licence, and what happens to a charter without one
Start hereDoes a yacht need a licence to charter in Thailand, and what happens if it does not have one?
The 24 metre rule since 2025 and who it changed things for
Start hereWhat changed when Thailand lowered the charter licence threshold from 30 metres to 24?
Five questions that separate a legal operator from a hopeful one
Start hereWhat should I ask a Phuket charter operator before I pay a deposit?
Thai flag or foreign flag, and what it changes for you
Is it better to charter a Thai-flagged or a foreign-flagged yacht in Phuket?
Which sailing certificates Thailand actually accepts for bareboat
Start hereWhat sailing licence do I need to charter a bareboat yacht in Phuket?
Fiscal representatives and TYBA agents, and why they appear in your paperwork
What is a Thai fiscal representative and why does a charter need one?
Insurance, the damage waiver and what is not covered
What insurance do I need for a yacht charter in Thailand?
5 articles
Cruising grounds and weather
Northeast monsoon against southwest monsoon, month by month, and where the fleet still sails between May and October instead of sitting out the season.
Northeast against southwest monsoon, and what each one closes
Start hereWhen is the best time to charter a yacht in Phuket?
Month by month in the Andaman Sea
Start hereWhat is the weather like for sailing in Phuket in each month?
Where the fleet goes between May and October
What happens to the Phuket charter fleet in the low season?
Andaman Sea or Gulf of Thailand
Should I charter on the Andaman coast or in the Gulf of Thailand?
National park closures and what they take off the map
Which Thai marine parks close, and when?
6 articles
Life on board
Who the crew are, what the preference sheet decides, what the toys are and how diving works off a charter yacht.
Who is in the crew and what each of them does
What crew does a charter yacht have and what do they do?
The preference sheet, and how to fill it in properly
What is a charter preference sheet and what should I put on it?
Water toys: what is worth having and what sits in the locker
What water toys come with a charter yacht in Thailand?
Diving from a charter yacht in the Andaman
Can I dive from a charter yacht in Phuket?
Children on board
Is a yacht charter in Phuket suitable for young children?
Vegan, halal, kosher and allergies at sea
Can a charter yacht cater for special diets in Thailand?
4 articles
Choosing the yacht
Catamaran against monohull in the Andaman Sea, motor against sail with the fuel bill included, and what a gulet is for.
Catamaran or monohull in the Andaman Sea
Start hereShould I charter a catamaran or a monohull in Phuket?
Motor yacht or sailing yacht, with the fuel bill included
Is a motor yacht or a sailing yacht better value for a Phuket charter?
Gulets and traditional junks in Phuket
What is a gulet and is it worth chartering one in Thailand?
Explorer yachts, and why Mergui needs one
What kind of yacht do I need for a Mergui Archipelago charter?
4 articles
Weddings, incentives and New Year
The charters that have a date attached, and what the date does to availability, minimum length and price.
A wedding on board in Phuket
Can I get married on a charter yacht in Thailand?
A corporate charter for twelve
How does a corporate or incentive yacht charter work in Phuket?
Christmas and New Year in Phang Nga Bay
How much more does a New Year yacht charter in Phuket cost?
The King's Cup, the boat shows and the Rendezvous
What yachting events happen in Phuket and when?