{
  "id": "thailand-vs-french-polynesia",
  "title": "Thailand vs Tahiti Yacht Charter: Price, Season, Licence",
  "question": "Thailand or French Polynesia: which is better for a yacht or catamaran charter?",
  "answer": "Thailand is the cheaper of the two for a catamaran charter in 7 of 12 months: 12 Knots' average weekly asking price runs €4,996–10,235 in Thailand against €5,009–10,592 in French Polynesia (updated October 2026). By our rules the best-weather months are May to October in French Polynesia, and we name no best-weather months for Thailand, where the southwest monsoon usually runs from mid-May to mid-October; on licences Thailand is \"No legal licence found; sailing résumé\" and French Polynesia is \"No legal title for sailing craft\" in our classification.",
  "answer_markdown": "Thailand is the cheaper of the two for a catamaran charter in 7 of 12 months: 12 Knots' average weekly asking price runs €4,996–10,235 in Thailand against €5,009–10,592 in French Polynesia (updated October 2026). By our rules the best-weather months are May to October in French Polynesia, and we name no best-weather months for Thailand, where the southwest monsoon usually runs from mid-May to mid-October; on licences Thailand is \"No legal licence found; sailing résumé\" and French Polynesia is \"No legal title for sailing craft\" in our classification.\n\nSources: ([12 Knots](https://12knots.com/en/yacht-charter/destinations/southeast-asia/thailand/catamaran-charter/), checked 27 Oct 2026); ([12 Knots](https://12knots.com/en/yacht-charter/destinations/oceania/tahiti/catamaran-charter/), checked 27 Oct 2026); ([NASA POWER](https://power.larc.nasa.gov/docs/services/api/temporal/monthly/), checked 28 Oct 2026); ([Tahiti Tourisme](https://tahititourisme.com/en-us/travel-planner/tahiti-weather/), checked 27 Oct 2026); ([Land Development Department, Thailand](https://webeng.ldd.go.th/pv/?cd=228), checked 29 Oct 2026).",
  "checked": "2026-10-29",
  "sides": [
    {
      "key": "thailand",
      "name": "Thailand",
      "slug": "thailand",
      "canonical_url": "https://catamaranindex.com/thailand/",
      "book_url": "https://catamaranindex.com/go/samboat?dest=thailand&pos=api"
    },
    {
      "key": "french-polynesia",
      "name": "French Polynesia",
      "slug": "french-polynesia",
      "canonical_url": "https://catamaranindex.com/french-polynesia/",
      "book_url": "https://catamaranindex.com/go/samboat?dest=french-polynesia&pos=api"
    }
  ],
  "cheaper_months": {
    "thailand": 7,
    "french-polynesia": 5,
    "same": 0
  },
  "verdicts": [
    {
      "id": "V1",
      "traveller": "On a budget, flexible dates",
      "pick": "thailand",
      "why": "Mean of 12 Knots' monthly prices: €7,429 in Thailand and €8,466 in French Polynesia a week (14.0% apart, our arithmetic); cheapest month August (€4,996) in Thailand and January (€5,009) in French Polynesia.",
      "rule": "On a budget, flexible dates: the side with the lower 12-month mean of 12 Knots' average weekly asking prices (our arithmetic). A gap under 5% of the lower mean is \"about the same\" (our choice).",
      "sources": [
        "k12_thailand",
        "k12_tahiti"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "V2",
      "traveller": "Fixed dates",
      "pick": null,
      "why": "Cheaper by month (12 Knots, our arithmetic): Thailand: April to October; French Polynesia: November to March.",
      "rule": "Fixed dates: no single pick. We list the months in which each side has the lower 12 Knots price (our arithmetic).",
      "sources": [
        "k12_thailand",
        "k12_tahiti"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "V3",
      "traveller": "Summer holidays (July and August)",
      "pick": "thailand",
      "why": "Mean of the July and August prices: €5,035 in Thailand and €10,455 in French Polynesia (107.7% apart, our arithmetic); July and August fall in Thailand's southwest monsoon (Land Development Department).",
      "rule": "Summer holidays: the side with the lower mean of the July and August prices; a gap under 5% of the lower figure is \"about the same\" (our choice).",
      "sources": [
        "k12_thailand",
        "k12_tahiti",
        "wr_th_ldd_climate"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "V4",
      "traveller": "Christmas and New Year (December)",
      "pick": "french-polynesia",
      "why": "December: €10,140 in Thailand and €6,773 in French Polynesia (49.7% apart, our arithmetic).",
      "rule": "Christmas and New Year: the side with the lower December price; a gap under 5% is \"about the same\".",
      "sources": [
        "k12_thailand",
        "k12_tahiti"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "V5",
      "traveller": "Families with children",
      "pick": null,
      "why": "Thailand's score is partial (no season source in our method), so we pick none: 83 in Thailand and 73 in French Polynesia out of 100 (Thailand partial).",
      "rule": "Families with children: the higher best-month family score on our published method (calm wind, short hops, warm sea, season); scores within 5 points are a tie (our choice). No pick where a score is partial (Thailand) or both sides share one dataset (Mallorca and Ibiza).",
      "sources": []
    },
    {
      "id": "V6",
      "traveller": "First charter, no sailing licence",
      "pick": "french-polynesia",
      "why": "Thailand: No legal licence requirement; sailing résumé. French Polynesia: Sources differ: résumé (Anchor) vs formal certification (Moorings). No legal licence found; sailing résumé vs no legal title for sailing craft. Beginner scores on our method: 72 (partial) in Thailand and 66 in French Polynesia out of 100, so we use the licence rule only. Operators can still ask for more than the law, so confirm before booking.",
      "rule": "First charter without a sailing licence: the side whose licence regime is lower in the order none, résumé, not confirmed, licence required (our classification of the sources); the same regime is a tie. Beginner scores on our method are printed beside it.",
      "sources": []
    },
    {
      "id": "V7",
      "traveller": "Wants steady wind, or wants calm",
      "pick": null,
      "why": "Force 6 days per year (22 kn or more, NASA POWER, our calculation): 0.0 at Ao Chalong, Phuket (Thailand) and 7.1 at Raiatea (French Polynesia); French Polynesia has more. Windiest months by mean wind: July, August and September in Thailand, July, August and September in French Polynesia.",
      "rule": "Steady wind or calm: no single pick. We print each side's force 6 days per year (22 kn or more, NASA POWER, 2016–2025, our calculation) and which side has more; a gap within 2 days is a tie (our choice).",
      "sources": [
        "nasa_power_monthly"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "V8",
      "traveller": "Warm water, snorkelling",
      "pick": "tie",
      "why": "Months at 24 °C or more (NOAA mean sea temperature): 12 (all year) in Thailand and 12 (all year) in French Polynesia.",
      "rule": "Warm water, snorkelling: the side with more months at 24 °C or more by NOAA's mean sea temperature at our reference point; equal counts are a tie.",
      "sources": []
    },
    {
      "id": "V9",
      "traveller": "Seasonal weather risk",
      "pick": null,
      "why": "Thailand: On Thailand's Andaman coast (Phuket), the rainy southwest monsoon usually runs from mid-May to mid-October and the northeast monsoon from mid-October to mid-February, according to Thailand's Land Development Department; our NASA POWER calculation at Ao Chalong gives about 266–360 mm of rain a month from June to September against 52 mm in February. French Polynesia: French Polynesia's warm, wetter season runs November to April and its cooler, drier season May to October (Météo-France), and in the Society Islands the rainy season's wettest months are December and January; at Raiatea our NASA POWER calculation gives about 210 mm in December against 48 mm in August.",
      "rule": "Seasonal weather risk: no pick. We quote each side's weather-risk answer and link its page.",
      "sources": [
        "wr_th_ldd_climate",
        "wr_pf_meteofrance_climat",
        "wr_pf_outlook_2026",
        "tahiti_tourisme"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "V10",
      "traveller": "Fishing from the boat",
      "pick": null,
      "why": "Thailand: No licence found; fishing banned in marine national parks. French Polynesia: None found (not verified)",
      "rule": "Fishing from the boat: no pick. We quote each side's licence rule and any warning from our fishing pages.",
      "sources": []
    }
  ],
  "months": [
    {
      "month": 1,
      "name": "January",
      "a_eur": 10235,
      "b_eur": 5009,
      "cheaper": "french-polynesia",
      "diff_eur": 5226,
      "diff_pct": 104.3
    },
    {
      "month": 2,
      "name": "February",
      "a_eur": 9938,
      "b_eur": 5811,
      "cheaper": "french-polynesia",
      "diff_eur": 4127,
      "diff_pct": 71
    },
    {
      "month": 3,
      "name": "March",
      "a_eur": 9125,
      "b_eur": 7493,
      "cheaper": "french-polynesia",
      "diff_eur": 1632,
      "diff_pct": 21.8
    },
    {
      "month": 4,
      "name": "April",
      "a_eur": 8165,
      "b_eur": 9399,
      "cheaper": "thailand",
      "diff_eur": 1234,
      "diff_pct": 15.1
    },
    {
      "month": 5,
      "name": "May",
      "a_eur": 5324,
      "b_eur": 9284,
      "cheaper": "thailand",
      "diff_eur": 3960,
      "diff_pct": 74.4
    },
    {
      "month": 6,
      "name": "June",
      "a_eur": 5062,
      "b_eur": 9450,
      "cheaper": "thailand",
      "diff_eur": 4388,
      "diff_pct": 86.7
    },
    {
      "month": 7,
      "name": "July",
      "a_eur": 5073,
      "b_eur": 10592,
      "cheaper": "thailand",
      "diff_eur": 5519,
      "diff_pct": 108.8
    },
    {
      "month": 8,
      "name": "August",
      "a_eur": 4996,
      "b_eur": 10317,
      "cheaper": "thailand",
      "diff_eur": 5321,
      "diff_pct": 106.5
    },
    {
      "month": 9,
      "name": "September",
      "a_eur": 5016,
      "b_eur": 10209,
      "cheaper": "thailand",
      "diff_eur": 5193,
      "diff_pct": 103.5
    },
    {
      "month": 10,
      "name": "October",
      "a_eur": 6671,
      "b_eur": 9777,
      "cheaper": "thailand",
      "diff_eur": 3106,
      "diff_pct": 46.6
    },
    {
      "month": 11,
      "name": "November",
      "a_eur": 9397,
      "b_eur": 7473,
      "cheaper": "french-polynesia",
      "diff_eur": 1924,
      "diff_pct": 25.7
    },
    {
      "month": 12,
      "name": "December",
      "a_eur": 10140,
      "b_eur": 6773,
      "cheaper": "french-polynesia",
      "diff_eur": 3367,
      "diff_pct": 49.7
    }
  ],
  "table": [
    {
      "label": "Average weekly price, cheapest–priciest month",
      "a": "€4,996–10,235",
      "b": "€5,009–10,592",
      "source_ids": [
        "k12_thailand",
        "k12_tahiti"
      ],
      "derived": null
    },
    {
      "label": "Cheapest month",
      "a": "August (€4,996)",
      "b": "January (€5,009)",
      "source_ids": [
        "k12_thailand",
        "k12_tahiti"
      ],
      "derived": null
    },
    {
      "label": "Priciest month",
      "a": "January (€10,235)",
      "b": "July (€10,592)",
      "source_ids": [
        "k12_thailand",
        "k12_tahiti"
      ],
      "derived": null
    },
    {
      "label": "12-month mean",
      "a": "€7,429",
      "b": "€8,466",
      "source_ids": [
        "k12_thailand",
        "k12_tahiti"
      ],
      "derived": "our arithmetic"
    },
    {
      "label": "Boats in 12 Knots' sample (listed / unique)",
      "a": "94 / 68",
      "b": "77 / 53",
      "source_ids": [
        "k12_thailand",
        "k12_tahiti"
      ],
      "derived": null
    },
    {
      "label": "Charter + food only per person, 6 people, cheapest month (like-for-like)",
      "a": "€973–1,113 (August)",
      "b": "€975–1,115 (January)",
      "source_ids": [
        "k12_thailand",
        "k12_tahiti",
        "globesailor_costs"
      ],
      "derived": "our arithmetic"
    },
    {
      "label": "Charter + food only per person, 6 people, priciest month (like-for-like)",
      "a": "€1,846–1,986 (January)",
      "b": "€1,905–2,045 (July)",
      "source_ids": [
        "k12_thailand",
        "k12_tahiti",
        "globesailor_costs"
      ],
      "derived": "our arithmetic"
    },
    {
      "label": "True cost per person, 6 people, cheapest month",
      "a": "€973–1,113 (August) (partial: charter + food only)",
      "b": "€1,175–1,315 (January)",
      "source_ids": [
        "k12_thailand",
        "k12_tahiti",
        "globesailor_costs"
      ],
      "derived": "our arithmetic"
    },
    {
      "label": "True cost per person, 6 people, priciest month",
      "a": "€1,846–1,986 (January) (partial: charter + food only)",
      "b": "€2,106–2,246 (July)",
      "source_ids": [
        "k12_thailand",
        "k12_tahiti",
        "globesailor_costs"
      ],
      "derived": "our arithmetic"
    },
    {
      "label": "Skipper per day",
      "a": "not verified (destination-specific)",
      "b": "€274",
      "source_ids": [
        "globesailor_costs"
      ],
      "derived": null
    },
    {
      "label": "Security deposit, catamaran",
      "a": "€4,000–10,000 (general range)",
      "b": "€4,000",
      "source_ids": [
        "globesailor_costs"
      ],
      "derived": null
    },
    {
      "label": "Best-value months (3 cheapest)",
      "a": "June, August and September",
      "b": "December to February",
      "source_ids": [
        "k12_thailand",
        "k12_tahiti"
      ],
      "derived": "our rule"
    },
    {
      "label": "Best-weather months",
      "a": "not named (our rules do not use the monsoon dates)",
      "b": "May to October",
      "source_ids": [
        "nasa_power_monthly",
        "noaa_season",
        "tahiti_tourisme"
      ],
      "derived": "our rule"
    },
    {
      "label": "Sweet spot",
      "a": "not named",
      "b": "May, June and October",
      "source_ids": [
        "k12_thailand",
        "k12_tahiti",
        "nasa_power_monthly"
      ],
      "derived": "our rule"
    },
    {
      "label": "Months to avoid",
      "a": "December to February on price",
      "b": "July to September on price; November to April for weather",
      "source_ids": [
        "k12_thailand",
        "k12_tahiti",
        "noaa_season",
        "tahiti_tourisme"
      ],
      "derived": "our rule"
    },
    {
      "label": "Mean air temperature, warmest month (°C)",
      "a": "29 °C (April, Ao Chalong, Phuket)",
      "b": "28 °C (March, Raiatea)",
      "source_ids": [
        "nasa_power_monthly"
      ],
      "derived": "our calculation"
    },
    {
      "label": "Force 6 days per year",
      "a": "0.0 days (Ao Chalong, Phuket)",
      "b": "7.1 days (Raiatea)",
      "source_ids": [
        "wr_nasa_power_daily"
      ],
      "derived": "our calculation"
    },
    {
      "label": "Warm-sea months (24 °C or more)",
      "a": "12 (all year)",
      "b": "12 (all year)",
      "source_ids": [],
      "derived": "NOAA mean sea temperature, our count"
    },
    {
      "label": "Seasonal hazard",
      "a": "NE monsoon October to February; SW monsoon May to October",
      "b": "Wet season November to April",
      "source_ids": [
        "noaa_season",
        "wr_th_ldd_climate",
        "wr_pf_meteofrance_climat"
      ],
      "derived": null
    },
    {
      "label": "Licence",
      "a": "No legal licence requirement; sailing résumé",
      "b": "Sources differ: résumé (Anchor) vs formal certification (Moorings)",
      "source_ids": [],
      "derived": "our classification of the sources"
    },
    {
      "label": "Fishing licence for guests",
      "a": "No licence found; fishing banned in marine national parks",
      "b": "None found (not verified)",
      "source_ids": [],
      "derived": null
    },
    {
      "label": "Family score, best month",
      "a": "83 (March to May and November) partial",
      "b": "73 (May)",
      "source_ids": [],
      "derived": "our method"
    },
    {
      "label": "Beginner score, best month",
      "a": "72 (March to May and November) partial",
      "b": "66 (May)",
      "source_ids": [],
      "derived": "our method"
    },
    {
      "label": "Average hop on our 7-day route (nm)",
      "a": "18.4 nm",
      "b": "18.0 nm",
      "source_ids": [],
      "derived": "our calculation"
    },
    {
      "label": "Longest leg (nm)",
      "a": "25.5 nm (Ao Chalong → Koh Phi Phi)",
      "b": "31.3 nm (Taha'a (west coral garden) → Huahine)",
      "source_ids": [],
      "derived": "our calculation"
    },
    {
      "label": "Nearest airport to base, straight line",
      "a": "17.6 nm / 32.7 km (Phuket Airport)",
      "b": "1.4 nm / 2.6 km (Raiatea Airport)",
      "source_ids": [
        "cmp_osm_nominatim"
      ],
      "derived": "our choice of airport; our calculation"
    }
  ],
  "weather": {
    "a": {
      "place": "Ao Chalong, Phuket",
      "elev_m": 10.57,
      "temp_c": [
        27.2,
        27.7,
        28.7,
        29,
        28.9,
        28.4,
        28.2,
        28,
        27.7,
        27.5,
        27.6,
        27.3
      ],
      "wind_kn": [
        6.5,
        6.5,
        5.5,
        5.2,
        6,
        7.2,
        7.7,
        8.1,
        7.7,
        6.2,
        5.6,
        6.5
      ],
      "sea_c": [
        28.4,
        28.7,
        29.3,
        29.9,
        30,
        29.8,
        29.6,
        29.5,
        29,
        28.8,
        28.8,
        28.6
      ],
      "force6_days": [
        0,
        0,
        0,
        0,
        0,
        0,
        0,
        0,
        0,
        0,
        0,
        0
      ],
      "force6_days_annual": 0,
      "same_point_as_ibiza": false
    },
    "b": {
      "place": "Raiatea",
      "elev_m": 4.41,
      "temp_c": [
        27.5,
        27.8,
        28.1,
        28.1,
        27.6,
        27,
        26.4,
        26,
        26,
        26.3,
        26.9,
        27.3
      ],
      "wind_kn": [
        10.8,
        10.6,
        8.8,
        9.4,
        10.4,
        11.4,
        11.9,
        11.7,
        11.7,
        11,
        10.4,
        10
      ],
      "sea_c": [
        28.5,
        28.6,
        29,
        28.8,
        28.3,
        27.7,
        27.1,
        26.7,
        26.7,
        27.1,
        27.7,
        28.2
      ],
      "force6_days": [
        0.9,
        1.5,
        0.3,
        0,
        0.2,
        0.3,
        0.6,
        0.8,
        0.6,
        0.4,
        0.6,
        0.9
      ],
      "force6_days_annual": 7.1,
      "same_point_as_ibiza": false
    }
  },
  "distances": {
    "a": [
      {
        "route": "thailand",
        "label": "from Phuket",
        "total_nm": 110.3,
        "average_hop_nm": 18.4,
        "longest_leg": "Ao Chalong → Koh Phi Phi",
        "longest_leg_nm": 25.5,
        "airport_to_base": {
          "label": "Nearest airport to base (our choice)",
          "from": "Phuket Airport",
          "to": "Ao Chalong",
          "nm": 17.6,
          "km": 32.7
        },
        "second_airport_line": null
      }
    ],
    "b": [
      {
        "route": "french-polynesia",
        "label": "the Leeward Islands",
        "total_nm": 90.2,
        "average_hop_nm": 18,
        "longest_leg": "Taha'a (west coral garden) → Huahine",
        "longest_leg_nm": 31.3,
        "airport_to_base": {
          "label": "Nearest airport to base (our choice)",
          "from": "Raiatea Airport",
          "to": "Raiatea (Uturoa)",
          "nm": 1.4,
          "km": 2.6
        },
        "second_airport_line": {
          "label": "Tahiti's Faa'a airport to Raiatea",
          "from": "Tahiti-Faa'a Airport",
          "to": "Raiatea (Uturoa)",
          "nm": 116.3,
          "km": 215.3
        }
      }
    ],
    "extra_lines": [
      {
        "label": "Thailand: from Phuket",
        "from": "Phuket Airport",
        "to": "Ao Chalong",
        "nm": 17.6,
        "km": 32.7
      },
      {
        "label": "French Polynesia: the Leeward Islands",
        "from": "Raiatea Airport",
        "to": "Raiatea (Uturoa)",
        "nm": 1.4,
        "km": 2.6
      },
      {
        "label": "French Polynesia: Tahiti's Faa'a airport to Raiatea",
        "from": "Tahiti-Faa'a Airport",
        "to": "Raiatea (Uturoa)",
        "nm": 116.3,
        "km": 215.3
      }
    ],
    "method": "Great-circle distance between OpenStreetMap (Nominatim) coordinates, Earth radius 6,371.0088 km, 1 nm = 1.852 km. Straight lines: the sailed distance is longer."
  },
  "licence": {
    "a": {
      "regime": "resume",
      "short": "No legal licence requirement; sailing résumé",
      "answer": "Probably not by law, but we could not find an official Thai source: Anchor says no licence is required by law in Thailand and that charter companies ask for a sailing résumé showing you have been in charge of a boat of similar size. The Moorings rates Phuket as a Level 2 destination."
    },
    "b": {
      "regime": "none",
      "short": "Sources differ: résumé (Anchor) vs formal certification (Moorings)",
      "answer": "No licence is required by law for a sailing boat in French Polynesia: the territory's official pleasure-craft rules say sailing pleasure craft, even with an auxiliary engine, need no title, which covers a sailing catamaran (our reading; the text concerns French-flag craft). Charter companies can still ask for experience: Anchor says they ask for a sailing résumé, while The Moorings lists Tahiti among regions needing formal certification, so check with your operator."
    }
  },
  "true_cost": {
    "a": {
      "complete": false,
      "cheapest_month": {
        "month": "August",
        "per_person_eur": {
          "min": 972.6666666666666,
          "max": 1112.6666666666667
        }
      },
      "priciest_month": {
        "month": "January",
        "per_person_eur": {
          "min": 1845.8333333333333,
          "max": 1985.8333333333333
        }
      },
      "not_verified": [
        "Official national park entry fees (Similan, Ao Phang Nga)."
      ]
    },
    "b": {
      "complete": true,
      "cheapest_month": {
        "month": "January",
        "per_person_eur": {
          "min": 1175.1666666666667,
          "max": 1315.1666666666667
        }
      },
      "priciest_month": {
        "month": "July",
        "per_person_eur": {
          "min": 2105.6666666666665,
          "max": 2245.6666666666665
        }
      },
      "not_verified": [
        "Whether a taxe de séjour applies to charter guests, and its amount."
      ]
    },
    "any_partial": true
  },
  "constants": {
    "tie_pct": 5,
    "tie_score": 5,
    "tie_f6_days": 2
  },
  "method": {
    "V1": "On a budget, flexible dates: the side with the lower 12-month mean of 12 Knots' average weekly asking prices (our arithmetic). A gap under 5% of the lower mean is \"about the same\" (our choice).",
    "V2": "Fixed dates: no single pick. We list the months in which each side has the lower 12 Knots price (our arithmetic).",
    "V3": "Summer holidays: the side with the lower mean of the July and August prices; a gap under 5% of the lower figure is \"about the same\" (our choice).",
    "V4": "Christmas and New Year: the side with the lower December price; a gap under 5% is \"about the same\".",
    "V5": "Families with children: the higher best-month family score on our published method (calm wind, short hops, warm sea, season); scores within 5 points are a tie (our choice). No pick where a score is partial (Thailand) or both sides share one dataset (Mallorca and Ibiza).",
    "V6": "First charter without a sailing licence: the side whose licence regime is lower in the order none, résumé, not confirmed, licence required (our classification of the sources); the same regime is a tie. Beginner scores on our method are printed beside it.",
    "V7": "Steady wind or calm: no single pick. We print each side's force 6 days per year (22 kn or more, NASA POWER, 2016–2025, our calculation) and which side has more; a gap within 2 days is a tie (our choice).",
    "V8": "Warm water, snorkelling: the side with more months at 24 °C or more by NOAA's mean sea temperature at our reference point; equal counts are a tie.",
    "V9": "Seasonal weather risk: no pick. We quote each side's weather-risk answer and link its page.",
    "V10": "Fishing from the boat: no pick. We quote each side's licence rule and any warning from our fishing pages.",
    "airport": "Nearest airport to the base is our choice (not the airport with the best connections). Distances are straight lines between OpenStreetMap coordinates, our calculation; the road or ferry trip is longer. We make no claim about flights.",
    "truecost": "True cost per person = (12 Knots charter fee + fuel + 6 marina nights + mandatory extras + food at €20–40 per person per day) ÷ 6 people (our arithmetic, The Globe Sailor's September 2026 figures). Where a side has no Globe Sailor row (BVI, Bahamas, Thailand) the total is partial and the like-for-like row uses charter + food only for both sides.",
    "labels": "Verdicts are our rules applied to the data, not a ranking by any source. Means, differences, per-person totals, distances and verdicts are our arithmetic or our rules."
  },
  "not_verified": [
    "Thailand national park entry fees (official pages not read).",
    "Thailand best-weather months: we name none, because our rules do not yet use the official monsoon dates.",
    "Flights and connections: we make no claim about them. The airport is our choice of the nearest one to the base."
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "id": "k12_thailand",
      "name": "12 Knots",
      "title": "Catamaran charter in Thailand",
      "url": "https://12knots.com/en/yacht-charter/destinations/southeast-asia/thailand/catamaran-charter/",
      "checked": "2026-10-27",
      "note": "Page states \"Updated October 2026\"."
    },
    {
      "id": "k12_tahiti",
      "name": "12 Knots",
      "title": "Catamaran charter in French Polynesia (Tahiti)",
      "url": "https://12knots.com/en/yacht-charter/destinations/oceania/tahiti/catamaran-charter/",
      "checked": "2026-10-27",
      "note": "Page states \"Updated October 2026\"."
    },
    {
      "id": "nasa_power_monthly",
      "name": "NASA POWER",
      "title": "Prediction Of Worldwide Energy Resources: Monthly API (T2M, WS10M)",
      "url": "https://power.larc.nasa.gov/docs/services/api/temporal/monthly/",
      "checked": "2026-10-28",
      "note": "Monthly point data for 2016–2025 pulled on 28 Oct 2026 with scripts/fetch-weather.mjs (API v2.10.0, community RE, parameters T2M = temperature at 2 m in °C and WS10M = wind speed at 10 m in m/s; meteorological grid ½° × ⅝° per https://power.larc.nasa.gov/docs/methodology/). One request per reference point, in the form https://power.larc.nasa.gov/api/temporal/monthly/point?parameters=T2M,WS10M&community=RE&longitude=<lon>&latitude=<lat>&start=2016&end=2025&format=JSON (coordinates in src/data/weather.ts). Route points for the Dubrovnik and Cyclades itineraries are in src/data/weather-routes.ts (scripts/fetch-route-weather.mjs, pulled 29 Oct 2026). Credit: https://power.larc.nasa.gov/docs/referencing/ . The pages we opened did not state a licence; NASA data is described to us as free for any use. Palma (Mallorca) reference point for the Mallorca vs Ibiza comparison in src/data/weather-routes.ts (scripts/fetch-route-weather.mjs, pulled 29 Oct 2026)."
    },
    {
      "id": "tahiti_tourisme",
      "name": "Tahiti Tourisme",
      "title": "Tahiti weather",
      "url": "https://tahititourisme.com/en-us/travel-planner/tahiti-weather/",
      "checked": "2026-10-27"
    },
    {
      "id": "wr_th_ldd_climate",
      "name": "Land Development Department, Thailand",
      "title": "General climatic condition (monsoons)",
      "url": "https://webeng.ldd.go.th/pv/?cd=228",
      "checked": "2026-10-29",
      "note": "Thai government department, not the Thai Meteorological Department (whose climate page returned HTTP 500). No page date.",
      "tier": "official"
    },
    {
      "id": "wr_pf_meteofrance_climat",
      "name": "Météo-France Polynésie",
      "title": "Climat de la Polynésie",
      "url": "https://www.meteo.pf/fr/climat",
      "checked": "2026-10-29",
      "note": "No page date. In French; translations on our pages are ours.",
      "tier": "official"
    },
    {
      "id": "wr_pf_outlook_2026",
      "name": "Météo-France Polynésie",
      "title": "Perspectives pour la saison chaude 2026-2027",
      "url": "https://www.meteo.pf/fr/communiques-meteorologique/perspectives-pour-la-saison-chaude-2026-2027",
      "checked": "2026-10-29",
      "note": "Published 26 October 2026. Seasonal outlook for November 2026–April 2027; replace after April 2027.",
      "tier": "official"
    },
    {
      "id": "globesailor_costs",
      "name": "The Globe Sailor",
      "title": "What it really costs to charter a yacht",
      "url": "https://www.theglobesailor.com/blog/what-it-really-costs-to-charter-a-yacht",
      "checked": "2026-10-28",
      "note": "Published 19 June 2026; table prices recorded September 2026 (boats under 5 years old, 4 cabins / 8 people). The tables do not state units for every column."
    },
    {
      "id": "cmp_osm_nominatim",
      "name": "OpenStreetMap (Nominatim geocoder)",
      "title": "Nominatim search API: coordinates of airports and the Palma reference point",
      "url": "https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/",
      "checked": "2026-10-29",
      "note": "Coordinates © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database Licence (https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright). Queries in src/data/compare-points.json, run by scripts/fetch-compare-coords.mjs. Community map data, not an official gazetteer. Straight-line distances are our calculation.",
      "tier": "secondary"
    },
    {
      "id": "wr_nasa_power_daily",
      "name": "NASA POWER",
      "title": "Prediction Of Worldwide Energy Resources: Daily API (WS10M_MAX, WD10M) and Monthly API (PRECTOTCORR)",
      "url": "https://power.larc.nasa.gov/docs/services/api/temporal/daily/",
      "checked": "2026-10-29",
      "note": "Pulled with scripts/fetch-weather-daily.mjs for 2016–2025 at our 10 reference points and 2 route points. WS10M_MAX is the highest hourly mean of the day in a ½° × ⅝° grid cell, not a gust. Strong-wind day counts and rainfall means are our calculation.",
      "tier": "official"
    },
    {
      "id": "su_metoffice_beaufort",
      "name": "Met Office",
      "title": "Beaufort wind force scale",
      "url": "https://weather.metoffice.gov.uk/guides/coast-and-sea/beaufort-scale",
      "checked": "2026-10-29",
      "note": "UK national weather service. No page date. Force 2 (light breeze) 4–6 kn; force 4 (moderate breeze) 11–16 kn. We use 6 and 16 kn as the anchors of our wind score. Force 5 (fresh breeze) 17–21 kn; force 6 (strong breeze) 22–27 kn. We use 17 and 22 kn as the thresholds of our strong-wind day counts.",
      "tier": "official"
    },
    {
      "id": "anchor_licences",
      "name": "Anchor (formerly Helm)",
      "title": "What qualifications do I need to charter a yacht?",
      "url": "https://www.anchor.yt/article/bareboat-licences",
      "checked": "2026-10-27",
      "note": "Updated 22 July 2026. Charter-industry article, not an official source.",
      "tier": "secondary"
    },
    {
      "id": "moorings_levels",
      "name": "The Moorings",
      "title": "Experience guide: Level 3 sail",
      "url": "https://www.moorings.com/experience-guide/level-3-sail",
      "checked": "2026-10-27",
      "note": "Charter operator guide, not an official source.",
      "tier": "secondary"
    },
    {
      "id": "rya_icc",
      "name": "RYA",
      "title": "Evidence of competence abroad (ICC)",
      "url": "https://www.rya.org.uk/knowledge/abroad/icc/evidence-of-competence-abroad",
      "checked": "2026-10-28",
      "note": "No page date shown. The RYA is the UK body that issues the ICC; it is a reference for acceptance by country, not a destination authority.",
      "tier": "reference"
    },
    {
      "id": "lic_pf_668",
      "name": "DPAM, Government of French Polynesia",
      "title": "Arrêté n° 668 AM of 8 July 1993 on the conduct of motor pleasure craft (consolidated)",
      "url": "https://www.service-public.pf/dpam/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2018/03/arrete_no_668_am_du_08.07.93_consolide.pdf",
      "checked": "2026-10-28",
      "note": "Official consolidated text in French (amended 1994 and 2009; file uploaded March 2018, so later amendments are possible). Art. 1: sailing pleasure craft, even with an auxiliary engine, and motor craft of 6 hp or less need no title. It concerns French-flag pleasure craft.",
      "tier": "official"
    }
  ],
  "canonical_url": "https://catamaranindex.com/compare/thailand-vs-french-polynesia/",
  "markdown_url": "https://catamaranindex.com/compare/thailand-vs-french-polynesia.md",
  "api_url": "https://catamaranindex.com/api/compare/thailand-vs-french-polynesia.json",
  "derived": "Means, differences, per-person totals, distances and verdicts are our arithmetic or our rules; weather values are our calculation.",
  "weather_attribution": "Weather values are our calculation from NASA POWER data (https://power.larc.nasa.gov). Credit: data obtained from NASA Langley Research Center's Prediction Of Worldwide Energy Resources (POWER) Project, funded through the NASA Earth Science Division.",
  "coords_licence": "Coordinates © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL (https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright).",
  "attribution": "Cite \"Catamaran Index\" with a link to the canonical_url of the page the figure comes from, and name the original source listed with it.",
  "affiliate_note": "book_url links go through /go/samboat, an affiliate link: Catamaran Index may earn a commission on bookings, at no extra cost to the traveller. It never changes the data."
}