How to visit the Khai Islands from Phuket in half a day

What you will see on the Khai Islands

The Khai Islands (Thai เกาะไข่) sit in the sea east of Phuket, on the way to Phi Phi. Three islands usually make up the trip: Khai Nok, Khai Nui and Khai Nai. OpenStreetMap places Khai Nok and Khai Nai in the Ko Yao district of Phang Nga province, so strictly speaking they are not part of Phuket.

Tour programs give each island its own role:

• Khai Nok. The most developed, with a long strip of white sand and beach shacks on stilts
• Khai Nui. The snorkelling stop: coral and fish in the shallows, the guide hands out masks and life jackets
• Khai Nai. Beach and swimming, plus a resident colony of cats you can feed

The islands are small and many boats arrive at once. Expect easy swimming in turquoise water half an hour from Phuket, not a wild beach.

The tour, step by step

This is the half day as Phuket Tour and Thai Holiday Guide run it in October 2026. The order of the islands varies by operator.

1. 08:30 hotel transfer to a pier on the east coast (12:00 for the afternoon trip)
2. Meet the guide at the pier, coffee or tea, masks and life jackets handed out
3. About 20 minutes by speedboat to the first island
4. Khai Nok: beach and swimming
5. Khai Nui: snorkelling over coral
6. Khai Nai: swimming and beach time
7. Around 14:00 back to the pier and transfer to your hotel (around 17:00 on the afternoon trip)

Lunch is usually not part of the half day: Thai Holiday Guide does not include it, Phuket Tour serves a snack on the island. Eat beforehand or bring cash for a beach restaurant on Khai Nok.

How long it takes and when to go

The whole trip is 4-5 hours including transfers, either 08:30-14:00 or 12:00-17:00 (Phuket Tour). The crossing takes about 20 minutes.

Straight-line distances, our calculation from OpenStreetMap coordinates.

The Khai Islands are not on the DNP closure list, so only the weather limits trips. TMD describes the May-October southwest monsoon as hitting windward, western coasts hardest. Khai lies east of Phuket, so the water is usually calmer than around Phi Phi or the Similans. That is our reading of the map and TMD’s season description; in a storm, boats are cancelled here too.

See the Phuket climate data by month.

Park fee

There is no national park fee: the Khai Islands are not in the DNP fee table (checked 17 October 2026). The islands charge a small beach fee, which Thai Holiday Guide says is paid on the spot; Phuket Tour lists tickets as included. Do not stand on coral, do not feed the fish, and take your rubbish back: nobody hauls it off these small islands.

What to bring

• Swimwear, a towel and a change of clothes
• Sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses: there is little shade on the boat or the beach
• Water shoes: Khai Nok is rocky in places
• Your own mask and snorkel if you prefer not to share; fins are usually extra
• Water and cash for lunch and the beach fee

Who should skip it

• Anyone after an empty beach. The islands are small and popular with Phuket tours
• Reef lovers. Snorkelling at Khai Nui is basic; for coral, go to Racha or the Similans
• Pregnant travellers on a speedboat in choppy water. Even 20 minutes is unpleasant in the rainy season
• Anyone wanting a full day at sea. Pick a tour that combines Khai with Phi Phi

How to choose a Khai tour

• Morning or afternoon. Mornings bring calmer water and less heat; afternoons let you sleep in
• What is included. Lunch or just a snack, snorkelling gear, the beach fee, insurance
• Pickup area. Thai Holiday Guide includes transfers from Patong, Kata, Karon, Kalim, Tri Trang and Phuket Town; ask about other areas
• Boat and group size. Fewer people on the speedboat means quicker landings
• Cancellation. Thai Holiday Guide refunds in full up to 24 hours before departure. Ask your seller for their terms

Other trips are in the Phuket day trips guide.

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