Chartering for the first time
Which route suits your group
Which Phuket charter itinerary should I choose?
The short answer
Which Phuket charter itinerary should I choose?
First-time charterers and families with small children want Phang Nga Bay, because the water is flat, the passages are one to three hours and nothing depends on the weather. Divers want the southern route through Koh Haa and Koh Rok, or the Similans if they have seven days. People who want to sail rather than motor want the longer crossings to Phi Phi and the Rachas, where there is enough open water to make sailing worth doing. Anyone travelling between May and October wants the lee of Phuket and nothing else, because the west and south are closed or uncomfortable.
By group
| Group | Route | Why |
|---|---|---|
| First charter, or anyone worried about seasickness | Phang Nga Bay, 3 nights | Flat water, short hops, nothing exposed |
| Family with children under ten | Phang Nga Bay, 3 to 5 nights | Caves, lagoons and kayaks beat long passages |
| Certified divers | Krabi, Koh Haa and Koh Rok, 5 to 7 nights | Cave diving at Koh Haa, best reef south of Phi Phi |
| Serious divers with a week | Similan and Surin, 7 nights | The best water in Thailand, mid-October to mid-May only |
| People who want to sail | Phi Phi and Racha, 4 nights | Real crossings rather than one-hour hops |
| Photographers and late risers, oddly the same answer | Phi Phi, 4 nights | The whole value is arriving at hours the day boats cannot |
| Anyone travelling May to October | The lee of Phuket, 5 nights | The only ground that still works in the southwest monsoon |
| Ten days and no constraint | The grand circle | Both halves of the region with room to spare |
The mistake worth avoiding
Booking the famous destinations for a short charter. A three-night charter that tries to reach Phi Phi spends most of two days under way. The same three nights in Phang Nga Bay produce a better holiday and a worse photograph, and after the fact almost nobody regrets the trade.
Last checked 6 September 2026. Rates, fees and regulations in this market change every season, so figures on this page are correct as at that date and not afterwards. How the figures are gathered.