| One of the world’s best-kept secrets is poised to catch the spotlight. While yachting enthusiasts in their tens of thousands head each year for the traditional charter destinations of the Caribbean and Mediterranean, a few of the more adventurous go east – to Thailand.
Thailand is a major player in the traditional sun, sea and sand holiday market, but relatively few know that the ‘Land of Smiles’ also lays claim to the best all-season sailing waters in the world.
Hitherto focusing successfully on building international recognition in traditional mass tourism markets, Thailand’s tourism marketing machine is now turning its attention towards the development of marine tourism. Given its world-beating assets in this sector, it is only a matter of time before both yacht charter holidays and yacht ownership reach levels similar to those in better known cruising and yacht charter destinations.
Yet with over 1,609 km (1,000 miles) of mainland coastline and thousands of islands, it is hard to imagine Thailand’s waters ever reaching the high degree of saturation seen in today’s better known yachting havens. To be the only yacht in sight from horizon to horizon, anchored off a pristine, deserted, tropical island beach, may seem like a distant dream to most sailors – but in Thailand it is everyday reality.
Unique, too, among yacht charter holiday destinations is Thailand’s climate. There is no winter; there are no hurricanes and no typhoons. Temperatures range between 25° and 32°C throughout the year, and the sea rarely varies from 28°C. The seasonal monsoon is gentle, while the geography ensures that somewhere in Thailand sailing conditions are always ideal.
PHUKET
Phuket in the Andaman Sea (off Thailand’s southwest coast) is best known amongst regional sailors and has the most advanced marine tourism infrastructure in Thailand. As a cruising base, Phuket is unbeatable. The mystical waters, islands and limestone karsts of Phang-nga Bay are just a few hours’ sail east from the major anchorages; the stunning Similan Islands are a day’s motor-sail to the west, while Myanmar’s practically unexplored Mergui Archipelago is easily accessible to the north.
To the south is the almost uninhabited Butang Group – part of the 51-island Hat Chao Mai National Park – teeming with an abundance of fascinating and unusual wildlife. A short sail east brings you to the mysterious unspoiled island of Tarutao, just 6 km (4 miles) from the Malaysian island of Langkawi, and just one day out of Phuket. A former penal colony, Tarutao abounds with interesting caves and hidden creeks leading into the mountainous interior; a primaeval world where time stands still.
PHANG-NGA BAY
Phang-nga Bay itself, bounded by Phuket, Phang-nga and Krabi provinces – boasting over 100 islands and sheer-sided mountains rising vertically out of the sea – has produced some of Thailand’s most spectacular tourist images. As a result, it is a popular destination with day tours and kayakers exploring the bay’s islands and sea caves. Yet, despite its international renown, the bay is practically deserted by mid-afternoon.
GULF OF THAILAND
Across Thailand’s southern peninsula, are the islands in the western Gulf of Thailand (Thailand’s east coast), stretching from Koh Rap in the south, via Koh Samui and Koh Pha-ngan, to Koh Tao in the north, and 40 km (25 miles) east from Samui to the Ang Thong Marine National Park. They offer superb sailing with more than 80 islands over an area of 80 km (50 miles).
Koh Samui enjoys some of its finest weather during the months of July to September, Phuket’s wettest time of year, while the diving and snorkelling at Koh Tao are the best in the Gulf of Thailand. The nearby Ang Thong Islands, with geological formations similar to those of Phang Nga Bay, have been declared a marine national park, offering spectacular cruising through the narrow passages between these towering islands.
Further north, still in the Gulf of Thailand, the coastline from Pattaya to the border with Cambodia has only just begun to attract yachting enthusiasts and charter operators. As such, deserted, unspoiled anchorages are the norm.
Most yachts cruising the islands and coastline in this area use Ocean Marina adjacent to the resort town of Pattaya as their base. Immediately to the east of Ocean Marina are the islands of Koh Sak, Koh Larn (9 km or 6 miles) and Koh Phai (32 km or 20 miles), both offering a number of smaller islands with good anchorages.
However, the real treasure in this area is the remote Koh Chang National Park, comprising 50 islands near the Cambodian border, and including the Koh Kut Archipelago – the last group of islands in Thai waters.
Mostly prehistoric granite rock, Koh Chang itself was formed around 200 million years ago and is the second largest island in Thailand. Still covered with mountainous rain forest for more than 60 percent of its area, Koh Chang is renowned for its dense jungle, beautiful coral and plentiful waterfalls. Long sandy beaches, with small bungalow developments and restaurants, are the main feature of the island’s west coast.
For enthusiasts who prefer as much luxury and convenience as possible combined with their sailing, Phuket is already home to three international-standard marinas, with more under development. The recently-opened Royal Phuket Marina was voted “The Best of the Best Marinas” by British Airways, First Class in-flight magazine, ‘First Life’, while Pattaya’s Ocean Marina is a superb residential marina and an ideal base for an eastern Gulf exploration towards Koh Chang.
Yet, for those who prefer to sail away from civilisation until the end of their yachting vacation, just a couple of hours sail from Phuket – and almost anywhere in the Gulf of Thailand – will seem like a world away.
Growth in yachting has come slowly to Thailand, in spite of its natural advantages. High import taxes on yachts until 2004, and a population not traditionally at home on the water, kept numbers of locally-based yachts small. Yet growth there has been. Boasting only one regatta until a few years ago, there is now a multitude of choice, in terms of time, style and location, for those who prefer to mix a touch of action with their sailing holiday in Thailand.
The Phuket King’s Cup Regatta, now in its nineteenth year, attracts around 100 yachts and is held in early December. Phang-nga Bay Regatta, bringing together up to 40 competitors for a more relaxed week, takes place at Chinese New Year, against what must be the most dramatic scenic background of any regatta in the world.
More recent entrants on the scene are the Koh Samui Regatta in May, Top of the Gulf Regatta (also in May) and Phuket Raceweek in July – a challenge for yachtsmen, as it is raced in lively southwest monsoon winds.
Whilst the competitive fun of racing in tropical waters is why people take part in Thailand’s regattas, they all leave with fond memories of the beachside regatta parties. These relaxed, informal parties have become a keynote feature of yachting events in the kingdom.
Whether racing in a tropical regatta or simply cruising among Thailand’s thousands of pristine islands, the warm Thai welcome, superb cuisine and the cultural charm – that together make Thailand one of the world’s favourite holiday destinations – combine with the best sailing waters in the world to make a yachting holiday in Thailand an unforgettable experience.
REGATTA DATES
PHUKET KING'S CUP REGATTA
Phuket, December 3-10, 2005
www.kingscup.com
PHANG-NGA BAY REGATTA
Phuket, Phang Nga and Krabi, January 27-31, 2006
www.bayregatta.com
TOP OF THE GULF REGATTA
Pattaya, May 3-7, 2006
www.topofthegulfregatta.com
PHUKET RACEWEEK
Phuket, July 27-30, 2006
www.phuketraceweek.com
KOH SAMUI REGATTA
Koh Samui, May 21-27, 2006
www.samuiregatta.com
REGIONAL CRUISING GUIDE
Andaman Sea Pilot
www.andamanseapilot.com |
