Phuket’s new boat taxi launches in October, and I think it’s going to be hugely popular.
The news came out of the Phuket Real Estate Association’s sustainability seminar on 23 September 2026, where a speaker representing Dr Jiraroth Sukolrat, Director of the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning, set out the maritime plans for the island.
The boat taxi
The boat taxi means people can get around Phuket by sea, with multiple piers along the way.
When the plan was announced in January 2026, the Phuket Provincial Port Office described four catamarans carrying 200 passengers each, backed by electric boats and speedboats. The route starts near the international terminal of Phuket Airport, passes Sirinat National Park and continues to Patong, covering 16 nautical miles with at least 14 stops at around 40 minutes per trip.
It’s going to be a much more fun way to get around in high season. In low season it gets a bit choppy, and the speaker said the same, with waves and the monsoon limiting the service at times.
New cruise terminals
The bigger news is cruise. Thailand is planning new cruise terminals in Phuket, Samui and Chonburi.
In May 2026, the Deputy Minister of Transport instructed the Marine Department to urgently study large cruise terminals at Koh Samui, Phuket and Pattaya in Chonburi. The Marine Department’s slides showed designs for all three, with cruise routes linking them to Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia.
Samui is furthest along. As of July 2026, its terminal was estimated at 12.17 billion baht, about USD 370 million, planned as a public private partnership and targeted for completion in 2032.
Why it matters
Cruise liners bring thousands of people at a time. If Thailand has the infrastructure to support them, the cruise lines will make more ports of call in Phuket, Samui and Chonburi.
This is massive for tourism, and massive for Phuket.
If you’d like to talk through what the maritime plans mean for Phuket’s coast, get in touch with me here.
Rate used: 32.9 baht to the US dollar, September 2026.
