The Andaman Sea in a week: Phi Phi, Koh Lanta, Racha
The southern Andaman Sea is the Thailand of the travel ads: Phi Phi with Maya Bay, the wild south end of Koh Lanta and Racha Yai with a reef drop-off right off the beach. The loop is about 130 nm from Ao Po marina, with legs of two to four hours and every night at anchor or on a buoy off a beach. It is longer and more exposed than the Phang Nga route and suits a crew with some experience.
Day by day
Ao Po marina
- Phuket (Ao Po)8.077, 98.435
Boat handover after 17:00 at Ao Po Grand Marina on the north-east coast of Phuket, forty minutes from the airport. The easiest provisioning is on the way from the airport; dinner at the marina overlooking the bay.
Ao Po → Koh Yao Yai
- Koh Yao Yai7.920, 98.580
A short first leg south down the Koh Yao channel to Lo Pared bay on the west side of Koh Yao Yai, a long island with hardly a hotel on it. Anchor off the beach and swim before sunset.
Koh Yao Yai → Phi Phi Don
- Phi Phi Don7.740, 98.778
Three hours south-east over open sea to Phi Phi Don, a double bay with a sandy isthmus between. A buoy off Tonsai or, when it is calm, anchor at Laem Tong on the northern tip of the island.
Phi Phi Leh and Bamboo Island
- Phi Phi Leh7.678, 98.766
- Phi Phi Don7.740, 98.778
Be at Phi Phi Leh by seven, before the day boats: Maya Bay from the sea, the Pileh lagoon, the Viking Cave. The afternoon on Bamboo Island, a sandbank with a reef around it. Night back off Tonsai.
Phi Phi Don → Koh Lanta
- Koh Lanta7.480, 99.080
South-east to Koh Lanta and Kantiang bay on its wild southern end. If the sea is calm and the forecast settled, go on to Koh Rok instead — two uninhabited national-park islands with the clearest water in the Andaman — and spend the night on a buoy off them.
Koh Lanta → Racha Yai
- Racha Yai7.605, 98.369
The longest leg of the week, west across open sea to Racha Yai, a small island south of Phuket. A horseshoe bay, Bungalow Bay, with a drop-off for snorkelling close to the shore; night at anchor.
Racha Yai → Chalong → Ao Po
- Chalong7.820, 98.360
- Phuket (Ao Po)8.077, 98.435
North past Promthep Cape into Chalong Bay for lunch by the pier, then round Cape Panwa and up the east coast of Phuket into Ao Po marina. Refuelling and handover, night in the marina, fly out the next day.
Coordinates are approximate, for the harbour or bay. Paste them into Google Maps or a chartplotter, and check the chart and pilot book before you moor or anchor.
Good to know
- Season: the north-east monsoon, November to April, brings dry weather and 10–15 knots; the best months are December to March. From May the south-west monsoon brings rain and a westerly swell: the anchorages at Phi Phi and Racha become exposed and the route stops making sense.
- Plan B: Koh Rok is the first thing to drop — go only on a settled forecast. In a northerly chop keep the Lanta leg inside the Koh Yao channel, and take Racha out of the loop in favour of a second night at Phi Phi.
- National parks: Phi Phi and Koh Lanta with Koh Rok are marine national parks. Fees are paid per person to the rangers ashore or on their patrol boat — keep the receipts. Never anchor on coral; use the park buoys. In Maya Bay you may neither moor nor swim: you land at the jetty on the far side of the island.
- Logistics: there is no marina on the route other than Ao Po, and every night is at anchor or on a buoy, so leave with full water and fuel tanks. From Phuket airport to Ao Po is about 30 km, roughly 40 minutes by taxi.
When to go and what it costs in Thailand
Median € per berth per week from the agent's latest check, monohulls; each month's page has both boat types, a chart and boats departing that month.
Discounted boats in Thailand
All boats in Thailand
How long is the Phuket — Phi Phi route and where do you stay overnight?
7 days and about 130 nautical miles in a loop, starting and finishing in Phuket. Overnight stops in order: Phuket (Ao Po), Koh Yao Yai, Phi Phi Don, Phi Phi Don, Koh Lanta, Racha Yai. The longest leg is day 6, 40 nm.
When is the best time to sail the Phuket — Phi Phi route?
In Phuket and the Andaman Sea the season runs November to April, with the best weather December to February. May to October brings the south-west monsoon: rain and swell, cheaper boats. Samui is the reverse: dry in summer, wet in November–December. By the agent's latest checks (monohulls), the cheapest month is October: a median of €408 per berth per week. The most expensive is January, at €595. The most boats with 20% off or more are in October: 15%. The agent checks the current month and the next five; each month has its own page with the numbers.
How much does a yacht for this route cost?
A whole boat in Thailand for a week starts from €9,599 in the agent's current selection: the cheapest discounted week departing in the next three months. Prices per berth by month are higher up the page; the boats are under “All boats in Thailand”.
Do I need a licence to charter a yacht?
For a bareboat charter (no skipper or crew provided), yes: a skipper's licence and, as a rule, a VHF radio certificate. Without a licence, we add a skipper, paid separately from the boat price.
What's included in the boat price?
Just the boat, for a week. Usually paid separately: transit log and final cleaning, fuel, marina fees, the security deposit (or deposit insurance), a skipper, cook and hostess if you need them, and extras (SUP board, on-board Wi-Fi, coffee machine, child safety netting).
