If you don’t need gourmet food, champagne and luxury accommodation then this selection of no frills but comfortable boats can deliver your Similan Island diving experience. You’ll still get overfed, watered and dive the same fantastic sites as the pricier boats without breaking the budget on your well earned holiday.
The MV Dolphin Queen is a very popular 3 decked wooden mono hulled boat that visits all the best dive sites in the Similan and Surin Island National Parks. She has a sundeck, a top deck with dining area and a main deck that has the spacious kitting up area and dive deck. 22 guests are comfortably accommodated in a mix of air-conditioned cabins to suite all budgets. The main deck has 2 double bed, 1 twin and 3 quad share cabins. The twin an [...]
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Manta Queen 5 now visits the top scuba diving sites in the North Andaman. Previously the schedule took in 3 night trip just around the nine Similan Islands. Well you can't really go all that way without visiting Koh Bon, Koh Tachai and Richelieu Rock. The new 3 day/3 night schedule reflects just that. Manta Queen 5 now covers all the very best dive sites at a great price. The 26m long, 5m long Manta Queen 5 takes just 22 guests in very c [...]
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The Manta Queen 7 runs a fantastic 4 Day/4 Night safari to all the best dive sites on the west coast of Thailand. This comfortable boat accommodates 24 diving guests in twin or 4 share air-conditioned cabins. There are plenty of showers and toilets so you're never waiting too long to clean up after the days diving. There is an air-conditioned saloon, outside shaded dining area and a sundeck, all of which are of a generous size and a popula [...]
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Manta Queen 6 is a great choice for a Similan private charter. It's dwarfed by many other Similan Island liveaboards but with only 14 guests it's still a great boat to be on for such a low price. You won't have lots of room but you'll still visit the very best dive sites that Thailand has to offer. All cabins are air-conditioned and en-suite however you do share the bathroom with the room next door, there's access from both rooms and you [...]
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Manta Queen 2 runs a great little 3 day/3 Night trip that takes you to the very best dive sites that Thailand has to offer. The liveaboard will head straight up to Koh Bon and complete the rest of your diving around Koh Tachai and Richelieu Rock, giving you the best chance of an encounter with a giant manta or if you’re really lucky a whale shark… This comfortable boat offers no thrills but the fun and professional crew offer a great [...]
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Manta Queen 3 cuts an imposing figure on the Similan Island liveaboard scene. This very large vessel was launched in 2011 and comfortably accommodates 31 divers. Her generous proportions offer a very stable cruise and plenty of space to relax between dives. The unusually high number of air-conditioned cabin configurations ensures everyone can find something to suit their needs: Master 2 person en-suite cabin, Family Master en-suite 4 per [...]
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Manta Queen 1 operates 4 Day/4 Night trips to Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai and Richelieu Rock. The large common areas make this one of the most sociable and fun liveaboards in Thailand. The 22 guests are accommodated in compact but comfortable air-conditioned cabins which come in twin, double and quad share configurations, something for everyone. The plentiful and tasty food is cooked fresh in the onboard kitchen and served buffet [...]
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MV Andaman only takes 20 guests, which is surprising for a boat of its size. They've used the space available incredibly well, you'll never feel crowded in the 5 areas to relax in between dives. The common areas are spread over 3 decks, the most popular spot being the split level sundeck. Don't worry if you're not a sun lover, ample shaded space is readily available. Hammocks, bean bags, sun mattresses or just simple cushioned benches arou [...]
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The sister boats Somboon 3 & 4 are the most flexible boats we have to offer. They both run scheduled 3 Day/ 2 Night trips to Richelieu Rock. In between they stay around the Similan Islands National Park. Neither boat comes back to port until the end of the season and transfers are made via speedboat from Khao lak. This allows divers to stay for just 1 Night/2 Days if you’re on a tight schedule or even just a two dive day trip. Both boats [...]
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At 27m long, MV Camic is not the largest liveaboard in the Similan Islands. So you could be forgiven for thinking space is at a premium but with only 7 cabins and a max of 14 guests, that's certainly not the case. MV Camic runs a an exciting itinerary that take in the best of the Similan & Surin Island National Parks. All of the famous dive sites will be visited including the magnificent Richelieu Rock. The 7 cabins all have en-suite and a [...]
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The sister boats Somboon 3 & 4 are the most flexible boats we have to offer. They both run scheduled 3 Day/ 2 Night trips to Richelieu Rock. In between they stay around the Similan Islands National Park. Neither boat comes back to port until the end of the season and transfers are made via speedboat from Khao lak. This allows divers to stay for just 1 Night/2 Days if you’re on a tight schedule or even just a two dive day trip. Both boats [...]
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MV Lapat offers a super flexible option for diving the stunning Similan and Surin island National Parks. Guests are transferred daily via a speedboat service from Thaplamu Pier in Khao Lak. You can stay as many nights as you like but if you have time and budget restraints then you can stay for just one night. There are other similar options but a great price and only 16 overnight guests make for a great choice. It's not a large boat but ce [...]
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MV Explorer is getting a complete makeover in 2023. The 26m long vessel has three spacious decks but only has a capacity of 16 guests! Most of the guests will stay in the 6 x 2 berth cabins on the lower deck where you will also find the dive deck. The middle deck has 2 x double cabins with windows for a sea view. The main common area and dining area also on the middle deck is open sided to take advantage of the cool sea breeze. The uppe [...]
Find Out MoreDon't trust your diving to amateurs or freshly minted dive guides, dive with local experienced experts from Local Dive Thailand. Our Scuba Diving Phuket Tours will take you to see the rarest of the rare critters, you will be amazed by the macro life our guides can find, in the secret places only they know. To put it in perspective, if you were going to climb Mount Everest you would certainly hire a local sherpa to lead the way & keep you safe. Diving is similar because there is absolutely no substitute for local experience & local knowledge, Local Dive Thailand's guides are Phuket's Sherpa's of the Andaman Sea!
Learn More About UsSee exactly what our Scuba Diving Phuket Dive Tours are like, visiting the amazing reefs & wrecks of Phuket, Phi Phi Island & Thailand
When talking about Scuba Diving in Phuket, you should believe the hype, many seasons we have had Whale Sharks grace us on our regular and easy to reach dive sites and on a good day you can add Sea Horses, Sea Moths, Snake Eels, Frog Fish & Octopus to what you can see on any given dive and so much more. If we are heading to Phi Phi Island for the day, you can possibly see Hawksbill Sea Turtles and Black Tip Reef Sharks, also don't forget the King Cruiser, 84 meters of beautiful wreck and the most amazing reef nursery for fish and nudibranch. Local Dive Thailand day trip tours to these locations are not to be missed when you are scuba diving Phuket, get in touch with us and book an 'awesome' day of diving.
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Scuba Diving For Beginners Getting your dive computer settings right may sound obvious but on a few occasions we've had to stop guests from diving. We really, really don't like to do this but if during or after a dive your dive computer goes into error mode then we have no choice. It's simply not safe. On most of the rare occasions that this has happened, it's a simple matter of guests having their dive computer set up incorrectly. We often get asked by guests to h [...]
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Equipment We Like Local Dive Thailand had a bit of a break from Phuket diving and took the new Olympus TG5 for a trip to Komodo. Plenty of upgrades and new features to be tried out. Should have brought the manual really... A gentle macro dive to start the trip. The macro capabilities of the TG series has always been great for a compact and still remains the same. If you're not a smartarse and read the manual you'll find out that the flash in the TG5 can [...]
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Phuket Sights & Fun There's plenty of places around South East Asia that have simply amazing diving and in truth better than what we have here. So why would you choose a diving holiday in Phuket? We think there's plenty of reasons to visit us and we'll try to explain why. Sure if you like one particular type of diving - big animals, macro, clear water or wrecks then there's plenty of places that will blow Phuket out of the water but how many destinations [...]
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