The 38th Phuket King's Cup Regatta will be held from 5 to 12 December 2026, according to the regatta's organisers, with racing off Kata Beach on Phuket's west coast. Last year's edition brought 120 yachts and 365 sailors from more than ten countries, and it falls in the first week of the peak season. This briefing, from a Thailand DMC for travel agents, sets out what race week is, what it does to hotel demand in Kata and Karon, and how to sell it to sailing clients, spectators and corporate groups.
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What the regatta is
The regatta was first held in 1987 to mark the 60th birthday of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and has run every year since, in the first week of December. It is organised under the auspices of the Royal Varuna Yacht Club with the Yacht Racing Association of Thailand, the Royal Thai Navy and Phuket Province. Racing covers keelboat and multihull classes as well as international dinghy classes, so the fleet runs from grand-prix racing yachts to cruising boats and small dinghies. In 2025, Their Majesties The King and Queen presided over the awards ceremony, and Her Majesty The Queen raced on one of the competing yachts.
What race week does to Kata and Karon
Several hundred sailors, their support teams and their guests arrive in one week, and most want to stay within reach of Kata Beach. That week is also the start of Phuket's peak season, and 5 December is a public holiday in Thailand. Expect beachfront rooms in Kata and Karon to be tight from the weekend before the regatta, and hold rooms early for clients who want to watch or take part. Clients who only want a beach holiday and no crowds may be better placed in another part of the island that week.
How to sell it
There are three kinds of client. Sailing clients who want to race need a boat and a crew place, which the organisers handle; the ground side is their rooms, transfers and the crew's evenings. Spectators can watch from the beach and the headlands, or from a chartered boat that keeps to the areas the organisers allow. Corporate groups can build an incentive around the week, with a day on the water and an evening event. Ask your Thailand DMC to check the race and social schedule before you fix any evening, because prize-givings and parties move with the racing; a Thailand DMC with its own vehicles can run the transfers between the hotels and the regatta base. Our guide to yacht charters in Thailand covers the wider sailing calendar, our yacht and catamaran charter team books spectator boats, our MICE team builds incentive programmes, and every other service is on our Thailand DMC services page. Send your dates through our contact page.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Phuket King's Cup Regatta in 2026?
The organisers have set the 38th edition for 5 to 12 December 2026, with racing off Kata Beach on Phuket's west coast.
How big is the regatta?
The 2025 edition had 120 yachts and 365 sailors from more than ten countries, racing in keelboat, multihull and dinghy classes.
Can clients watch the racing?
Yes. They can watch from the beach and the headlands, or from a chartered boat that keeps to the areas the organisers allow.
Does the regatta affect hotel availability?
Yes. It falls in the first week of the peak season, so beachfront rooms in Kata and Karon are tight that week. Book early.
