Law and safety
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?
The short answer
Is it better to charter a Thai-flagged or a foreign-flagged yacht in Phuket?
Neither flag is better; they are different regimes. A Thai-flagged commercial vessel is licensed domestically and does not need the Superyacht Charter Licence, and this covers most of the bareboat fleet, the day fleet and much of the crewed fleet under 24 metres. A foreign-flagged yacht of 24 metres or more needs the Superyacht Charter Licence and a Thai fiscal representative. The practical difference is where you look: the Thai-flagged fleet is the accessible end of the market, the foreign-flagged fleet is the visiting international one, and each is fine as long as it is operating inside its own rules.
Two fleets that look the same from a website
Phuket in February holds two overlapping fleets. One lives there: Thai-registered, locally crewed, chartering year-round or seasonally under domestic commercial rules. The other visits: foreign-flagged hulls that come for the northeast monsoon and leave in April, chartering under the Superyacht Charter Licence.
What each means in practice
| Thai flag | Foreign flag, 24 m and over | |
|---|---|---|
| Licence | Domestic commercial licensing | Superyacht Charter Licence, annual |
| Typical size | Under 24 m, day boats to crewed catamarans | 24 m and up, motor yachts and superyachts |
| Crew | Usually Thai, often with an expatriate captain | International, following the yacht |
| Contract | Often the operator's own terms | Usually MYBA form |
| Availability | Year-round, though the season narrows itineraries | Seasonal, roughly November to April |
| Tax visible to you | Included in the quoted price | 7 percent VAT on the fee, itemised |
The one thing that is not a matter of taste
A foreign-flagged yacht of 24 metres or more chartering without the licence is outside the law, and that is not a nuance. Every other difference on this page is a preference. That one is a check.
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.