I've done four liveaboards from Phuket, and every time the boat leaves Chalong Pier in the early morning and the lights of the south coast fade behind you, there's a particular feeling — part calm, part mild seasickness pre-emptively managed with medication — that reminds you why living in Phuket is genuinely extraordinary. You're about to spend three nights sleeping above the Andaman Sea with no schedule except diving.
Phuket is one of Asia's premier liveaboard hubs. The Similan Islands, Surin Islands, Richelieu Rock, and the Burma Banks are all accessible from Phuket, and the combination of a professional charter industry, solid infrastructure at Chalong Pier, and genuinely world-class diving makes this one of the most accessible multi-day dive experiences on the planet.
Quick Facts: Phuket Liveaboard 2026
- Season: November–May (Similan Islands open Nov–May)
- Departure point: Chalong Pier (south Phuket) or Ao Po Grand Marina (NE Phuket)
- 3-night Similan trip: 18,000–32,000 THB per person
- 7-night Burma Banks: 40,000–65,000 THB per person
- Dives per day: 3–4 (including night dives)
- Minimum certification: Open Water (PADI/SSI or equivalent)
- Best site for whale sharks: Richelieu Rock (Dec–April)
- Dive insurance: Strongly recommended; hyperbaric chamber in Phuket
Liveaboard Routes From Phuket: Your Options
The range of itineraries available from Phuket is impressive. Here's a breakdown of the main routes:
Similan Islands (3–5 nights) — The Classic
The Mu Ko Similan National Marine Park consists of 9 main islands about 60km northwest of Phuket. This is the most popular liveaboard destination and for good reason — the Similans offer an exceptional variety of diving environments within a compact area: granite boulder dive sites (Elephant Head, Christmas Point), shallow coral gardens, steep walls, cleaning stations where manta rays appear, and some of the best visibility in Southeast Asia at 20–30+ metres on a good day.
A standard 3-night/4-day itinerary from Chalong will cover 12–14 dives across the southern Similan islands (islands 1–5) and the northern group (islands 6–9). Expect to see grey reef sharks, leopard sharks resting on the bottom, enormous schools of barracuda, manta rays at cleaning stations (especially Koh Bon to the north), and genuinely spectacular soft coral at depth.
The park is strictly managed — anchoring is prohibited (boats tie to mooring buoys), coral touching results in crew intervention, and fishing boats are excluded from the protected zone. It's one of the healthiest marine parks in the Thai part of the Andaman Sea.
Similan + Surin Islands + Richelieu Rock (4–7 nights) — The Premium Route
This extended itinerary adds the Surin Islands (a more remote, less visited archipelago 100km north of the Similans) and, crucially, Richelieu Rock. Richelieu is a submerged limestone pinnacle roughly 180km north of Phuket that consistently appears on "world's best dive sites" lists. The reason is a combination of extraordinary biodiversity (the whole food chain is present), dramatic topography, and the highest density of whale shark sightings in Thai waters. Whale sharks appear December through April, peaking February–March.
This itinerary is the one to book if whale sharks are on your bucket list. A 5-night or 7-night boat that hits both the Similans and Surin/Richelieu is the optimal combination.
Burma Banks (7–10 nights) — The Expedition Route
The Burma Banks are three submerged limestone seamounts in Myanmar waters, approximately 300km north of Phuket. These are among the most remote and least-dived sites in the region — pelagic encounters here include bull sharks, silvertip sharks, massive groupers, tuna, and occasional tiger sharks. The diving is deep and advanced; most operators require Advanced Open Water as a minimum, and Rescue Diver is strongly preferred.
Boats apply for Myanmar cruising permits on your behalf. A 7-night trip runs 40,000–65,000 THB; 10-night expeditions reaching both the Banks and Richelieu Rock are the pinnacle of what's accessible from Phuket.
Koh Bon, Hin Daeng, Hin Muang (2–3 nights) — The Accessible Alternative
These three sites (Koh Bon to the north, and the twin sites Hin Daeng and Hin Muang near Koh Lanta) are accessible year-round when the Similans are closed. Hin Daeng is a vertical wall dropping to 60+ metres with strong currents and large pelagic fish; Hin Muang has some of the most dramatic deep soft coral in the Andaman. These are excellent sites in their own right and the go-to liveaboard option for May–October when Similan-bound boats can't operate.
Liveaboard Prices From Phuket 2026
Last updated: October 2026| Route | Duration | Price Range (THB/person) | Dives |
|---|---|---|---|
| Similan Islands (budget) | 3 nights / 4 days | 16,000–20,000 | 12–14 |
| Similan Islands (mid-range) | 3–4 nights | 22,000–32,000 | 14–16 |
| Similan + Richelieu Rock | 5 nights | 28,000–42,000 | 18–22 |
| Similans + Surin + Richelieu | 7 nights | 38,000–55,000 | 24–28 |
| Burma Banks (expedition) | 7–10 nights | 42,000–70,000 | 26–34 |
| Hin Daeng / Hin Muang | 2 nights / 3 days | 12,000–18,000 | 8–10 |
Prices typically include all meals, tanks, weights, park fees, and national park taxes. Equipment rental (BCD, regulator, wetsuit, dive computer) adds approximately 1,500–3,000 THB if you don't own your own gear.
Dive Insurance for Your Liveaboard Trip
Decompression illness requires a hyperbaric chamber — treatment at Phuket's private chambers runs 80,000–200,000 THB per session without insurance. Cigna's expat health plans for Phuket residents cover scuba diving-related injuries and emergency treatment at Bangkok Hospital Phuket.
Get Expat Health Insurance with Dive Coverage →Choosing the Right Phuket Liveaboard Operator
Quality varies significantly across the Phuket liveaboard market. The key variables are vessel condition, crew professionalism, food quality, dive guide expertise, and safety equipment. Here's what to look for:
Vessel Tier and What It Gets You
Budget boats (16,000–22,000 THB range): Bunk beds in shared cabins, shared bathrooms, functional but basic meals. Perfectly acceptable for single travellers or backpackers who care more about diving than comfort. Older vessels, but if they have solid reviews they'll be seaworthy.
Mid-range boats (22,000–38,000 THB): En-suite or shared twin/double cabins, better food, more comfortable common areas. The sweet spot for most expat divers who want reasonable comfort without overpaying. Vessels like the MV Pawara and MV Oktavia have long been solid mid-range options with consistent reviews.
Premium vessels (38,000–70,000 THB): Air-conditioned individual cabins with en-suite bathrooms, restaurant-quality meals, saltwater pools on some boats, Nitrox as standard, excellent dive guide to diver ratios. Worth it if you're treating this as a proper holiday experience.
What to Check Before Booking
- Reviews on Liveaboard.com and Diviac — these are the most reliable platforms
- Coast Guard certificate and vessel registration (ask your operator)
- Dive guide qualification — a minimum of Divemaster, ideally dive instructor
- Emergency oxygen on board (should be standard, but confirm)
- Maximum diver-to-guide ratio (ideally no more than 6:1)
- Cancellation and refund policy — important given monsoon-related cancellations
What to Pack for a Phuket Liveaboard
The cardinal sin of liveaboard packing is a hard-shell suitcase. Storage on boats is minimal; a soft bag or dry bag is what you need. Pack light and leave the rest at your Phuket accommodation.
- Seasickness medication: The Andaman can be very rough November–December. Scopoderm patches or Dramamine, taken 2 hours before departure, are essential if you have any tendency to seasickness
- Thin wetsuit or 3mm rash suit: The water is 28–30°C but 3–4 dives per day means you will get cold. Most budget boats don't have onboard showers between dives
- Reef-safe sunscreen only: National park rules and basic marine ethics. Chemical sunscreens are prohibited at the Similans
- Dive computer: Borrow or rent if you don't own one. Doing 4 dives per day on tables is not recommended
- Signalling device: A surface marker buoy (SMB) and dive torch are required for night dives
- Dry bag for electronics — the boat deck gets wet, constantly
- Seasickness bags — just in case the medication doesn't fully work. The crew has seen worse
Planning a diving trip from Phuket?
We've done the Similans, Surin, Richelieu Rock, and the Burma Banks — ask us anything about booking, operators, or what to expect.
Ask us a diving question →Practical Logistics: Getting to Chalong Pier
Most liveaboards depart from Chalong Pier in southern Phuket, approximately 30–40 minutes from Patong, 20 minutes from Rawai, 40 minutes from Bang Tao, and 50 minutes from Phuket Town. Departures are typically very early morning (5:30–7:00am) to maximise daylight for transit. Most operators offer a Phuket hotel pickup service — confirm this when booking, as it's usually included or modestly priced.
Some longer itineraries or premium boats depart from Ao Po Grand Marina on the northeast coast. This is more convenient for Bang Tao, Surin, and Cherng Talay area expats. Transit from Chalong takes about 60 minutes by road.