What Happens If My Phuket Boat Tour Is Cancelled for Weather?
By the PhuketGO tour desk on Phuket — we book and run these trips every week · Updated 28 September 2026
If the authorities close the sea on your date, the boat does not go out — and your trip moves to another day or the payment comes back. A rainy morning on its own changes nothing; the decision is about wind and swell, and it is made on the morning of the trip.
Tours and prices in Thai baht
| Tour | Duration | Adult | Child 4–9 |
|---|---|---|---|
| James Bond island and Phang Nga Bay | Eight to nine hours | 2,000 ฿ | 1,800 ฿ |
| Racha and Coral islands by speedboat | Eight to nine hours | 1,400 ฿ | 1,300 ฿ |
| Rafting and the elephant spa | One day, nine hours or more | 1,550 ฿ | 1,350 ฿ |
| Khao Lak safari: jungle, waterfalls and elephants | One day, around ten hours | 1,650 ฿ | 1,450 ฿ |
Prices come straight from our booking system. Children under four join free on most trips — each tour page says so.
Who decides that a boat trip is off?
Not us, and not the operator. When a storm warning goes up, the marine authorities close the sea to speedboats — for everyone on the island at once. The captain also has the last word on the morning itself, because in a real swell a speedboat hits your spine hard.
That is why we never promise a sea day months ahead. We promise what happens if it cannot run.
Will I get my money back?
Yes, or a new date — your choice. Our cards say it plainly: if the sea is closed by the authorities, the trip moves to another date or the payment comes back. There is no fee for a weather cancellation, because it is nobody's fault.
Different story if you cancel yourself: less than 24 hours before departure, missing the transfer or not showing up means the payment is not returned. Boats, transfers and park fees are bought in advance.
It is raining this morning. Is my tour cancelled?
Almost certainly not. A tropical shower is usually over within the hour, and the weather over your hotel is not the weather over Phi Phi. The guide checks the sea forecast for your route early, and if the trip is off you hear it from us — the evening before or first thing in the morning.
Until then, get ready as normal. The worst outcome is being dressed for a boat that does not leave; the other one is missing a boat that did.
Why do the far trips go first?
Because they cross open water. The Similans are an hour and a half north by road and then open sea; Phi Phi is about an hour by speedboat; the eleven-islands day runs through three bays in one go. When the swell comes up, those are the routes a speedboat cannot do safely, and they are the first to be called off.
Short and sheltered crossings hold on longer. Racha Yai is about forty minutes from Chalong, Coral island half an hour from Rawai, and in Phang Nga Bay the longtail stays between islands that break the wind. On a borderline morning, those are the trips that still go.
Can the route change instead of being cancelled?
Yes, and that happens more often than a full cancellation. Our programmes say it again and again: times are a guide, the order of stops follows the tide and the weather, and the guide may swap a stop for something comparable. Maya Bay, for instance, is seen from the boat on days the park closes it; Pileh Lagoon waits for high water.
A changed route is not a cancelled trip, so there is no refund for it — it is the same day, arranged around the sea. If the whole trip cannot run, that is when it moves or the money comes back.
Does the same apply to two-day trips?
Yes, with one extra wrinkle: the crossing home happens on day two. If the sea closes then, the return waits for it to reopen. That is why we suggest a free day between a two-day trip and your flight.
What if I miss the boat myself?
Then it counts as a no-show, and the payment is not returned — the seat, the transfer and the park fees were bought for you. The confirmation names the pier and the meeting time, which is when you must be there, not when the boat leaves.
If your pickup is late, message us in the chat right away rather than waiting. The minivan collects several hotels in a row, and a quick message lets us check where it is.
What can I do instead on a closed-sea day?
Go inland. Rafting, elephants, waterfalls, Cheow Lan lake, the warm lakes of Krabi — none of them care about the sea. See our jungle tours and the rainy-season page for what holds up best.
And plan for it: put the sea trip you care most about early in your stay, with a spare day behind it. Then a cancellation just moves the day.
We live on Phuket and watch the sea every day. Ask us in the chat the day before if you are nervous about your date.
The tours on this page
Questions people ask
Do I pay anything if the sea is closed?
No. The trip moves to another date or the payment comes back.
When will I know if my tour is cancelled?
The evening before or early on the morning of the trip. We tell you in the chat.
Does rain cancel island tours?
Rarely. Wind and swell decide it, not a shower over your hotel.
Which trips are cancelled first?
Long open-sea routes such as Phi Phi, the eleven-islands day and the Similans. Sheltered Phang Nga Bay holds up best.
What if I cancel myself?
Less than 24 hours before departure, a missed transfer or a no-show means the payment is not returned.
Are land tours affected by the weather?
Hardly. Rafting, elephant and jungle days run whatever the sea is doing.
Tell us your dates
Send the trip you like, your dates and your hotel. We confirm the pickup time and how the sea looks for that day. Payment is agreed in the chat after the booking is confirmed: by card, bank transfer or USDT.