Top 10 Places to Scuba Dive or Snorkel in Thailand
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Loading... - Fa Ying Suwan
- 19 Apr 2023
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Here we have summed up the top 10 places in Thailand for diving for you.
Thailand has some of Asia's best places to snorkel and scuba dive along with some of the best beaches. Our tours go to key scuba and snorkeling spots in Thailand along with going to famous cultural or scenic areas in Southeast Asia and China. Here's our pick of the best diving and scuba spots we go to in Thailand.
Thailand has two coasts with the Andaman sea on the west and the Gulf of Thailand in the east. Some places in the Andaman sea are world class for diving and snorkeling. Islands on the east coast are good diving and scuba spots too, but they are mainly tourist and resort areas.
1. Similan Islands
The Similan Islands consist of 9 small islands off the northwest coast of Phuket. These islands are open from November to April and rank among the world’s top 10 dive sites.
The blue waters, sandy beaches, the charming seascape attracts thousands of travelers to this archipelago every year.
The islands have some of the world's most beautiful, unspoiled beaches with an abundance of diverse marine life and spectacular coral reefs that provide a world-class underwater paradise for deep-sea divers. While diving you may even see leopard sharks and whales.
The Similan Islands were designated a national park in 1982 and the Thai government makes efforts to maintain and protect these pristine islands. The Thai navy has installed buoys at dive points and anchorage areas for mooring to avoid harming the coral and other creatures.
Best places to dive: Elephant Head Rock, Christmas Point, Richelieu Rock, Eden Garden, Koh Bon, and Koh Tachai
How to Get There: Fly to Phuket and then head to the port of Thap Lamu to take a boat to the Similan Islands.
2. Koh Tao
Koh Tao is a world-famous dive site located in southern Thailand. It is a small island with 28.6 kilometers of coastline and is surrounded by an 8-kilometer wide coral reef.
Also known as the “World’s Diving Factory”, this island not only has breathtaking natural scenery and clean seas but also cost-effective diving lessons and courses.
The sea surrounding the island is calm making it a great place for beginners to learn both snorkeling and scuba diving. It is said that more than 60% of the world's diving permits are issued here every year.
Best places to dive: Chumphon Pinnacles, Koh Nang Yuan, Aow Leuk Beach, and Sail Rock
How to Get There: You can take a speedboat from Koh Samui. The journey takes about 1½ hours
