May 29th - June 17th

[30MvizChicago]

Hello Hello

My wife and I will be landing in Phucket tomorrow and have almost 3 weeks to see and dive off the Andaman Sea as well as the Gulf of Thailand working our way north to BKK.

This may be broad and I apologize and appreciate any advice but looking for some recent insight as to dive sites along the way. Has anyone been to a number of islands along the peninsula in the last 6 months? My main goal is to see a whale shark and/or manta rays but I understand that may be difficult and a product of timing and luck. minus the "best" place to see the big pelagics any other areas to make sure we find or spots we can skip?

I've heard a rumor that the Similan islands may be closed for a few months (national park?) and also that Koh Tao should be a place that we cannot miss.

Thank you for your help!

 

[stevenl]

Yes, Similans are closed.

Best from Phuket area would be Shark Point area and Bida Islands, also Racha Noi can offer very nice diving.

Koh Tao is mainly known for its (many) open water courses conducted there, but maybe somebody working there will come by here and inform you more. IMO the diving there is not as nice as it is in the Andaman Sea though.

In the Pattaya area the diving is also not as nice IMO, but there are some wrecks there that are worthwhile.

 

[Quero]

In your situation I'd look into a liveaboard trip from Phuket to Tarutao National Park (on the Malaysian border) for your Andaman Sea segment. A trip like this would take in the sites between Phuket and Phi Phi, around Phi Phi, near Koh Lanta to the south of Phi Phi, and near Koh Lipe to the south of Koh Lanta. Before or after a confirmed cruise you can work in the Gulf of Thailand areas and try to get some trips to Sail Rock and Chumphon Pinnacle. The biggest problem in relation to diving the Andaman Sea islands outside the Phuket daytrip range is that the operators need to book a minimum number of passengers before they can confirm the trip, and sometimes confirmation (or cancellation) can happen right up to the day before the scheduled cruise. You might have to play it by ear a bit.

 

[stevenl]

I really like the summer liveaboards, especially the ones to Similans when that was still allowed.

And yes, also the summer liveaboards to the South Andaman sites are very nice. Unfortunately it is nearly impossible to confirm a trip, especially as an individual. You have to be really, really lucky.

 

[CedricH]

Hello,

I am in Koh Phi Phi right now, and am thinking about going to the King Cruiser Wreck + Shark Point + local Phi Phi island tomorrow.
If you are here, let me know.
Anyway, I can tell you tomorrow how are the conditions.

By the way, I didn't book yet, so if someone wants to recommend me some specific dives/companies, I'd appreciate.

Thank you!

 

[Quero]

Just take a wander around the village and ask who's going where tomorrow, and then go with the op that most appeals to you in terms of dive site selection and the vibe you get from the staff.

 

[stevenl]

If you can choose I would go with Island Divers or Barrakuda.

Here in the area BTW, today's conditions say nothing about tomorrow. Even during a dive it happens frequently that conditions change.

 

[CedricH]

Hello hello,
Just for the record, I didn't do the King Cruiser Wreck + Shark Point + local Phi Phi island, because of the bad conditions (it's supposed to be going worst).
I finally did a couple of dives in the Viking Cave and the Phi Phi Ley Wall (good conditions and visibility; plenty of fishes, moray eels, shrimps and vegetation like a crown of thorns starfish, murexshells, etc.)
You can feel - and enjoy - the low season: I was in a group of 2 people only, and I saw people going alone with their divemaster
Enjoy!

 

[stevenl]

Hello hello,
Just for the record, I didn't do the King Cruiser Wreck + Shark Point + local Phi Phi island, because of the bad conditions (it's supposed to be going worst).
I finally did a couple of dives in the Viking Cave and the Phi Phi Ley Wall (good conditions and visibility; plenty of fishes, moray eels, shrimps and vegetation like a crown of thorns starfish, murexshells, etc.)
You can feel - and enjoy - the low season: I was in a group of 2 people only, and I saw people going alone with their divemaster
Enjoy!

Thanks for the feedback.

Where did you dive from? From Phuket we have had no problems at all, and could easily and safely reach King Cruiser and Bida Islands. From Krabi it will be more uncomfortable because of the wind and the wave direction though. Also, sometimes boatoperators use the weather as an excuse when thew real reason is they don't have enough people to make any money. In itself no problem, but honesty would be better IMO.

 

[CedricH]

Hello stevenl,

I was in Koh Phi Phi Don. The wind was supposed to be quite strong from West to East (these two dives are on the eastern part of Koh Phi Phi Leh, and so protected by the high cliffs), and that was the cause of the bad conditions. Or so I've been told (as you can see, I'm quite new, so I tend to believe what they say haha). Reaching the sites wasn't a problem, of course: it was more about the visibility inside...
Yeah, I also thought about what you say in your last sentence... even if I thought exactly the contrary (the three dives tour is more expensive) at first.
I don't know if I'm allowed to name the companies here...