Short answer
On 4 August 2026 the heads of Thailand's Department of National Parks and the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources met other agencies and agreed to draw up common standards for tourist boats and marine activities, covering all 26 marine national parks, starting with the Koh Racha Yai and Phi Phi area. The meeting agreed checks on boats, waste and crew qualifications. The report describes a plan: it announces no new regulation and no start date.
What was agreed on 4 August 2026
The director-general of the Department of National Parks and the director-general of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources chaired a meeting on 4 August 2026, following the environment minister's order to tidy up marine tourism. The Department of Tourism, the Marine Department, the Fisheries Department, the navy and the maritime enforcement centre also took part.
The meeting agreed that tourist boats should be checked for readiness, waste handling and environmental care, and that boat crews' qualifications should be checked. It also agreed on equal service to all groups of tourists. The park service said it would enforce the law against visitors who harm others or the environment.
How Phi Phi is the model
The park service named boat management at Maya Bay as the model. There, yellow and red flags show the status of the mooring area and visitors may not swim, because the bay is a home and nursery for blacktip sharks. At Pileh Lagoon and in front of Viking Cave, green and red flags set the times that suit snorkelling, depending on the tide.
The report says that people who deliberately break the bans face a civil fine of up to 100,000 baht. It also notes an existing 2025 ministry notification that every diving activity needs close supervision, with one supervisor to four people for scuba diving.
What has not been decided
The standards cover boats, waste, crew and mooring, and the plan is to write detailed rules for all 26 marine national parks, starting with the Koh Racha Yai and Phi Phi area. The Surin Islands are named as the next target. The agencies were asked to send their data by 21 August 2026 for a coral foundation meeting on 28 August 2026.
The report does not say when the new standards take effect, and we found no follow-up in the park service's news to 28 October 2026. Treat it as a direction of travel: more checks on boats and tighter control of who lands where.
What it means for our Phi Phi day
On our Phi Phi and Maya Bay speedboat tour, from $75 per person, the order of the stops already changes with the tide and the crowds, and swimming is at Pileh Lagoon and Bamboo Island, not in Maya Bay. Because flags now set the swimming times at Pileh Lagoon, expect the order to follow them.
The speedboat leaves Royal Phuket Marina at about 9:30, with up to 35 guests, a life jacket and snorkelling gear for each. The national park fee is collected in cash on the tour: 400 baht per adult and 200 per child. If the sea is unsafe, the operator moves the trip or refunds it. Our Maya Bay guide explains the beach rules.
Practical checklist
- Follow the guide and the rangers at every stop; flags can change where you may swim.
- Do not swim in Maya Bay: the ban applies and deliberate offenders can be fined.
- Keep 400 baht in cash per adult and 200 per child for the park fee on our Phi Phi tour.
- Check the park's notices before you travel, because the new standards have no start date yet.
Questions and answers
Are there new rules for boat tours in Thai marine parks?
Not yet. On 4 August 2026 officials agreed to draw up common standards for all 26 marine national parks. The report gives no start date, so the new rules are a plan, not a law.
What do the flags at Maya Bay and Pileh Lagoon mean?
At Maya Bay, yellow and red flags show the status of the boat mooring area and swimming is banned. At Pileh Lagoon and Viking Cave, green and red flags set the times suitable for snorkelling by tide.
How big is the fine for breaking the bans?
The park service says people who deliberately break the bans face a civil fine of up to 100,000 baht. The report does not list each offence separately.
Which parks come first?
The plan starts with the Koh Racha Yai and Phi Phi area and names the Surin Islands as the next target, before covering all 26 marine national parks.