Where Do Yachts Depart From in Phuket?

Yachts in Phuket depart from Chalong Pier in the south and from three marinas on the east and north-east coasts: Ao Po Grand Marina, Royal Phuket Marina and Boat Lagoon. Horizon Cruises Phuket uses these four points for most of the 89 boats it offers, and yours follows the boat's berth and the route, confirmed at booking with a map pin. Phuket has no single main port, and the pier decides how long the crossing takes. Ask us on WhatsApp.

The difference between them is not cosmetic. James Bond Island is about 20 km from Ao Po and about 53 km from Chalong. That is roughly an hour of running each way — two hours of your day that either stay with the islands or do not.

Which marina for which route

Which marina for which route

Where you are going	Usual departure	Why
Coral Island, Maiton, Racha	Chalong Pier	the southern islands are closest from here
Phang Nga Bay, James Bond Island, Hong	Ao Po Grand Marina	20 km against 53 km from Chalong
Krabi side: Poda, Railay, Chicken Island	Ao Po Grand Marina	26–44 km, roughly an hour
Phi Phi	either	48 km from Chalong, 54 km from Ao Po
Similans, Surin, Koh Lipe	chosen per boat	multi-day routes, departure follows the vessel

Chalong Pier: the main southern departure point

Chalong is the best-known starting point on the island and the reference from which distances to the southern islands are usually measured. Routes south leave from here: Coral Island (~9 km), Maiton (~15 km), the Racha Islands (~26 km) and Phi Phi (~48 km).

The infrastructure is straightforward and works: taxi access, boarding from the pier.

The full guide: yacht charter from Chalong Pier.

Ao Po Grand Marina: the gateway to Phang Nga Bay

A marina on the northeast of the island, the closest to Phang Nga Bay and to the islands on the Krabi side. The difference in the numbers is substantial: James Bond Island is about 20 km from here against roughly 53 km from Chalong; Hong Island about 18 km; Koh Yao about 16 km.

The hour saved on the crossing stays with the islands themselves, which is why we measure every route into the bay and towards Krabi from Ao Po rather than from Chalong.

The full guide: yacht charter from Ao Po Grand Marina.

Royal Phuket Marina

A marina on the east coast, north of Phuket Town — one of the two large yacht complexes on this side of the island and home to a significant share of the fleet. Pontoons, a restaurant, on-site service, gated access.

Two practical things matter for a guest here. First: leaving an enclosed marina depends on the tide, so departure times are planned more carefully than from an open pier — one more reason the exact time is confirmed by the manager rather than fixed on a website. Second: the east coast is closest to Phang Nga Bay and the Krabi side, so most routes from here head that way.

The drive is short from Phuket Town and crosses the island from the west-coast beach areas. The manager gives the exact travel time for your hotel together with the boarding point.

The full guide: yacht charter from Royal Phuket Marina.

Boat Lagoon

The neighbouring marina on the same east coast, and the oldest on the island. It is built as an enclosed lagoon with a channel to the sea, so it has the same tide dependence as Royal Phuket Marina and serves the same set of routes — the bay, the Krabi side, Phi Phi.

For a guest there is practically no difference between these two marinas: it comes down to where the chosen boat is berthed. Moving a vessel to a "more convenient" marina costs time and fuel and is not built into a standard day, which is why the logic runs the other way — boat and route first, marina second.

The full guide: yacht charter from Boat Lagoon Marina.

The island's other marinas

Two more places come up regularly when people search for yachts in Phuket. Our charters do not depart from them, but they are worth knowing about — if only so you do not look for your boat on the wrong shore.

Phuket Yacht Haven

The island's northernmost marina, at Mai Khao in the Thalang district, closest to the airport. By the marina's own figures it has 320 berths, including space for large vessels. It is primarily a base for private and visiting yachts and the point of entry for boats arriving in Phuket on their own keel; the islands are further from here than from the south and east, so day charters rarely leave from it.

Phuket Boat Quay

A small complex on the same east coast, next to Boat Lagoon. It is oriented towards smaller vessels and its residential and restaurant side rather than the charter fleet.

In all, the island has five or six points that yachts regularly leave from, and four that we depart from. If someone names a pier that is not on this list, that is normal — but it is worth asking whose boat it is and who maintains it.

Why the boarding point is confirmed at booking

A boat sits where its berth is. Moving it to a more convenient pier costs time and fuel, and that is not always built into the day.

So the logic runs the other way round: first you choose the boat and the route, then the manager names the marina, the boarding time and the easiest way to get there. Transfer from your hotel to the pier is agreed at the same point.

How boarding works

• The manager sends the map pin and the time in advance.
• You arrive 10–15 minutes before departure — the paperwork on the spot is short.
• The crew meets you at the pier and takes you aboard.
• Then a safety briefing, and out along the route.

Boats by type are in the catalogues: motor yachts, power catamarans, speedboats, luxury yachts.

If you own a yacht in Phuket and need someone to run it, place it in charter and report to you — yacht management in Phuket.

Two articles start from where you are staying: a yacht charter from Patong, Kata and Karon boards at Chalong Pier, and a yacht charter from Bang Tao, Laguna and Kamala boards at one of three marinas on the east coast.

Frequently asked questions

Where do yachts depart from in Phuket?

From Chalong Pier in the south and from the east-coast marinas: Ao Po Grand Marina, Royal Phuket Marina and Boat Lagoon. The exact point depends on the boat and the route and is confirmed at booking.

Which marina is closest to Phang Nga Bay?

Ao Po Grand Marina, on the northeast of the island: about 18 km to Hong, 16 km to Koh Yao, 20 km to James Bond Island. The same points are two and a half to three times further from Chalong.

Where do boats to Phi Phi leave from?

From both sides, depending on where the boat is berthed: about 48 km from Chalong Pier and about 54 km from Ao Po Grand Marina. The difference is small, so the departure point is chosen to suit the vessel.

Is there a transfer to the pier?

It is agreed at booking along with the date and route — the manager will suggest an option from your hotel.

Can I choose which marina to leave from?

Sometimes, but it works the other way round more often: the boat you want determines the pier. Moving a boat between marinas costs time and fuel and is not included by default. If a specific pier matters to you, say so early and we will look for a boat berthed there.

What marinas are there in Phuket?

Five main ones: Chalong Pier in the south, Ao Po Grand Marina in the north-east, Royal Phuket Marina and Boat Lagoon on the east coast, and Phuket Yacht Haven in the north. There is also Phuket Boat Quay next to Boat Lagoon. Our charters depart from the first four.

Which is the biggest marina in Phuket?

Phuket Yacht Haven in the north of the island — 320 berths by the marina's own figures. It is rarely used for day charters, though: the islands are further from there than from the south and east.

How far is the marina from my hotel?

It depends on the area. Chalong is closest to the southern beaches, Royal Phuket Marina and Boat Lagoon to Phuket Town, Ao Po Grand Marina to the island's north-east. The manager gives the exact travel time for your address together with the boarding point, and the transfer is discussed at the same time.

Where do boats leave from for Coral Island, Maiton and the Racha Islands?

From Chalong Pier, the southern departure point, because those islands are closest to it. The sailing catamarans Fountaine Pajot 40 Coco and Fountaine Pajot 42 Tahaa, from ฿25,900 for 15 guests and up to 20 aboard, and Calypso, from ฿31,030 for 10 guests and up to 35 aboard, are among the boats Horizon Cruises Phuket offers from there. The Chalong Pier guide covers the drive, the passenger registration and the full list of boats based at the pier.

Which marina is closest to Phuket airport?

Of the four points Horizon Cruises Phuket departs from, Ao Po Grand Marina, about half an hour away by road and with no tide restriction on departure. Phuket Yacht Haven at Mai Khao is nearer the airport still, but day charters rarely leave from it because the islands are further away. For a group that lands in the morning and sails the same day, the Ao Po Grand Marina guide has the practical details.

Do we need passports to board a yacht in Phuket?

Yes, bring them. Before departure the captain submits the passenger list, and at Chalong Pier the crew handles the registration at the pier while you hand over the passports. The paperwork on the spot is short, which is why arriving ten to fifteen minutes before departure is enough. Horizon Cruises Phuket sends the boarding time and the map pin in advance.

Can the yacht pick us up from our hotel beach or another pier?

As a rule, no. A boat sits where its berth is, and moving it to a more convenient pier costs running time and fuel that a standard day does not include. The practical way round is a road transfer from your hotel to the boat's pier: many boats include it in the rate and the others quote it, the yacht's page says which, and Horizon Cruises Phuket settles it at booking with the date and the route, so on the morning you only need to be at the pier on time.

Does the tide affect the departure time from Boat Lagoon and Royal Phuket Marina?

Yes. Both are enclosed marinas on the east coast that reach the sea through a tidal channel, so the captain sets the departure time around the water, and Horizon Cruises Phuket confirms it with the booking rather than printing one time for every boat. Chalong Pier is an open pier and Ao Po Grand Marina has no tide restrictions, so departures from those two follow the booked time.

Each departure point in detail

Every marina now has its own page — the drive, what is on site, the boats based there, and the questions guests ask before the day:

• Chalong Pier — the public pier in the south, passenger registration, 26 boats.
• Ao Po Grand Marina — half an hour from the airport, the gateway to Phang Nga Bay, 24 boats.
• Royal Phuket Marina — the town-side marina at Koh Kaew, underground parking, 14 boats.
• Boat Lagoon Marina — the enclosed lagoon next door, departure time tied to the tide, 17 boats.