Families, first-time snorkellers, anyone who wants a sea day without a five-o'clock start or a long crossing; the half-day Coral-only version suits a short stay or a day with children. Divers know Racha Yai for its easy dive sites.
Island trips · 5–8 h · Chalong Pier · All sources
Coral Island & Racha Island trip: $39 per adult was the median of 7 join-in listings in September 2026 (range $33–$60). 5–8 h door to door from Chalong Pier, hotel pickup and a meal included; no park fee. Best months: January, February, March, April, October, November and December.
Source: Phuket Travel Price Index, tours series · All sources
This tour in the figure colour; medians per adult, join-in, cheapest first · as of September 2026 · Phuket Travel Price Index, tours series
Coral Island — Koh Hey in Thai — and Racha Yai are the near islands: fifteen to forty-five minutes south of Chalong Pier, no national park, no park fee, and no five-o'clock pickup. That makes the Coral-and-Racha trip the easy sea day of the eight in this index, the one families and short-stay visitors usually pick, and the cheapest island trip per adult.
The full-day version leaves Chalong mid-morning, runs south to Racha Yai for a swim and a snorkel off the white sand of Patok Bay, comes back north to Coral Island for lunch and the reef flat at Banana Beach, and returns by mid-afternoon. The half-day version is Coral Island only — often by longtail from Rawai rather than by speedboat from Chalong — and is a different, cheaper product. Some catamaran operators fold Coral Island into a sunset cruise, which the index counts under the sunset-cruise segment, not here.
The islands are inhabited and commercial. Coral Island's Long Beach is where the parasailing, banana boats and jet-skis are, sold by vendors on the sand and never part of the tour; Banana Beach on the other side is the quieter snorkelling beach and the one most join-in boats use. Sunbeds are rented, not included. What is included is the boat, pickup from the south and west-coast areas, masks, drinks and — on the full-day version only — lunch.
The season is broader than for Phi Phi or Similan because the run is short and Chalong Bay is sheltered. Racha's main bay faces north-west and takes swell between May and October, when the boat may move to the island's east side or the day shortens to Coral only; that is a weather call on the morning, not a cut corner. The comfortable months are November to April, and October is a good shoulder.
Against the other tours in the September 2026 revision, Coral / Racha is number 2 of 8 priced tours, cheapest first: Big Buddha & temples ($26) is cheaper; James Bond Island ($52), Old Town walk ($59), Sunset cruise ($60), Phi Phi Islands ($63), Similan Islands ($76) and Elephant sanctuary ($88) are dearer. The hub table lines all eight up with hours, piers and park fees.
Boat: Speedboat (join-in); longtails to Coral Island from Rawai; catamarans for the sunset combination. Group formats: Speedboat 25–40 · longtail 6–10 · private speedboat 10–15.
No national park and no fee. Both islands sit south of Phuket; Chalong Bay is sheltered, Racha's Patok Bay faces north-west and takes swell from May to October, when operators switch to the east side or to Coral only.
| Month | Season | Sea, west coast | Rain days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | runs · best | calm · 0 rough days | 10 |
| Feb | runs · best | calm · 0 rough days | 7 |
| Mar | runs · best | calm · 0 rough days | 14 |
| Apr | runs · best | calm · 0 rough days | 25 |
| May | runs | swell · 4 rough days | 28 |
| Jun | runs | swell · 8 rough days | 22 |
| Jul | runs on calm days | rough · 13 rough days | 24 |
| Aug | runs on calm days | rough · 9 rough days | 25 |
| Sep | runs on calm days | rough · 12 rough days | 25 |
| Oct | runs · best | calm · 2 rough days | 28 |
| Nov | runs · best | calm · 0 rough days | 27 |
| Dec | runs · best | calm · 0 rough days | 16 |
Sea state and rain days are medians per calendar month from Open-Meteo (ERA5), 2015–2026 (marine from 2022-01); "best" months are the catalogue's editorial pick within the calm season.
Days with waves above the rough threshold, median per calendar month; best months for this tour in the figure colour · Open-Meteo (ERA5), 2015–2026, marine normals from 2022-01
No standing on the reef flat at Banana Beach; no feeding fish with bread; the island is inhabited — rubbish goes back on the boat.
$39 per adult was the median of 7 join-in speedboat listings observed in September 2026 (range $33–$60), for the day trip from Chalong with pickup, lunch and snorkel gear. There is no national-park fee for either island.
No. Neither Koh Hey nor Racha Yai is inside a national park, so the only extras are sunbeds, water sports and fins. That, and the short crossing, is why this is the cheapest island trip in the index.
About 15–20 minutes by speedboat from Chalong Pier (Koh Hey is 9 km off the south-east coast); Racha Yai is 35–45 minutes due south. Longtails from Rawai take 30–40 minutes to Coral Island.
Racha Yai has the whiter sand and clearer water and is the snorkelling stop; Coral Island is closer, busier and has the water sports. Most full-day trips do both; the half-day does Coral only. Divers prefer Racha.
Yes — Chalong Bay is sheltered and the run is short. Between May and October Racha's north-west bay can take swell, so the boat may snorkel on the east side or the trip shortens to Coral Island; the marine data on this site shows the calm months as November to April.
Concierge
A villa, a yacht, a helicopter and private tours arranged as one programme, with dated price references and one contact.
$39 per adult was the median of 7 join-in speedboat listings observed in September 2026 (range $33–$60), for the day trip from Chalong with pickup, lunch and snorkel gear. There is no national-park fee for either island.
No. Neither Koh Hey nor Racha Yai is inside a national park, so the only extras are sunbeds, water sports and fins. That, and the short crossing, is why this is the cheapest island trip in the index.
About 15–20 minutes by speedboat from Chalong Pier (Koh Hey is 9 km off the south-east coast); Racha Yai is 35–45 minutes due south. Longtails from Rawai take 30–40 minutes to Coral Island.
Racha Yai has the whiter sand and clearer water and is the snorkelling stop; Coral Island is closer, busier and has the water sports. Most full-day trips do both; the half-day does Coral only. Divers prefer Racha.
Yes — Chalong Bay is sheltered and the run is short. Between May and October Racha's north-west bay can take swell, so the boat may snorkel on the east side or the trip shortens to Coral Island; the marine data on this site shows the calm months as November to April.
All Phuket tours · Island tours: piers, parks and crossings· Tours series in the price index · Open data