Speedboat vs longtail boat

Two very different boats, and the choice isn’t really about preference

Almost every island trip out of Phuket runs on one of two boat types: the modern speedboat, with twin outboard engines and an enclosed or semi-enclosed cabin, or the longtail boat, Thailand’s traditional wooden fishing boat with a long propeller shaft extending out behind it. Tour listings rarely explain why one route uses one and not the other, and travellers booking a private charter are often left guessing which to pick. The honest answer is that the choice is driven mostly by distance and sea conditions, not personal taste — though within that constraint, there’s real room to choose based on comfort, budget and atmosphere.

Head-to-head comparison

	Speedboat	Longtail boat
Typical speed	25-40 knots	10-15 knots
Best for	Longer crossings, open water	Short hops, sheltered water, near shore
Noise	Loud engines, but enclosed cabin muffles some	Louder, more exposed — the distinctive long-tail drone
Comfort in swell	Bumpier at speed in chop	Rides swell more gently, but no shelter
Capacity	15-40+ passengers (shared tours) or private charter	Typically 4-10 for private hire
Rough weather / open sea	Runs on standard tour routes within safety limits	Generally avoided — not built for high seas or long open crossings
Typical private half-day cost	2,500-5,000 B (~72-145 $), varies by boat size	1,500-3,000 B (~44-87 $), negotiated at the pier
Common routes from Phuket	Phi Phi, Similan Islands, Krabi 4 Islands	Coral Island, Racha (shorter routes), Promthep Cape, sheltered bays

Speedboats: the default for anything more than a short hop

Speedboats are the standard choice for the big-name day trips — Phi Phi, the Similan Islands, Krabi’s 4 Islands — simply because these routes cover real distance across open water, and a longtail boat’s speed and design aren’t suited to that kind of crossing. a Phi Phi island and Maya Bay speedboat tour is a good example of the standard shared-boat format most day trips run on, while a 4-island private speedboat charter gives the same speed and range with a boat to yourself rather than a shared group.

The trade-off is comfort in rough conditions: speedboats handle chop by cutting through it fast, which is a genuinely bumpier, more jarring ride than a slower boat over the same swell — worth knowing if you’re prone to seasickness or travelling with young kids. Engine noise is also a real factor; even with an enclosed cabin, a day on a speedboat is a loud day compared to the alternative.

Longtail boats: slower, quieter, and genuinely limited by weather

Longtail boats are Thailand’s traditional working boat, recognisable by the long exposed propeller shaft extending out from the stern, and they’re a completely different experience — slower, more open to the air, and noticeably more atmospheric for a short scenic trip. a private longtail boat tour to Coral Island covers one of the routes longtails handle well: a relatively short, sheltered crossing rather than an open-sea one. a luxury longtail boat islands hopping experience is a step up in comfort for travellers who want the traditional boat with a bit more onboard finish.

The genuine limitation is what a longtail doesn’t do: they’re not built for high seas or long open-water crossings, and reputable operators won’t take one out to somewhere like the Similan Islands or across open water in poor conditions — if an operator offers to, that’s a red flag rather than a bargain. Longtails are the right tool for short, sheltered hops close to shore, not a cheaper substitute for a speedboat on a longer route.

Booking a private longtail: what to expect

Private longtail hire is one of the more negotiable bookings on the island, typically arranged directly at the pier rather than online, priced by the half or full day rather than per person. A half-day private longtail from Chalong Pier or Rawai to a nearby island like Coral Island or Promthep Cape’s waters generally runs 1,500-3,000 B (~44-87 $) for the boat, split however many people are aboard — worth negotiating before you board, and worth confirming exactly which stops and how much time at each are included, since “half-day” isn’t a strictly defined length.

Agree the price and the itinerary before departure rather than after, and don’t hand over a passport as a deposit — that’s not standard practice for a boat charter and is a scam pattern covered in our Phuket scams to avoid guide.

Noise, environment and the on-water experience

Beyond speed, the two boats create a genuinely different atmosphere. A speedboat gets you there fast but the engine noise dominates the trip — conversation over open water usually means raising your voice. A longtail’s engine is arguably louder up close (the exposed long-tail motor has a distinctive, unmuffled drone) but the boat moves slowly enough that there’s more actual time spent looking at the scenery rather than gripping a rail through the chop. Neither is quiet, but they’re loud in different ways and for different reasons.

Seasickness and comfort

If you or anyone in your group is prone to seasickness, the boat type matters as much as the sea state. Speedboats cutting through chop at speed tend to produce a jarring, up-and-down motion that triggers seasickness faster for a lot of people than a slower boat’s more rolling motion. Sitting toward the centre of a speedboat rather than the bow, keeping your eyes on the horizon, and taking motion sickness medication before departure rather than after symptoms start all help regardless of which boat you’re on. Our monsoon season guide covers how sea conditions vary by month, which is worth checking before a longer speedboat crossing during the shoulder months.

Which boat for which specific route

Route determines boat type more reliably than any other factor, and it’s worth knowing the pattern before you book. Speedboats are the standard (and generally the only realistic) option for Phi Phi, the Similan Islands, James Bond Island and Krabi’s islands — all routes that involve either real distance or genuinely open water. Our Phi Phi day trip guide and Similan Islands day trip guide both cover speedboat-based itineraries in detail.

Longtails handle the shorter, more sheltered routes well: a crossing to Coral Island or Racha Island from Chalong Pier, a scenic run along the coast toward Promthep Cape, or a short hop within Phang Nga Bay’s more sheltered channels. Our private longtail boat hire guide and island hopping from Phuket guide cover how to put together a day trip around either boat type.

Renting your own longtail vs joining a shared speedboat tour

A private longtail charter gives you control over the exact stops and timing in a way a shared speedboat tour generally doesn’t — useful if you want to linger somewhere the standard itinerary rushes past, or skip a stop that doesn’t interest you. The trade-off is price per person: a shared speedboat tour spreads the boat’s cost across a full group, usually making it cheaper per head than chartering a longtail privately unless your own group is large enough to fill one economically.

For most first-time visitors doing the big-name routes — Phi Phi, the Similans — a shared speedboat tour is simply the only sensible option, since those routes aren’t realistically covered by a longtail regardless of budget. Our Phuket trip budget guide covers how boat trips typically fit into an overall daily spend.

Environmental considerations

Speedboats burn considerably more fuel than longtails per trip, and the noise and wake from a high density of speedboats operating the same routes day after day is a real, documented pressure on the marine environments around Phuket’s most popular islands — part of why sites like the Similan Islands cap daily visitor numbers in the first place.

Longtails are lower-impact by comparison, though their two-stroke engines aren’t exactly clean either. Neither boat type is emission-free, and the more meaningful environmental choice most travellers can make is picking a smaller-group operator and following reef-safe practices once you’re in the water, covered in our best snorkelling spots guide, rather than agonising over speedboat versus longtail specifically.

Life jackets and safety equipment: check before you board

Regardless of boat type, a few basic checks matter more than the brand of engine. Confirm life jackets are provided in your size before departure, and put yours on rather than leaving it on the seat “just in case” — a life jacket you’re not wearing when trouble starts doesn’t help you.

On a speedboat, check whether there are enough life jackets for every passenger aboard, not just a token supply near the front; on a longtail, check that the jackets aren’t so old or waterlogged that they’ve lost buoyancy, which does happen on older boats. A reputable operator, whether running speedboats or longtails, briefs passengers on safety before departure and doesn’t rush past it — treat an operator skipping that briefing entirely as a signal to be more cautious for the rest of the trip.

What locals actually use each boat for

It’s worth remembering that both boat types have working lives beyond tourism, and that shapes how they’re built and used. Longtails remain Thailand’s standard small fishing and transport boat in coastal communities across the country — the design has barely changed in decades because it works well for exactly what it’s built for: shallow draft, easy maintenance, and manoeuvrability close to shore.

Speedboats are a more recent, tourism-driven addition to the same waters, built specifically for carrying passengers quickly over longer distances rather than for fishing or cargo. That history is part of why the safety profile differs the way it does: longtails are a mature, well-understood local technology operating within its comfort zone on short coastal routes, while speedboats are asked to cover more ambitious open-water distances at higher speed, which is precisely where sea conditions and operator standards matter most.

Sun and spray exposure

Comfort on the water isn’t just about speed and noise — sun and spray exposure differ meaningfully between the two as well. A longtail’s open design means constant sun exposure and regular spray once the boat’s moving, so reef-safe sunscreen, a hat that won’t blow off, and sunglasses matter more here than on most Phuket activities. A speedboat’s enclosed or semi-enclosed cabin offers real shade and shelter from spray for at least part of the group, though anyone seated near the open stern or on an upper deck still gets the same sun exposure as a longtail passenger. Whichever boat you’re on, treat a full day on the water as a high sun-exposure day and reapply sunscreen more often than you would on land.

Verdict by traveller type

Families with young kids: Longtail for short local hops (Coral Island, a Promthep Cape cruise); speedboat is unavoidable for anything further, so choose a calmer-conditions day and sit centrally to reduce the bump.

Couples: A private longtail charter for a scenic half-day is genuinely one of Phuket’s more romantic, unhurried options if the route is short enough to suit one.

Divers heading to the Similan Islands or Phi Phi: Speedboat, with no real alternative — these routes require the range and speed only a speedboat provides.

Budget travellers: A shared speedboat tour is usually cheaper per person than a private longtail charter split among a small group, unless your group is large enough to fill a longtail affordably.

First-time visitors to Asia: A shared speedboat day tour is the simplest, best-supported option, with clear departure times, life jackets and an established route — a good first island-boat experience before trying a negotiated private charter.

Frequently asked questions about speedboats vs longtail boats

Is a speedboat or longtail boat safer in Phuket?

Both are safe with a reputable operator and proper life jackets, but longtail operators generally avoid rough seas and open water altogether, which removes one risk factor for that type of trip. Always confirm life jackets are provided and worn.

Can a longtail boat go to the Similan Islands?

No, not realistically. The distance and open-water conditions on that route require a speedboat; a longtail isn’t built for a crossing that long.

Is it cheaper to charter a longtail boat than a speedboat?

For a small group on a short route, often yes. For a larger group or a longer route, a shared speedboat tour is usually cheaper per person than a private longtail.

Why are longtail boats so loud?

The engine and propeller shaft are exposed rather than enclosed, which produces a distinctive, unmuffled drone that carries further than a speedboat’s shielded engine noise.

Do speedboats or longtail boats make you more seasick?

Speedboats, generally, because of the faster, choppier motion when cutting through swell. A longtail’s slower pace tends to be gentler, though it’s also more exposed to spray and sun.

Where do private longtail boats typically depart from in Phuket?

Chalong Pier and Rawai are the most common departure points for short private longtail charters to nearby islands and coastal spots.

Can I negotiate the price of a private longtail boat?

Yes — pricing at the pier is genuinely negotiable, and agreeing the price, route and duration before boarding is standard practice.