Nikorn Marine Game Fishing: Trolling and Bottom Fishing at Racha Yai

Nikorn Marine Company Limited

Game Fishing and Trolling Boat Trip with Lunch

★ 4.0 (54) · from $116

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Prices and timetables checked 2026-10-17. I earn a commission on bookings made through the links on this page.

The Nikorn Marine game fishing trip is an eight-hour boat day from Ao Chalong Pier to Racha Yai Island: you troll on the way out, fish the bottom near the island, eat lunch on board and troll home. It costs $116 per person and is rated 4.0/5 from 54+ reviews on GetYourGuide.

The rare attribute that changes the decision is the catch itself. Reviewers describe tuna and one mahi-mahi on good days and empty trolling lines on others, so you pay for time on the water and a crew who cook your fish, not for a guarantee. The sub-scores say the same: 4.6 for transport but 3.9 for value.

I have not been on board; this page uses the listing, review data and public weather data. The meeting point is Nikorn Marine, Ao Chalong Pier. Start from the Harbour Advisor home page, the Phuket boat tours hub or the fishing charter Phuket page.

Key facts

What is the Nikorn Marine game fishing trip and what do you catch?

It is a shared fishing charter that uses two methods in one day: trolling lines behind the moving boat, then bottom fishing with a spinning reel or a handline. Reviewers mention tuna most often, plus a big mahi-mahi and 1.5 kg reef fish.

• Trolling - lures towed on the way to Racha Yai, with anglers taking turns when a fish bites. One group drew numbers to decide who fished first.
• Bottom fishing - lines dropped near the island, where a reviewer pulled up three fish of 1.5 kg on a single rig.
• Sashimi lunch - the crew can prepare the catch on board, and several reviewers ate fresh tuna.
• Swim stop - optional swimming or snorkelling off Racha Yai, with a mask and snorkel from the boat.

Keen anglers should note that one reviewer was unimpressed by the rods. The listing states that equipment is provided, so you do not bring your own.

Where does the Nikorn Marine boat leave from?

It leaves from Ao Chalong Pier on Phuket's southeast coast, and the listing sends you to the Nikorn Marine office at the pier first.

1. Give the exact hotel name when you book, so the operator can arrange the land transfer.
2. Meet the guide at the Nikorn Marine office at 7:45 am.
3. Board and leave the pier at 8:30 am.
4. Return at 4:30 pm and transfer back to the hotel.

The listing does not state the hotel pickup time. A 7:45 am office meeting means pickups must be earlier, so ask Nikorn Marine for yours. Reviewers said the pickups, office check-in and pier boarding went smoothly.

What is the schedule, hour by hour?

Racha Yai is also the lunch stop: see the island on Racha Yai beach and the pier on Chalong Pier.

The day divides into about 4.5 hours of travelling and fishing before lunch, a 45-minute lunch break and swim, and 2.75 hours trolling home.

The return at 4:30 pm is the useful part for planning: it leaves you the evening free and keeps the boat out of the dark in every month, since sunset on the 15th is never earlier than 18:05.

What is included and what costs extra?

The fare covers fishing gear, lunch, drinks, fruit, a guide, mask and snorkel, a life jacket, the land transfer and accident insurance.

• Included - rods and lines, a local guide, buffet lunch, soft drinks and fruit.
• Included - snorkel mask, life jacket, accident insurance and the land transfer in the main zones.
• Extra - 250 THB per person (about $7.50) for pickup from Laguna, Bang Tao, Surin, Kamala, Laem Hin, Koh Siray, Cape Panwa and Ao Yon.
• Extra - Mai Khao, Nai Yang, Nai Thon, Ao Por, Layan and airport pickups need a private car at 2,000 THB per van (about $60).
• Extra - tips and personal spending.

The listing marks the land transfer as included and lists the surcharges as exclusions, so zones outside the central ring are where the bill grows. Alcohol and drugs are banned on board.

How does Nikorn Marine compare with the other fishing trips?

It is the most expensive of the three Phuket fishing products by about $12 to $15, but it has the most reviews of the three.

The Manta Marina deep sea fishing trip also targets Racha Yai and is $12 cheaper but has fewer reviews. The Best Exotic fishing and snorkeling tour has only 3 reviews, so I cannot recommend it with confidence. The fishing charter Phuket page covers all three.

Is the Nikorn Marine game fishing trip worth it?

Yes for families and groups who want a social fishing day with a sashimi lunch, and no for serious anglers chasing a specific species.

The price per hour is $14.5, about double the $7.6 median, which reflects gear, lunch and a guide.

The value sub-score of 3.9 is the lowest of the three, so the question is whether you value the day over the catch. Reviewers who caught tuna were delighted, and those who did not still called it fun.

When is the best time to go?

The sea is calmest from November to April, with an average daily maximum wave of 0.56 to 0.94 m, and roughest from June to September at 1.3 to 1.56 m.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand warns that Racha Yai has strong waves and storms in the monsoon season and is not recommended for swimming then (TAT, Phuket guide). The listing says the programme changes with tide and weather and runs rain or shine, so a rough forecast does not cancel it.

32.97 million foreign visitors arrived in Thailand in 2025, 7.23% fewer than in 2024, according to the Thai government's year-end tourism report.

The boat itself is small: one reviewer counted only eight other guests, so a quiet season does not change the crowd much.

What do passengers say?

Passengers rate the Nikorn Marine trip 4.0 out of 5 from 54+ reviews, with sub-scores of 4.0 for the guide, 4.6 for transport and 3.9 for value.

• Catches - six to eight tuna in the best reports, a mahi-mahi in another, and trolling with no bites in others.
• Organisation - easy booking, punctual pickups and a rescheduling option when a guest was ill.
• Crew - friendly, though one reviewer mentioned the guide's limited English.
• Effort - one reviewer said you need strength for the fishing.

The reviews I could read are five-star, so the lower 4.0 average hides some unhappy outings I cannot see. Plan for a fun day first and a full cooler second.

Who should skip the Nikorn Marine trip?

Skip it if you are pregnant, over 65, travelling with a child under 4, or want a guaranteed catch.

• Pregnant women, over-65s and under-4s - the listing does not recommend the trip for them.
• Wheelchair users - non-folding wheelchairs are not allowed on board.
• Seasick travellers - trolling runs for hours on open water.
• Anglers wanting their own tackle - the operator provides the gear.

Families who want swimming rather than fishing will like the VGA Vacation Khai Islands tour better.

How do you book the Nikorn Marine trip?

Frequently asked questions

Sources: GetYourGuide listing 464837 (itinerary, inclusions, reviews, notes); Tourism Authority of Thailand, 10 things to do in Phuket; Government Public Relations Department, 2025 tourism results; Open-Meteo archive and marine APIs; sunrise-sunset.org; Frankfurter exchange rates.