Wooden hulls, car engines, and the coast they still own.

A Thai longtail boat (rua hang yao, เรือหางยาว) is a hand-built wooden vessel with a repurposed car or truck engine mounted on a long swivelling shaft. The engine sits at the back with the propeller at the end of the 'long tail' shaft, eliminating the need for a fixed shaft and stuffing box. Hull lengths are typically 8-12m. The design dates to the 1930s, when royal helmsman Sanong Thitibura mounted an automotive engine on a rowing boat in Sing Buri province.

Yes. Traditional rua hang yao are still hand-built from plank-on-frame wooden hulls using methods passed down for generations. Some newer tourist boats are fiberglass replicas, but the working fleet across southern Thailand is overwhelmingly wooden. We mark each tour by hull material so you know what you are booking.

Longtail for: shallow water access (limestone hongs, beach landings), traditional experience, smaller groups, lower cost. Speedboat for: distance (Phuket to Phi Phi day trip), groups of 20+, shade and seating, faster trip. Most Thai island tours offer both options. Longtails cannot do open ocean in rough weather.

Shared longtail island day tours run about $22-37 (roughly 750-1,300 THB) per person with snorkel gear and lunch. Private charter of the whole boat is 2,500-3,500 THB per half-day or 4,500-6,500 THB per full day (up to ~8 passengers). Point-to-point transfers such as Ao Nang to Railay are 100 THB per person one-way. National park fees (200-400 THB) are usually extra.

The viral turbo longtails race informally on the Cobra Canal in the Bangkok area - 400-500 hp turbo diesel truck engines pushing wooden hulls past 100 mph. There is no published race schedule. One operator (Thai Longtail Experience) sells a 45-minute ride in a 500 hp race boat from Samut Songkhram. Full story in our turbo longtail guide.