Last Updated on 07/12/2024

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Best Dive Sites in Thailand : Scuba Diving Thailand

Thailand has some great dive spots and while some of them may not be as incredible and colourful as they once were, the reasonable prices and wide availability of dive centres will always keep visitors coming back and exploring more of the best dive sites in Thailand.

If you are not a qualified scuba diver yet, then consider doing your Open Water course through PADI or SSI at a dive centre in Thailand. Koh Tao still claims to be one of the cheapest places in Thailand to get scuba certified.

Best Diving Spots in Thailand : Koh Phi Phi

Known as a party island, Koh Phi Phi often surprises divers with some great underwater marine life. Koh Phi Phi is home to some of the best dive sites in Thailand around the Marine National Park.

On some of these amazing dive sites in Thailand I have been lucky enough to see a leopard shark. Turtles and black tip reef sharks are often fairly common on these top dive sites in Thailand. The coral reefs are fairly healthy for Thailand. In between Koh Phi Phi Don and Koh Phi Phi Leh it always seems to be a bit choppy so I recommend taking some seasickness travel bands like these from Amazon Travel Sickness Wristbands (Black).

Getting there: Fly or take a night bus to Krabi, then approx 2 hour ferry to Koh Phi Phi. You can book joint bus and ferry tickets here. The more tickets you book the cheaper they get.

Best Diving Spots in Thailand : Diving Koh Similan  or The Similan Islands

Diving the Similan Islands is usually on the bucket list for divers in Thailand. While the Similan islands are no longer covered on coral and marine life, they still have some of the best dive sites in Thailand. Whale sharks and manta rays can be spotted around this area. Day trips here are extremely expensive (approximately 6000 baht for two dives, compared with 2500 baht average in other diving spots around Thailand). Similan Liveaboards are very popular here and you can often get great deals at the end of the season (April, May) if you can be flexible. This whole area is closed during the rainy season (end of May to October) and even in October you are not guaranteed diving (my liveaboard was cancelled due to enormous waves one October). If you are considering a liveaboard around the Similan Islands then make sure it includes Richelieu Rock or Koh Bon for a chance of manta rays. Koh Similan is one of the best diving spots in Thailand to see whale sharks.

Best Diving Spots in Thailand : Similan Islands Diving Richelieu Rock Thailand

Richelieu Rock is famous for being the best dive site in Thailand. While the best diving in Thailand doesn’t compare to healthy reefs in areas like Komodo National Park in Indonesia, diving in Thailand is still very enjoyable, some reefs are healthy and there is always a chance of whale sharks and manta rays.

Richelieu Rock remains one of the best diving spots on Thailand because of it’s pretty purple coral and is claimed to be one of the best spots for whale sharks in Thailand. North of the Similan Islands, it’s about a two hour, fairly bumpy, speed boat ride to get there. It is possible to do this via a diving day trip but liveaboards are recommended to dive multiple days.

Best Dive Sites in Thailand : Dive Sail Rock Thailand Koh Phangan

Diving on Koh Phangan can be both great and disappointing. Sail Rock Thailand is one of the best diving spots in Thailand, in the Gulf of Thailand. The dive site has a lot of shoals of fish so if you’re looking for quantity then diving here can be impressive.  The coral is fairly pretty, although expect a lot of divers underwater as Sail Rock dive site can be reached from both Koh Phangan and Koh Tao. The visibility is always worse around full moon and, unsurprisingly, there is no diving on the whole island for the day after the Full Moon party. 

Stay: I loved staying at Seaboard Bungalows in the North and Sail Rock Divers also had some good value, nice rooms. I always use Agoda for finding the best deals.

Don’t miss:  Bottle Beach Koh Phangan, it’s one of my favourite quiet beaches in Thailand. Read more about it and other quiet beaches here

Koh Tao Dive Sites: Chumpon & Diving Koh Tao

Koh Tao is one of the best islands for scuba diving in Thailand for beginners. This is because it remains one of the cheapest places to get your Open Water with PADI or SSI at a local dive centre. Even post covid there are still many dive centres to choose from and accommodation can be included. For scuba diving courses in Thailand, consider whether you have 4 days to complete an Open Water course (this is to learn to scuba dive in Thailand and become a qualified diver at the end of the course), and compare with a Discover Scuba Dive which is a one day introduction to learning to dive.

Koh Tao Dive Sites are one of the best places to see whale sharks in Thailand as they are seen regularly cruising around the Gulf of Thailand.

Best Dive Sites in Thailand : Koh Lipe

Koh Lipe dive sites are the best diving spots in Thailand. Tjis beautiful island is home to the stunning Stonehenge dive site which is one of the most beautiful coral reef dive sites in Thailand. Koh Lipe is an amazing island for scuba diving, snorkelling and enjoying white sand beaches and clear turquoise water. Read my full Koh Lipe Guide here.

For more about marine life in Thailand, read the following articles:

Into sea animals? Read about how and where to see pink dolphins in Thailand year round.

Whale watching in Bangkok

And for more island advice, check out my honest island summaries here to help you decide where to visit

For what to take on a dive boat when scuba diving and experiencing the best dive sites in Thailand read this article

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