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!