Discovering Phuket’s Marinas

Phuket’s beaches are famous, but its marinas tell a quieter story. They are thresholds between land and sea; places where global sailing routes, island life and luxury tourism meet. 

Step inside and the island changes. Masts replace palm trees on the skyline, the smell of salt and fuel lingers in the air and the rhythm is set not by traffic, but by tide. Phuket’s five marinas each carry their own mood, from polished showcase to working heart. Together, they reveal an island that is more than a beach resort; it is a maritime crossroads.

Phuket Yacht Haven Marina: At the very north, near the Sarasin Bridge, lies Yacht Haven. Designed for superyachts but lived in by sailors of all kinds, it feels less like a marina and more like a floating village. 

Walk the pontoons and you find bicycles tied to railings, laundry drying in the breeze and children racing along the decks. Simple restaurants and a bar gather the community together. It is spacious, calm and quietly human – the sort of place where time slows until the next ocean crossing. 

Ao Po Grand Marina: On Phuket’s northeast coast, Ao Po Grand Marina looks directly into Phang Nga Bay. At dawn, the marina hums with movement: crews prepping yachts, guests arriving for charters and the tide pulling everyone toward the limestone cliffs beyond the breakwater. 

But Ao Po is not only about departures. Around the basin is a self-contained village. Apartments overlook the pontoons, long-stay residents mix with visiting crews and a steady rhythm comes from the services that keep the marina alive. Boat charter offices, ship-supply stores, training shops, cafés and bars all form a small community where people live, work and gather. 

It feels less like a polished resort and more like a functioning neighbourhood tied to the sea. Ao Po is practical, but it is also a home – a marina where life ashore and afloat merge. 

Phuket Boat Lagoon Marina: Phuket’s first marina, opened in the late 1980s, remains its busiest service hub. The heart of Boat Lagoon is its repair yards and dry dock, where the sound of tools mixes with the clink of glasses from surrounding cafés. 

Residences, shops, a resort and casual restaurants ring the basin. The atmosphere is practical, lived-in, less about spectacle than about the daily work of keeping boats and people afloat and charter guests and owners happy. 

Royal Phuket Marina: Directly beside Boat Lagoon stands Royal Phuket Marina, its modern architecture and glass-fronted restaurants designed to impress. The scene is polished – clean pontoons, curated events, luxury apartments rising above the waterline. 

It doubles as a cultural stage. Art exhibitions, charity dinners and social gatherings unfold against a backdrop of yachts at berth. For some, it is a departure point; for others, it is an evening out. 

Chalong Pier: Far to the south, Chalong is less marina and more engine. Speedboats, dive vessels and fishing boats crowd the pier, their crews loading gear while engines rumble. The air is thick with sound and movement. 

Around the pier, seafood restaurants and night markets thrive on the constant flow of tourists and crew. For many first-time visitors, boarding a boat here to Coral or Racha Island is their only glimpse of Phuket’s maritime world. Chalong may not be glamorous, but it is essential. 

Thresholds of the Sea: From the calm of Yacht Haven to the bustle of Chalong, Phuket’s marinas are more than moorings. They are miniature worlds, polished, practical, or noisy, each reflecting a different side of the island. 

Together they tell the story of a place shaped as much by the sea as by the sand.

 And if you want to experience that story for yourself, begin at Ao Po Grand Marina. Step aboard at first light and let the tide carry you into Phang Nga Bay – away from the crowds, into the silence, with only the limestone cliffs rising ahead. 

How to Find Phuket’s Marinas

All of Phuket’s marinas sit along the island’s east coast, except for Chalong Pier in the south. Each has its own location and purpose — from superyachts in the north to dive boats in the south. 

Phuket Yacht Haven Marina: Just south of the Sarasin Bridge, 20 minutes from Phuket International Airport.

Ao Po Grand Marina: Northeast coast near Pa Khlok, about 30 minutes from Phuket Town and 40 minutes from the airport.

Phuket Boat Lagoon Marina: In Koh Kaew, midway between the airport and Phuket Town, just off Thepkasattri Road.

Royal Phuket Marina: Next to Boat Lagoon in Koh Kaew, 20 minutes from Phuket Town, 30 minutes from Patong. 

Chalong Pier: Southern Phuket in Chalong Bay, 20 minutes from Kata and Karon, 30 minutes from Phuket Town.