When is the best time to charter a yacht in Phuket, Thailand? Phuket yacht charter seasons, sailing conditions and private yacht rental rates month by month for 2026/27

The best time to charter a yacht in Phuket is the high season from November to April, when the Andaman side of Thailand has calm water, predictable visibility and the full choice of routes, the Similan Islands included. Charters run all year, though: from May to October the south-west monsoon brings wind and swell in bands rather than continuously, the captain keeps the day in the sheltered water of Phang Nga Bay and the east coast, and the published starting rates apply. With Horizon Cruises Phuket a private yacht charter costs from ฿33,900 for the whole boat for a full day of seven to nine hours (AQVA 37 speedboat, six guests in the rate) and from ฿23,900 for a four-hour half day on a long-tail with four guests in the rate, across a catalogue of around 80 boats leaving from Chalong Pier, Ao Po Grand Marina, Royal Phuket Marina and Boat Lagoon. High season costs roughly a quarter more, and the peak weeks around New Year are priced separately by each yacht. Send the date and head count on WhatsApp or through the contacts page.

Key highlights

• Three price seasons: low season May to October at the published starting rates, high season November to April, and a peak from 20 December to 20 January on Technema 89 Say Yes, Ferretti 80 Sofia and Beluga 88; other yachts set separate peak dates.
• Season moves the base rate by roughly a quarter: a full day on Beluga 88 is ฿214,000 in low season, ฿267,500 in high season and ฿299,600 in the peak, with twelve guests in the rate.
• The Similan and Surin national parks are open from 15 October to mid-May only; the Similans lie 119 km from Chalong Pier and are sold as a charter of two days or more, never as a one-day trip.
• Phang Nga Bay is screened by limestone islands and runs all year: Koh Hong is 18 km from Ao Po Grand Marina, about half an hour under way, and twenty-five yachts in the catalogue route there.
• Horizon Cruises Phuket, a yacht charter company working in Phuket since 2013, holds 5.0 from 33 reviews on Google.

The short answer: November to April is the main season for a yacht charter in Phuket, Thailand

Every destination page on this site says the same thing about sailing conditions, because the captains say it: in the main season the Andaman side of Phuket has calm water and predictable visibility. Snorkelling is worth it on any day at Racha, the crossing to the Phi Phi Islands is a routine ninety minutes out of Chalong, and the beach stops on the west-facing islands are open. It is the dry season in this part of Thailand, with the widest choice of destination: the southern islands, the bay, the Krabi coastline and, on a longer charter, the northern parks. The calendar below is for Phuket and the Andaman Sea, not for other parts of Thailand. The price follows the sea, so this guide puts the two side by side: the flattest water of the year in February, or the lowest rate on the same yacht in July. Both are a good yacht charter experience in Phuket at different prices.

The three charter seasons in Phuket and what each does to the price of a private yacht

Three price bands apply to every yacht available for charter in Phuket through Horizon Cruises Phuket. Low season runs May to October and carries the starting rate on the yacht charter Phuket prices page. High season runs November to April and costs roughly a quarter more on most boats. The peak season is a short window around New Year, quoted separately by each yacht, so the table on the yacht's page is the one to read rather than a single cut-off. Holiday dates such as New Year's Eve are charged at the peak rate with no extra premium on top. The cleanest way to see the cost of a yacht charter by season is the same yacht and the same route priced three times.

The same yacht and route across the three seasons, whole boat, guests in the rate as shown, 2026/27

Yacht and route	Guests in rate	Low season	High season	Peak	Peak dates of this yacht
Beluga 88, any full day, 8 to 9 hours, Ao Po	12	฿214,000	฿267,500	฿299,600	20 Dec to 20 Jan
Technema 89 Say Yes, Coral Island, 8 hours, Chalong	12	On request	฿140,000	฿180,000	20 Dec to 20 Jan
Ferretti 80 Sofia, Phi Phi with Maiton, 9 hours, Chalong	12	On request	฿175,000	฿215,000	20 Dec to 20 Jan
Leopard 51 Aurora, Racha Yai or Coral Island, 8 hours, Chalong	12	฿79,900 (Jun to Oct)	฿84,900 (Nov to May)	฿94,900	20 Dec to 15 Jan
53ft Grand Banks Sambuca, Phang Nga Bay, 8 hours, Ao Po	up to 20 by day	฿55,000	฿60,000	฿69,000	20 Dec to 20 Jan
Fountaine Pajot Astrea 42, Phang Nga Bay, 09:00 to 17:00, Ao Po	12	฿50,900 (2 Mar to 30 Nov)	฿55,900 (1 to 25 Dec, 16 Jan to 1 Mar)	฿60,900	26 Dec to 15 Jan

Two things in that table matter more than the figures. Say Yes and Sofia publish high-season rates only and quote low season on request, so for a date between May and October the figure comes in writing from the manager. And the seasons differ yacht to yacht: Aurora treats May as high season, the Astrea 42 sailing catamaran keeps its low rate from early March to the end of November. For a date in March, May or late November, check each card.

Month by month: sea, rates and what to book early for a yacht rental in Phuket

The table collects what this site states about each month: the sea as the destination pages describe it, the rate band, what runs or is closed, and what sells out first. Where the site says nothing specific about a month, the row stays general rather than inventing a forecast. Sunset times come from the sunset cruise page, park dates from the Similan Islands and Surin Islands pages, holiday dates from the holiday dates page.

Phuket yacht charter month by month, rate band for the whole boat, 2026/27 season

Month	Rate band	Sea and routes, as the site states them	Runs or closed	Book early for
November	High season (Astrea 42 low until 30 Nov)	Settled season; flat water, clear horizon at sunset	Northern parks open; Sofia back from refit in mid-November	Loy Krathong, 25 Nov 2026, evening charter at high-season rates
December	High season to 19 Dec, then peak (15, 18 or 26 Dec on other yachts)	Main season; Racha and Phi Phi pages note rough days can occur; sunset about a quarter past six	Half days and the 2-hour sunset format not offered in the peak weeks	New Year's Eve, 31 Dec: boats typically gone by October; peak non-refundable on Say Yes, Sofia and Beluga 88
January	Peak to 20 Jan (10 or 15 Jan on some yachts), then high	Main season; Similan page lists Jan to Apr as its best months	All routes; 1 January is the quietest day on the water of the peak	Any date in the first three weeks
February	High season	Middle of the settled season, flattest water of the year	All routes; whale sharks most likely at Richelieu Rock, Surin, Feb to Apr	Chinese New Year, 6 Feb 2027: several weeks ahead, larger yachts go first
March	High season (Astrea 42 low from 2 Mar)	Main season	All routes; northern parks still open	Last multi-day charters north before the parks close
April	High season, last full month	Main season; last of the Similan best months	Surin season to 10 May, Similan to mid-May	Songkran week; low-season quotes for May on Say Yes and Sofia
May	Low season from 1 May (Aurora high to 31 May)	South-west monsoon begins; captain keeps the route on the sheltered east side	Similan closes 16 May, Surin 15 May; Phi Phi and Racha on calm days	Nothing in particular; starting rates apply
June	Low season	Monsoon; sunset about half an hour later than December; cloud, occasional evening shower	Phang Nga Bay, Koh Hong, Naka, Koh Yao and Coral Island run; southern islands when the forecast allows	Nothing in particular
July	Low season	Destination pages note calm weeks in July inside the monsoon	As June; route chosen on the morning	Nothing in particular
August	Low season	Monsoon; no month-specific statement on the site	As June	Nothing in particular
September	Low season	Monsoon; no month-specific statement on the site	As June; both northern parks closed	Nothing in particular
October	Low season to 31 Oct	Monsoon; no month-specific statement on the site	Similan and Surin reopen 15 Oct for 2026/27	New Year's Eve: by October the holiday boats are typically gone

Low season, May to October: is the green season worth a yacht charter in Phuket?

Yes, with one condition: the destination follows the sea rather than the other way round. From May to October the south-west monsoon brings wind and swell in bands, calm weeks and rough days inside the same month, so in the rainy season the route is chosen on the morning, not a week ahead. The captain reads the forecast and takes the side of the island that is in the lee; trips are almost never cancelled, they change shape. Phi Phi and the Racha islands lie in open water with less shelter than Phang Nga, so on a windy day the captain may suggest a substitute in the lee of the coast, worth accepting because in murky water the point of a snorkel trip is lost. If the Thai Marine Department closes the port on the day, you choose a full refund or a new date.

The practical argument for the low season is Phang Nga Bay. It is screened by hundreds of limestone islands, so the water inside stays flat when the open sea is not, and from May to October it is often the only comfortable day on the chart. Koh Hong is half an hour from Ao Po Grand Marina, and the same sheltered water holds James Bond Island, Naka and Koh Yao; a private yacht from Phuket to Koh Hong starts from ฿50,000 for the whole boat in low season (Prada 50, five hours with Koh Yao). On the south coast, Coral Island's northern Banana Beach is sheltered from the wind with calm water in the morning. The other argument is the rate: a full day on Beluga in low season is ฿53,500 less than the same day in high season, with the same crew of five and the same Thai lunch. Say Yes and Sofia quote low season on request; Sofia returns from her refit in mid-November 2026, so for her the question opens in May 2027.

Where to sail in each season: destinations in the Andaman Sea around Phuket and their open months

Phuket has four kinds of destination for a yacht tour, and the season decides which one to look at: the southern islands from Chalong Pier, Phi Phi 48 km to the east across open sea, Phang Nga and the Krabi coast to the north-east behind limestone cliffs, served from Ao Po, Royal Phuket Marina or Boat Lagoon, and the Similan and Surin islands far to the north-west, inside national parks that close for half the year.

Phuket yacht charter destinations by season, distance from the usual pier and starting rate for the whole boat, 2026/27

Destination	Pier, distance	When it runs	Starting rate, whole boat
Coral Island (Koh Hey)	Chalong, 9 km, half an hour	All year; Banana Beach sheltered from the wind	฿23,900, long-tail, 4 guests in the rate
Racha Yai and Racha Noi	Chalong, 26 km and 37 km	Nov to Apr; May to Oct on calm days	฿51,900, power catamaran, 8 hours, 8 guests
Phi Phi and Bamboo Island	Chalong, 48 km, 1.5 to 2 hours on a motor yacht	Nov to Apr; open water, less shelter than the bay	฿37,900 per boat
Koh Hong, Phang Nga Bay	Ao Po, 18 km, half an hour	All year; flat when the open sea is not	฿50,000, Prada 50, 5 hours, low season
Similan Islands	Chalong, about 119 km; 2 days or more	15 Oct to mid-May only; best Jan to Apr	Quoted per yacht and days; park fee per person on arrival
Surin Islands	Ao Po, about 163 km; about a week	15 Oct 2026 to 10 May 2027	Supplement on longer charters; park fee per person on arrival

Two destinations need the calendar read first. Mu Ko Similan National Park opens only in the dry season, and its page is blunt about the format: a charter of two days or more with nights aboard, never a single day, because the crossing leaves almost no time at the islands. It is the most crowded park in Thailand, with five to six thousand daily visitors in the open season, yet it stays pristine because building tourist facilities there is forbidden by law, and sleeping aboard puts you at the coral reefs at first light. Mu Ko Surin is farther still, a five-island park near the Myanmar border, booked only as a charter of about a week with nights on the park's mooring buoys; Richelieu Rock gives the best chance of whale sharks from February to April. Neither park has an alternative in the closed months, which the Similan booking guide spells out, and a longer charter north is the one way to explore Thailand's two remotest parks from Phuket. Park fees are paid separately per person on arrival unless the yacht's page lists them in the rate. The rest of the Andaman Sea around Phuket runs all year; the full list of islands and which pier serves each is in the best yacht charter destinations in Phuket and where yachts depart from in Phuket.

Peak season and holiday dates: Christmas, New Year, Chinese New Year and Loy Krathong

The peak is the one period where the best time to charter a yacht in Phuket and the easiest time to book are not the same thing. On our three yachts a peak full day starts at ฿180,000 on the two Chalong yachts and ฿299,600 on Beluga, half days and the two-hour sunset format are not run, and peak bookings are non-refundable once made. Other yachts draw the window differently, from mid-December to mid-January on most of the partner catamarans. There is no additional holiday premium on top of the peak rate; what runs out is availability, and for New Year's Eve the yachts are typically gone by October.

The holiday page lists three dates for the 2026/27 season. New Year's Eve on 31 December is an evening charter: late-afternoon departure, dinner aboard, anchored off Patong for the midnight fireworks and back after one; the two Chalong yachts are the natural choice, and Beluga suits a quieter New Year's Day in Phang Nga Bay. Chinese New Year on 6 February 2027 is a high-demand week at ordinary high-season rates, in the middle of the settled season with the flattest water of the year, so book several weeks ahead because the larger yachts go first. Loy Krathong on 25 November 2026 is a sunset departure with krathong made aboard, at high-season rates. A pattern that works: the celebration charter on the date, then a full day to the islands two or three days later, when the anchorages are empty again. New Year, Chinese New Year and Songkran are also the dates that go first for a birthday, wedding or corporate charter.

Sunset cruises, day charters and overnight charter itineraries: how the season changes each format

Sunset cruise

A sunset cruise is two hours on any yacht in the catalogue from ฿28,900 for the whole boat, departing about an hour and a half before sunset, which falls around a quarter past six in December and roughly half an hour later in June. In high season the water is flat and the sun goes down into the sea over a clear horizon; from May to October there is cloud and the occasional evening shower, and the most dramatic skies of the year when it breaks. The format runs every month except the peak weeks.

Day charter

A half day is four or five hours, a full day eight or nine, between 09:00 and 19:00 on most yachts. In high season the half day reaches the islands closest to the pier, Coral Island from Chalong or Koh Hong from Ao Po, and the full day reaches Phi Phi, Racha Noi or the Krabi islands. In the monsoon the same formats run, but the full-day destination is settled with the captain on the morning. Speed matters more in the main season: a speedboat at 25 to 35 knots crosses to Phi Phi in about ninety minutes, a motor yacht in up to two hours, and sailing yachts and sailing catamarans at 5 to 7 knots in about five, which is why the sailing fleet stays in the bay or at Coral Island and the motor yachts take the long day trips. The comparison is in sailing versus power catamaran in Phuket.

Overnight and multi-day charter

Forty-four yachts publish overnight rates, from ฿100,000 for two days and one night for the whole boat (Pina Colada 40, six guests in three cabins, low season), from ฿130,000 on a motor yacht (the Sambuca, four guests in two cabins) and from ฿360,000 on Say Yes and Sofia in high season. The standard itinerary is the loop from Phang Nga Bay to Krabi to Phi Phi and back with each night at anchor; from May to October the captain keeps it on the sheltered east side, and between mid-October and mid-May the same week can go north to the two parks instead. Thirty-five yachts publish a three-day rate, from ฿150,000 in low season; the day-by-day plan is on the 3-day yacht charter page and the cabins and routes on the overnight yacht charter page.

Which yacht suits which season: sailing catamaran, motor yacht or speedboat for yachting around Phuket

In the main season the choice is about the day you want rather than the sea. A sailing catamaran charter in Phuket is the cheapest way to take twenty people island hopping, from ฿25,900, and suits Coral Island, Maiton and the bay; a speedboat is the boat for Phi Phi before the ferries arrive at ten; a motor yacht or a power catamaran gives shade, a flybridge and a lunch stop at anchor. In the monsoon a slow hull is not a handicap in Phang Nga Bay, because the distance is short and the water is calm, so the choice comes down to deck space, guest numbers and which marina the yacht sits in. Every charter is crewed: no boat leaves without a licensed captain, so bareboat charter is not something we sell, and yacht hire here means a yacht with its crew. What the rate covers on every yacht is on the what is included page; lunch, alcohol, water toys and the hotel transfer depend on the yacht and are stated on its page.

How to book a yacht rental in Phuket for your dates: booking, deposit and payment

Send the date, the number of guests and the kind of day you want on WhatsApp or through the contacts page. You get the yachts that are free on that date with one final figure in Thai baht, in writing, before anything is paid; the figure already carries the season band for your date. A deposit per the yacht's page holds the date, on most yachts half the charter price with the balance before departure; on Say Yes, Sofia and Beluga 88 a cancellation thirty days ahead or more returns the deposit in full, later than that it does not, and peak-season dates are non-refundable. Payment is by card, bank transfer, cash or USDT, in baht, dollars or roubles. For New Year's Eve write by October; for Chinese New Year and Loy Krathong, several weeks ahead; for an ordinary high-season date, as soon as the flights are fixed; for a low-season date, a few days, with the route confirmed on the morning.

Frequently asked questions

When is the best time to charter a yacht in Phuket?

November to April, the high season: calm water and predictable visibility on the Andaman side, the full choice of routes, and the Similan and Surin parks open from mid-October to mid-May. February has the flattest water of the year.

When is it cheapest to charter a yacht in Thailand's Phuket?

From May to October, when the published starting rates apply to every yacht: a full day from ฿33,900 on a speedboat, ฿34,900 on a sailing catamaran, ฿39,900 on a motor yacht and ฿48,900 on a power catamaran, each for the whole boat. High season runs November to April at roughly a quarter more.

What is a yacht charter season in Phuket?

A price band tied to the calendar. Low season is May to October, high season November to April, and the peak is a window around New Year that each yacht sets itself, from just before Christmas to the third week of January on Say Yes, Sofia and Beluga, with a separate rate and, on those three, no refund once booked.

Can I charter a yacht in Phuket in the rainy season?

Yes. From May to October charters run every day the port is open; the captain keeps the day on the sheltered east side, Phang Nga Bay and the Krabi islands, and chooses the route on the morning. If the Thai Marine Department closes the port, you choose a full refund or a new date.

Is a Phuket yacht charter in July a bad idea?

No. The destination pages note calm weeks in July inside the monsoon, and Koh Hong, James Bond Island, Naka and Coral Island run in any case. Phi Phi and Racha go on the calm days; on a windy one the captain substitutes a bay in the lee of the coast, at the low-season rate on the yacht's page.

When are the Similan Islands open for a yacht charter?

From mid-October to mid-May; the park closes from 16 May to 15 October each year. It is about 119 km from Chalong Pier and is sold as a charter of two days or more with nights aboard, and its page lists January to April as the best months, less hot and humid.

How far ahead should I book a Christmas or New Year yacht charter in Phuket?

For New Year's Eve, by October: the yachts are typically gone after that. The New Year peak on Say Yes, Sofia and Beluga is a separate rate, a full day from ฿180,000 on the two Chalong yachts, and those bookings are non-refundable.