Andaman Sea Diving: Best Areas, Season and Costs

Featured image: Thom Quine, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Andaman Sea diving: quick answer by region

Match the zone to your experience and your calendar. Gulf divers should read our Gulf of Thailand diving guide instead, because this page covers only the Thai Andaman coast. For site-by-site comparisons across the country, see the best Thai dive sites.

Southern Andaman: Phi Phi, Koh Haa, Hin Daeng and Hin Muang

Koh Haa offers caverns and lagoon-style sites, with Cathedral and Lagoon the best-known dive spots. Hin Daeng and Hin Muang are offshore pinnacles with walls covered in soft corals and gorgonians. Manta rays, leopard sharks and even a whale shark are possible here, though never guaranteed. Those two pinnacles sit in deeper water than most day-trip reefs, so they suit divers with more logged dives. Koh Bida, Phi Phi, Shark Point, Anemone Reef and the King Cruiser Wreck are gentler and appear on day-trip menus from Koh Lanta. Fans of sunken ships can read more in our wreck diving guide. Depth and certification limits vary by operator, so ask each shop for its requirements. For wider context, our guide to the best Thai diving ranks these zones against the rest of the country.

Northern Andaman: Similan Islands, Surin Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai and Richelieu Rock

Marine parks in the Similan and Surin Islands protect coral gardens, walls and pinnacles. Turtles, giant trevally and barracuda patrol the reefs. Richelieu Rock is the headline site, and Koh Bon and Koh Tachai add more pelagic chances. Distances are long, so the north is mostly liveaboard country. Shorter options are speedboat days from Khao Lak. A 4-day, 15-dive Similan and Richelieu trip is quoted from about €1,085. Skip the north if you are uncertified, nervous in current, or short on time. Southern sites give a better first trip.

Mergui Archipelago (Myanmar)

Mergui Archipelago trips leave from Ranong and cross into Myanmar waters. Access depends on current border and permit rules, so verify them before booking. Our Ranong diving guide covers the departure port.

Day trip, course or liveaboard: which format fits

Format matters more than any single site. A day trip is easy to cancel and cheap to fit around a beach holiday. A course gives you a certification, and a liveaboard buys the most dives in the least transit time. Browse our dive trip planner to line these up with dates. Operators sometimes bundle accommodation too, so compare against dive resort options before choosing.

When to go: season, park closures and conditions

Thai Andaman marine parks close seasonally. They reopen when the weather improves, and that changes what you can book. In 2022, Koh Haa, Koh Rok and Hin Daeng reopened on 15 October. Liveaboard schedules for 2026-27 list departures from October 2026 to May 2027, so plan trips in that window. A north-only liveaboard booked outside it can be cancelled or rerouted. Closing and opening dates move from year to year. Check the current schedule with the Thai National Parks Department before paying a deposit.

Costs and what's not in the headline price

Prices and hours checked November 2026. All figures below are operator-quoted, so treat them as illustrative ranges. A Koh Lanta shop lists Discover Scuba at ฿4,500. Its Open Water course costs ฿15,950, rising to ฿21,950 with a shark speciality. A single fun-diving day runs ฿3,750, and a 3-day diving package ฿10,700. Liveaboard prices climb quickly. An 8-day, 26-dive Phuket to Khao Lak trip is quoted from about €1,965 to €2,175 per diver, depending on cabin and boat. A 6-day Christmas special with 22 dives starts around €1,680 to €1,830. Single cabin bookings add 75%. Extras matter too. Park fees are paid in cash at boarding: ฿500 per park plus ฿200 per diving day. An operator totals ฿3,400 for 4 parks over 7 days. Our Thailand diving costs guide breaks the extras down further.

• Mistake: booking a north-only liveaboard in the wrong season.
• Mistake: flying home too soon after your last dive.
• Mistake: assuming park fees are included in the price.
• Mistake: choosing a long trip as an uncertified or new diver.
• Mistake: assuming a course price covers gear, fees and certification materials.

Where to base yourself and how to get there

Phuket suits liveaboards and Phi Phi day trips. Khao Lak is the northern gateway for the Similans and Richelieu Rock. Koh Lanta is a quieter base for southern day trips, and Ranong serves Mergui departures. Liveaboard timing is tight. On one 8-day itinerary, south-to-north boarding is at 7:00 pm in Phuket, with disembarkation at 6:00 pm in Khao Lak. North-to-south boarding is at 7:30 pm in Khao Lak, with disembarkation at 6:00 pm in Phuket. A free Phuket day sits mid-trip. Book onward flights with a buffer, and follow Divers Alert Network guidance on flying after diving. Arrive the night before departure so a late flight does not cost you the boat. Stay options near the docks are listed in our Thailand dive resorts guide.