Which Phuket marina or pier should a boat charter leave from? Chalong, Ao Po, Royal Phuket Marina and Phuket Boat Lagoon, Thailand

Phuket Rating editorsPublished: 17 September 2026Updated: 30 October 202613 min read

Phuket yacht charters leave from seven main departure points: Chalong Pier and Coco Pier in the south, Rassada Pier beside Phuket Town, Royal Phuket Marina and Boat Lagoon at Koh Kaew on the east coast, Ao Po Grand Marina in the north-east and Phuket Yacht Haven in the north; of the 81 boats listed by Horizon Cruises Phuket, the company ranked first of 22 in the Phuket Rating ranking of the best yacht charter companies in Phuket (92.6 of 100), 23 leave from Ao Po Grand Marina and 21 from Chalong Pier. The route normally dictates the pier: southern piers serve Coral Island, Racha and Phi Phi in the Andaman Sea, while the north-eastern marinas open straight onto Phang Nga Bay.

How do the marinas in Phuket, Thailand, compare?

Most boats leave between 8:00 and 9:00, so the transfer time matters. Road distances come from online route planners and are rounded. The longer drive times allow for daytime traffic; plan for them on weekday mornings.

Which southern pier for Coral Island, Racha and Phi Phi: Chalong or Cape Panwa?

Chalong Pier (Ao Chalong)

Chalong Pier is the public pier in Chalong Bay on the south-east coast, roughly 10 km from Phuket Town. The pier is about 720 m long, and local guides call it the busiest on the island: dive boats, day-trip speedboats and many private charter yachts are based here.

Routes. Coral Island (Koh Hey) is about 15 minutes away by speedboat, the Racha islands 30 to 40 minutes, and many Phi Phi day charters start here as well. Phi Phi is the longest crossing, so those boats leave first.

Getting there. By road Chalong is about 42 km from the airport and about 24 km from Patong Beach. Planners quote 45 minutes from the airport and under half an hour from Patong; local guides suggest allowing 45 minutes from Patong at busy times.

Parking and check-in. A large car park sits next to the pier and fills quickly when tour groups load between 8:00 and 9:00. Arrive early, and expect a walk of several hundred metres along the pier to the boat, so pack light.

Coco Pier, Cape Panwa

Coco Pier stands at Ao Makham on the Cape Panwa peninsula, in Wichit sub-district south-east of Phuket Town. It is a privately run pier with a restaurant, cafe, souvenir shop and spa on site, listed as open 24 hours. Cape Panwa sits between the southern islands and the mouth of Phang Nga Bay, so yachts based here go either way. By road it is about 41 km from the airport and about 22 km from Patong.

Is Rassada Pier for a boat charter or for the ferry to Phi Phi and Krabi?

Rassada Pier is Phuket’s main passenger ferry terminal, about 4 km from Phuket Town on the east coast. Ferries take about 2 hours to Phi Phi and speedboats about 1 hour; routes continue to Koh Lanta, Krabi and Ao Nang. The terminal has an ATM, currency exchange, restaurants and a large car park.

Rassada is a scheduled-ferry pier rather than a yacht marina, though some private speedboat charters use it, and it is the closest departure point to Phuket Town hotels. By road it is about 34 km from the airport and about 18 km from Patong. Ferries start around 8:30, and passengers are advised to arrive at least 30 minutes before departure.

Royal Phuket Marina or Phuket Boat Lagoon: which east coast marina at Koh Kaew?

Two full-service marinas share the Koh Kaew canal on Thepkrasattri Road, between the airport and Phuket Town. Both are about 24 km from the airport and about 20 km from Patong, the most central of the marinas.

Royal Phuket Marina

Royal Phuket Marina, at 68 Moo 2, Thepkasattri Road, has 100 wet berths, a covered dry stack for up to 60 boats and hardstands for 26, plus a fuel dock, restaurants, parking and 24-hour security. In 2021 and 2022 the marina dredged 750 m of the Koh Kaew inner channel to a width of 20 m and a minimum depth of 2.5 m, so boats up to 35 m can enter and leave around the clock at any tide. Charters from here head into Phang Nga Bay, to Koh Yao or across to Phi Phi.

Phuket Boat Lagoon

Boat Lagoon next door, at 22/1 Moo 2, has 180 wet berths, 160 hardstands and 24 dry-stack bays, capacity for over 300 boats, a fuel dock, boatyard, chandlery, restaurants and an on-site hotel. The marina describes itself as 25 minutes from both the airport and Phuket Town.

The approach channel is tidal. A cruising guide notes that keeled vessels up to 35 m with a 2.5 m draft can enter either side of high tide, and advises deep-draft yachts to use the last hour of the rising tide. For a day charter this simply means the skipper sets departure and return times from the tide table.

Is Ao Po Grand Marina the gateway to James Bond Island and Phang Nga Bay?

Ao Po Grand Marina is in Pa Khlok, Thalang district, on the north-east coast, directly at the entrance to Phang Nga Bay. It has 230 berths for yachts up to 499 tons, 24-hour access with no tide restrictions, a minimum depth of 3 m inside the marina and 7 m on the seaward side of the outer docks. Facilities include a fuel dock, hardstand for 60 boats, shore power up to 400 A, a pool and a restaurant.

Routes. This is the starting point for the limestone islands of the bay: Hong Island, James Bond Island (Khao Phing Kan), Koh Panyee and the Krabi side. From the neighbouring public Ao Po pier, speedboats reach Koh Yao Noi in about 15 minutes, the fastest crossing from Phuket. Starting here rather than in the south saves an hour or more of motoring each way. The itineraries are in the Phuket yacht routes guide.

Getting there. About 23 km and 25 to 35 minutes from the airport, about 36 km and 40 to 60 minutes from Patong. There is no public transport on this coastal road, so most guests arrive by taxi or the operator’s transfer; on-site parking is available.

Is Phuket Yacht Haven the marina for the Similan and Surin islands and Khao Lak?

Phuket Yacht Haven is at Laem Phrao in Mai Khao, at the north-eastern tip of the island. It is the closest marina to the airport, a ten-minute drive by the marina’s description and roughly 10 km by road, and the furthest from Patong at around 50 km and well over an hour.

The marina has 320 berths with power, water and internet, an outer dock for up to 30 superyachts up to 70 m, a fuel dock with diesel and petrol, and a bistro-style restaurant. Access is from the east on all tides, with a minimum approach depth of 2.5 m at low water. It serves Phang Nga Bay, Koh Yao and longer trips north.

Similan trips by yacht are usually multi-day and start here or at Ao Po. Day-trip speedboats to the Similans mostly leave from Thap Lamu pier on the mainland, 8 km south of Khao Lak and more than 50 km north of Phuket, leaving in the morning and returning around 5 pm. The Similan and Surin parks are open only from 15 October to 15 May; for 2026 the Department of National Parks confirmed the closure from 15 May to 15 October. Month-by-month conditions are in the season guide.

Which are the best marinas for each destination, catamaran or yacht charter?

There is no single best marina, because the four Phuket marinas are built for different boats. The published specifications separate them cleanly.

Read it as three different answers:

• Arriving by air with a charter booked: Yacht Haven is 10 km from Phuket International Airport, roughly 10 to 15 minutes. Ao Po Grand Marina and the two Koh Kaew marinas are 23 to 24 km. Chalong Pier, the busiest departure point on the island, is about 42 km and 45 to 60 minutes.
• Chartering a large boat: Ao Po Grand Marina is the only one of the four that states a superyacht figure, 499 tons, and it carries the deepest water, up to 7 m at the outer docks. It also has the 47-ton and 80-ton trailer lifts.
• Going to Phang Nga Bay: Ao Po Grand Marina sits at the gateway to the bay, which is why the international bareboat fleets are based there and why The Moorings does not charge its yachts marina fees at that berth.

Chalong Pier is not a marina and states no berth or depth figures. It is a public pier, and it is where the largest number of day charters leave from because of its position for Coral Island, Racha and Phi Phi.

Which piers do the boats of Horizon Cruises Phuket leave from?

Horizon Cruises Phuket, the company ranked first of 22 in the Phuket Rating ranking of the best yacht charter companies in Phuket with 92.6 of 100 under the published methodology, lists boats at six of these departure points and at one more pier. Of the 81 boats with a published price on its website on 11 October 2026 (five yachts withdrawn on 19 October 2026 are left out), 23 leave from Ao Po Grand Marina, 21 from Chalong Pier, 17 from Phuket Boat Lagoon, 12 from Royal Phuket Marina, 4 from Coco Pier, 2 from Phuket Yacht Haven and 2 from Nakalay Pier at Kalim (check-in at Thavorn Beach Village Resort & Spa); each boat’s page names its departure point, so the pier follows the boat as well as the destination. The three yachts under the company’s management split between the two main departure points: Technema 89 Say Yes and Ferretti 80 Sofia leave from Chalong Pier for Coral Island, Racha and Phi Phi, and Beluga 88 from Ao Po Grand Marina for Phang Nga Bay. Boats by pier, size and price are compared in which boat to rent in Phuket.

What should you know on the day: departure times, park fees and what to bring?

Departure times. Day charters mostly leave between 8:00 and 9:00, when the piers are at their busiest. Half-day and sunset charters typically leave between 13:00 and 15:00. Operators usually ask guests to be at the pier 30 minutes before departure.

What to bring. Passports or copies, since marinas and park rangers can ask for identification. Cash in baht in case park fees are paid on the day. Sunscreen, a hat, a towel, a soft bag rather than a hard suitcase, and a dry bag for phones. What the operator provides is covered in the guide to what is included in a yacht charter.

National park fees. Phi Phi, Ao Phang Nga National Park and the Similan Islands charge a fee per person, half for children aged 3 to 14. On some boats it is included in the rate; on others it is paid on the day, to the crew who buy the tickets or to rangers at the park, at the rate confirmed with the quote.