Seasickness and motion sickness in Thailand: the Phi Phi ferry and boat trips
Motion sickness in Thailand catches out a lot of visitors, because almost every trip to Koh Phi Phi involves a boat. Choosing the right seat, eating lightly, watching the horizon and planning ahead with a pharmacist prevent most seasickness. If you have been sick, small sips of fluid and rest usually put you right within hours.
The short version
Seasickness in five points
- Sit in the middle of the boat, low down, where movement is smallest, with fresh air if possible.
- Look at the horizon, not your phone, a book or the waves.
- Eat a light meal beforehand and skip alcohol, heavy or spicy food.
- Plan ahead with a pharmacist: most remedies work better taken before you board, and some make you drowsy.
- After vomiting, sip water or oral rehydration salts little and often and rest in the shade.
Why so many people get seasick on the way to Phi Phi
Koh Phi Phi has no airport and no bridge, so you arrive by sea: usually by ferry or speedboat from Phuket or Krabi, and then by longtail boat to beaches like Long Beach, Laem Tong or Loh Bagao. Day trips to Maya Bay, Bamboo Island and the snorkelling spots mean more time on the water. Crossing times and sea conditions vary with the boat, the route and the season, and the open water can get choppy when the wind picks up.
The NHS explains that motion sickness happens when your inner ear senses the boat moving up and down, while your eyes, looking at the cabin or your phone, tell your brain you are still. The mixed signals cause the familiar symptoms: dizziness, feeling sick or being sick, a headache, going pale and cold, and sweating. Anyone can get it, and a hangover, an empty or very full stomach, heat and diesel fumes all make it more likely.
How to avoid seasickness on the ferry
Most of the NHS advice is easy to put into practice on a Phi Phi ferry:
- Pick your seat: the middle of the boat moves least. On larger ferries a seat on the lower deck near the middle is usually calmer than the front.
- Get fresh air: an open deck in the shade is better than a stuffy cabin, as long as you stay safe and seated when the crew asks.
- Look ahead at the horizon or a fixed point on land. Don’t read, scroll or watch films.
- Don’t watch the waves or the wake rushing past.
- Eat lightly: a small, plain meal before you travel is better than an empty stomach or a big, greasy breakfast. Avoid spicy food and alcohol before and during the trip.
- Close your eyes and breathe slowly if you start to feel queasy.
- Try ginger: the NHS suggests ginger as a tablet, biscuit or tea, and ginger drinks and sweets are easy to find in Thailand.
Motion sickness medicine in Thailand: ask a pharmacist
Pharmacies sell remedies to help prevent motion sickness, including tablets, patches and acupressure wristbands (the NHS notes the bands don’t work for everyone). You will see travel sickness products in pharmacies in Phuket, Krabi and on Phi Phi, and some basic products in 7-Eleven, but a pharmacist is the best person to choose one for you.
A few points to raise with them:
- Timing: most remedies work best taken before the journey, not once you already feel sick. Ask how long before boarding to take it.
- Drowsiness: some motion sickness medicines make you sleepy. Don’t drink alcohol with them, and don’t swim, snorkel or dive while you feel drowsy.
- Diving: if you are diving the same day, tell the pharmacist and check with your dive centre before taking anything.
- Children, pregnancy and other medicines: tell the pharmacist, because not every product is suitable.
We don’t recommend specific medicines or doses online. A pharmacist can see you, ask the right questions and suggest the safest option.
Been sick on the boat? How to recover
Seasickness usually fades once you’re back on dry land, though it can take a few hours to feel normal. If you have been sick:
- Sit or lie down somewhere cool and still, in the shade or an air-conditioned room.
- Sip, don’t gulp: small sips of water, or oral rehydration salts mixed with clean water, every few minutes.
- Eat something plain when you feel ready, such as plain rice, crackers, toast or rice porridge.
- Skip alcohol for the rest of the day.
- Don’t swim or snorkel while you still feel dizzy or weak.
Seasickness, dehydration and diving
Vomiting on a hot boat drains fluid and salts fast, and dehydration makes you feel worse, with headaches, dizziness and tiredness. That matters more if you are diving: our guide to diving and dehydration on Phi Phi explains why, and why it’s best not to dive while seasick or drowsy from medication.
If you’ve been sick several times and can’t keep fluids down once you’re back at your hotel, an IV drip can rehydrate you when drinking isn’t working. Our hydration IV drip on Phi Phi replaces fluids and salts in your room, and the nurse checks you first to make sure a drip is right for you.
When it isn’t just seasickness
Seasickness gets better once you’re off the boat. See a doctor if vomiting carries on for many hours after you land, you can’t keep any fluids down, you have severe tummy pain, a high temperature, blood in your vomit, or signs of serious dehydration such as no pee for 12 hours or more, or feeling faint. Call 1669 (Thailand emergency medical services) for chest pain, trouble breathing, confusion or someone who collapses. After a dive, symptoms like numbness, weakness, joint pain or breathing problems are a possible dive injury, not seasickness: give oxygen if available, tell your dive centre and call 1669.
Boat tours and longtail rides around Phi Phi
Longtail boats and speedboat tours are part of the fun, but they are small and bounce more than a big ferry. If you’re prone to seasickness:
- Book trips on calmer days when you can, and go in the morning when the sea is often flatter.
- Sit near the middle of the boat and face forward.
- Bring water, a plain snack and a hat; heat and seasickness together are miserable.
- Tell the crew early if you feel unwell. They see seasickness every day and can help you to a better spot.
Seasickness FAQ
Motion sickness in Thailand: your questions
Where is the best place to sit on the Phi Phi ferry?
In the middle of the boat, on the lower deck if there is one, with fresh air and a view of the horizon. The front usually moves the most.
Can I buy motion sickness medicine at 7-Eleven in Thailand?
Some basic travel sickness products may be on sale, but a pharmacy is better: the pharmacist can pick a suitable remedy, tell you when to take it and warn you if it causes drowsiness.
How long does seasickness last?
It usually eases once you’re on land, though you may feel washed out for a few hours. If vomiting continues long after you land, see a doctor.
Can I dive if I was seasick on the way?
It’s best not to. Vomiting dehydrates you, and some seasickness medicines make you drowsy. Talk to your dive centre, and dive another day if you still feel unwell.
Does a hangover make seasickness worse?
Yes. Alcohol, dehydration and lack of sleep make motion sickness more likely, so go easy the night before a boat trip.
Keep reading
Boat days and recovery on Phi Phi
Read diving and dehydration on Phi Phi before a dive trip, or see our hydration IV drip if you can’t keep fluids down after a rough crossing.
Sources: NHS: Motion sickness · NHS: Dehydration · NHS: Diarrhoea and vomiting. Last updated October 2026.
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