Big Boat, Speedboat or Longtail from Phuket

Pick a big boat if you want a steady deck and lunch on board, a speedboat if you want more islands in the same hours, and a longtail if you want a small wooden boat and do not mind a two-hour drive first. If you cannot decide, James Bond, Phang Nga Bay and Hong Island Tour from Phuket by The Thai Tourism Company sells the first two on one listing, from US$48 on promotion, usually US$51 a person (checked November 2026): US$50.57 for the 8-hour big boat and US$59.55 for the 9-hour speedboat on our November to March dates, with the same pickup and the same hour of canoeing at Panak Island.

The big boat and the speedboat show as two options on the calendar. The park fee is cash at the pier on both.

Ten days, side by side

From each tour’s itinerary, includes and option picker, checked November 2026. “30 + 30 min” means 30 minutes ashore on Khao Phing Kan plus 30 minutes of photos facing Ko Tapu; “1 h + 1 h” is an hour each at James Bond Island and Khao Phing Kan. The Thai Tourism Company’s prices are the options read on 26 Nov 2026, 20 Jan 2027 and 24 Mar 2027; the others are each tour’s from-price, explained in its price note.

What each boat is like

Big boats are two-deck cruisers that sail from Ao Po Pier on Phuket’s north-east coast. Lunch is a buffet on board, and the days run long: 8 hours on The Thai Tourism Company’s, 10 on Oh-Hoo’s. A big-boat reviewer on 27 October 2026 chose it to “enjoy the view and relax more”. Amazing Canoeing's big boat moves you onto a longtail for the last stretch to James Bond Island.

Speedboats cover more ground. Go Adventures (Thailand) and Delight Tours and Travels both fit in Ko Yao Yai, Panak, Hong, 1.5 hours at Ko Panyi and an hour at James Bond Island in 8 hours from the Boat Lagoon. On Discover Thailand’s speedboat day the staff have seasickness pills, since the Andaman “might be a bumpy speedboat ride”.

Longtails start from the Phang Nga side, after a drive of two to two and a half hours, and add the cave temple of Wat Suwan Khuha on the way. The boat is small and open, and both longtail days here give 1.5 hours at Ko Panyi. On Thrilling Thai Tours' day the guide paddles the canoe for you, as the water round Ko Thalu can be difficult to paddle.

Which one for you

Prices, ratings and review counts from the listings (GetYourGuide checked November 2026). Operators price by date and season, so treat the figures as the shape of the market, not a quote.

The real cost of each

The headline price is only part of it. On days that leave the park fee out you add 300 baht for each foreign adult and 150 baht for each child, in cash (Ao Phang-nga’s fee under the national parks department’s 2022 rates). Pickup can add more: 100 or 300 baht a person on The Thai Tourism Company’s day from a few areas, 200 baht on Thrilling Thai Tours’ outside Patong, Kata and Karon, or a dearer option on Oh-Hoo’s and BJ Canoeing Tour Co.,Ltd.’s. The Phuket James Bond tour by pickup area works it out for your hotel.

If you are weighing this day against a Phi Phi day trip instead, phiphiislandstour.com covers Phi Phi tours from Phuket, Krabi and Ko Lanta.

Read the limits first

Anyone prone to seasickness, pregnant or with back or heart problems should read the limits first: most of these days list one or more of them. The Thai Tourism Company’s two programs both exclude people prone to seasickness. James Bond Island in November covers the sea in the dry season’s one rough month.