The first time a wild monkey climbed onto a customer's jet ski — onto the saddle, behind her — she screamed loud enough that two other jet skis turned around to check on her. The monkey, completely unbothered, sat down, looked at her, and started grooming itself.
She got the photo. Of course she got the photo. It's on her Instagram. Framed, I think.
That's a real morning on the Monkey Island route. Not a brochure shot, not staged. The macaques at the rocks south of Naka Yai have lived alongside the jet ski tours for so long that the boats are basically taxis to them.
Three animals you'll meet by jet ski in Thailand — wild monkeys at Monkey Island, the famous pigs of Pig Island in Koh Samui, and rescued elephants at the camp our Elephant Route visits in Phuket. Two-thirds of the people who come to Thailand don't realise any of these are possible by jet ski. Most of them book a longtail boat or a coach instead and pay twice as much for half the day.
1. Monkey Island — Phang Nga Bay, Phuket
About 40 wild macaques live in the cliffs above a small beach on the south end of Naka Yai. They've adapted to the boat traffic over twenty years — they recognise engines, swim out to jet skis at anchor, and climb on if the rider sits still.
You'll find Monkey Island on three of our routes — the Monkey Island Route (7 points), the Yamu Monkey Island Route (7 points, Cape Yamu launch), and the flagship 9-Point Grand Tour.
Three rules, in order of importance:
- Do not feed them. It's illegal under Thai wildlife law, and it makes them aggressive over the long term. The reason the Monkey Island colony is still friendly is because most operators stick to this.
- Don't let them into your bag. Sunglasses are fair game. So are phones with bright cases. Anything they can grab, they will.
- Stay seated and quiet. Sudden movement spooks the colony — and getting bitten is a clinic visit you don't want to make from a beach.
2. Pig Island — Koh Samui's east coast
If Monkey Island is wild Thailand, Pig Island is the friendly cousin. The pigs are descendants of a small herd left on the island years ago — feral, but well-fed, and famously gentle. They wade out into the shallows to greet incoming boats, expecting snacks (which a local concession provides, well-regulated, so you don't need to bring anything).
It's on every Koh Samui Pig Island Tour we run — 2.5 hours, the only jet ski tour we operate on Samui, on the east coast between Maenam and Chaweng. The pigs are the first stop. Then Virgin Islands, then Hidden Lagoon, then back.
Lunch isn't included on the Samui tour, by the way — most people stop for Thai food at one of the beach cafés on Chaweng after they get back. Plan for that.
3. The Elephant Route — Phuket
This one needs context, because elephant tourism in Thailand has earned its reputation as a moral minefield over the last twenty years, and most travellers — rightly — are sceptical when they see "elephant" on any itinerary.
The camp our Elephant Route visits is small, family-run, and doesn't offer rides on the elephants' backs. The interaction is feeding bananas and walking with them through a shaded area — about 25 minutes, and that's all. The proceeds we send forward as part of our tour fee pay for the elephants' diet, medical care, and the salaries of the two mahouts who've worked with that family for fifteen years.
Most tourists pay five times more for an elephant interaction at a sanctuary on land than at the camp our Elephant Route visits. The jet ski version arrives lighter, leaves smaller, and feeds money into a smaller, more accountable operation.
If elephants matter to you and you want to verify how the camp operates before you book — message us on WhatsApp at +66 95 483 3119. We'll send you the camp owner's name, the village it sits in, and the contact for the Thai Department of Livestock who licenses it. It's all on the record.
Which route gets you which animal?
Open the booking page in another tab. Match the animal to the route:
🐒 Monkeys only
Book the Monkey Island Route or the Yamu Monkey Island Route. 4 hours, from ฿6,500.
🐘 Elephants only
Book the Elephant Route. 4 hours, ฿6,900 — Sea-Doo 1,630cc.
🐷 Pigs only
Book the Koh Samui Pig Island Escape. 2.5 hours, ฿6,900 — only operates on Samui, not Phuket.
🐒 + everything else in Phang Nga Bay
Book the 9-Point Grand Tour. 4 hours, 9 island stops including Monkey Island, plus buffet lunch and the only fleet with damage insurance built in. ฿6,900 — ฿13,000 depending on jet ski.
The Instagram girl came back
The customer who screamed at the monkey on her saddle is now a repeat. She brings someone different every time. The first year, her sister. Last year, her boyfriend. This year, her parents.
She doesn't book longtail boat tours of Phang Nga anymore. She doesn't believe she'd see anything that good from a deck chair. And, full disclosure, she's right — most longtail tours stop at the photo viewpoint across from Monkey Island, not at it. The jet ski is the only practical way to actually meet the colony.
Three animals, three routes, one country. Pick yours.
Travelling with kids? The minimum age for a jet ski rider in Thailand is 15. Children younger than that ride as passengers — one passenger per ski, 170 kg combined limit. Most families pair a parent (rider) with a child (passenger).
