Phuket King's Cup Regatta 2026: Dates and How to Watch

The 38th Phuket King's Cup Regatta runs from December 5 to 12, 2026, with race headquarters at Beyond Kata Resort & Spa on Kata Beach. Registration takes place over the weekend of December 5 and 6, racing runs from Monday, December 7 to Saturday, December 12, and the awards ceremony is on the final afternoon. Entries close at 17:00 on Thursday, November 26.

The details come from the official Notice of Race published on kingscup.com in September and updated on October 15. For visitors, the week brings a fleet of racing yachts to Phuket's west coast, evening prize-givings at Kata and a busy start to the high season.

What is the Phuket King's Cup Regatta?

The regatta was founded in 1987 to celebrate the 60th birthday of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, and its opening is still timed around December 5. According to the event's own history, the first edition was hosted with Mom Tri's Phuket Yacht Club Hotel at Nai Harn Bay. It has since become one of the best-known keelboat events in Asia and is part of the Asian Yachting Circuit. Its record fleet, 103 boats, was set in 2007.

The regatta is organised by an event committee under the auspices of the Royal Varuna Yacht Club, working with the Sports Authority of Thailand, the Yacht Racing Association of Thailand, the Royal Thai Navy and Phuket Province. His Majesty the King is the Royal Patron.

Last year's 37th edition drew around 120 boats and more than 365 sailors from countries including Australia, Japan, Sweden, China, Germany, Singapore, Malaysia and France, The Phuket News reported. Their Majesties the King and Queen presided over the event, and the Queen sailed as navigator aboard the IRC Zero yacht Vayu.

Phuket King's Cup Regatta 2026 schedule

Date	What happens
Fri, Dec 4	Early IRC measurement, by appointment
Sat, Dec 5	Registration and measurement, 10:00-16:00, Beyond Kata
Sun, Dec 6	Registration, practice race from 13:00, skippers' briefing 16:30
Mon, Dec 7 - Sat, Dec 12	Racing for all classes; IRC Zero races Tue, Dec 8 to Sat, Dec 12
Sat, Dec 12	Final races, then awards ceremony at 15:00

The first warning signal is scheduled for 09:30 from Monday to Friday and 09:00 on the final Saturday, and no warning signal will be made after 12:00 on the last day. Most classes have five race days plus a reserve day on Thursday, December 10, with up to 12 races in total. Daily prize-giving starts at 18:30. The Sailing Instructions are due online from November 29.

Which boats take part?

The Notice of Race lists a wide spread of classes, from grand prix racers to holiday charter yachts:

• IRC Zero and IRC divisions for handicap racing yachts, plus a Premier class.
• Sportsboats and one-designs, including the Platu 25.
• Multihulls, rated under the OMR system.
• Cruising, Modern Classic and Spirit of Classic classes, including a two-handed division.
• Bareboat Charter, for crews racing chartered yachts.

Courses may be coastal, trapezoid, windward-leeward or triangle, chosen daily according to the weather. A separate notice covers dinghy racing.

How to enter: fees and deadlines

Entries must be in by 17:00 on Thursday, November 26. The entry fee is 35,000 baht per boat, or 25,000 baht for cruising boats and the Platu one-design class. Every crew member also pays 6,500 baht for the week, which covers racing, the official social events and a crew shirt. Non-registered crew and supporters who want to attend the official evening functions pay 1,200 baht per person per day, and entry is limited to people wearing a security tag. Boats and competitors may not display Russian or Belarusian national symbols.

Where can visitors watch the Phuket King's Cup Regatta?

No spectator tickets are listed in the official notices, and the beaches remain public. The simplest plan is to base yourself on Kata Beach, where boats and crews come and go from race headquarters. Our guide to things to do in Kata Beach covers food, swimming and evening options nearby.

For a wider view of the sea, head up to the Kata Karon viewpoint on the road towards Nai Harn. Bring binoculars, because race areas are set each morning according to the wind, and some courses run well offshore, so there is no guarantee the fleet will be close to land on any given day. Mornings are the best time to look, as starts are set for 09:30.

The evening prize-givings at race headquarters are part of the official social programme, so outsiders need a social function pass rather than simply walking in.

Travel tips for regatta week

• Book early: Kata and Karon hotels fill with crews and supporters, and the regatta overlaps with the start of the peak season.
• Public holidays: December 5 (the birthday of King Bhumibol, also National Day and Father's Day) falls on a Saturday this year, and Constitution Day, December 10, is a Thursday, so expect busier roads and beaches around both dates.
• Getting there: the south of the island is reached through the same few main roads; read our report on the Phuket traffic plan and allow extra time from the airport.
• Weather: December usually brings drier, calmer conditions than November, but late-season showers are possible. Our note on Phuket weather in November explains how the monsoon fades.
• Sea safety: stay away from racing boats if you are on a kayak, paddleboard or longtail charter, especially near start lines.

Other events fill the calendar before the regatta. The government's Public Relations Department lists the Laguna Phuket Triathlon on November 15 and the Naiyang Beach Music Festival from November 27 to 29.

FAQ

When is the Phuket King's Cup Regatta 2026?

From December 5 to 12, 2026. Registration runs on December 5 and 6, racing from December 7 to 12, and the awards ceremony is on December 12 at 15:00.

Where is the regatta based?

Race headquarters, registration and the awards ceremony are at Beyond Kata Resort & Spa on Kata Beach, on Phuket's west coast.

Does it cost anything to watch?

Watching from public beaches and viewpoints is free. Official evening functions are limited to registered crews and people who pay the 1,200-baht-per-day social function fee.

Can I still enter a boat?

Yes, until 17:00 on Thursday, November 26, 2026. The full Notice of Race and entry forms are on the official website, kingscup.com.

Photo: Yachts at anchor off Phuket at sunset, by [email protected] / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.