Phuket has four marinas, all on the east coast facing Phang Nga Bay, a working boatyard industry, and cruising grounds that run from the limestone islands of the bay to the Similans. For a buyer who wants a boat as much as a house, the island offers something rare in Asia: a home, a berth and a haul-out yard within half an hour of each other, and an international airport in the middle.
The questions that matter are which marina, which season and which rules.
Why the marinas are on the east coast
Phuket's west coast faces the open Andaman Sea. It has the sandy beaches, and from May to October it takes the full force of the south-west monsoon. The east coast faces Phang Nga Bay, is mostly mudflat and mangrove, and is sheltered from that swell. So the marinas, boatyards and piers sit on the east side, and the boats sail round to the west-coast bays in the dry season.
That split matters when you choose a home. A beach house on the west coast and a berth on the east coast are a cross-island drive apart. If the boat comes first, look at the east coast itself: Cape Yamu and the Ao Po coast, the Koh Kaew side of Phuket Town, or Mai Khao for Yacht Haven.
The marinas, north to south
Yacht Haven Marina
Phuket Yacht Haven, at the north-east tip of the island in Mai Khao, was established in 1997. It has 320 berths for vessels from 3 metres to over 100 metres, and in 2023 it added 18 superyacht pontoons, creating 12 more berths for yachts of up to 50 metres. A fuel dock, opened in 2010, sells high-speed diesel and gasohol 95. It is the closest marina to the airport and to the Sarasin Bridge to the mainland. The office monitors VHF 68.
Ao Po Grand Marina
Ao Po Grand Marina, on the north-east coast in Thalang, has 230 berths and takes superyachts of up to 499 tons. It has 24-hour access with no tide restriction, a minimum depth of 3 metres inside the marina and 7 metres on the seaward side of the outer docks at lowest low tide. Boats up to 100 feet are hauled out by trailer-lift, with an 80-ton lift for larger, deeper boats, onto a hardstand for 60 boats. Shore power runs up to 400 amps. It sits at the mouth of Phang Nga Bay, and the islands begin at the marina wall. The office monitors VHF 69.
Royal Phuket Marina
Royal Phuket Marina, at Koh Kaew on the east side of Phuket Town, has 100 wet berths for yachts of up to 35 metres, a covered dry stack for 60 boats of up to 12 metres and a service hardstand for 26 boats, served by a 50-ton travel lift. The basin has a minimum depth of 4 metres. It is also a residential address: its Royal Villas each come with a private berth, and its Aquaminium building has a penthouse with its own on-water yacht garage.
Boat Lagoon
Phuket Boat Lagoon, further up the same channel, is the island's main boatyard. It has 180 wet berths with power and water, hardstand for up to 160 vessels, 22 dry-stack bays and three travel lifts of up to 120 tons, with haul-out, repair, electrical, canvas, chandlery and cleaning services on site.
The Koh Kaew channel
Royal Phuket Marina and Boat Lagoon share a channel marked by concrete pilings, which runs through a shallow bay into a mangrove creek. Allow about 45 minutes from the open-water entrance to either basin, at a speed limit of five knots. Vessels of up to 35 metres and 2.5 metres draught can enter either side of high tide, and deep-draught boats should run the channel during the last hour of the rising tide. Confirm current depths with the harbour master before you rely on a tidal window.
The marinas compared
| Marina | Where | Berths | Access | Haul-out | Nearby homes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yacht Haven | Mai Khao, north-east tip | About 320, up to 100 m plus | Deep water, superyacht berths | Fuel dock on site | Mai Khao |
| Ao Po Grand Marina | Thalang, north-east coast | 230, up to 499 tons | 24 hours, no tide restriction | Trailer-lifts to 80 tons, 60-boat hardstand | Cape Yamu |
| Royal Phuket Marina | Koh Kaew, east of Phuket Town | 100 wet, 60 dry stack | Tidal channel | 50-ton travel lift, 26 hardstand | Phuket Town |
| Boat Lagoon | Koh Kaew, east of Phuket Town | 180 wet, 22 dry stack | Tidal channel | Three travel lifts to 120 tons, hardstand for 160 | Phuket Town |
The sailing year
November to April is the season. The dry season brings settled weather to the Andaman coast, the west-coast bays become safe anchorages, and the island's sailing calendar fills. The main event is the Phuket King's Cup Regatta, first held in 1987 to mark the 60th birthday of King Bhumibol and sailed off Kata Beach. The 37th edition ran from 29 November to 6 December 2025, with crews from Europe, Australia, New Zealand and across Asia, and the opening youth events drew more than 80 young sailors. Phuket's dry months, December to March, are the most reliable for passages and for guests.
May to October is the south-west monsoon. The west coast takes the swell and the rain, and the offshore national parks close. The Department of National Parks shut the Similan and Surin islands from 16 May to 15 October 2026, to let the reefs recover and because of the weather. Sailing moves into the sheltered waters of Phang Nga Bay, and the low season is when boats are hauled out for yard work. See climate and seasons and the seasons tool for the month-by-month picture.
Cruising grounds within reach
- Phang Nga Bay. The limestone islands and sheltered anchorages start at the east-coast marinas. It is the low-season cruising ground and a day sail from Ao Po or Koh Kaew.
- Koh Yao Noi and Koh Yao Yai. The two islands in the middle of the bay, served by ferries from Bang Rong pier on Phuket's east coast.
- Coral Island and Racha. The southern islands that day boats reach from Chalong Pier. See Chalong.
- Krabi and Phi Phi. Across the bay to the east and south-east, with the Krabi coast and Ao Nang beyond.
- The Similans. The offshore islands open from mid-October to mid-May. In the 2026 to 2027 season they reopened on 15 October.
Bringing a foreign yacht to Thailand
In February 2021 the Thai Customs Department lengthened the temporary import allowance for foreign yachts. The allowance rose from 12 months, six plus six, to 30 months: six months, then extensions in six-month increments up to two further years. The same rules allow foreign superyachts of 30 metres or more with a Thai charter permit to take charters in Thai waters, with VAT payable on that income.
This is the framework, not the paperwork. Clearing in involves Customs, Immigration and the harbour authorities, and requirements change. Use a local yacht agent for your first arrival, and confirm the current rules before you plan a long stay or any charter income.
Owning a boat as a Phuket resident
- Berth first, house second. Marinas publish their facilities, not always their waiting lists or fees. Get a berth offer, the monthly rate and the tidal access for your draught in writing before you commit to a house because of the marina.
- Plan the yard. Boat Lagoon and Royal Phuket Marina have travel lifts, and Ao Po uses trailer-lifts. Ask where your boat will be hauled, how far ahead the yard books in the dry season, and what a lift and a week on the hard cost.
- Registration and ownership. Whether a boat stays on a foreign flag or is registered in Thailand affects how long it can stay and whether it can earn income. Take advice from a yacht agent and a Thai lawyer before you buy a boat locally.
- Running costs. Budget for the berth, insurance, crew or a boat manager if you are away, and antifouling and engine servicing in the warm water. Our cost of living guide covers the household side.
- Your stay. A boat, like a house, gives no right to live in Thailand. Check the visa pathfinder and the Long-Term Resident visa.
Where boat owners buy
Cape Yamu and the Ao Po coast. Large villas on big plots facing Phang Nga Bay, with Ao Po Grand Marina and Royal Phuket Marina the nearest berths. Very quiet, with few shops and no swimming beach. See Cape Yamu.
Koh Kaew and Phuket Town. Homes near Royal Phuket Marina and Boat Lagoon, close to the hospitals, the international schools and Central Phuket. Royal Phuket Marina sells residences with private berths. See Phuket Town.
Mai Khao and Nai Yang. The north of the island, near Yacht Haven and the airport, with national park beaches on the west side. It suits an owner who flies in to sail. See Mai Khao and Nai Yang.
Rawai and Chalong. The south, for owners of smaller boats and day cruisers who use Chalong Bay and the southern islands. La Vista Villas, a gated group of nine pool villas on a hill in Chalong, looks over the sea and the islands. See Rawai and Nai Harn and Chalong.
On the Gulf, Pattaya is the alternative. Ocean Marina Yacht Club, established in 1995, is a full-service yacht harbour in Na Jomtien. See Na Jomtien and Bang Saray.
Your next step
Browse the homes for sale in Phuket, or narrow it to villas if you want a garden and room for the kit. The property map plots every marina against the homes for sale, and the area matchmaker will weight districts for a boat. For beaches on the other side of the island, read our guide to Phuket's beaches.
