Khai Islands from Phuket: What They Are and Which Tour Stops There
By the PhuketGO tour desk on Phuket — we book and run these trips every week · Updated 13 October 2026
The Khai islands are white-sand islands between Phuket and Phi Phi, and the tour of ours that lands there is the Phi Phi, Maya Bay and Khai speedboat day. The boat leaves Chalong pier at 09:15 and reaches Khai half an hour later, so it's the first swim of the day, in shallow, clear water where the fish come up to the sand.
Tours and prices in Thai baht
| Tour | Duration | Adult | Child 4–9 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phi Phi, Maya Bay and Khai island by speedboat Best for the Khai stop: a first snorkel in shallow water, then Phi Phi and Maya Bay Programme & booking | One day | 2,000 ฿ | 1,800 ฿ |
| Racha and Coral islands by speedboat Best for clearer water at Racha Yai and a later start; children 4–9 pay the child price Programme & booking | Eight to nine hours | 1,400 ฿ | 1,300 ฿ |
| Phi Phi, Bamboo island and fishing at Rang Yai Best for Phi Phi with Bamboo island instead of Khai, plus fishing at Rang Yai Programme & booking | One day | 2,300 ฿ | 2,000 ฿ |
Prices come straight from our booking system. Children under four join free on most trips — each tour page says so.
Which of our tours stops at Khai, and what's included?
One day trip: Phi Phi, Maya Bay and Khai island by speedboat. Khai is its opening stop, and the rest of the day is Phi Phi. The table above has the price for an adult and for a child aged 4 to 9.
In the price: hotel transfer both ways, the speedboat, a buffet lunch on the shore of Phi Phi Don (vegetarian dishes too), masks and snorkels, life jackets, water on board, insurance and an English-speaking guide. Not in it: the national park fee, which is paid in cash on the day, and your own spending. Bring the fee in small baht notes and you won't be hunting for change at the pier.
When does the boat get to Khai, and from which pier?
Pickup runs from 07:30 to 08:30. Hotels close to Chalong are collected later, the north of the island earlier, and the guide confirms your exact time the evening before. The van takes you to Chalong pier, the speedboat leaves at 09:15, and at 09:45 you're at Khai. About half an hour there. At 10:15 the boat moves on.
Is half an hour enough? For a first snorkel, usually yes. The water is shallow, you don't swim far, and the fish come to you. It's short for a beach day, though, so if lying on sand is the plan, Khai isn't where you'll do it on this trip. Chalong and the other piers our boats use are on Phuket piers.
What is Khai like for a first snorkel?
Kind. That's the honest one-word answer. You can stand up in a lot of it, the bottom is clear, and the fish swim right up to the beach, so the first try happens a few steps from the sand rather than off the side of a boat. This is where people who have never snorkelled start, children included.
Two practical things from the card. Wear coral shoes or water sandals: there are stones on the islands. And take the seasickness tablet half an hour before the boat leaves Chalong, not when you feel the first wave. The legs after Khai are longer and faster.
What happens after Khai?
Phi Phi Don at 10:15, with Monkey Beach, a swim and more snorkelling. The buffet lunch is on shore at 12:15, with some free time. From 13:20 you're at Phi Phi Leh, for the Viking Cave from the water and a swim in Pileh Lagoon inside its ring of cliffs, if the tide lets the boat in. Maya Bay comes last, at 15:15, and you snorkel and swim from the water beside the bay, because the park limits swimming at the shore. Chalong again at 16:15.
If you'd rather swap Khai for the softest sand of the archipelago, the Khai or Bamboo comparison puts the two Phi Phi days side by side. Our Phi Phi Don guide covers what's on the main island.
Khai or Racha Yai for snorkelling?
Different jobs. Khai is the gentle first time on the way to Phi Phi. Racha Yai is clearer water further south, on its own day with Coral island, with a later pickup and lunch included; the Racha and Coral speedboat day is the one in the table. We wrote the full comparison in Khai or Racha Yai for snorkelling.
And if Phi Phi isn't on your list at all, read Phi Phi or the Krabi islands first. The Krabi days don't stop at Khai.
How do I book the Khai day?
Send the date, your hotel and everyone's ages in the chat. We confirm the pickup time and the total, and payment is agreed in the chat after the booking is confirmed. If the authorities close the sea, the trip moves to another date or the payment comes back.
What to pack for a Khai morning: swimwear under your clothes, a towel and sunscreen, coral shoes for the stones, cash for the park fee and the motion sickness tablet. The mask and snorkel are on the boat. Bring a waterproof case if your phone goes everywhere with you: Khai, Monkey Beach and Maya Bay are all water stops. Maya Bay, the last stop of the Khai day, has its own season; is Maya Bay open gives the closure months and explains why nobody swims inside the bay.
The tours on this page
Questions people ask
Where are the Khai islands?
Between Phuket and Phi Phi. On our Phi Phi, Maya Bay and Khai day the speedboat reaches Khai half an hour after leaving Chalong pier.
Which tour from Phuket stops at Khai island?
The Phi Phi, Maya Bay and Khai speedboat day. Khai is its first stop, from 09:45 to about 10:15.
Is the national park fee included on the Khai day?
No. It's paid in cash on the day, so bring baht in small notes. Hotel transfer, lunch, snorkel gear and insurance are in the price.
Is Khai island good for children?
Yes. The water is shallow and clear, and the fish come right up to the sand, so a first snorkel happens a few steps from the beach. A life jacket is on board.
How long do you stay at Khai?
About half an hour. It's the opening snorkel stop of the day; the rest of the trip is Phi Phi Don, Phi Phi Leh and Maya Bay.
What time is pickup for the Khai and Phi Phi day?
Between 07:30 and 08:30, depending on your area. The guide confirms the exact time the evening before.
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.