Asia Pacific Superyachts Onboard as Headline Sponsor
Asia Pacific Superyachts (APS) co-founder, Gordon Fernandes, along with Captains Charlie Dwyer & Scott Walker, note, “We are excited to sponsor the ‘Asia Superyacht Night in Monaco’. We look forward to sharing recent positive changes for visiting superyachts and new cruising attractions in Southeast Asia at the Asia-Pacific Superyacht Association event.”
Asia Pacific Superyachts (APS) has built a dedicated workforce led by experienced yachting leaders providing exemplary services and a superior level of service due to port knowledge and personal relationships with the port authorities in Asia-Pacific regions. APS offers all services to visiting and region-based superyachts and luxury yachts led by agent owners and their expert teams in Andaman Islands (India), Borneo (Malaysia), Hong Kong, Indonesia, Koh Samui (Thailand), Langkawi (Malaysia), Maldives, Myanmar, Philippines, Phuket (Thailand), Raja Ampat (Indonesia), Seychelles, Singapore and Sri Lanka.
Some great news, as recently reported by The Phuket News, was a proposal to ease process for visiting superyachts to apply for a charter license. The primary agenda was to discuss the draft announcement of the Ministry of Transport, that is aimed at establishing new criteria, methods, and conditions for granting permissions to large cruise and sports boats ‒ that is, superyachts ‒ to non-Thai owners.
The initiative is a part of the effort to align with international standards and promote Thailand as a world-class maritime tourism hub. The public hearing was held to standardize criteria for foreign-flagged superyacht chartering licences before the proposal is submitted to the Ministry of Transport with a goal to move forward legislation to help ensure Thailand becomes the maritime hub for the region,
The Thai Yachting Business Association (TYBA) stated a key revision will be changing the definition of a superyacht from a vessel longer than 30 metres to a vessel long than 24m. Also, superyachts applying for a new charter license will require a minimum amount of insurance coverage.
The APS Andaman Islands team were also excited to share the news that the Port Blair Sea Port is now a designated entry port for e-visa holders, a game-changer for yachts and superyachts in visiting the Andaman Islands. Captains and Owners can now visit the official website https://indianvisaonline.gov.in
and go through the online 4-step application process with the e-visa status communicated by email within 72 hours and the yacht can then enter Port Blair with a copy of the approval.
The APS network of owner-agents and their teams of experts continue to lead efforts in supporting and making positive changes for superyacht owners and captains interested in visiting their regions. The team looks forward to meeting superyacht owners and captains at the invitation-only ‘Asia Superyacht Night’ to be held on Tuesday 24 September, on the eve of the Monaco Yacht Show 2025.