- CAPTAIN'S LOG / Asia
- 2 December 2019
The Land of Smiles
Over the past two decades, the yachting industry has been slowly growing throughout much of South-East Asia – and for good reason. Cruising Thailand and Myanmar is the life you dreamt of living.
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CRUISING IN THAILAND is drinking a fresh coconut at a beach shack, getting a Thai massage in a breezy cabana, and swimming in an emerald pool beneath a hidden waterfall while listening to monkeys chatter in the canopy above.
With limestone karsts towering over glimmering turquoise waters and brightly painted longboats pulled up onto powder-soft sands, Thailand’s islands are famously beautiful.
The country’s cuisine is as exciting as the scenery, whether you’re grabbing a Pad Thai from a street hawker on the way to visit a golden Thai temple, or sitting down for a celebrity chef’s degustation menu in Phuket before a wild night on the town.
After the action of Thailand’s coast, you’ll find a serene paradise in nearby Myanmar where the 800 tropical islands of the Mergui Archipelago are scattered in a sapphire sea …
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Phuket
Phuket is now the regional hub for luxury yachts, both as a location to cruise from and as a long-term base. Offering very good facilities and services for visiting yachts, there’s very little that you would find in a major Mediterranean yachting hub that you can’t find here.
Many of the companies in Phuket have been set up by yachting professionals from Europe and Australia and know what a modern superyacht and her crew requires.
Phuket has a major international airport with connections throughout the region and a number of direct flights to both Europe and Australia. As a result, most guest trips will start and finish in Phuket.
Weather
During the high season from November to May, it is the north-east monsoon season, with a predominantly north-easterly breeze ranging from very light up to a force 5. However this breeze is coming across the mainland peninsula, and is, therefore, an offshore breeze, which means calm seas and only a light chop if you sail offshore.
Occasionally, there will be a distant weather system out in the Indian Ocean that will create a swell on the western exposed coasts, but these events generally only last a few days and occur only a couple of times during a season. Due to the west coast being exposed to the Indian Ocean, the beaches are far better than those on the eastern side of the islands, and most of the finest resorts are located on the western beaches.
Marinas
There are a number of marinas in Phuket, but for yachts of over 30 metres, there are really only two options: Phuket Yacht Haven Marina and Ao Po Grand Marina. Both cater to some of the world’s larger superyachts, and are good places for a yacht to arrive at and get settled in to Thailand.
Clearance
Clearance on arrival can be done by the captain by anchoring in Chalong Bay and visiting the one-stop shop of harbour master, customs and immigration.
However, for most visiting superyachts, this is a valuable day wasted, and the various issues with visas and being bonded into Thailand mean that it is far easier to use an agent to do this work on the yacht’s behalf. Using an agent eliminates the risk of complications, particularly if the captain or any crew members arrive by sea and plan to depart by air.
Maintenance and dayworkers
Once cleared in and you are alongside in one of the marinas, you will find that nearly all brands of marine equipment have local agents and representatives for service and repairs. Significant refit work can also be carried out afloat, and there are companies in Phuket that can handle most tasks. They are also generally cheaper than in Europe, although the prices can occasionally be higher if using imported parts, which can attract some heavy import duties, but hopefully, the savings on labour costs offsets these charges.
Local day workers are available and have a good basic knowledge of cleaning and polishing. Local professional yacht crew are also available, as well as yacht crew training facilities.
Many visiting superyachts now take on local crew and end up keeping them on a permanent basis.
Provisioning
There are no issues getting ready for guest trips; chefs and chief stews will find a number of high-end provisioners. Many of these companies have been established for a long time and are accustomed to providing service to high-end hotels and luxury villas, and are now increasingly expanding to the yacht market. There is no shortage of fine suppliers in Phuket, however finding the best ones can be difficult for yachts arriving for the first time, and this is another instance where the services of a good agent can be very beneficial.
Activities
Crew and guests will find all types of social activities, from lively backpacker bars to luxury resorts and Michelin-starred restaurants. This range of venue also extends to the nightlife which comes in all types – including the most colourful!
Phuket and the south
If your guests wish to enjoy nightlife and shore activities, your itinerary will likely be centred in or around Phuket with possible excursions out to Krabi and some of the islands such as Kho Phi Phi.
If the guests wish to experience quieter anchorages, then the further you sail south or north from Phuket the better. Heading south there are numerous islands, many within national parks, which offer great anchorages and an escape from the crowds of Phuket, such as Koh Rok Nok, Rok Noi, Koh Muk and Koh Lanta. Heading further south, on the border with Malaysia, is the Tarutao National Park consisting of 51 mostly uninhabited islands, including the low-key tourist island of Koh Lipe.
North of Phuket
If you head north from Phuket there are two main island groups: the Similans Islands and the Surin group. The former are stunning and offer some amazing diving, however many of the islands have restrictions on anchoring and the main areas are often busy with dive live-aboard boats and day-tripping boats from the mainland.
The Surin group are further north and offer a few very good anchorages. Being further away from the mainland there are a lot fewer boats than you would experience in the Similans.
Mergui Archipelago or the Andaman Islands
For owners and guests who wish to sail to the more remote areas and experience a cruise that will be engraved in their memories, then a trip either to Myanmar’s Mergui Archipelago or out to the 300 or so Andaman Islands is a must.
These cruising grounds offer great anchorages and islands with white sandy beaches where you are almost certain to be the only vessel in the bay. Pass your days diving unspoilt coral reefs among whale sharks and manta rays, visiting the sea gypsy Moken tribes, and relaxing on one of the many uninhabited desert islands where your footsteps are the only sign of humankind.
These wildernesses are veritable paradises, where a yacht affords access to spectacular natural wonders, endemic wildlife, and interesting culture.
Indigenous Andamanese tribes inhabit the more remote islands, many of which are off-limits to all visitors to prevent the introduction and spread of disease.
Both of these archipelagos are easily accessible from Phuket, with Myanmar lying about 120 nautical miles north and the Andamans 400 nautical miles to the north-west. They are both certainly well worth making the effort to visit. However, both require a certain amount of planning beforehand to secure visas and cruising permits; rules and regulations often change and for either destination, it would be a daunting task for any captain to undertake without the use of an agent.
Once the correct planning and preparations have been made, the cruising you will encounter makes it all worthwhile.
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