Short answer
On our Phuket speedboat days, James Bond Island (from $85 per person) and Phi Phi (from $75), the tour pages say the boat does not take guests over 70, pregnant women or infants under 1 year; the Similan day has the same limits. These are fast boats in open sea, and our Phi Phi page warns that the ride can be bumpy. We found no Thai law that sets the age, so ask any operator for its rule in writing. Tell us every guest's age and we confirm before you plan the day.
The rule: who our speedboats do not take
On our Phuket speedboat days the limit is written on the tour page. The Phi Phi page and the James Bond Island page both say the tour is not suitable for pregnant women, infants under 1 year or guests over 70, and the Phi Phi FAQ puts it plainly: those guests are not allowed on the speedboat. The Similan Islands day carries the same three limits. If a guest is close to the age limit, tell us the exact age so that we can check it.
A limit like this is easy to miss when you book fast, so check it first, for every guest. If one person in your group is over 70, that person cannot join the speedboat, so decide as a group before you pay. We do not give medical advice. For any question about health or fitness, ask your own doctor, and read the page of the tour you are considering.
Why speedboat days have limits: open sea, speed and a long day
Our pages describe the day rather than explain a rule. The Phi Phi page says the speedboat ride can be bumpy in the open sea, the Similan page calls it a long day on a fast boat in the open sea, and the Phi Phi FAQ says guests with back problems should consider a bigger boat. The islands are not close: Wikipedia puts the Phi Phi Islands 46 kilometres south-east of Phuket and the Similans about 70 kilometres off the coast of Phang Nga.
We found no Thai law that sets an age limit for boat passengers in the sources we checked, so treat 70 as the rule of the tour and ask any other company for its rule in writing. What the official sources do cover is the boat. The UK Foreign Office names overloading, poor maintenance and rough seas, particularly in the monsoon season, as the usual causes of boat accidents in Thailand.
The limits tour by tour
Here is what each tour page says. Phi Phi, James Bond Island and the Similan Islands: not suitable for pregnant women, infants under 1 year or guests over 70. Krabi 4 Islands or Hong Islands from Ao Nang: not recommended for infants under 4, pregnant women or people with back or neck problems, with no upper age listed. The Krabi tour has no pickup from Phuket, so it only helps if you are staying in Ao Nang or the Krabi area.
Read no upper age listed carefully: it is not the same as seniors welcome. Our Krabi page does not say that older guests are accepted, so ask us before you plan around it. The same goes for walking. On a Phi Phi day you walk to Maya Bay on a boardwalk, which the Department of National Parks built with benches and a viewing deck, and on the Similan day there is a climb to the Sail Rock viewpoint.
Which of our days is gentler? James Bond Island, on the map
If the sea worries you, James Bond Island is the gentler of our two Phuket days on the map. Phang Nga Bay lies between Phuket and the mainland, and Wikipedia calls it a shallow bay, while Phi Phi sits 46 kilometres out across open sea and our page warns that the ride can be bumpy. Our James Bond Island page says the canoe is paddled for you and the boat stops at calm beaches. Gentler is not the same as calm, and the same speedboat limits apply.
No sea stays calm every day. The Department of National Parks said in October 2026, as it opened the Andaman season, that the opening of some attractions can change with the weather. On our tours, if the sea is unsafe, the operator moves the trip to another date or refunds it. The UK Foreign Office advises monitoring the Thai Meteorological Department for weather warnings. If a guest is prone to seasickness, our pages suggest tablets.
Back problems, mobility and the details of a boat day
Age is only one part of it. Our Phi Phi page tells guests with back problems to consider a bigger boat, and the Krabi page does not recommend its tour for people with back or neck problems. A speedboat day also means several stops, a seat in a sea canoe on the James Bond Island day and a walk at Maya Bay on the Phi Phi day. Ask us if any of that is a worry for your group, and we will tell you what the tour page says.
We cannot judge fitness from here and give no medical advice. The UK Foreign Office says to check that your travel insurance covers local treatment, which it calls particularly important if you have a health condition or are pregnant. Read your policy for boat trips. Our speedboat tours include accident insurance, but our FAQ still recommends your own travel insurance.
If a guest is over 70: what you can do instead
For guests over 70 the speedboat day is closed, but the holiday is not. Our FAQ says private boats and cars can often be arranged at a higher price than the shared tours, so ask us on WhatsApp what is possible for your group, with every guest's age. Expect the operator to have its own rules on age and health. We do not promise that an older guest is accepted before we have checked. Our guide to private or shared boat tours explains what a private boat does and does not change.
You can also build a land day. Our AI planner for Phuket is a place to start if you would like to see places such as the Big Buddha or Wat Chalong at your own pace. If part of your group is over 70 and part is not, it may be simpler to choose a day that everyone can do together than to split the group between boat and land.
What to ask any operator before you book a boat day
Ask for the rules in writing: the age and health limits, what happens if you cancel or if the weather stops the trip, and whether accident insurance is included. Then ask the safety questions. After the 2018 Phuket boat accidents, the Tourism Authority of Thailand's release on the official action plan said that passenger numbers must not exceed what each boat can legally carry, that all passengers and crew must wear life jackets and that the captain must hold a licence.
Pattaya Mail repeated the life jacket rule in its October 2026 report on the Similan opening. Also ask how long the day is, and what is included. Our Phi Phi and James Bond Island days are both listed at about 8.5 hours, and towels are not included on either. Ask when the pickup is, because the early start matters as much as the age limit: about 7:00-8:30 am for Phi Phi and 7:00-8:00 am for James Bond Island.
How to book if you are travelling with older family members
Send us the date, your hotel and the number of guests on WhatsApp, with every guest's age. We confirm availability, the pickup time and the total before you pay, and we tell you if a guest is outside the limits. On the Phi Phi day keep 400 baht per adult and 200 per child in cash for the park fee; on James Bond Island the park fee is included in the price.
Our route guides cover each day in detail: the Phi Phi travel guide, the James Bond Island travel guide and the James Bond Island schedule. Read them before you decide, so that everyone in the group knows what the day involves, from the early pickup to the stops, the lunch and the return. If you have a question about a particular stop or about the walking, put it in your booking message and we will answer on WhatsApp.
Practical checklist
- Check the age of every guest against the limits: over 70, pregnant or under 1 year cannot join the speedboat.
- Send every guest's age to us on WhatsApp with the date and your hotel.
- Ask any operator for its age and health rules, and its weather policy, in writing.
- Ask how many people the boat may carry, whether every guest has a life jacket and whether the captain is licensed.
- Read your travel insurance for boat trips and ask your doctor about any health question.
- Keep cash for the Phi Phi park fee: 400 baht per adult and 200 per child.
Questions and answers
Why can't guests over 70 join a Phuket speedboat tour?
On our Phi Phi, James Bond Island and Similan pages the tour is listed as not suitable for guests over 70, and the Phi Phi FAQ says they are not allowed on the speedboat. The pages describe a fast boat in open sea. We found no Thai law that sets the age.
Can pregnant women join the tour?
No. Pregnant women are not allowed on the speedboat on our Phi Phi, James Bond Island and Similan tours, and the Krabi 4 Islands page does not recommend its tour for pregnant women either. For any health question, ask your own doctor.
Can a baby join a Phuket boat tour?
Not under 1 year on our Phi Phi, James Bond Island and Similan speedboats. James Bond Island is open from 1 year old, because the canoe is paddled for you and the boat stops at calm beaches. The Krabi tour is not recommended for infants under 4.
Is there a boat tour for people with back problems?
Our Phi Phi FAQ advises guests with back problems to consider a bigger boat, and the Krabi page does not recommend its tour for back or neck problems. Our Phuket days are speedboats, so ask us about your case before you book.
What if my parents are over 70?
They cannot join our Phi Phi, James Bond Island or Similan speedboats. Our FAQ says private boats and cars can often be arranged at a higher price. Ask us on WhatsApp with their ages, and we check what is possible.
Which is calmer, Phi Phi or James Bond Island?
On the map, James Bond Island: Phang Nga Bay is a shallow bay between Phuket and the mainland, while Phi Phi is across open sea and our page warns the ride can be bumpy. The same speedboat limits apply to both days.