Koh Bon / Koh Tachai
These 2 small islands sit between the Similans and Richelieu Rock. Many experienced divers rate them as highlights of any Thailand dive trip. Koh Bon features a submerged ridge where manta rays regularly visit cleaning stations. The current can run hard here, but the payoff is a chance to watch mantas glide past at close range. Koh Tachai offers a reef crown packed with schooling fish, including bigeye trevally, barracuda, and snapper. Leopard sharks rest on the sandy patches. Whale sharks pass through during plankton blooms.
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Koh Bon / Koh Tachai]
The Gulf of Thailand
The area is home to 2 well known islands: Koh Samui, Koh Tao. The Gulf sites are a great option, particularly for diving in Thailand during March to September when it is low season on the west coast, and places like the Similan Islands are closed. From both islands you can visit one of the Gulf's best dive sites, namely Sail Rock, a lonely granite pinnacle where the marine life of the area congregates. This includes schools of trevally and reef sharks. However, the chances of encountering a whale shark here are what makes this site famous. Koh Tao also has a number of local dive sites to visit and from Koh Samui you can also dive Chumphon Pinnacle, another excellent site where whale sharks are commonly sighted. It is an ideal place for beginners to get certified or for experienced divers to enjoy relaxed, fish-rich reefs.
Hin Daeng / Hin Muang
These 2 pinnacles away from the Thai mainland are perhaps the best sites outside of the Similans for diving in Thailand. Manta rays, whale sharks and a variety of other sharks make frequent visits to these 2 spots where the diversity and sheer numbers of fish can be breathtaking. Short liveaboards trips that go here can give you a glimpse into some of the finest underwater treasures of Thailand. It is also possible to find Similan itineraries that include these sites in their route. These sites are famed for the large pelagics attracted by the current which can be quite strong especially around Hin Muang, so diving here can be a fun ride.
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Hin Daeng / Hin Muang]
Phuket / Phi Phi / Krabi
This region is among the most popular diving places on the Thai Andaman coast for those who wish to be land based. These are great locations if you wish to do diving day trips or dive courses. You can dive some of the sites that lie between Phuket and Phi Phi from all 3 locations, such as Shark Point and Kingcruiser Wreck. If you are staying in Phuket the most likely dive sites you can visit include Racha Noi and Racha Yai nearby islands featuring hard coral reefs, good visibility and myriad tropical reef fish. Anemone Reef is another popular spot near Phuket. Fields of anemones cover large areas of this submerged rock, supporting a huge clownfish population and providing great photo opportunities.
Phi Phi is one of the most photogenic vacation destinations in Thailand. Beautiful bays, beaches and rock formations are matched by some wonderful dive sites. Local sites include Bida Nai and Bida Nok, twin sites covered in clams, gorgonian fans and sea whips. Enjoy the swimthroughs and channels and look out for leopard sharks, trevally, sweetlips, trumpetfish, cuttlefish and more.
Krabi is another much loved destination, especially for those seeking to avoid the more crowded areas. From Krabi you can dive local sites featuring beautiful soft corals, a variety of schools of fish, great macro life and larger creatures including leopard sharks and large groupers. For divers based in Ao Nang or Krabi, the Phi Phi dive sites are also within range of a comfortable daytrip.
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Phuket /
Phi Phi /
Krabi]
Richelieu Rock
This pinnacle is one of the premier and most popular dive sites in Thailand and attracts scuba divers from all around the world. This large pinnacle rises steeply from a depth of 35m and is visited by liveaboards from Phuket and Khao Lak that usually dive it several times per trip. Here you can expect to see schools of trevally, grouper and snappers as well as barracuda. If you are in luck you may even spot a manta ray or whale shark. The colourful soft corals, sea fans, small caves and vast array of fish and macro critters all add to the attraction.
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Richelieu Rock]
Surin Islands
The Surin Islands sit closer to the Thai-Myanmar border than the Similans, and they feel more remote as a result. This archipelago of 5 main islands is protected within a national park, a status that keeps visitors limited and the reefs exceptionally healthy. The underwater terrain here differs from the boulder piles of the Similans. Expect sloping reefs, gentle plateaus, and small pinnacles. Coral cover is dense. Table corals, staghorn thickets, and massive porites heads deliver some of the best hard coral reef diving in Thailand and create habitat for an enormous variety of reef fish. Schools of snapper and fusilier cloud the shallows, trevally and barracuda patrol the drop-offs. Turtles are common, so are blacktip and whitetip reef sharks. For those planning a longer liveaboard trip, the Surin Islands pairs perfectly with Richelieu Rock and Koh Bon.
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Surin Islands]
Similan Islands
Ask anyone who knows about the region and the first place they will mention is the Similan Islands. This small collection of islands set in the beautiful Andaman Sea are the jewel in the crown of diving in Thailand. Topography ranges from stunning rock formations and beautiful age-old gorgonian sea fans to colourful corals brimming with exotic marine life.
World class dive sites pepper the area such as West of Six and Elephant Head Rock which are among the finest in the country and as good as anywhere in the Andaman Sea. One of the best features of diving in the Similan Islands is its 2 distinct types of dive site - deep water boulder formations and pretty coral gardens. Creatures often sighted in the Similans region include leopard sharks, blacktips, whitetips, barracuda, turtles, batfish and triggerfish. Smaller critters also abound such as frogfish, ribbon eels and razorfish.
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Similan Islands]
