Where should I go diving in Thailand?

[KarinW]

Hello - I am brand new to this site, but have been diving on and off for 20 years. I have never been to Thailand. It seems there are so many places/sites. We would like to go for 2 weeks and stay at several resorts (b/c we have not been there we don't want to do a live-aboard as we will want to explore Thailand on land as well).

We can either go in late August or late November.

Where would you recommend going? Which resort would you recommend staying at for both diving (and other fun activities). If you were going to explore, which 2, 3 or 4 areas would you want to stay (and dive) at? And does it make a difference for your recommendations if the trip is planned for August or November?

We are 40 yrs old and a couple that has been diving in Papau New Guniea, Fiji, Austrailia, etc.

Thank you so much for your input!

 

[Quero]

Hi Karin. My advice is to come in late November. During that season you can get to the most exciting dive sites in Thailand at the Similan Islands and Surin Islands national (marine) parks. In August you won't be able to visit these parks. While most of us here believe the best way to dive at these parks is by way of a liveaboard (the trips are short enough that they don't have to take up your whole vacation), it is also possible to go there on daytrips. You can stay on Phuket and hop on a Similans liveaboard and also do some local diving such as to our wonderful Shark Point/Anemone Reef area, or you can stay up at Khao Lak and do some speedboat daytrips from there, and maybe come down to Phuket for a couple of days as well. It's just a short road trip between these two places (1.5 to 2 hours).

My personal second-place recommendation would be to go stay on one of the islands further south, such as Koh Lanta to dive the lovely Koh Haa area and the Hin Daeng/Hin Muang pinnacles, or if you're more adventurous, perhaps down to Koh Lipe near the Malaysian border, where the diving is more frontier-like, but still very, very nice (my favorite sites there are 8-mile rock and Stonehenge).

 

[ayeshacantrell]

Hi there !

Weather and timings will depend on where you go.

If you come in August then you need to be Gulf side - this means Koh Tao (where I live)

If you come in Novemeber then you need to be West cost - see Queros advice. My personal preference is Koh Lanta on the west coast.

As to which is best - well here you will open a can of worms which will certianly derail your post - just have a look through the posts in this group and you will get a very good idea of peoples opinions !!

For something in the middle - very different and diveable at any time of the year - check this out...

Dive Khao Sok Learn To Dive On Koh Tao

 

[KhunNeal]

I agree, November in Ko Lanta, and/or Similans/Surin

Both are excellent choices, Ko Lanta is a little better if you prefer day trips; Similans/Surin if you prefer liveaboards.

 

[KarinW]

Quero (and Ayesha & KhunNeal), thank you so much for your replies! I really appreciate it.

So if we do the trip in November, then we would do the Simlians/Surin and Lanta/Lipe areas (as recommended), how long would you want to stay in each place? E.g., if we plan 10 days for diving on the west coast, how would you divide your time?

Also regarding live-aboards, I have heard that they are a good way to do it, but my husband is a REALLY big guy (6'9'' and not small boned)! Therefore I am worried that he will just not easily fit.... (how is that for a strange one). So that is a main reason for wanting to stay at a resort. That said, you recommended to stay at Khao Lat for the Similans, do you have recommendations for the other dive areas? And do you know of a good resort to stay at?

Thanks again so much!!!!!

Karin

 

[Quero]

Karin, I can only speak authoritatively in regard to the Andaman side of Thailand. Ayesha and others have the scoop for the Gulf (though I've been there lots, it's not my forte, so I just shut up when it comes to advice about preferred places there).

My recommendation for a ten-day stay on the Andaman side would be a 4 day/4 night liveaboard to the Similans, a few days on Phuket for culture and a few more dives (to the south), and the remaining 5-6 days or so at Lanta for a few more dives and some time to just chill and enjoy the beach. Koh Lipe is much further away and would eat up your time in transfers just getting there.

You are right that a typical berth in a liveaboard boat may be uncomfortable for your husband, given his size, unless you got him a separate room with a double bed so that he could curl up in the middle of it or lie corner to corner. That would cost extra money, though. But you could manage without buying a single supplement if your hubby didn't necessarily have to sleep in the cabin... lots of liveaboard customers like to sleep in the open air on the sun deck rather than in the small cabins--the weather is warm, the sky beautiful, and there's plenty of space to stretch out... the cabin then becomes more of a big closet to store your stuff or a changing room. (I sleep on the deck or in the lounge most of the time I'm on a liveaboard.)

Finally, I don't make specific recommendations for operators/resorts in the public forum as I am in the industry here. Feel free to PM me to ask those kinds of questions in private.

 

[JudyG]

I would strongly urge you to do at least some of your trip via live aboard - some of the better sites are not really all that accessible on day boats. We really enjoyed our trip on The Junk - it is not a luxury vessel (very budget friendly!), but has a great crew and goes to the premier dive sites (Richelieu Rock, Similans, Surins) on the Andaman side. We had a room with a double bed (in the bow) and it was reasonably roomy, as far as liveaboards go. You will spend most of your time out on deck, sucking in the beautiful views anyway. I did a trip report for our time in Thailand - http://www.awoosh.com/Thailand2007/Awoosh_Thailand_Trip_Report_Part_1.html

If you take the time to read the report, you can also get info about our land stays on Phuket, and the two day trip we did to Phi Phi. We loved the diving around Phi Phi and Anemone & Shark Rocks - all doable if you stay on Phi Phi, which is an extraordinarily beautiful island.

I hope this helps.

J.

 

[stevenl]

We really enjoyed our trip on The Junk - it is not a luxury vessel (very budget friendly!),

I agree with your overall assessment, but you do realise The Junk is one of the most expensive liveaboards in the area?

 

[KarinW]

Thanks to everyone for your posts and suggestions - I really appreciate it!!!! And given what I have learned here, I am going to start a new thread with a new question

 

[JudyG]

I agree with your overall assessment, but you do realise The Junk is one of the most expensive liveaboards in the area?

I thought it was very reasonably priced for the experience. We did not price all the other boats, as none of them could accomodate our family of 5 without one of us having to share a cabin with a stranger. The Junk has two cabins with three bunks per.

Also, there was a nice discount for the Junk by booking early.

J.