Sawanu Travel showcases premium catamaran tours, safety standards in Phuket

Premium on a Phuket catamaran now means more than faster island-hopping. Sawanu Travel used an open-house at Royal Phuket Marina to show how a day tour can be sold as a smoother, safer and more comfortable service, with hotel pick-up and drop-off, a premium marina lounge, refreshments, restrooms and a relaxed boarding flow built into the experience.

The company’s pitch was clear: the trip should feel polished from land to water. Professional guide briefings, non-overcrowded catamaran layouts and an itinerary built around comfort were presented as part of the product, not extras. The setup also matched Phuket’s broader move toward higher-value marine tourism, where the passenger journey matters as much as the destination itself.

Safety standards were placed front and center. Sawanu said captains and crew undergo monthly drug testing, staff receive annual training, and the boats carry full safety gear, including first aid kits and fire extinguishers. That emphasis changes the way a high-speed excursion is perceived. Instead of a crowded transfer with a quick boarding scramble, the operation is framed as a managed marine service with tighter oversight and clearer guest handling.

The route list was broad and strongly tied to the Andaman Sea’s most familiar names. Sawanu highlighted trips to the Phi Phi Islands, Khai Islands, Bamboo Island, Phang Nga Bay, James Bond Island, Similan Islands, Hong Island and the Four Islands, with private tours also available. Anchilee Scott-Kemmis, Miss Universe Thailand 2021, joined the outing and visited Phi Phi Islands for the first time, while Juthamas Prajaksin, deputy director of the TAT Phuket Office, attended alongside travel and lifestyle media representatives.

The event also fit neatly into Thailand’s current tourism strategy. The Tourism Authority of Thailand has set out Thailand Tourism Next, a 2026 plan aimed at as much as 3 trillion baht in tourism revenue, after 2025 international arrivals reached 32.97 million and generated about 2.7 trillion baht. TAT’s GSTC 2026 conference in Phuket, which drew more than 660 delegates from 60 countries, reinforced the same message: higher standards, better visitor management and sustainable growth.

Royal Phuket Marina gave the showcase a fitting stage. The marina describes itself as Phuket’s only luxury marina, with 5 Gold Anchor certification, Clean Marina recognition and carbon-neutral positioning. Its own boat-trip pages advertise premium lounge facilities, wide pontoons and walk bridges for safer boarding, hotel transfers and direct access to the islands Sawanu is now marketing. Group tour prices there run from 3,400 to 3,900 baht for adults and 2,200 to 2,900 baht for children, underscoring how Phuket’s premium catamaran market is being priced and packaged around service, not just speed.