If you’re looking for a scuba diving holiday in Thailand one of the most popular options is what I like to call the ‘Andaman Safari‘. This isn’t a light hearted type of holiday and would not be of much interest to non-divers. It normally takes 14 days in total (or it should in my opinion) and would include 6 days and nights on a Thailand liveaboard to the Similans at the heart of the holiday.

You would have the opportunity to do 22 dives in the Similan Marine National Park and beyond but as I said above this is a heavy schedule and not suitable to non-divers. If you have never been on a Liveaboard then maybe 4 dives a day for 5 days wouldn’t be the ideal time to start. Thailand dive centres in Phuket and Kho Lak offer many different types and durations of liveaboard to the Similans, Richeliu Rock and Burma Banks and if it’s your first time I would suggest a shorter trip maybe 3days – 2nights.

If you are a committed diver however and looking for a scuba diving holiday in Thailand have a look at my suggested itinerary:

• Day 1 Depart your home
• Day 2 Arrive Phuket and transfer to your hotel
• Day 3 Take this day to rest and see a little of Phuket sights.
• Day 4 Board your liveaboard, usually in the evening, and travel to the Similans over night
• Day 5 to Day 9 There will be four dives in total offered per day.
• Day 10 After your two early morning dives you will return to your Phuket hotel.
• Day 11 Rest Day
• Day 12 Rest Day
• Day 13 Fly Home
• Day 14 Arrive home

The positive side to this type of holiday in Thailand is that you get to see the best dive sites the country has to offer. The negative side is that you would miss out on all the culture and sites around Thailand, it really depends what you want from a holiday! If you’re like me and many other divers who travel to Thailand often then you can have the best of both worlds. On one trip you can do the liveaboard and on your next trip stick with dayboat diving. The advantage of doing it this way is that you get all the dive sites. Liveaboards don’t often visit the same sites the day boats do.

Scuba diving holidays in Thailand are just as varied as the country itself and after only one visit you should try and get back to somewhere different the next time to dive something new!

If anyone happens to be on holiday in Thailand and visiting Phuket with the aim to do some scuba diving you would be advised to check out a company called Scuba Cat. It is their 2 year anniversary of new ownership on the 1st June and is promising parties but more importantly discounts on scuba trips.

Scuba Cat has 2 liveaboard boats the MV Scuba Cat and the MV Scuba Adventure, both of which drop divers on the coral of the Similan Islands, off the west coast of Thailand. One unique feature of the MV Scuba Cat is that it stays out in the waters up and down the Similan Islands and you are transferred to and from it by a speed boat from Tap Lamu. This reduces your sailing time to the sites on your 1st day and home again on your last, keeping your premium dive time to a maximum and not wasted travelling. Transfers occur on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays only so a little planning is required if you don’t want to stay in any hotels in Phuket or Khao Lak.

Unlike the MV Scuba Cat the MV Scuba Adventure travels a little further north and visits Richelieu Rock, Koh Bon and Koh Tachai. It also has some trip dates the visit the southern dive sites of Hin Daeng, Hin Muang, Koh Ha and the dive sites around Phi Phi Island, Koh Bida Nok and Koh Bida Nai. The MV Scuba Adventure is a travelling boat so you will most likely join this off Patong beach and travel over night to your chosen destination and the travel back again at the end.

Both the Scuba Cat liveabaord boats still operate during the summer season just not in the Similan Islands which become un-divable, almost, during June to October each year. MV Scuba Cat is moored at Racha Yai just south of Phuket, and the MV Scuba Adventure travels to the more sheltered dive sites around Phi Phi Racha Yai and Racha Noi.

If you’re lucky enough to be on holiday in Thailand during June make sure you stop by Scuba Cat and see what the party’s like and take them up on some of their offers. Just because it’s the green season doesn’t mean you don’t have to bee diving still!