The Thai Yachting Business Association (TYBA) is pleased to share an important update to the Thai Charter License made by the Ministry of Transport. The Thailand YBA was instrumental in the inception of the Thai Charter License for yachts of a minimum length of 30 meters in 2015.
Since then, TYBA has lobbied to reduce the minimum required length of yachts eligible to apply for the license, from 30 to 24 meters. The Ministry of Transport, with its recent announcement concerning Superyacht Commercial Operations in Thai Waters (B.E. 2568 / 2025), finally granted permission for yachts of 24 meters and larger carrying no more than 12 passengers, to apply for the Thai Charter License to conduct commercial charters in Thailand.
The TYBA believes this reduction may easily double the number of foreign-flagged yachts coming to Thailand to engage in superyacht charter, attracting high-value tourists, benefitting local marinas, and yacht industry companies such as yacht provisioning, repair and maintenance, and yacht services, and supporting the Thai economy by paying Thai VAT and taxes
Next on TYBA’s agenda to improve Thailand’s attraction to foreign-flagged yachts, is to aim to tie foreign-flagged yacht crew visas -now limited to 30 days- to the yacht’s permission to stay, currently up to 30 months (2.5 years) under a temporary import permit.