Yacht charter from Bang Tao, Laguna, Surin and Kamala in Phuket, Thailand: which marina do you board at for a private island trip, and which luxury yachts, catamarans and boats leave from there in 2026/27?
A yacht charter for guests staying in Bang Tao, Laguna, Layan, Surin or Kamala boards on the other side of Phuket, Thailand: Horizon Cruises Phuket starts its private charters from three marinas on the north-east and east coast, Ao Po Grand Marina with twenty-four boats based there, Royal Phuket Marina with fourteen and Boat Lagoon with seventeen, each about half an hour from the airport, and none of the four departure points it uses is on the west coast. Fifty-five boats leave from those three marinas, from a speedboat for four guests at ฿28,900 for a four-hour half day to a 170 ft motor yacht at ฿481,500, every rate for the whole boat in Thai baht for the 2026/27 season, and one boat, the Pisces 85 power catamaran, lists boarding at Bang Tao itself for an extra fee. The charter day runs between 09:00 and 19:00; a half day is four or five hours, a full day eight. Send the date and head count on WhatsApp or through the contacts page.
Key highlights
- Three nearby marinas serve the north-west coast: Ao Po Grand Marina with 24 boats and no tidal window; Royal Phuket Marina with 14 boats; Boat Lagoon with 17 boats, next door to it at Koh Kaew.
- James Bond Island is eleven nautical miles from Ao Po and two and a half to three times further from Chalong Pier, Hong Island 18 km and the Koh Yao islands 16 km, so every trip into Phang Nga Bay starts on the east side.
- Starting rates: ฿33,900 for a five-hour trip on Ocean Pearl 42 with ten guests in the rate, ฿171,200 for a four-hour half day on Beluga 88 with twelve in the rate, both from Ao Po.
- The hotel transfer depends on the boat: Beluga 88, the Boat Lagoon boats, Leopard 47 Myra, Lagoon 56 OO7 and SUAY include it; Ocean Pearl and Astrea 42 do not.
- Horizon Cruises Phuket holds 5.0 from 33 reviews on Google.
Why the nearest marina to Bang Tao is on the east coast of Phuket, Thailand
Phuket has no single main port. Yachts depart from Chalong Pier in the south and from three marinas on the east and north-east coast, and Horizon Cruises Phuket uses those four points for most of its catalogue of around 80 boats. The west coast, where Bang Tao, Laguna, Layan, Surin and Kamala sit, faces the open Andaman Sea; the marinas sit on the sheltered side, facing Phang Nga Bay. Phuket Yacht Haven at Mai Khao, the northernmost marina, is a base for private and visiting yachts, and day charters rarely leave from it.
So a guest in Laguna chooses between the three east-side marinas, and the choice follows the boat rather than the hotel: a boat sits where its berth is, and moving it to a more convenient pier costs time and fuel. First you choose the boat and the itinerary, then the manager names the marina. Chalong Pier, nearest for Kata, Karon, Nai Harn and Rawai, suits Coral Island, Maiton and the Racha islands rather than the bay.
The three nearby marinas compared: access, tide and what is on site
| Marina | Boats based | Drive from the airport / Patong / Phuket Town | Tide and access | Office hours | On site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ao Po Grand Marina, Pakhlok, Thalang District | 24 | about half an hour / close to a full hour / about three quarters of an hour | accessible 24 hours, no tidal window, entrance 50 m wide | morning to early evening, every day | restaurant, evening bar, taxi booth, ATM, parking, pool and gym for a fee |
| Royal Phuket Marina, Koh Kaew | 14 | about half an hour / about half an hour / a little over twenty minutes | channel; a deep-draft boat's departure can depend on the water; marina open 24/7 | 08:30–17:30 Monday to Friday, 08:30–12:00 Saturday | underground parking, taxi rank, waterfront restaurants, Wi-Fi, security |
| Boat Lagoon Marina, Koh Kaew | 17 | about half an hour / about half an hour / around twenty minutes | channel depth changes with the tide; the captain sets the departure hour | 08:00–17:00, every day | hotel on the grounds, cafes and restaurants, car park |
Ao Po Grand Marina is the gateway to Phang Nga Bay and the only one of the three without a tidal window: a deep-water marina that takes vessels up to 499 tons, so the water never delays a departure, and the closest departure point to the airport. Royal Phuket Marina and Boat Lagoon are neighbours between the airport and Phuket Town and share a tidal channel to the sea, so the departure hour may be set by the water rather than by your preference; the captain sets it, and you get a confirmed time before the day. For a guest there is practically no difference between the two: it comes down to where the chosen boat is berthed.
Getting from Bang Tao, Laguna, Surin and Kamala to the marina: transfer, pick-up and the passport requirement
The marina guides on this site publish drive times from the airport, Patong and Phuket Town, not from the west-coast beaches. The road itself is clear: from all five beaches the drive crosses the island from the west coast to the east and arrives on Thepkrasattri Road, where Boat Lagoon and Royal Phuket Marina sit; Ao Po lies further north-east, at Pakhlok in Thalang District. Leave a margin for traffic and be at the marina fifteen minutes before the departure time; the manager gives the exact travel time for your hotel, and taxis wait at all three marinas for the trip back. The passport requirement applies at every marina, because the captain files a passenger list, and the day starts with a safety briefing once you are aboard.
Which boats include the hotel transfer from Laguna or Kamala
Each yacht's page says whether the transfer is in the rate. Beluga 88 includes one vehicle for up to ten guests on every charter; the Boat Lagoon boats, Leopard 47 Myra, Lagoon 56 OO7 and the SUAY include a return transfer from your hotel; Ocean Pearl and the Astrea 42 do not. Sea Bear and Pisces include transfers, Vanora and the Astondoa do not, and on SPLO 74 CHOWA the group rate charges ฿2,500 per minivan. Where it is not in the rate, the manager suggests an option from your hotel.
Boarding at Bang Tao, or from the beach
One boat in the catalogue names Bang Tao as a boarding point. Pisces, the 85 ft power catamaran based at Ao Po, can start the day at Koh Naka Noi, Yacht Haven Marina, Koh Yao, Patong or Bang Tao for an extra fee; the Bang Tao pick-up is ฿78,003 with VAT, the Patong one ฿67,303. Three sailing catamarans state that a beach pick-up or drop-off is possible on request, subject to tide and weather: Leopard 47 Myra and Lagoon 56 OO7 from Ao Po and Leopard 47 Summer S on the west coast; the beach is agreed when you book.
Boats that leave from Ao Po Grand Marina: the fleet, prices and guests in the rate
Twenty-four boats in the catalogue are based at Ao Po, from a 40 ft sailing catamaran to the 170 ft Vanora. Beluga 88, one of our three yachts, works from here; the other two, Technema 89 Say Yes and Ferretti 80 Sofia, leave from Chalong Pier in the south. Everything else in the table is a vessel in the partner catalogue, and the full price list is on each card.
| Boat | Type, length | Guests by day (in the rate) | Shortest format | From | Season of the rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beluga 88 | motor yacht, 88 ft | 22 (12) | half day, 4 h, Koh Hong and Naka | ฿171,200 | low and high season; not run in the peak |
| Fountaine Pajot Astrea 42 | sailing catamaran, 42 ft | 12 (12) | full day, 09:00–17:00, Phang Nga Bay | ฿50,900 | low season, 2 Mar to 30 Nov |
| Ocean Pearl 42 | motor yacht, 42 ft | 20 (10) | 5 h, Khai Island or James Bond Island | ฿33,900 | all year except 20 Dec to 20 Jan |
| Satisfaction 55 | sailing catamaran, 55 ft | 40 (20) | sunset tour, 3 h | ฿39,000 | low season |
| Leopard 47 Myra | sailing catamaran, 47 ft | 30 (10) | half day, 4 h, Naka and Phae | ฿49,900 | all year except 15 Dec to 31 Jan |
| Pisces 85 | power catamaran, 85 ft | 85 (30) | full day, 8 h, 11:00–19:00 | ฿250,000 | low season |
Beluga 88 is the luxury yacht we know hour by hour: renovated in 2026, solar-powered with the air conditioning on, nine knots, eight guests in four cabins overnight. Her half day goes to Koh Hong or Koh Khai with Naka; a full day of eight hours into Phang Nga Bay is ฿214,000 in low season and ฿267,500 in high season, with twelve guests in the rate and ฿3,000 for each guest above twelve.
Below her, the Ao Po selection divides by speed. The sailing catamarans, the Astrea with four cabins, Myra with transfers, park fees and lunch in the rate, Satisfaction 55 at seven knots with no cabins, stay in the sheltered water of the bay, Koh Hong and the Koh Yao islands, and do not go to Phi Phi. The motor yachts reach further: Ocean Pearl cruises at thirty knots, publishes full days from ฿39,900 and goes as far as Krabi and Phi Phi; Azimut 46 cruises at twenty-six knots from ฿59,000. Beyond the table, Bali 41 and Pina Colada 40 are the affordable sailing catamarans from ฿40,900 and ฿35,000. Pisces takes up to eighty-five guests with a DJ sound system, the Ao Po boat for a large occasion.
Boats from Royal Phuket Marina and Boat Lagoon: speedboats, catamarans and a yacht rental for a large group
Fourteen boats in the partner catalogue are based at Royal Phuket Marina, from a 42 ft sports cruiser to the 102 ft Astondoa, and seventeen at Boat Lagoon next door. Both face the same water, so the standard routes are Phang Nga Bay and Phi Phi, and the schedule comes from the captain once the boat is chosen.
| Boat | Marina | Type, length | Guests by day (in the rate) | Shortest format | From | Season of the rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mami Wata | Royal Phuket Marina | motor yacht, 1954 Halvorsen, 15.3 m | 12 (8) | sunset cruise, 3 h | ฿45,900 | low and high season |
| Fountaine Pajot 40 MY4.S SUAY | Royal Phuket Marina | power catamaran, 36.2 ft | 10 (10) | sunset charter, 4 h, or half day, 5 h | ฿69,900 | low season |
| Limpopo Axopar 28 | Boat Lagoon | speedboat, 28 ft | 4 (4) | half day, 4 h | ฿28,900 | same all year |
| Zambezia Leopard 53 | Boat Lagoon | power catamaran, 53 ft | 30 | half day, 4 h | ฿69,900 | same all year |
| Shangani 70 Ft | Boat Lagoon | catamaran, 70 ft | 60 (20 on the half day) | half day, 4 h | ฿98,000 | same all year |
For a couple or a family of four from Surin or Kamala, the Boat Lagoon speedboats are the direct answer: Limpopo Axopar 28 takes four guests with the ground transfer in the rate, Axopar 37 LILA six at twenty-five knots from ฿60,900. For a group of twenty to sixty the same marina has the power catamarans: Sanyati Leopard 51 for twenty-five by day from ฿66,900, Zambezia Leopard 53 for thirty, and Shangani 70 Ft for sixty, the highest day capacity in the catalogue. At Royal Phuket Marina, SPLO 74 CHOWA takes up to forty-five guests from ฿160,000 and Leopard 90 Moon Glider prices Naka and Rang Yai at ฿190,000 in every season.
Where the boats go from the east coast: island trips and the itinerary in Phang Nga Bay and Krabi
The east-side marinas open onto Phang Nga Bay, the enclosed sea between Phuket and Krabi inside Ao Phang Nga National Park. Hundreds of islands screen the bay from the open Andaman, so guests from Bang Tao discover calm water on this side when the west coast is rough. Every distance below is measured from Ao Po Grand Marina.
- James Bond Island, Khao Phing Kan with the Ko Tapu needle off its beach, is about 25 minutes one way on a speedboat, up to just over an hour on a motor yacht, forty to eighty minutes on a power catamaran and about two hours on a sailing catamaran; a private boat tour leaves early enough to see the rock before the group tours fill it.
- Hong Island in Phang Nga Bay, a limestone ring with a lagoon inside reached by canoe through a single passage, is about half an hour under way; twenty-five boats go there, and half-day trips of four or five hours leave from Ao Po and Royal Phuket Marina. Koh Panak, with its sea caves, is on the same itinerary.
- Koh Yao Yai and Koh Yao Noi, the two inhabited islands in the middle of the bay, are 30 minutes away on a motor yacht, so a visit to both fits a half day; the best place to swim is the eastern beaches around low tide.
- Hong Island in Krabi is about 27 km away, fifty minutes on a motor yacht or thirty-five on a speedboat, with snorkelling, swimming and diving. Koh Lao Lading, in the same national park, is about 28 km away and usually a stop after Hong Island.
- Phi Phi is about 54 km from Ao Po and 48 km from Chalong, a full-day excursion from the east side; the Krabi islands Poda, Railay and Chicken Island sit roughly an hour from Ao Po.
National park fees for Phang Nga, Krabi and Phi Phi are paid separately per person on the day unless the yacht's page lists them in the rate. Coral Island, Maiton and Racha are closer to Chalong; if those are the reason for the trip, say so, and we will tell you whether a boat from Chalong Pier does it better despite the drive.
Sunset cruise from the east coast, and the west-coast tour past Surin and Bang Tao
A sunset cruise in Phuket is the shortest format in the catalogue: two hours on a private yacht in the early evening from ฿28,900 for the whole boat with captain and crew, on any boat, from all four departure points. Departure is about an hour and a half before sunset; most of the two hours pass at slow speed or at anchor while you relax with drinks on deck. At the three east-side marinas the boats that publish a sunset or three-hour rate are Satisfaction 55 at ฿39,000 with twenty guests in the rate, the Sambuca at ฿40,000 and Mami Wata at ฿45,900.
There is also a boat that does not require the drive at all. Leopard 47 Summer S and her sister Leopard 48 Summer V are sailing catamarans berthed at Kalim, just north of Patong on the west coast. They are the boats for the west-coast beaches rather than the islands: a full day of up to seven hours sails north past Rock Cliff, Kamala, Laem Sing, Surin, Bang Tao, Koh Waew and Banana Beach at Layan for ฿46,900 all year except the peak, with fifteen guests in the rate, each extra guest ฿1,000 up to thirty, one beach landing and one stop to swim; a half day of up to five hours to Kamala and Laem Sing is ฿41,900. At eight knots this is a sail along your side of the island, not a trip to the bay.
Seasons, cancellation policy and what the charter includes
High season runs from November to April, low season from May to October, and the peak from 20 December to 20 January carries a surcharge on most boats; some partner boats set the peak on different dates, and the card is exact. On every boat the charter includes a licensed captain and crew, passenger insurance coverage, water and soft drinks, snorkelling gear and towels, and fuel for the agreed route except where a yacht's page lists a fuel fee; VAT at 7 % is inside every rate, there is no bareboat option and nobody in your party needs a boating license. Lunch, alcohol, water toys and the hotel transfer depend on the boat; the general list is on the what is included page.
Most boats take a deposit of half the rate to confirm the booking, with the balance paid before departure; some are paid in full at booking, and the yacht's page says which applies. The cancellation policy on most boats: a cancellation 30 days or more before the charter is refunded in full, 29 days or less before it is not, and moving the date, where the boat is free, is not a cancellation. If the Thai Marine Department prohibits departure, you choose between a full refund and the nearest free date; if departure is permitted but the route is not workable, the captain offers an alternative route for the same day; if it simply rains, the yacht sails.
How to book, and which boat we recommend for your group
Send the date, the number of guests and where you are staying on WhatsApp or through the contacts page. You get back the boats that are free on that date from the marina that fits your route, with one final figure in Thai baht for each, in writing, before anything is paid; the deposit follows the boat's page. Payment is by card, bank transfer, cash or USDT, in baht, dollars or roubles. The boarding point and the departure time come with a map pin. For two to four guests we recommend a Boat Lagoon speedboat, for up to twelve a catamaran or motor yacht from Ao Po, for twenty or more a power catamaran or Pisces, and for cabins and a crew of five Beluga 88. Horizon Cruises Phuket has worked in yacht charter in Phuket, Thailand since 2013.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a yacht charter marina in Bang Tao or Laguna?
No. None of the four departure points Horizon Cruises Phuket uses is on the west coast. Guests from Bang Tao, Laguna, Layan, Surin and Kamala board at Ao Po Grand Marina, Royal Phuket Marina or Boat Lagoon on the east side, fifty-five boats between them.
Which marina is closest to Bang Tao and Kamala?
All three are a drive across the island, and the site does not publish minutes from the west-coast beaches. Ao Po Grand Marina is about half an hour from the airport and the closest start for Phang Nga Bay; Royal Phuket Marina and Boat Lagoon are about twenty minutes from Phuket Town.
How much does a private yacht charter from these marinas cost?
From ฿33,900 for the whole boat for a five-hour trip on Ocean Pearl 42 with ten guests in the rate, from ฿45,900 for a three-hour sunset cruise on Mami Wata, and from ฿171,200 for a four-hour half day on Beluga 88 with twelve guests in the rate.
Can the boat pick us up at Bang Tao beach?
Pisces 85 names Bang Tao as a boarding point for an extra ฿78,003 with VAT. Leopard 47 Myra and Lagoon 56 OO7 from Ao Po, and Leopard 47 Summer S from the west coast, state that a beach pick-up or drop-off is possible on request, subject to tide and weather.
Is the hotel transfer from Laguna included?
It depends on the boat and is stated on its page. Beluga 88 includes one vehicle for up to ten guests on every charter, the Boat Lagoon boats, Leopard 47 Myra, Lagoon 56 OO7 and SUAY include a return transfer, and Ocean Pearl and Astrea 42 do not.
How long is the boat ride from Ao Po to James Bond Island?
The rock lies eleven nautical miles north-east of the marina: under half an hour on a speedboat, between half an hour and a little over an hour on a motor yacht, and about two hours on a sailing catamaran.
Do I need my passport at the marina?
Yes, for every person on board. The captain files a passenger list before departure at all three marinas, and you should be there fifteen minutes before the time in your booking confirmation.
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