What Does a Private Boat Charter in Phuket Include?

A private boat charter in Phuket means the whole boat is yours for the day: your group on board and nobody else, a captain and crew who work to your plan, and a route you choose rather than one printed on a ticket. Boats take from 4 to 50 guests by day and start at ฿21,000 for the boat, not per person.

What "private" actually changes

• Nobody else on board. No shared deck, no waiting for forty strangers to get back in the tender.
• You set the clock. Leave at seven to have Maya Bay before the tour boats, or at eleven if the group would rather sleep.
• The route can change during the day. If the swell has picked up at one island, the captain suggests another. On a scheduled tour that is not an option.
• The crew works for your group only. One captain and one to five crew depending on the boat.

How many guests fit on a private boat?

Overnight capacity is always lower than day capacity — a boat that takes 20 by day may sleep 6 to 8. Both numbers are on every yacht's page.

Who is on board with you

Every charter includes a licensed captain. Larger boats add a deckhand, a hostess and, on multi-day trips, a cook — up to five crew. Their job is the boat, the route and the food; the day is yours.

Nobody needs a licence to charter. You are a guest on a crewed boat, not a skipper.

What a private charter costs

The rate is per boat per charter day, in Thai baht, and it is the final guest price. A group of twelve on a ฿60,000 boat is ฿5,000 a head — which is where private charter stops being the expensive option and starts being the obvious one.

Season moves the figure by roughly a quarter: low season May to October, high November to April, peak from 20 December (it ends between 10 and 20 January depending on the boat). Before you commit, it also helps to know how to compare charter companies in Phuket. Full tables by boat and format are on the prices page.

Where can you go?

Eighteen destinations, from Coral Island 20 minutes out to Koh Lipe at the Malaysian border. The full list with distances and timing is on the boat tours page; the most-booked are Phi Phi and Bamboo, the Racha Islands and Hong Island in Phang Nga Bay.

Departure point depends on the boat and the direction — southern routes usually leave from Chalong, Phang Nga and Krabi routes from Ao Po Grand Marina. Your pier is confirmed when the boat is booked.

Booking a private charter

• Send the date, the number of guests and roughly where you want to go.
• You get the boats that are actually free on that date, with final prices.
• A 50% deposit confirms it; the balance is paid on the day of the charter.
• Cancellation 30 days or more before: full deposit refund. 29 days or less: no refund.
• Cash, company bank transfer, or credit and debit cards; baht, dollars or roubles.

Frequently asked questions

What does private boat charter in Phuket cost?

From ฿21,000 a day for a speedboat and ฿33,900 for a motor yacht. The price covers the whole boat, so it is split by the group rather than paid per person.

How many people can go on a private boat in Phuket?

From 4 to 50 guests by day depending on the boat. Overnight numbers are lower — usually 6 to 12 in cabins.

Is a captain included in a private charter?

Yes. Every boat comes with a licensed captain, and larger boats add crew. No licence or experience is needed from guests.

Can we choose our own route?

Yes, and you can change it during the day. The captain will say if weather makes a stop unwise and suggest the nearest alternative.

Is a private boat cheaper than a shared tour?

It depends on group size. Shared tours charge per person, private charter per boat, so the more people you are, the closer the two get — and above roughly eight guests private is often the better value as well as the better day.