Phuket contacts

[expatri8]

We plan on visiting Phuket (June 02-05 maybe)
and would like to meet any resident CF regulars.
I am interested in learning a bit about the Phuket side of having a boat,
and such things as a dinner and few beers might entice.

cheers

[mausgras]

Ok then ... it looks like I'm the first off the mark although I'm sure there are many better qualified than me to comment.

Phuket is a large island with several marinas and anchorage fields around the island and nearby region. It is probably SE Asias largest and most popular domestic cruising and charter yacht location.

Charter yachting is big business with (I'm guessing a bit) a couple of hundred yachts available. Customers are predominately European and Australian. While long term expat liveaboards and a domestic Thai boating community is several times bigger.

It is also a popular stopping, resting, refitting location for international cruisers and circumnavigators from budget cruisers to superyachts. It has something to offer everyone irrespective of lifestyle or class.

The yacht service industry is large, well equipped and diverse with a skilled but relatively low cost workforce making it a popular location for boats requiring major refitting or just budget routine maintenance.

The cruising waters around Phuket offer over a hundred islands from spectacular limestone Karst towers and mangrove wetlands to coral fringed sand cays. You can anchor off a 5 star resort, go ashore and treat yourself to an international cuisine or off an isolated fishing village and sample seafood just minutes out of the water.

Some islands and attractions are tourist hotspots which have literally thousands of visitors arrive in hundreds of boats daily; while others are unspoilt natural wonderlands where you can anchor in glorious isolation. You can go for a daycruise and be back at your anchorage in the evening or go sailing for a month and never touch land.

A mix blessing is the hotch potch of rules and regulations. There are the usual international requirements for visas and immigration conditions and then there is the largely unregulated and often ignored navigation and boating conditions once you have entered the country. Rampant tourism and the Thai penchant for ignoring navigation rules anyway draw a lot of criticism.

While Phuket Island is where the main marinas are based there are smaller marina developments and cruising facilities in the wider region. Phang Nga, Krabi, Koh Lantra and even farther afield the Similian Islands to the north and Tuataro Islands to the south should be included.

Ive been cruising the region for three years now and I think barely seen a quarter of what the area has to offer.

I hope that helps a bit.

[mausgras]

Another thought, try viewing some of the facebook groups like "Phuket Cruising Yacht Club".

Lots of informal newsy type postings with pictures.

[expatri8]

Originally Posted by mausgras

"Phuket Cruising Yacht Club".

Thank you mausgras for this suggestion.
I am allergic to Facebook, but searching I found their website.
unfortunately time was too short to visit phuketcruisingyachtclub
but I will try again next time.

I did visit the Royal Phuket Marina to get an idea of their prices,
it seems like a very comfortable place.

[Cool Hand Luke]

We just went sailing there in January... a group of 10 for 10 days

Loved it!!! We had a Sunsail 444 Cat for the first 5 days and then a Moorings 4600 Cat for the next 5 days. Some minor boat issues, but other than that it was SURREAL!!

If you have any questions, let me know. But, I can only answer based on my 10 days there.