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?
The short answer
What are the national park fees for a yacht charter in Thailand, and who pays them?
Thailand's marine national parks charge foreign visitors between 300 and 500 baht per adult and half that per child, payable per park rather than once. Phi Phi is 400 baht with a 200 baht diver supplement, the Similans and Surins are 500 baht, Ao Phang Nga and Mu Ko Hong are 300 baht, and Mu Ko Lanta is 400 baht. Fees are cash only at the ranger station and are usually paid out of the APA. Similan, Surin and Lanta close by order from mid-May to mid-October, and Maya Bay closes separately from 1 August to 30 September.
The current schedule
| Park | Adult | Child | Diver supplement | Annual closure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ao Phang Nga | 300 baht | 150 baht | none | open all year |
| Mu Ko Hong, Krabi | 300 baht | 150 baht | none | open all year |
| Mu Ko Phi Phi | 400 baht | 200 baht | 200 baht per diving day | Maya Bay closed 1 Aug to 30 Sep |
| Mu Ko Lanta, covering Koh Haa and Koh Rok | 400 baht | 200 baht | none | mid-May to mid-October |
| Mu Ko Similan | 500 baht | 250 baht | 200 baht per diving day | 16 May to 14 October |
| Mu Ko Surin | 500 baht | 250 baht | none | 16 May to 14 October |
Three things that surprise people
- 01It is per park, not per trip. A ten-day route through Phang Nga, Phi Phi and Lanta pays three separate fees per person. On eight guests that is over 8,000 baht before anyone has swum anywhere.
- 02It is cash. The ranger stations do not take cards. On a crewed charter the captain handles this out of the APA, and on bareboat it is your problem to have solved before you leave the marina.
- 03Divers pay more, and pay it per diving day. In the Similans that is 500 baht to enter plus 200 baht for each day you dive.
The closures are the expensive part
The fee is a rounding error next to the closure. Mu Ko Similan and Mu Ko Surin shut on 16 May and reopen on 15 October, by order, every year. Mu Ko Lanta closes over roughly the same window, taking Koh Haa and Koh Rok with it. Maya Bay closes separately from 1 August to 30 September.
This is the single hardest constraint in Andaman itinerary planning, and it is why the season matrix on this site marks those months closed rather than poor. Weather is a judgement. A closed national park is a fact.
An operator selling you a Similan itinerary for July is selling something that cannot legally happen. It is the fastest reliability test available in this market and it costs you nothing to run.
Next
- What a charter week in Phuket really costsHow much does a yacht charter in Phuket actually cost, with everything included?
- Northeast against southwest monsoon, and what each one closesWhen is the best time to charter a yacht in Phuket?
- APA explained: what it pays for and what comes backWhat is the Advance Provisioning Allowance on a yacht charter?
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.