On the face of it, you’d expect it to be easy to find somewhere offering parasailing in the Phi Phi islands. The reality is that you’ll be lucky to find anyone offering any kind of water sports there. Seems strange, but there are reasons for this, and if parasailing in Thailand is on your bucket list, don’t worry, there are plenty of options for you to get flying, sailing, gliding or whatever you want to call it. Let’s look into it all now.

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Parasailing in the Phi Phi Islands

Here’s your travel guide to parasailing in Phi Phi.

Is parasailing in the Phi Phi Islands possible?

The simple answer is no, parasailing in the Phi Phi islands isn’t possible. Now, if you trawl through message boards you will find evidence proving otherwise. But it’s not exactly trustworthy: ‘My grandparents went parasailing in 2016’, doesn’t give us much to go on does it? 

Everything I can find that says it is possible is all pre-2017. And that gives me a big clue as to why it’s not possible now.

Why can’t I go parasailing in Phi Phi Islands?

In June 2018, the most popular beach on Phi Phi, Maya Bay, was closed to tourists. This was because it had become so popular that the increased number of boats and people in the water nearly killed the ecosystem.

The coral reefs were in severe danger, meaning the sea life numbers were dangerously low too. The beach remained closed for four years. Visitors are allowed back now. But in limited numbers and with special rules for how and where the boats can go.

Add all this together, and we can see why parasailing in the Phi Phi islands is no longer possible. If the boats shipping people to and from the islands are limited it’s unlikely that they’re going to let speedboats roar back and forth just to entertain the lucky tourists. 

There are still boat tours happening so it might only be a matter of time until parasailing is back. But until then you’ll have to enjoy Phi Phi from sea level and get high somewhere else.

What are the best things to do in Phi Phi Islands?

So, now we know that parasailing is a no-no, what can you do while in Phi Phi? If you’re interested I recommend taking a look at Get Your Guide’s list of everything that’s available. They give you the ability to review before you buy, pay by card upfront and even get a refund if your plans change. If you prefer not to plan ahead too much, that’s cool, there will be plenty of people with laminated offerings as soon as you arrive. 

Where can I go parasailing in Thailand?

As I said at the start, there are still plenty of options when it comes to parasailing in Thailand. Pattaya, Patong and Koh Samui are the most popular places to get high. You can check out the parasailing in Thailand section on Viator to see what’s pre-bookable. But, the most common way is just to rock up at the beach, find a person involved and ask how much.

That’s the typical way to get these things done. Most activities that you can pre-book are usually much more in-depth than parasailing. So get yourself to one of the locations that do it and follow that parachute back to the beach. Happy flying!

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