Koh Phi Phi Don
The village, the hotels and the bars are at Ton Sai. You can come for the day on the ferry or stay a night or two. Not for you if you want a quiet island: Ton Sai is busy in the high season.
Things to do · the islands
The islands near Phuket: which one, and how to get there
Which island suits whom, which pier and boat to take, the national park fees, and the islands that close in the monsoon.
On this page 10
The islands around Phuket fall into four groups: Phi Phi and the Racha islands in the open Andaman Sea; short hops such as Coral Island and the Khai islands; the sheltered islands of Phang Nga Bay to the north-east, where Koh Yao Noi and Koh Yao Yai have villages and places to stay; and, much further out, the Similan and Surin marine parks, open only from mid-October to mid-May.
The choice is less about the island than about the day: how long you want to spend on a boat, how rough the sea is that week, and whether you want a beach, a reef or a village. Phang Nga Bay and James Bond Island have their own guide.
The short answer
For a first trip, Phi Phi is the famous one, a full day with crowds at Maya Bay. For a calmer day, Racha Yai has clear water and a short crossing from Chalong. For a short half day, Coral Island is fifteen minutes away. For the best snorkelling and diving, the Similan, open only from mid-October to mid-May, are worth a very long day. To stay on an island rather than visit one, choose Koh Yao Noi.
Pick your island
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The famous one
Ferry or day trip from the east coast; plan a whole day.
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A clear-water beach day, closer in
From Chalong, about 30 to 40 minutes by speedboat.
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A short half day
About 15 minutes by speedboat from Chalong or Rawai.
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The best reefs, if you can start at dawn
Open 15 October 2026 to 15 May 2027; 10 to 13 hours door to door.
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An island to sleep on
A public speedboat from Bang Rong, about 30 to 40 minutes.
Which pier for which island
Phuket has several piers, and the one on your ticket depends on the island. Many tours include a pick-up from your hotel; if you book a ferry yourself, check the pier name before you take a taxi.
| Rassada | East coast, near Phuket Town: the public ferries to Phi Phi (Ton Sai pier), and ferries to Krabi |
|---|---|
| Chalong | South: Racha, Coral Island, dive boats, some Phi Phi speedboats |
| Rawai | South: longtails to Coral Island and the islands just offshore, price to agree |
| Bang Rong | North-east: Koh Yao Noi and Koh Yao Yai |
| Ao Po | North-east: sea canoeing in Phang Nga Bay; Ao Po pier and Ao Po Grand Marina are two different places |
| East-coast marinas | Royal Phuket Marina, Boat Lagoon and the Ao Po area: most Phi Phi day trips by speedboat |
| Thap Lamu | In Phang Nga province, north of Phuket: the Similan boats, reached by road |
Phi Phi and Maya Bay
Phi Phi is two main islands. Koh Phi Phi Don is the inhabited one, with its village at Ton Sai, hotels and the ferry pier. Koh Phi Phi Leh, south of it, holds Maya Bay. Both are in a national park with a fee of 400 baht for a foreign adult and 200 baht for a child, which covers Phi Phi Don, Phi Phi Leh and Bamboo Island. Cheaper day trips often leave it out, and you pay it in cash on the day.
From Rassada, the public ferry takes about two hours and the speedboat about one; reseller timetables in November 2026 start at around 8.30 am and give the last departure anywhere between 3 pm and 4.30 pm. Reseller fares are roughly 500 to 700 baht by big ferry and 750 to 950 baht by speedboat, plus 20 baht in cash at Ton Sai pier. Day trips leave mostly from the east-coast marinas and last 8 to 11 hours door to door.
Standard day trips reach Maya Bay between about 9.30 and 11, according to one guide; trips that leave at dawn arrive first. For trips leaving Chalong, the same guide finds the first stretch, off Cape Panwa, usually the roughest.
Koh Phi Phi Leh and Maya Bay
Maya Bay closes every year from 1 August to 30 September; it reopened on 1 October 2026. Boats no longer enter the bay: you land at a pontoon at Loh Samah on the other side of the island and walk five to ten minutes on a boardwalk. Swimming is forbidden; you can get your feet wet, no more. Visits run in slots of about an hour, with at most 375 people at a time. Not for you if you want to swim there.
The islands close to Phuket
Racha Yai
There is no public ferry: you come on a tour, a dive boat or a private boat, about 30 to 40 minutes by speedboat or 60 to 90 minutes by bigger boat. It is a beginner and training dive site, with clear water in the high season. According to one guide, its west and north beaches are the ones to use from November to April, and the rockier east side from May to October. Not for you from September to October if you get seasick: the sea is at its roughest.
Racha Noi
Racha Yai's neighbour has no real beach: it is a dive and snorkel stop, with strong currents at its southern tip, for intermediate to experienced divers. Manta rays are possible in the high season, with no guarantee. Not for you if you want a beach.
Coral Island
A small island about 15 minutes by speedboat from Chalong or Rawai, with two beaches linked by a 10 to 15 minute path. There is no entry fee. Loungers and water sports are paid extra. According to one guide, the short crossing runs most of the year. Not for you if you want a quiet beach between about 10 am and 2 pm, or the best snorkelling: Racha and the Similan are better.
Khai Islands
Three small islands about 15 minutes by speedboat from the east coast: Khai Nok, a ring of sand round a rock; Khai Nai, the largest; and Khai Nui, with no beach, for snorkelling from the boat; it can have a strong current, so wear a life jacket. Feeding the fish is forbidden. Some sunrise Phi Phi trips stop here too. Not for you if you want a deserted island: speedboats line up on the sand.
The Similan and Surin islands
Both are national parks that close every year from mid-May to mid-October. For 2026 to 2027 the Similan are open from 15 October 2026 to 15 May 2027, for day visits only: overnight stays on the islands have ended, and only liveaboard dive boats stay out at night. The fee, the same in both parks, is 500 baht for a foreign adult and 250 baht for a child, and the Similan cap daily visitor numbers. The parks can close early in bad weather.
Similan Islands
The boats leave from Thap Lamu, in Phang Nga province, about 1 hour 15 to 1 hour 30 by speedboat from the islands. From Phuket that means a pick-up around 5.30 am, a long drive north and a return after 6 pm: 10 to 13 hours door to door. Life jackets are compulsory on the crossing. Koh Tachai, in the same park, has been closed to visitors since 2016. Not for you if you want to sleep on the island, or if a long road transfer spoils the day.
Surin Islands
Further north, from Khuraburi, about 200 km from Phuket. The park has a Moken village; dress modestly and ask before taking photos. An unofficial website about the park advises against doing it as a day trip from Phuket, although day trips are sold. Not for you on a short stay in Phuket: Khao Lak is much closer to the pier.
Koh Yao Noi and Koh Yao Yai
The two Koh Yao islands are in Phang Nga Bay, in Phang Nga province, with mostly Muslim villages and a slower pace than Phuket. Dress modestly away from the beach. Both are reached from Bang Rong, in the north-east of Phuket, and both have places to stay.
Koh Yao Noi
The public speedboat costs about 400 baht and lands at Manoh, in the south-west (some tickets go to Laem Sai); a slower longtail runs too. Boats leave roughly every hour, with the last one around 5 pm, and about half as many from June to September. Not for you if you land late: if your flight lands after about 3.30 pm, you may miss the last boat and spend the night in Phuket.
Koh Yao Yai
The larger of the two, reached in 30 to 45 minutes by speedboat, mostly from Bang Rong to Klong Hia in the north. Not for you on a tight schedule: there are about half as many boats from June to September, and speedboats can be cancelled in rough seas. Check fares and times when you book.
What closes, and when
From May to October the southwest monsoon makes the open sea rough. One operator notes that speedboats to the far islands are the first cancelled when waves reach two to four metres: check the day before. Phang Nga Bay, sheltered on three sides, has trips all year in practice.
| Similan and Surin | Closed mid-May to mid-October |
|---|---|
| Maya Bay | Closed 1 August to 30 September; Phi Phi trips still run and see it from the water or skip it |
| Koh Tachai | Closed to visitors since 2016 |
| Phi Phi | All year; more cancellations on rough monsoon days |
| Coral Island | Most of the year: the crossing is short |
| Koh Yao | All year; about half as many boats from June to September |
Phang Nga Bay and James Bond Island
Speedboat, big boat or catamaran
Speedboat. The fastest, and the roughest. Many operators do not take pregnant women and advise against it with back or heart problems; age limits vary by operator, roughly from 3 or 4 up to 70 or 75.
Big boat or ferry. Slower, but it rolls less: the better choice if you get seasick. Sit on the lower deck, in the middle.
Catamaran. Between the two: slower than a speedboat, steadier.
Rules in the marine parks
Sunscreen. Sunscreens containing oxybenzone, octinoxate, 4-MBC or butylparaben have been banned in Thailand's marine national parks since August 2021.
Hands off. Since April 2025, national rules for snorkelling and diving forbid touching coral and feeding fish, and require a life jacket for snorkellers.
Fees in cash. With cheaper operators, park fees are often collected in cash on the day. Ask whether your trip includes them.
Compare the islands
| Island | Pier | Crossing | Park fee (foreign adult) | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phi Phi | Rassada, east-coast marinas | 1 to 2 h | 400 baht | All year; Maya closed Aug-Sep |
| Racha Yai | Chalong | 30 min to 1 h 30 | None listed | Roughest sea Sep-Oct |
| Coral Island | Chalong, Rawai | About 15 min | None | Most of the year |
| Khai Islands | East coast | About 15 min | Not confirmed | Weather permitting |
| Similan | Thap Lamu | 1 h 15 to 1 h 30, after a long drive | 500 baht | 15 Oct to 15 May |
| Koh Yao Noi | Bang Rong | 30 to 40 min | Not confirmed | All year; fewer boats Jun-Sep |
These places on the map
- Koh Phi Phi Don Islands
- Koh Phi Phi Leh and Maya Bay Islands
- Racha Yai Islands
- Coral Island (Koh Hey) Islands
- Khai Islands Islands
- Similan Islands Islands
- Koh Yao Noi Islands
- Koh Yao Yai Islands
- Rassada Pier Airport and piers
- Chalong Pier Airport and piers
- Ao Po Pier Airport and piers
- Bang Rong Pier Airport and piers
Read next
Things to do · the beaches
Beaches
Phuket's beaches line its west coast, from an empty 11 km strand by the airport to small coves reached on foot or by boat. The one thing they share is the sea: calm from December to March, and dangerous on many days from May to October.
Things to do · Phang Nga Bay
Phang Nga Bay
North-east of Phuket, Phang Nga Bay is a sea of limestone towers, mangroves and hidden lagoons, much of it protected as a national park. A day there usually combines James Bond Island, a stilt village and a canoe ride into the hongs. Sheltered on three sides, the bay can be visited almost all year; James Bond Island is crowded around midday.
Things to do · the Old Town
Old Town
A grid of painted shophouses built on tin money, a food culture that earned Phuket a UNESCO City of Gastronomy title, and a Sunday market that fills Thalang Road: the Old Town is the part of Phuket that is not about the sea.
Things to do · temples
Big Buddha & temples
A white marble Buddha on the hill above Kata, reopened in 2026 after a deadly landslide; the island's best-known Buddhist temple, at Chalong; Chinese shrines in the Old Town; and a golden Buddha half-buried in the ground at Thalang.
Things to do · Patong
Patong
Patong is Phuket's busiest resort: a 3 km beach in a bay on the west coast, a town of hotels, malls and markets behind it, and Bangla Road, the island's nightlife street. It is convenient, loud and very easy to enjoy if you know where its rules and its traps are.
Things to do · the south
Rawai and the south
The south of Phuket ends in a cape where crowds gather every evening for the sunset. Around it are Nai Harn, a bay with a lake behind it, the small cove of Ya Nui, Rawai with its longtail pier and seafood market, and Chalong, whose pier is the island's busiest for boat trips.
Things to do · night markets
Night markets
Phuket's markets run on a weekly rhythm: the Old Town's Sunday Walking Street, the weekend market at Naka, container stalls at Chillva from Monday to Saturday, and markets every evening in Patong and Kata. The food is the reason to go, and the day you are on the island decides which one you can see.
Where to stay
Where to stay
Kata and Karon for a first trip, Patong for the nights, the Old Town for the food, Mai Khao for the airport: the area you sleep in decides your beach, your evenings and your drives.
Travel info
Travel info
The practical side of a trip to Phuket: entry rules that changed in September 2026, an airport at the far north of the island, blue buses that run from Phuket Town to one beach and back but never between beaches, scooters that put many riders in hospital, and a few habits that save money.
Common questions
Which island near Phuket is best for a day trip?
Phi Phi if you want to see Maya Bay and do not mind the crowds; Racha Yai for clear water with a shorter crossing; Coral Island for a short half day. The Similan have the best reefs but are open only from mid-October to mid-May, and make a 10 to 13 hour day.
Is Maya Bay open?
Maya Bay closes every year from 1 August to 30 September and reopened on 1 October 2026. Swimming is forbidden; you land at Loh Samah and walk to the beach.
How much is the Phi Phi national park fee?
400 baht for a foreign adult and 200 baht for a child, covering Phi Phi Don, Phi Phi Leh and Bamboo Island. It is often not included in cheaper day trips, and is then paid in cash on the day.
When are the Similan Islands open?
From 15 October to 15 May. For 2026 to 2027, from 15 October 2026 to 15 May 2027, for day visits only. The park can close early in bad weather.
Which pier is the ferry to Phi Phi from?
The public ferries leave from Rassada, on the east coast near Phuket Town, and arrive at Ton Sai pier on Phi Phi Don. Most day trips by speedboat leave from the east-coast marinas instead.
Can you visit the islands in the monsoon?
Some of them. The Similan and Surin are closed from mid-May to mid-October, and Maya Bay in August and September. Phi Phi and Koh Yao are reached all year, and Coral Island most of the year, with more cancellations on rough days. Phang Nga Bay is the most sheltered.