>Liveaboards>Thailand>SY June Hong Chian Lee

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SY June Hong Chian Lee

From USD 165 per day

Customer reviews

Very good!

SPECIAL OFFERS APPLY

Length

30m
99 ft

Max 18

Nitrox

PADI

PLAY VIDEO TRIP REPORT

LOWEST PRICE GUARANTEE

At a glance...

Visits Similans, Surin, Richelieu Rock, Phi Phi
Scaramanga's boat in the James Bond movie: The Man with the Golden Gun
Dive The World Gold Range product
All cabins have en-suite bathrooms
Winner of our 'Liveaboard of the Year'

Click on an image to enlarge

The June Hong Chian Lee, or known locally as The Chinese Junk

The Junk's Double cabin with exposed beam finishes

The beautiful rustic Triple bed cabin on the Junk

The Junk's Quad bed cabin with privacy curtains

The June Hong Chian Lee's cozy saloon / dining area

The open air deck with views of Thailand from the Junk liveaboard

The Thailand liveaboard, June Hong Chian Lee, resting at sunset

The authentic Chinese Junk sailing the Andaman Sea

Page contents:
Departure & Prices
Trip Details
Cabins
Crew & Facilities
Food
Specs
Safety
Reviews

Scuba diving and sailing in the Similan Islands onboard June Hong Chian Lee, winner of our 'Liveaboard of the Year' award in 2009, is a unique, once in a lifetime experience; though often many guests enjoy it so much, they make a date to return again the next year.

An authentic and historical teak wood merchant sailing vessel, this boat definitely has the most character of any Thailand liveaboard and has been used for several films including James Bond's The Man With The Golden Gun and Swiss Family Robinson.

The Junk, as she is known in the local diving industry, has been redesigned interiorly to provide its guests with en-suite cabins, lots of on-deck relaxation space, and a large air-conditioned saloon to cool off in. It was originally built in Malaysia in 1962 as a merchant sailing vessel but was renovated into a classical yacht. Constructed mainly from hard teak wood called Takien Tong she's 30 metres long and has 3 masts with 330 square metres of sails.

The Junk's regular high season itinerary includes 1 extra day's diving so that you can also visit the more remote Surin Islands. Little visited by other tour boats, these uncrowded islands are fantastic for macrolife as well as some marine life you won't see in the Similans, such as bumphead parrotfish and black-tip reef sharks. In low season The Junk operates 4 night dive tours to the southern islands around Phuket and Phi Phi.

The divemasters have been working in the Similan Islands and throughout The Andaman Sea for several years now and their enormous passion for scuba diving and the underwater world adds further to this special liveaboard adventure in Thailand. They pass their enthusiasm on to their guests, and the dive briefings are the most thorough that you'll hear anywhere. If you haven't dived in a while, a free buoyancy workshop can be arranged on board. And as experienced scuba divers, you'll love the freedom to dive for as long as you like, within safe scuba limits of course.

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Scheduled departures, prices, destinations, durations...

Click 'Book Now' to send a reservation request for your preferred departure date:

(!) Special discounted trips highlighted in yellow

Depart	Return	Depart Return	nights	Destination	dives	Price (per person)	price
February 2020
2 Feb	6 Feb	2 Feb 6 Feb	4	Similan Islands & Richelieu Rock	14	USD 876	USD 876
6 Feb	10 Feb	6 Feb 10 Feb	4	Similan Islands & Richelieu Rock	14	USD 876	USD 876
11 Feb	17 Feb	11 Feb 17 Feb	6	Similan, Surin Islands & Richelieu Rock	19	USD 1 156	USD 1 156
17 Feb	23 Feb	17 Feb 23 Feb	6	Similan, Surin Islands & Richelieu Rock	19	USD 1 156	USD 1 156
24 Feb	28 Feb	24 Feb 28 Feb	4	Similan Islands & Richelieu Rock	14	USD 876	USD 876
28 Feb	4 Mar	28 Feb 4 Mar	4	Similan Islands & Richelieu Rock	14	USD 876	USD 876
March 2020
4 Mar	10 Mar	4 Mar 10 Mar	6	Similan, Surin Islands & Richelieu Rock	19	USD 1 360
10 Mar	16 Mar	10 Mar 16 Mar	6	Similan, Surin Islands & Richelieu Rock	19	USD 1 360	USD 1 360
17 Mar	21 Mar	17 Mar 21 Mar	4	Similan Islands & Richelieu Rock	14	USD 1 030	USD 1 030
21 Mar	25 Mar	21 Mar 25 Mar	4	Similan Islands & Richelieu Rock	14	USD 1 030	USD 1 030
26 Mar	1 Apr	26 Mar 1 Apr	6	Similan, Surin Islands & Richelieu Rock	19	USD 1 360
April 2020
1 Apr	7 Apr	1 Apr 7 Apr	6	Similan, Surin Islands & Richelieu Rock	19	USD 1 360
8 Apr	12 Apr	8 Apr 12 Apr	4	Similan Islands & Richelieu Rock	14	USD 1 030	USD 1 030
12 Apr	16 Apr	12 Apr 16 Apr	4	Similan Islands & Richelieu Rock	14	USD 1 030	USD 1 030
17 Apr	23 Apr	17 Apr 23 Apr	6	Similan, Surin Islands & Richelieu Rock	19	USD 1 360
23 Apr	29 Apr	23 Apr 29 Apr	6	Similan, Surin Islands & Richelieu Rock	19	USD 1 360	USD 1 360
30 Apr	4 May	30 Apr 4 May	4	Similan Islands & Richelieu Rock	14	USD 1 030
November 2020
6 Nov	12 Nov	6 Nov 12 Nov	6	Similan, Surin Islands & Richelieu Rock	19	USD 1 360
13 Nov	17 Nov	13 Nov 17 Nov	4	Similan Islands & Richelieu Rock	14	USD 1 030	USD 1 030
17 Nov	21 Nov	17 Nov 21 Nov	4	Similan Islands & Richelieu Rock	14	USD 1 030	USD 1 030
22 Nov	28 Nov	22 Nov 28 Nov	6	Similan, Surin Islands & Richelieu Rock	19	USD 1 360	USD 1 360
28 Nov	4 Dec	28 Nov 4 Dec	6	Similan, Surin Islands & Richelieu Rock	19	USD 1 360	USD 1 360
December 2020
5 Dec	9 Dec	5 Dec 9 Dec	4	Similan Islands & Richelieu Rock	14	USD 1 030	USD 1 030
9 Dec	13 Dec	9 Dec 13 Dec	4	Similan Islands & Richelieu Rock	14	USD 1 030	USD 1 030
14 Dec	20 Dec	14 Dec 20 Dec	6	Similan, Surin Islands & Richelieu Rock	19	USD 1 360	USD 1 360
21 Dec	27 Dec	21 Dec 27 Dec	6	Similan, Surin Islands & Richelieu Rock	19	USD 1 360	USD 1 360
January 2021
3 Jan	9 Jan	3 Jan 9 Jan	6	Similan, Surin Islands & Richelieu Rock	19	USD 1 360	USD 1 360
10 Jan	14 Jan	10 Jan 14 Jan	4	Similan Islands & Richelieu Rock	14	USD 1 030	USD 1 030
14 Jan	18 Jan	14 Jan 18 Jan	4	Similan Islands & Richelieu Rock	14	USD 1 030	USD 1 030
19 Jan	25 Jan	19 Jan 25 Jan	6	Similan, Surin Islands & Richelieu Rock	19	USD 1 360	USD 1 360
25 Jan	31 Jan	25 Jan 31 Jan	6	Similan, Surin Islands & Richelieu Rock	19	USD 1 360	USD 1 360
February 2021
1 Feb	5 Feb	1 Feb 5 Feb	4	Similan Islands & Richelieu Rock	14	USD 1 030
5 Feb	9 Feb	5 Feb 9 Feb	4	Similan Islands & Richelieu Rock	14	USD 1 030	USD 1 030
10 Feb	16 Feb	10 Feb 16 Feb	6	Similan, Surin Islands & Richelieu Rock	19	USD 1 360
16 Feb	22 Feb	16 Feb 22 Feb	6	Similan, Surin Islands & Richelieu Rock	19	USD 1 360	USD 1 360
23 Feb	27 Feb	23 Feb 27 Feb	4	Similan Islands & Richelieu Rock	14	USD 1 030	USD 1 030
27 Feb	3 Mar	27 Feb 3 Mar	4	Similan Islands & Richelieu Rock	14	USD 1 030	USD 1 030
March 2021
4 Mar	10 Mar	4 Mar 10 Mar	6	Similan, Surin Islands & Richelieu Rock	19	USD 1 360	USD 1 360
10 Mar	16 Mar	10 Mar 16 Mar	6	Similan, Surin Islands & Richelieu Rock	19	USD 1 360	USD 1 360
17 Mar	21 Mar	17 Mar 21 Mar	4	Similan Islands & Richelieu Rock	14	USD 1 030	USD 1 030
21 Mar	25 Mar	21 Mar 25 Mar	4	Similan Islands & Richelieu Rock	14	USD 1 030	USD 1 030
26 Mar	1 Apr	26 Mar 1 Apr	6	Similan, Surin Islands & Richelieu Rock	19	USD 1 360	USD 1 360
April 2021
1 Apr	7 Apr	1 Apr 7 Apr	6	Similan, Surin Islands & Richelieu Rock	19	USD 1 360
8 Apr	12 Apr	8 Apr 12 Apr	4	Similan Islands & Richelieu Rock	14	USD 1 030	USD 1 030
12 Apr	16 Apr	12 Apr 16 Apr	4	Similan Islands & Richelieu Rock	14	USD 1 030	USD 1 030
17 Apr	23 Apr	17 Apr 23 Apr	6	Similan, Surin Islands & Richelieu Rock	19	USD 1 360	USD 1 360
23 Apr	29 Apr	23 Apr 29 Apr	6	Similan, Surin Islands & Richelieu Rock	19	USD 1 360	USD 1 360
November 2021
6 Nov	12 Nov	6 Nov 12 Nov	6	Similan, Surin Islands & Richelieu Rock	19	USD 1 360	USD 1 360
13 Nov	17 Nov	13 Nov 17 Nov	4	Similan Islands & Richelieu Rock	14	USD 1 030	USD 1 030
17 Nov	21 Nov	17 Nov 21 Nov	4	Similan Islands & Richelieu Rock	14	USD 1 030	USD 1 030
22 Nov	28 Nov	22 Nov 28 Nov	6	Similan, Surin Islands & Richelieu Rock	19	USD 1 360	USD 1 360
28 Nov	4 Dec	28 Nov 4 Dec	6	Similan, Surin Islands & Richelieu Rock	19	USD 1 360	USD 1 360
December 2021
5 Dec	9 Dec	5 Dec 9 Dec	4	Similan Islands & Richelieu Rock	14	USD 1 030	USD 1 030
9 Dec	13 Dec	9 Dec 13 Dec	4	Similan Islands & Richelieu Rock	14	USD 1 030	USD 1 030
14 Dec	20 Dec	14 Dec 20 Dec	6	Similan, Surin Islands & Richelieu Rock	19	USD 1 360	USD 1 360
21 Dec	27 Dec	21 Dec 27 Dec	6	Similan, Surin Islands & Richelieu Rock	19	USD 1 360	USD 1 360
27 Dec	2 Jan	27 Dec 2 Jan	6	Similan, Surin Islands & Richelieu Rock	19	USD 1 360	USD 1 360

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More Trip Details...

Special offers: Save 15% on departure dates in January and February 2020!

Cruise price per person includes: Cabin accommodation with air-conditioning, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, drinking water, hot drinks, return transfers from Phuket airport and all hotels in Phuket (Patong, Kata, Karon, Chalong, Rawai, Kamala) and Khao Lak (Khao Lak transfers excluded for boat departures from Chalong), dives (as detailed in the trips above), experienced English-speaking divemaster(s) (6 divers per DM), tanks, weights and weightbelts.

Cruise price per person excludes (mandatory, unless customer provides own): Scuba equipment (approx. US$ 25 per day), dive insurance, Similan and Surin park fees at approximately US$ 6 per day, with an entry fee of US$ 16 per park, Phi Phi park fee at approximately US$ 25 per trip. Unless otherwise stated, all the listed items need to be paid on arrival (cash or by credit card).

Optional extras: Soft drinks, alcoholic drinks, nitrox fills for enriched air certified divers (approx. US$ 25 per day or approx. US$ 123 for the whole tour), torches, dive computer. Unless otherwise stated, all the listed items need to be paid on arrival (cash or by credit card).

How to get there: Similan Island & Richelieu Rock: The Junk's liveaboard tour departs from either Thaplamu pier in Khao Lak or Patong beach in Phuket, depending on the itinerary. 4 night trips begins and ends in Khao Lak. 6 night trips may begins either from Khao Lak and ends in Phuket, or begins in Phuket and ends in Khao Lak. A minibus service from all hotels in Phuket and Khao Lak to and from the boat is provided (approximately 2 hours transfer).
Phuket & Phi Phi Island: These safaris depart from Chalong pier in Phuket. A minibus service from hotels in Phuket (Patong, Kata, Karon, Chalong, Rawai) to and from the boat is provided.

For more information see our Thailand travel information section.

Non-diver rate: 10% off the published price.

Single supplement (if you do not want to share accommodation): This is optional - single travellers may choose to share a cabin or pay a supplement to the published price: add the 4-share price to the double cabin price.

Dive clubs and group discounts: See whole boat charter rate below.

Whole boat charter rate (per night): 4 Nights - US$ 3,973; 6 Nights - US$ 3,311.

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Cabins, Berths, Showers, Bathrooms...

There are 2 double, 2 triple and 2 quad bed en-suite (private bathroom) cabins on the lower deck of this Thai liveaboard.

All the cabins have:

Individually controlled air-conditioning
Bedding
Toilet and hot water shower - unlimited showering
Towels

Mains outlet 220 volts AC 24 hours (110V adapter available)
Individual control reading lamps
Life jackets

No. of bathrooms / showers - 8 / 8 - hot water

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Crew, Facilities, Dive Courses...

Crew comprises:

Tour leader (also a divemaster)
Deputy cruise leader (also a divemaster)
1 extra Divemaster
Captain
Second Helmsman / Chief Engineer

Sails Manager
2 x Cooks
1 x Deputy Engineer
2 Deck Hands / Dinghy Drivers

Nitrox - Dive platform at sea level - 2 Motorised dinghies - Free buoyancy workshop - Air-conditioned saloon with video, music system, marine & general interest library - 150m² deck area for relaxation - Water dispenser

PADI certification courses available including Advanced Open Water Diver.

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Menu, Cuisine Type...

Thai and European main meal dishes and continental breakfast.
Buffet-style service in saloon on main deck - choose from 5 or 6 main dishes.
All dietary requirements can be catered for - please notify us in advance.
Dinner is also provided on the first evening and breakfast on the final morning of the cruise.
Operator considers dining as a very important part of the tour, and rates the cuisine as top quality.
Coffee, tea, hot chocolate, water, snacks and fruit are provided free of charge.
Soft drinks and beer are also available.
No fixed menu.

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Technical Specifications...

Built in year 1962, restored in 1998
Size - 30m x 8.5m
Weight - 140 tonnes
330 square metres of sails
Top speed - 8 knots
Cruising speed - 7 knots
1 x 380 HP engine
2 x 50 KW generators

2 x Bauer Mariner dive tank compressors
Enriched air nitrox system
11.2 litre aluminium tanks (15 litre also available for rent in advance) with Int. fittings (DIN adapters free of charge)
Electricity 220V; 24 hours per day (110 volts adapter available)
Water capacity - 6,000 litres
Watermaker - 6,000 litres per day
Fuel capacity - 10,000 litres

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Navigation, Safety Features...

1 Life raft (max. 25 pax)
2 x Motorised diving dinghies - 1 x 40 HP 5.8m & 1 x 30 HP 4.2m
3 x VHF and 2 x CB radios
Global Positioning System (GPS)
Radar
Video depth sounder
Mobile telephone

Full-feature medic first aid box
Oxygen - 24,000 litres
EPIRB signalling device
40 x life jackets in each cabin and throughout
Fire extinguishers throughout
No customer dive insurance included - see our insurance programme for a competitive quotation

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Customer reviews:

"Equipment was new, well-maintained and the service from the support crew was fantastic.The food was fantastic. The sleeping quarters/ bunks were o.k. Nothing glamorous but there was air con and everything we needed." - Hillary Brown, Scotland, 25 January 2017 ...

"Equipment worked very well. Was in good condition. Staff was Great. Very impressed. The "fintastic service" and back rubs following a dive were phenomenal. Facilities were good. Nice to have own shower and separate toilet. Nice rooms. Clean. Beds made daily and turndown service." - Curtis Ronning, Canada, 04 January 2017 ...

"The welcome briefing very precise. The liveaboard manager was on the boat before we took off to make sure all was good for the guests on board and only upon confirming, took off to start the journey.
Very diligent helpful crew. Always on time with schedule. Was impressed how the pickup time was perfectly on time before boarding the boat and the preciseness continued.
Awesome food. Always was so much, good balance of vegetables, fish, meat, fruit with mix of Thai and western dishes." - Shiila Takaoka, Hong Kong, 20 March 2013 ...

"Really professional guys, excellent guides! Boat crew is very good too, additional 'thanks' to cook Na. Rating would be excellent if the the price is lower. " - Anna Shtemberg, Russia, 13 February 2012 ...

"Excellent ambiance, strong emphasis on safety, professional, really tried their best. Not for free but good value for money." - Martin Aberg, Sweden, 1 February 2012 ...

"The crew of The Junk was very helpful, ran a great boat and was very knowledgable. They made the trip just amazing. " - Ori Ayalon, Israel, 23 January 2012 ...

"Unique well-kept liveaboard boat with friendly staff. Food was excellent. The divemasters were very personable and knowledgeable about the local sealife. Felt like I got very good value for the money. Would go again." - Drew Reese, USA, 4 January 2012 ...

"The operator was incredible. The boat was a one of a kind vessel which you should never pass up. The crew went out of their way to try and make sure we had everything we needed. Would definitely return to the ship in a heartbeat. I recommended this to all my friends and think some may be coming eventually. " - Oscar Prat, USA, 29 December 2011 ...

"We had an excellent time; best liveaboard we have ever been on. The diving was great; the divemasters were great and the boat staff was great too." - Michael Hayes, USA, 16 March 2011 ...

"Wonderful people and a great Thai liveaboard crew. Eager to please and help in any way they could. Very knowledgeable about the dive sites. They had the equipment there and on time. They just didn't have a wetsuit that would fit me. They were helpful." - Brandon Babcock, USA, 7 March 2011 ...

"The staff were excellent on the Junk. There was plenty of food. The dive guides were excellent. There were some passengers though that had the TV on from 6 am until 10 pm. They never turned the TV off. Maybe this should be mentioned in the initial dive brief that there are other customers onboard and not only them. A few customers did speak to the guides about this but they did not to seem to have any success with a big group of Americans! " - Karen Wellings, Saudi Arabia, 20 November 2010 ...

"Dive masters available at any moment and competence. Very good cooking, varied dishes. Kindness and availability of the boat crew." - Guy Raiwisque, France, 14 January 2009 ...

"Great divemasters, very professional and friendly, helpful and cheerful staff, great food. They took excellent care of another diver who had to be evacuated for decompression sickness on Day 2. That emergency medical situation was handled very professionally and calmly. Very nice, relaxed, friendly atmosphere on the boat, great video provided at the end of the tour." - Mia Hyun, USA, 1 February 2008 ...

"The dive boat was well organised with good briefings conducted before each dive explaining what we would expect to see. The food was good too! It was also a unique experience to be able to sail on a junk!!" - Vivian Fong, Singapore, 31 December 2007 ...

"The crew were all very professional, the atmosphere was relaxed and the facilities first class. The food was plentiful and very good, if anything too good as I ate too much. All in all a very good experience." - Mark Saunders, USA, 11 July 2007 ...

"We are talking about making this an annual trip, it was so good!" - Sharon Winders, UK, 1 April 2005 ...