Hi Michal
We are currently sitting in Yacht Haven Marina in Phuket - I guess that is where you are planning to charter from as there is a big charter fleet here.
We cruised around here last July and found it quite acceptable, but it is the wet season, so you get a lot of thunderstorms and you can get some quite rough weather periods - that is down to luck.
No where is very far around here - it is quite a compact cruising area, so you can pick your routes to suit the weather. Personally, I would stay away from Phi Phi Don as that area has insane levels of boat traffic and it is completely over run with tourists, but that is very much down to your tolerance of those conditions.
We found Ao Phang Nga very pleasant, some areas have very high levels of tourist traffic, but you can get away from that with a bit of effort. The scenery is very spectacular. There are only one or two spots on Phuket itself where you would want to anchor, Ao Yon for example.
As for a 33 foot boat, just remember that it is insanely hot here and very humid, so you might not enjoy cramped conditions - your choice.
As far as safety gear is concerned, it is whatever you are comfortable with. Water here is very shallow and the tidal streams can run at 1 or 2 knots, so, even though the area is sheltered, the sea can chop up.
Yacht Haven Marina have just completed a significant shore side renovation and the new facilities are great.
Good luck with you trip.
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 : New Caledonia, Australia.
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