Racha Island lies about twenty kilometres south of Phuket: a speedboat covers it in forty-five minutes, a dive boat in an hour and a half. It is the nearest water to the island where you can see the bottom, and the only popular direction from Phuket with no national park fee.
There is no "there and back" service to Racha — it is sold as four different days: a beach day paired with Coral Island from ฿2,500 ≈ $69, a two-dive trip from ฿3,690 ≈ $102, and two fishing charters priced by the whole boat from ฿15,900 ≈ $440.
In short
below is how Racha differs from Phi Phi, what each format of the day costs, where the boats leave from, and why this direction carries no park fee.
What is Racha Island, and how does it differ from Phi Phi?
There are two islands: Racha Yai, where every tour goes, and Racha Noi further south — uninhabited, farther out and more expensive in fuel. Racha Yai has three working bays: Tue, Siam and Patok, with sand between them and reef slopes close inshore.
The main difference from Phi Phi is distance and water. Phi Phi is 45 kilometres across open sea; Racha is half that, and you feel it in a swell. Racha Yai is sheltered enough that dive boats tie to a mooring instead of drifting, and getting in and out of the water is about as simple as it gets around here.
What does a day at Racha cost?
| Format of the day | Operator | Price | Length | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beach and snorkelling + Coral Island | Nikorn Marine | from ฿2,500 ≈ $69 per person | 7 h 45 | Ao Chalong pier |
| Two dives for certified divers | Sharkey Scuba | from ฿3,690 ≈ $102 per person | 8 h 30 | Chalong pier |
| Fishing, whole boat | Phuket Fishing Charters | from ฿15,900 ≈ $440 per boat | 9 h 30 | Chalong pier |
| Fishing, whole boat for up to 10 | Nikorn Marine | ฿29,000 ≈ $803 per boat | 9 h | Ao Chalong pier |
All four departures start from Chalong in the south of the island — which is exactly why Racha stays a short day: the pier sits closest to the target.
The beach day: Racha plus Coral Island
The speedboat to Coral Island and Racha Yai runs from ฿2,500 ≈ $69 per adult and ฿2,100 ≈ $58 per child aged 4–11, with infants from one to four travelling free. Check-in at the operator's office on Ao Chalong pier is 08:45, departure 09:30, and you are at Racha Yai by 10:15.
The morning is snorkelling in Tue Bay and Siam Bay plus beach time at Patok. At 12:30 the boat moves to Kahung Beach on Coral Island, where lunch is a buffet at the operator's own restaurant and the rest of the afternoon is on the sand. Back at the pier at 16:30.
Diving: two dives with no park fee
The Racha Yai dive day is ฿3,690 ≈ $102 per certified diver for two dives; transfers, breakfast, lunch and guide are included, and equipment rental is ฿500 ≈ $14 per trip, or ฿650 ≈ $18 with a computer. No more than four divers per guide, with dive times up to 50 minutes.
The day is shorter than most: transfer 07:00–08:00, departure from Chalong pier at 08:30, first dive at 10:00, lunch on board at 11:15, second dive at 12:45, back at the pier at 15:15. Free transfers run from Chalong, Kamala, Kata, Karon, Nai Harn, Patong and Rawai.
Fishing: here they count the boat, not the head
The budget charter to Racha Yai costs ฿15,900 ≈ $440 per boat for one to four anglers, ฿16,900 ≈ $468 for five to eight and ฿19,000 ≈ $526 for nine to twelve; tackle, transfers and lunch are included, departure from Chalong is 08:30–09:00 and you are back by 17:00. Running out to Racha Noi adds ฿4,000 ≈ $111 for fuel.
The Nikorn Marine day is ฿29,000 ≈ $803 per boat, and up to ten anglers fit inside that figure: with a full boat it works out at about ฿2,900 ≈ $80 each. Trolling on the way out, bottom fishing over the reefs, a buffet lunch on board at 13:00 and back at 17:00; rods, reels and tackle are included, the road transfer is not.
Why is there no park fee at Racha?
Important
Racha is not inside a national marine park, so there is no fee here at all. At Phi Phi it is ฿400 ≈ $11 per adult and ฿200 ≈ $6 per child, at the Similans ฿700 ≈ $19, and on the Phi Phi dive day ฿600 ≈ $17 in cash on board.
The arithmetic is straightforward. An all-in beach day at Racha is the same ฿2,500 ≈ $69 as on the price tag. The group speedboat to Phi Phi at ฿3,900 ≈ $108 comes to ฿4,300 ≈ $119 all-in. The gap between the two directions is wider than the shop window suggests.
Who Racha suits — and who it does not
- Families with toddlers. A short crossing, and children from one to four travel free on the beach day.
- Freshly certified divers. The boat ties to a mooring, the bays are sheltered, entries and exits are simple.
- Anyone who gets seasick. Forty-five minutes against an hour-plus to Phi Phi, and half the open water.
- Not for you if you came for the picture. There are no film-set limestone cliffs here — this is sand, reef and water, not the Phang Nga landscape.
- Not for the peak of the monsoon. Racha runs all year, but from June to September a metre-plus swell stands 21 to 27 days a month.
How do you get to Racha Island from Phuket?
Only on an organised departure: none of our routes include a scheduled passenger service to Racha, and all four boats above leave from the Chalong piers in the south of the island. The drive from Patong to Chalong takes about half an hour and less from Kata and Karon; the dive day includes the transfer, while the beach day meets you at the pier.
Tip
if you take a whole hull, Racha is usually cheaper on fuel than Phi Phi. V. Marine's private speedboat costs ฿28,000 ≈ $776 for the same day to Racha against ฿29,000 ≈ $803 to Phi Phi, and Hartt Voyages holds one price for every route, Racha Yai included.
How do you book a day at Racha?
Send your dates, group and format — beach, diving or fishing — on WhatsApp or Telegram. We will tell you what actually runs on your dates and confirm the boat at the operator's price.
