Diving in Thailand

The Thai Seas comprise 402,000 sq. km of marine environment and include over 500 islands in the Indo-Pacific region, where the Pacific Ocean, the largest ocean in the world and the Indian Ocean, the smalles and most mysterious one, meet.

This region offers the greatest diversity of marine life in the world.

Why dive in Thailand?

* Year-round water temperature of 24 - 28 degrees Celcius

* 20% of the world's coral reef fish and over 800 species can be found in the reefs

* One of the few sites where Whate Sharks and Manta Rays are often found.  * By choosing the right destination to avoid the monsoon seasons, great diving is possible year-round.

* Diving in Thailand is exceptional value.

* Travel time to each dive site is relatively short, making it a very convenient way to dive.

* Safety is of the utmost importance and there are excellent communication and transportation networks between the national parks and dive operators.

* Environmental preservation is important.  There is a network of 26 national marine parks and more than 2,000 mooring buoys at almost every dive site to ensure that your visit will not harm the underwater world.

Similan Islands

Dive Spot map

Where to dive in Thailand?

Below is just a small sample of the possible dive sites to choose from.

The Andaman Sea

Similan Islands, Khao Lak (one-hour drive north of Phuket)

- one of the top ten dive spots in the world

- many fish species, silvertip sharks, soft coral and sea fans

- hundreds of dive sites around nine islands

Hin Muang-Hin Daeng (Krabi district)

- red and purple soft coral, sea fans, black coral

- fish range from tiny to enormous, such as whale sharks, manta rays, great barracudas.

- one of the most beautiful dive sites in Thailand.

Around Phuket Island

- quick and easy to access

- soft corals, sea fans, leopard sharks

The Gulf of Thailand

Koh Pha-Ngan and Koh Tao (near Samui)

- more than 70 islands surrounding area

- whale sharks, manta ray, potato cod
Tiger Shark

When to dive in Thailand?

November to May is the season for diving in the Andaman Sea.  If you would like to fully experience the tropical skies, sunlight and clear undisturbed waters, February to April is best. 

April to October is the dive season in the Gulf of Thailand.  The best time is between August and September.

how to dive in Thailand

For the beginner

You can learn how to dive with experienced instructors from international institutes like PADI and NAUI in as little as 3-4 days and at a cost of approximately Baht 10,000 (A$400).  In Thailand there are more than 400 dive centres with international standards.  Diving schools can be found in almost every marine tourism destination, including Bangkok, Pattaya, Koh Chang, Koh Samui, Phuket and Krabi.  Koh Tao is the second largest centre in the world for learning to dive.  Language is not an obstacle, since instructors speak many tongues.

For the licensed diver

Diving in Thailand follows international regulations.  If you have a license, you can dive by means of Resort Diving, Day trips or stay on a Live-Aboard, from as short as half a day to a week.  Thailand has dive sites of every type, ranging from shallow clear water coral reefs for recreational divers, to cliffs and underwater caves for adventurous divers.  You can choose from drift dives, wreck dives, wall dives, cave dives and night dives.

Download a brochure on diving in Thailand.

Some links to Dive Schools in Thailand.
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