Diving From Liveaboards Banned In The Similan Islands

Diving From Liveaboards Banned In The Similan Islands

Diving Directly From Liveaboards Has Been Banned in the Similan Islands

If you’re not a fan of diving from dinghies then we have some bad news for you. Diving directly from your liveaboards has now been banned. It’s a move that is supposed to protect corals and marine life, personally I’ve never seen a liveaboard in the Similan Islands National Park go near a reef.

Liveaboards will have to keep their distance from the dive site or use official mooring lines. The other reason touted is safety. A diver unfortunately died after being struck by a propellor a few years back but that was an isolated incident. However we’re not sure that having dozens of dinghies whizzing about over the dive site is going to help. At least you could clearly hear the loud engines of the liveaboards.

diving from dinghies will now be standard from thailand liveaboards

diving from dinghies will now be standard from thailand liveaboards

The Big Issue

The Similan and Surin Islands National Parks simply have too many boats. Although the Similan Islands have plenty of great dive sites, most boats want to spend as much time as possible around the big three locations – Richelieu Rock, Koh Tachai and Koh Bon.

New rules were introduced a few years ago to limit the amount of tourists entering the park on any given day. Rules that have been basically ignored.

The ridiculous park entry ticket policy has resulted in liveaboards having to make a virtually identical itinerary. Making the tickets valid for 5 days would allow boats to return to the Similan Island National after leaving the northern dive sites in Surin. Boats would be able to be much more flexible with the schedule, avoiding everybody being stuck in the same area.

Having diving banned directly from your liveaboard is not the way forward. Reducing numbers and allowing more flexibility on schedules is. Another fantastic idea would be to enforce the great rules that they already have in place but that’s just wishful thinking…

Contact Us Now

By Justin Hartrey

I've been enjoying the incredible marine life in our oceans for over 25 years. 13 years ago I became a PADI professional in Phuket, hoping to introduce as many people as possible to the incredible beauty of the seas.

Having been fortunate enough to dive all over south east and especially Thailand, I enjoy sharing my diving experiences and passion on this blog.

Originally from Bristol in the UK, I swapped the frigid waters of the North Atlantic for the warm tropical seas around Thailand and can confidently say that I wouldn't go back

Posted in News & Updates on .

Popular Services

Thailand Liveaboard Manta Queen 1 At Koh Bon

Low Budget Liveaboards

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. [...]

Find Out More
local dive thailand privacy policy and terms and conditions

Privacy Policy

Local Dive Thailand operates localdivethailand.com. This page informs you of our policies regarding the collection, use and disclosure of Personal Information we receive from users of the Site. We use your Personal Information only for providing and improving this web site and our customer service. By using this site, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy. While using our web site, we may as [...]

Find Out More

Daily Schedules

M/V Kepsub Schedule

Jobs @ Local Dive Thailand

Local Dive Thailand is one of Phuket's fatest growing & most vibrant scuba diving operations, we are always looking for quality staff to join us, so feel free to have a look at our jobs listing page.

Job Listings

Contact LDT

Local Guides, Local Knowledge, Local Experiences

Don'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 Us

Scuba Diving Phuket, Phi Phi & 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.

Book Your Day Trip

Related News From Local Dive Thailand

See why we are Thailand's leading scuba diving Phuket tour provider, stay up to date & watch out for news & special liveaboard offers!

Rental scuba Equipment set Equipment We Like

Renting Scuba Equipment Or Bring Your own?

We would all prefer to be using our own equipment but sometimes the extra carriage fees, weight of equipment and trying to get it dry after we've finished scuba diving can be a bit of a pain. Renting scuba equipment can be a simple solution at a surprisingly low cost. If you're going on a liveaboard safari or are in Phuket just to dive then yes of course you'll bring what ever equipment you have. Everybody feels comfortable with their ow [...]

Read Full Story
Enriched Air Nitrox In Phuket News & Updates

Nitrox Membrane System On MV Kebsup

Our day trip to the King Cruiser wreck is one of the most popular on the Phuket diving scene. It's even more enjoyable if you dive with Enriched Air Nitrox. The depth of the wreck 18 - 32m can make it a short dive on normal air tanks but with Nitrox you can easily make a full 50 minutes as long as your air consumption allows. With this is mind we decided to invest in a Nitrox membrane system. Allowing divers to chose on the day if they wou [...]

Read Full Story
Stonefish @ Racha noi, Banana Rocks Rare & Peculiar Critters

The Stonefish

The Stonefish can be found in many of the popular day trip destinations in Phuket. They are not small, reaching an average length of 30 to 40 centimeters and up to 2 kg in weight. They have the ability to blend in the environment quite well and they can be quite difficult to notice underwater. A bottom-dweller, their appearance gives them the look of a rock or stone while they lay still waiting for a prey. Their odd shape works well for l [...]

Read Full Story

Local Dive Thailand Office In Phuket


Find Us On Google Maps