Short answer
The 38th Phuket King's Cup Regatta is held from Saturday 5 to Saturday 12 December 2026, the organisers say. Registration and the race headquarters are at Beyond Kata Resort & Spa on Kata Beach. Keelboat racing runs from Monday 7 to Saturday 12 December, after a practice session on Sunday 6 December, and the dinghy classes race at Kata Bay from Monday 7 to Thursday 10 December. The awards ceremony is on Saturday 12 December at 15:00. Where the keelboats race depends on the wind, so check the daily notice board.
When is the Phuket King's Cup Regatta in 2026?
The 38th Phuket King's Cup Regatta is held from 5 to 12 December 2026, according to the regatta's website. Its Notice of Race for keelboats and multihulls, updated on 15 October 2026, sets the programme. Registration and measurement run at Beyond Kata Resort & Spa on Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 December, and a practice session for keelboats and multihulls starts at 13:00 on Sunday 6 December, with the skippers' briefing at 16:30. Racing runs from Monday 7 to Saturday 12 December: five days of class racing plus one reserve day, Thursday 10 December, with up to 12 races. The first warning signal is at 09:30 from Monday to Friday and at 09:00 on Saturday. IRC Zero, the top class, races from Tuesday 8 to Saturday 12 December with no reserve day.
Daily prize-giving is at 18:30. The awards ceremony, called the Royal Awards Ceremony in the dinghy notice, is on Saturday 12 December at 15:00 at Beyond Kata Resort & Spa, and the dinghy notice asks for proper attire and adds a closing ceremony and beach party at 18:30. On the last day of keelboat racing no warning signal is made after 12:00. The dinghy classes race from Monday 7 to Thursday 10 December, with the first warning signal at 11:30 and up to four races a day. Times can change, so check the regatta's online notice board.
Where is the regatta based, and where does the racing happen?
The race headquarters and registration are at Beyond Kata Resort & Spa on Kata Beach, according to the Notice of Race. The dinghy notice says the event for all classes apart from the inclusive SV14 class is held at Kata Bay and Beyond Kata, and the SV14 Inclusive class races at Ao Po Grand Marina. In 2025 the dinghies raced just off Kata Beach, and the keelboat practice session was held in an area off Kata Beach, the organisers reported. Thaiger reported in 2019 that the fleet traditionally anchors in the natural Kata harbour and uses Beyond Resort and other local hotels as a base.
The keelboat courses move with the wind. The Notice of Race says courses are coastal, trapezoid, windward-leeward or triangle formats chosen according to the weather, and the sailing instructions are published online from 29 November 2026. In 2025 the race officer used an area between Koh Kaeo Yai and Koh Kaeo Noi, off Rawai, on several days when the wind was better there, and one class sailed an around-the-islands course. So from Kata Beach you may see the dinghies but not every keelboat race.
How can you watch the King's Cup?
The racing is on the sea, and the notices we read mention no spectator ticket. The simplest free view is Kata Beach, where the dinghy fleet has its boat park and races in the bay, with the first warning signal at 11:30 from 7 to 10 December. For a view from above, Phuket 101 describes Karon Viewpoint, once called Kata Viewpoint, as a drive-up platform with views of Kata Noi, Kata Beach and Karon Beach. Its car park fills through the afternoon in high season, so aim to arrive before 4 pm. Whether you see yachts from there depends on where the race officer sets the courses.
The social side is not open to everyone. The Notice of Race says access to official social functions is restricted to people who have paid the crew fee or a social fee and wear a security tag issued by the organisers, and it lists a social function fee of 1,200 baht per person per day for non-registered crew and supporters. The dinghy notice gives the same 1,200 baht per person per night at the door. We found no public programme for spectators. Our Phuket viewpoints guide covers Karon Viewpoint and the other free lookouts.
What does the regatta mean for Kata hotels and traffic?
We found no hotel offer or road plan for 2026, so this is what the sources support. The regatta is based at Beyond Kata Resort & Spa, and the Kata Group of Hotels was the host sponsor in 2025, the organisers said. The dates sit at the start of the peak season. Phuket 101 puts the peak from mid-December to February, with hotel prices 30 to 50 percent above the low season, and calls early December a transition, when prices are climbing but not yet at their peak. It advises booking at least one to two months ahead for a beachfront stay. Our best beaches guide helps you choose between Kata, Karon and the others.
Three public-holiday dates fall in the regatta week: Saturday 5 December (King Bhumibol's Birthday, National Day and Father's Day), Monday 7 December, the substitute holiday for it, and Thursday 10 December (Constitution Day), according to the Bank of Thailand's 2026 list as the Nation reported it; Wikipedia's list agrees on the two fixed dates. Phuket 101 says Patong, Kata, Karon and Nai Harn are the busiest beaches in high season and that traffic between them can be stressful; if you rent a scooter, it says, do so only if you are an experienced rider. Our Phuket taxi and Grab guide has fares. In 2018 the Phuket Marine Office told boats to avoid the regatta area in and around Kata Bay from 8:30 am to 7:30 pm each day, Thaiger reported, so ask any boat hirer whether a similar notice applies.
What happened in 2025, and who takes part?
The 37th regatta had dinghy racing from 30 November and keelboat racing from 1 to 6 December 2025, according to the organisers' reports. Thirty-eight keelboats and multihulls raced in eight classes, with crews from countries including Australia, China, Estonia, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Singapore, Thailand and the United Kingdom, and eighty-one dinghy sailors raced off Kata Beach on 1 December. Light wind cancelled keelboat racing on 2 December, and a planned lay day on 5 December was used for two extra races. Queen Suthida sailed aboard Vayu THA 72 on 3 and 4 December, and the organisers had announced that the King would join the final royal awards ceremony. Team Hollywood won IRC Zero, the organisers said.
The regatta began in 1987 as a tribute to King Bhumibol Adulyadej on his 60th birthday, 5 December 1987, and was the first regatta held in the Andaman Sea, the organisers say. Sailors of the Royal Varuna Yacht Club founded it, and the Phuket Yacht Club Hotel at Nai Harn Bay put its resources at the organisers' disposal. Today an organising committee runs it under the Royal Varuna Yacht Club with the Yacht Racing Association of Thailand, the Royal Thai Navy and the Province of Phuket, and the 2026 notice also names the Sports Authority of Thailand.
Which of our tours fit around the regatta?
Our Phuket half-day city tour is from $25 per person, takes about 4 to 5 hours and starts with hotel pickup between about 8:00 and 9:00 am. Its first stop is Karon Viewpoint, so you see Kata Bay from above at no extra cost; whether you see yachts depends on the day. The tour does not go to the regatta and ends well before the evening prize-giving.
For a boat day in the same week, our Phi Phi and Maya Bay speedboat tour is from $75 per person and takes about 8.5 hours, and the speedboat leaves from Royal Phuket Marina. December's calm sea suits boat days, Phuket 101 says, while racing needs wind: keelboat racing was cancelled for lack of wind on 2 December 2025. Phuket 101 also says popular tour boats fill up days ahead in peak season, so send us your dates early. Our Phuket in December guide covers the weather and the sea.
Practical checklist
- Pencil in 5 to 12 December 2026, with keelboat racing from Monday 7 to Saturday 12 December and dinghy racing from Monday 7 to Thursday 10 December.
- Check the regatta's online notice board each morning: keelboat courses depend on the wind and in 2025 some races were off Rawai.
- Watch the dinghies from Kata Beach from 11:30, and take a free look from Karon Viewpoint before 4 pm.
- Expect no spectator pass: official social functions need a security tag and 1,200 baht per person a day for supporters.
- Book a Kata beachfront room one to two months ahead, and allow extra time on 5, 7 and 10 December, which are public holidays.
Questions and answers
When is the Phuket King's Cup Regatta 2026?
The 38th edition runs from 5 to 12 December 2026, according to the regatta's website. Keelboats race from Monday 7 to Saturday 12 December, and the dinghy classes race from Monday 7 to Thursday 10 December.
Where is the King's Cup Regatta held?
The headquarters is Beyond Kata Resort & Spa on Kata Beach, and the dinghies race at Kata Bay. Keelboat courses depend on the wind, and in 2025 several races were sailed off Rawai.
Can the public watch the King's Cup?
The racing is at sea and the notices we read mention no spectator ticket. Kata Beach and Karon Viewpoint give free views. Official social functions need a security tag, and supporters pay 1,200 baht per person a day.
What time do the races start?
The first warning signal for keelboats is at 09:30 from Monday to Friday and 09:00 on Saturday. For the dinghy classes it is at 11:30, and the SV14 Inclusive class starts at 10:00 at Ao Po Grand Marina.
Does the regatta affect traffic and hotels in Kata?
We found no official traffic plan or hotel notice for 2026. The dates are at the start of the peak season, and Monday 7 and Thursday 10 December are public holidays. Phuket 101 says Kata is among the busiest beaches in high season.
Who started the Phuket King's Cup Regatta?
Sailors of the Royal Varuna Yacht Club founded it in 1987 as a tribute to King Bhumibol Adulyadej on his 60th birthday. The organisers say it was the first regatta held in the Andaman Sea.