This is the thirtieth in a series which introduces and describes the various dive services and sites for worldwide liveaboard dive safaris. This one will focus on the trips that embark from Phuket, Thailand and sail the southern Andaman Sea.
In addition to this series on liveaboards, the best worldwide dive resort locations and services are reviewed in their own series. To check them out, or others in this series, click on Liveaboards/Resorts on the menu at top and choose a a title from the list.
Phuket Thailand Scuba Diving
Phuket is situated on the west coast of Thailand, centrally located on the shore of the Andaman Sea. At 21 km (17 miles) wide and 48 km (30 miles) long, it is the largest island in Thailand, and though having a very developed tourist industry, still has many relatively unspoiled natural areas on land, as well as in the sea. It is known for its beautiful beaches, scuba diving, water sports, resorts, Thai cuisine, ornate temples and night life and is also well positioned as the port for liveaboards to the Similans and Burma Banks in the north and also the southern Andaman Sea, as well. The southern Andaman sites are usually thought of as day trip dives, but there are liveaboards that do an excellent job providing access to the best sites there without having to go back and forth to shore.
Twenty six years ago I first went to Phuket and took part in several day trips to dive. I was impressed with the rich coral reef and the variety of fish and macro creatures. Some of the featured sites are: Shark Point with its leopard sharks, Koh Doc Mai – walls covered with macro life, the King Cruiser Wreck, Hin Daeng and Hin Muang – sea mounts, Anemone Reef, Racha Noi and Yai, Phi Phi Islands and Koh Ha. Highlighted wildlife includes whale sharks, mantas, schooling barracuda and jacks, snappers, grouper, moray and zebra eels, leopard sharks, blacktip and whitetip reef sharks, red tooth, clown and titan triggerfish and schooling baitfish all on a bio-diverse coral reef. Check out the videos for more.
Diving is possible year round in the Andaman Sea. The best time is between November and April when it is dry and less windy. Tourists really flock there in December and January, so early booking is advisable. The monsoon season is March to October with September and October the rainiest time. There can be more surface chop due to wind during the monsoon season.
Air temperatures are highest in April with an average of 31°C (87°F) and coolest in December at 26°C (79°F). Water temperatures reach 26°C (79°F) in January and February and 30°C (86°F) in May and June. In March and April thermoclines may be encountered with downward decreases of 2°C (3.6°F). A 3mm wetsuit is probably adequate for most divers.
Visibility is variable based on the area and season, but ranges from 10 meters (35 feet) to 30 meters (100 feet).
The northern Andaman Sea embracing the Similans and Burma have liveaboards specifically for those areas. To find out details of the available boats, services and dive sites, please go to these two posts: Andaman Sea Thailand Andaman Sea Burma
Liveaboard Dive Boats Thailand
Three boats are providing liveaboard dive safaris to the southern Andaman Sea departing from Phuket.
The Merdeka 3 promotes a relaxed atmosphere of up to two dives a day and a lot of island hopping and shoreside activities, all in the southern sector.
The MV Giamani runs two different cruises, one to the southern Andaman and another to the northern Andaman, back to back. This allows divers to do one or both. This boat is more encouraging for advanced and tech divers.
The MV Gentle Giant, like the Merdeka 3 runs just a single cruise, but this one encompasses both the northern and southern Andaman Sea.
- Merdeka 3 ($184/day)
- MV Giamani ($181/day)
- MV Gentle Giant ($173/day)
Merdeka 3 ($184/day)
- 3-5 day cruises in the Southern Andaman Sea for both divers and non-divers to explore Phi Phi, Koh Ha, Hin Daeng and Hin Muang in the Krabi province
- 2 dives daily (usually in the morning) and afternoons spent exploring the islands, kayaking, snorkeling and relaxing
- Aircon cabins, en-suite bathrooms, warm water showers, audio & video entertainment, daily housekeeping
- Sun deck
- Massage
- Western, local and vegetarian food, outdoor dining
- Crew speaks English, German, Thai, and French
- Separate rinse for u/w camera, charging stations
- Onboard kayaks
- Non-diver (snorkeler) friendly
- Experience required: Open Water Certification and 10 minimum logged dives
- Sidemount diving
- Tenders for diving
MV Giamani ($181/day)
- 3 day cruises to Hin Deang, Hin Muang, Koh Haa, Phi Phi & Phuket followed by 5 day trips to the Similans, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Surin & Richelieu (divers can sign up for one or both legs)
- Air conditioned saloon, aircon cabins, indoor saloon, en-suite bathrooms, audio & video entertainment, library, daily housekeeping, warm water showers
- Sun deck, leisure deck
- Massage
- Photography station, separate rinse for u/w camera, charging stations
- Western, local and vegetarian food, outdoor dining
- Crew speaks English, German, Thai, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian
- Shaded diving deck
- Non-diver (snorkeler) friendly
- Nitrox available, tech diving, rebreather support
- Tender for diving – 1 x 3.80m 30HP
- Emergency rafts
MV Gentle Giant ($173/day)
- December – April 6 day cruises to the Similans, Richlieu, Hin Daeng and Hin Muang
- Air conditioned saloon, aircon cabins, en-suite bathrooms, indoor saloon, warm water showers, audio & video entertainment
- Sun deck
- Separate rinse for u/w camera
- Charging stations
- Western, local and vegetarian food
- Crew speaks English and Thai
- Non-diver (snorkeler) friendly
- Nitrox available
- Dive deck
- Emergency rafts
Merdeka 3 | MV Giamani | MV Gentle Giant | |
---|---|---|---|
Length | 30 m | 24 m | 27 m |
Guests | 14 | 10 | 20 |
Equipment | Included | thb800/day | thb500/day |
Nitrox | No | thb300/fill | thb200/fill |
Snorkel Friendly | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Price/Day | $184 | $181 | $173 |
Dive Insurance
A cushion for emergencies provides peace of mind when on vacation. I recommend this diving insurance as they have worldwide coverage and provide scuba divers a quality insurance and medical assistance service.
Phuket Dive Resorts and Hotels
Phuket has many dive shops and is world famous for its hotels and resorts of all levels. Before and after your cruise you may want to spend some time taking advantage of the sun, beach and night life activities by hooking up with some local lodging. This website is a good source for available options and can arrange booking: Phuket Accommodations
I hope you found this post on Thai liveaboards interesting and useful. If you have any questions or ideas, please feel free to share them in the comments section. If there is no comments section directly below, click here: >>comments<<