ThaiAngler

Tool

Charter booking checklist

Region, month, group size, booking type. We generate the questions to send the operator before you pay a deposit, the red flags to watch for, and a day-of safety list.

Charter checklist

Tell us about your trip

Charter checklist

Andaman (Phuket / Krabi / Khao Lak) · January

Small group (2-4) · Private · Mid-range tier

Questions to send before paying a deposit

Copy these into your message to the operator. A good operator answers all of them clearly. Vague or evasive answers are information in themselves.

Deposit & refund

  1. What's the deposit amount and when is the balance due?
  2. What's your cancellation policy if I cancel — full refund window, partial refund window?
  3. What happens to the deposit if YOU cancel for weather?
  4. Is the deposit cash-only, or do you accept card / international transfer?
  5. Do you issue a receipt for the deposit?

Weather & sea conditions

  1. What wind speed or sea state will force you to cancel?
  2. If we sail and conditions turn unsafe, what's the abort policy — partial refund or date-shift?
  3. How many days notice will you give for a weather cancellation?
  4. Do you offer a date-shift instead of a cash refund? How far ahead can it be rebooked?

Insurance & safety

  1. Is the boat insured for passenger liability? What's the cover limit?
  2. Are passengers covered or does our travel insurance need to fill the gap?
  3. How many life jackets are on board and where are they kept?
  4. Is the boat registered with the Marine Department? What's the registration number?
  5. Do you carry VHF radio + EPIRB or just a phone?
  6. When was the last engine service and safety check?

What's included

  1. Is tackle included or hire-only?
  2. Are lures and terminal tackle included? What replaces a lost lure?
  3. Is bait provided?
  4. Is lunch included? Are dietary needs catered for?
  5. Are drinks (water, soft) provided?
  6. Are port fees, marine-park fees, or national-park fees extra?

Boat & crew

  1. What's the boat's length and how many anglers max on board?
  2. How many crew on the day? What's the captain's English level?
  3. How experienced is the captain on this specific fishery (not just years total)?
  4. Will the same captain we book with be the captain on the day?
  5. Is there shade on board? A toilet? Air-con cabin if the weather turns?

Booking logistics

  1. What's the departure marina and pickup time?
  2. Do you offer hotel pickup? Is there a surcharge?
  3. What documents do I need to bring?
  4. What time do we return to the marina?
  5. Can you provide a receipt or invoice on the day for expense claims?

Andaman-specific

  1. Are we fishing inside the Similan / Surin marine national park boundaries today?
  2. If yes, do you handle the marine-park fee on our behalf?
  3. What's the realistic travel time from the marina to the fishing zone?
  4. What time of day are sailfish / GT typically running at this point of the season?
  5. If we hook a sailfish or marlin, what's the release procedure?

Follow-up questions for your situation

Group: Small group (2-4)

  • ·Do all 4 of us fish at once, or do you rotate to avoid crossed lines?
  • ·How many fighting chairs / outriggers are set up on the day?
  • ·If two of us are spinning and two are trolling, can the boat handle both simultaneously?

Private charter

  • ·What's the private-charter rate vs the per-head shared rate?
  • ·On a private day, who picks the target species and the run plan?
  • ·If we want to switch from trolling to popping mid-day, is that included?

Red flags

Patterns that consistently correlate with bad outcomes. None of these are absolute disqualifiers, but more than one or two together is a strong signal to book elsewhere.

  • !No marine-park fee mentioned at all — fees are real and operators who hide them often pass them on later.
  • !Promises of guaranteed sailfish — sailfish are wild and not guaranteed on any day.
  • !Refusal to share captain's name in advance.
  • !Boat photos that look like a different boat from the one you'll board (stock images).
  • !Heavy upsell on "premium" tackle hire after the booking is confirmed.
  • !Operators who only take cash and refuse a receipt.
  • !Operators who can't or won't show insurance documentation when asked.
  • !Photos clearly lifted from other operators (reverse-image search before booking).
  • !WhatsApp / LINE replies that contradict the listing on the booking platform.
  • !Pressure to confirm and pay immediately "because of demand" before you've had time to ask the safety questions.
  • !Reviews that all sound the same and were posted on the same day.
  • !A captain who can't tell you what was caught last week — they don't fish often enough.

Day-of safety checklist

  • Locate life jackets when you board.
  • Note the boat's name, registration number, and home port.
  • Confirm the captain's English (or your communication plan) before leaving the dock.
  • Take seasickness tablets 30-45 minutes BEFORE boarding if prone — too late once you're moving.
  • Confirm sun protection plan: hat, polarised glasses, reef-safe sunscreen, long sleeves.
  • Confirm water bottle + electrolytes for the day.
  • Phone in waterproof pouch.
  • Cash on board for tip (Andaman charter day: 1,000-2,000 THB pooled is normal).
  • Brief crew on any medical conditions or allergies before leaving dock.
  • Photo of your booking confirmation saved offline (no cell signal at sea).

How this checklist is built

Every question in the base list applies to any Thailand charter — deposit handling, weather cancellation, insurance, inclusions, boat & crew, booking logistics. On top of that the tool adds region-specific questions (Andaman park fees, Gulf weather windows, Eastern reef vs offshore, Hua Hin sea state) and follow-ups tailored to your group size and booking type.

The red flags are patterns we've seen consistently correlate with bad outcomes — cash-only operators, photos that look lifted, evasive answers on the cancellation policy. None of them individually disqualify an operator, but more than one or two together is a strong signal to book elsewhere.

How to use the printed sheet

Tap Print this checklist (or use Cmd/Ctrl+P). The selector chrome hides; only the question-and-checklist sheet prints. Most operators accept a copy-paste of the questions into a single Facebook Messenger or LINE message — there's no need to ask them one at a time.

Save the answers — they form the receipt that the operator agreed to specific terms. If anything is later disputed, the written answers are what you have.

What this tool is not

  • Not a booking platform. ThaiAngler does not take deposits, hold charters, or verify operator status.
  • Not a guarantee. Boat conditions, captain availability, and weather all change.
  • Not a substitute for confirming insurance and cancellation terms in writing before paying.

For coast and season matching (which months fish well on which coast), use the charter decision tool. For the broader trip-prep checklist, use the printable trip pack.