Living in Phuket means you're closer to some of the best diving in the world than most people ever get. The Similan Islands sit in the Andaman Sea, about 84 kilometres northwest of Phuket — and they're one of the primary reasons serious divers choose Phuket as their base rather than Koh Samui or Chiang Mai. The visibility alone (20–30 metres in peak season) is something you don't find everywhere in Thailand. If you haven't done a Similan liveaboard since moving to Phuket, you're leaving one of the island's great privileges unused.
Similan Islands: Key Facts
- Location: Andaman Sea, ~84 km northwest of Phuket
- Official name: Mu Koh Similan National Park (9 islands plus Koh Bon and Koh Tachai)
- Open season: ~15 October – 15 May (closed May–October)
- Park entry fee: ฿500 for foreigners (usually included in dive trip price)
- Best visibility: January–April (20–30+ metres)
- Main departure points from Phuket: Chalong Pier (liveaboards), Tab Lamu Pier, Phang Nga (day trips)
- Liveaboard duration: 2 nights/3 days most popular (10–12 dives)
- Best for: Advanced to experienced divers; some sites suitable for beginners
Getting to the Similan Islands from Phuket
Option 1: Day Trip from Tab Lamu Pier
Tab Lamu Pier in Phang Nga is the main departure point for Similan day trips. It's approximately 60–70 minutes by car from Phuket Town (north on Highway 4, exit near Khao Lak). The speedboat crossing from Tab Lamu to the Similan Islands takes approximately 60–90 minutes, putting you at the dive sites by 9–10am. Most day trip operators from Phuket provide hotel pickup, driving you to Tab Lamu, crossing over and back, returning to Phuket by 7–8pm. Cost: ฿3,500–5,000/person for a full-day snorkel/dive trip including hotel transfer, food and equipment.
Option 2: Liveaboard from Chalong Pier
Chalong Pier (Ao Chalong, south Phuket) is the main departure point for Similan liveaboards. Most liveaboards depart late afternoon or evening on Day 1, dive overnight, full dive days on Days 2–3, and return to Chalong on Day 4 morning. This gives you the most dive time and the ability to include more distant sites (Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock). Liveaboards provide a far better Similan experience than day trips — you get sunrise dives, night dives, and early morning flat-sea conditions.
| Option | Duration | Dives | Cost | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day trip (snorkel) | 1 day | 0 (snorkel) | ฿3,500–4,500 | Non-divers, first visit |
| Day trip (fun dive) | 1 day | 2–3 | ฿4,000–5,500 | Certified divers, limited time |
| 2-night liveaboard | 2 nights/3 days | 9–12 | ฿12,000–25,000 | Divers wanting full experience |
| 3-night liveaboard | 3 nights/4 days | 14–18 | ฿18,000–40,000 | Experienced divers, Richelieu Rock |
| 5-day Similan + Surin | 4 nights/5 days | 18–24 | ฿28,000–55,000 | Serious divers, manta/whale shark |
Best Dive Sites in the Similan Islands
The Similan Islands consist of 9 numbered islands (Koh 1–9, officially renamed but commonly referred to by number). The best diving is concentrated around Islands 5–9, with several world-class sites:
Elephant Head Rock (Koh 8)
Advanced site. Huge granite boulders with swim-throughs at 12–30m. Schooling fish, barracuda, grey reef sharks. Best in the Similan chain for experienced divers. Strong currents possible.
Christmas Point (Koh 7)
Gently sloping reef, 5–30m. Sea turtles at cleaning stations, leopard sharks resting, abundant reef fish. Good for all levels. Consistently rated one of the best Similan sites for marine life density.
Fantasy Reef (Koh 8)
Beautiful hard coral garden at 10–25m. Myriad reef fish, nudibranchs, moray eels. Excellent for macro photography. More sheltered than Elephant Head — good fallback in choppy conditions.
Beacon Reef (Koh 9)
Shallow dive site, 5–18m. Excellent for beginners and snorkellers. Hard coral bommies, turtles, and blue-spotted stingrays common. Usually first dive of a liveaboard trip.
Koh Bon (beyond Similan)
Slightly north, included on 3–5 day liveaboards. Known for resident school of giant manta rays (peak season: Jan–Mar). Deeper dive, strong currents, advanced rating. Worth it for the mantas.
Richelieu Rock (Surin Islands)
Often called the best dive site in Thailand. Horseshoe-shaped pinnacle at 5–35m. Whale sharks (Jan–May). Included on longer Surin Islands liveaboards from Phuket. Not technically in the Similan chain.
Similan Liveaboard Operators from Phuket
Phuket has dozens of liveaboard operators. The established ones with good safety records and consistent dive master quality:
| Operator | Vessel | Style | Price Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Similan Diving Safaris | MV Scubacat/vessels | Mid-range | ฿13,000–22,000 | Long-established Chalong-based operator, reliable |
| Manta Queen Fleet | MQ1–MQ7 | Budget–mid | ฿11,000–18,000 | Most popular for value; multiple boats, busy |
| MV Oktavia | MV Oktavia | Premium | ฿28,000–45,000 | Small boat, high service ratio, serious divers |
| Fantasea Divers | Various | Mid-range | ฿14,000–24,000 | Bang Tao/Laguna area operator; hotel pickup from north Phuket |
| Kon-Tiki Phuket | Various | Budget–mid | ฿11,000–16,000 | Good entry-level option for new divers |
Book liveaboards 4–8 weeks in advance for peak season (January–March) — popular boats fill up fast. For late October/November and April, you can often book 1–2 weeks ahead. Always confirm the boat name and check recent TripAdvisor/Google reviews for that specific vessel — operator quality can vary between their different boats.
Similan Islands Snorkelling: What Non-Divers Experience
The honest truth: snorkelling in the Similan Islands is good, but diving is transcendent. For non-divers, the experience is still genuinely beautiful — visibility is exceptional by global standards, and the shallow areas around Islands 4, 7 and 8 have healthy coral and impressive fish life. You'll see clownfish in anemones, parrotfish, fusiliers in huge schools, and possibly turtles from the surface.
If you're a snorkeller considering a Similan day trip: do it. If you're a diver who hasn't been: go immediately. And if you're a non-diver who's always been curious — the Similan Islands liveaboard snorkel trip (some operators offer snorkel-only berths) might be the experience that finally convinces you to get PADI certified. Several dive schools in Phuket (based in Chalong) will teach you open water in 3–4 days.
Questions about diving in Phuket, liveaboard timing or the best Similan operators for beginners vs advanced divers?
Ask a free question →Best Time to Visit the Similan Islands
| Month | Open? | Visibility | Sea Conditions | Crowd Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October (mid) | ✅ Just opening | 15–20m | Settling down | Low — book early for best value |
| November | ✅ | 18–25m | Good | Medium |
| December | ✅ | 20–30m | Excellent | High (holidays) |
| January | ✅ | 25–30m+ | Excellent | Very high — peak season |
| February | ✅ | 25–30m+ | Excellent | Very high |
| March | ✅ | 20–30m | Excellent | High — best for Koh Bon mantas |
| April | ✅ | 15–25m | Good, some wind | Medium — Songkran period |
| May (mid) | ⚠️ Closing | 10–15m | Deteriorating | Very low — final days |
| June–October | ❌ CLOSED | N/A | Monsoon | N/A — park closed |
January–March is unambiguously the best time — crystal visibility, best whale shark and manta ray sightings, calm seas. The trade-off is peak season prices and crowded boats. November and April offer a sweet spot of good conditions with fewer crowds and better pricing.
Diving Near Phuket: Alternatives to the Similans
The Similans are the headline act, but Phuket-based divers have excellent alternatives for shorter trips:
- Racha Yai (Koh Racha Yai): 1.5 hours from Chalong. Beginner-friendly, good coral, swim-throughs. Day trip. Perfect for first dives back after a break, or teaching children.
- Racha Noi: More advanced than Racha Yai, 2 hours from Phuket. Occasional manta rays, reef sharks. Day trip or overnight.
- Shark Point (Koh Doc Mai): Leopard sharks, soft coral. 45 minutes from Chalong. Popular day dive site. Good for photos.
- King Cruiser Wreck: 90-minute dive on a car ferry that sank in 1997. Intermediate. Combined with Shark Point and Anemone Reef on day trips. Dense with marine life that's colonised the wreck.