Cost of Diving in Thailand: Dives, Courses and Trips
What diving in Thailand costs: price per dive, Open Water courses, liveaboards, and what is not included. Operator examples in baht.
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Last updated November 2026: the cost of diving in Thailand starts at ฿2,900 for a two-dive Krabi day trip. An SSI Open Water course at the same shop costs ฿14,500, while Phuket Dive Tours lists ฿8,000 to ฿10,000 for its short formulas. Liveaboard prices swing widely by boat and route, so start with our Thailand scuba diving guide for those.
Featured image: Edgardo W. Olivera, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr.
Quick answer: what diving in Thailand costs
Three numbers cover most budgets. Prices and hours were checked in November 2026 against named operators, so treat them as examples rather than Thailand-wide averages.
- Fun dives: ฿2,900 for 2 dives to the Local Islands from Ao Nang (Krabi Local Diving), with ฿3,400 for 3 dives.
- Open Water course: ฿8,000 for 4 dives over 3 half days at Kata Beach (Phuket Dive Tours) up to ฿14,500 for a 3-day SSI course (Krabi Local Diving).
- Liveaboard: no current figure is verified here. Cost depends on boat, route and number of nights.
What drives the price of a dive
Boat distance and fuel come first. Krabi Local Diving charges ฿2,900 for 2 dives at the Local Islands but ฿4,000 for 2 dives at Phi Phi, which sits farther out. Forum posters in 2011 explained the same logic: Samui boats burn fuel crossing to Koh Tao sites, so basing yourself on Koh Tao or Koh Phangan was cheaper for the same dives. Group size, boat type and inclusions matter too. A slow boat with 3 dives can beat a speedboat with 2 on value. Cheapest is not always best value. Compare the instructor ratio, gear quality and what the quote already covers before you chase the lowest number.
Cost of diving in Thailand by region
Per-dive math from the Krabi list shows the effect of package size. Local Islands works out at ฿1,450 per dive on a 2-dive day and about ฿1,133 on a 3-dive day. Phi Phi runs ฿2,000 per dive for 2 dives and ฿1,600 for 3. Gulf prices need operator quotes, because no verified current list is attached to this page. Check the Koh Tao price lists at Ban's Diving Resort, Roctopus and Sairee Cottage Diving directly. For regional detail, see our Andaman Sea Diving: Best Areas, Season and Costs and Gulf of Thailand Diving: Best Sites, Season and Bases pages. Site choice also moves the price, so compare options in the best dive sites in Thailand.
Phi Phi runs ฿2,000 per dive for 2 dives, and the ฿600 park fee per diver comes on top of that.
| Base | Typical product | Example price | Source | Included |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Krabi (Ao Nang) | 2 dives, Local Islands | ฿2,900 | Krabi Local Diving | Transfers, lunch, water, gear, divemaster, basic insurance |
| Krabi (Ao Nang) | 2 dives, Phi Phi | ฿4,000 | Krabi Local Diving | Same as above; park fee extra |
| Phuket (Kata) | Open Water, 4 dives, 3 half days | ฿8,000 | Phuket Dive Tours | Course materials, e-learning; no transfers or lunch on pool and beach days |
| Koh Tao | Fun dives and courses | Verify with operators | Ban's, Roctopus, Sairee Cottage price lists | Verify with operators |
| Samui / Phangan | Fun dives | Verify with operators | Operator price lists | Verify with operators |
Fun dive day trips: what is and is not included
Krabi Local Diving shows what a day-trip price covers. Hotel transfers within the Ao Nang area, lunch, water, basic Thai operator insurance, equipment and a divemaster are all in the ฿2,900 fee. National park fees are not. Mixed groups can save money. A snorkeler joining the same boat pays ฿1,500 for the Local Islands, against ฿2,900 for a diver, and ฿2,500 for Phi Phi against ฿4,000. Typical add-ons are below.
- Dive computer rental: ฿300
- Underwater camera rental: ฿2,000
- Transfers to Krabi town, Khlong Muang, Tub Kaek or Railay: +฿400
- National park fee: ฿400 (Local Islands) or ฿600 (Phi Phi) per diver
Open Water course cost
Phuket Dive Tours sells two separate products. Its Kata Beach formula is 4 dives over 3 half days for ฿8,000. The 2-day version, with 1 beach dive and 3 boat dives at Racha Noi, costs ฿10,000. Its headline of about ฿10,500 for 3 days is a different package, so compare like with like. Krabi Local Diving charges ฿14,500 for a 3-day SSI Open Water course. Courses run 2 to 4 days overall. Beach dives take a few hours, while boat days take 8 to 10 hours. SSI e-learning before arrival can save up to a day of holiday time. Compare quotes on these points:
Open Water certification allows dives to 18 m, so a ฿3,500 Try Dive at the pool or Local Islands is a taste, not a qualification.
- Number of open-water dives and whether they are beach or boat
- Transfers and lunch on each day
- Certification and materials fees
- National park fees on boat days
- Course start days and the 5 PM cancellation cutoff
After Open Water: Advanced and specialty costs
Open Water certification allows dives to 18 m, according to PADI course standards. Advanced Open Water is worth paying for once target sites sit deeper. Krabi Local Diving lists a 2-day SSI Advanced course at ฿12,000. Its Stress and Rescue course with React Right costs ฿17,400. Deep dives to 30 m, wreck and night specialties are quoted on request. Wreck, cave and technical paths cost more, so see wreck diving in Thailand and technical diving options. Cave diving in Thailand has its own page.
Liveaboards: when they are worth the cost
No verified liveaboard price is attached to this page, so judge value per dive instead. Divide the quoted total by the number of dives, then add park fees and gear rental. Compare that against ฿1,133 to ฿1,600 per dive on a Krabi day-trip package. Liveaboards suit divers who want remote sites and several dives a day. Day trips suit short stays and tight budgets. Similan marine park closes roughly May to October, so check dates on the Department of National Parks site. Our Best Diving in Thailand: 6 Top Regions, Seasons & Who Each Suits page helps you match sites to a boat.
Hidden and extra costs
Park fees are the most common surprise. Krabi divers pay ฿400 at the Local Islands and ฿600 at Phi Phi, on top of the trip price. Snorkelers pay ฿200 and ฿400. Transfer surcharges add ฿400 outside the Ao Nang area. Camera rental at ฿2,000 can cost nearly as much as a Local Islands dive day. Nitrox, tips and insurance vary by operator, so ask for written totals. Consider dive accident cover from Divers Alert Network before a multi-day trip. A cancellation can also cost money, because last-minute cancellations get no refund.
Where to save money, and where not to
Multi-dive packages cut the per-dive price, as the Krabi 3-dive rate shows at ฿3,400 against ฿2,900 for 2. Ask about group discounts, since Krabi Local Diving offers them. Complete e-learning free before you arrive to save a day. Bring your own computer to skip the ฿300 rental. Less-visited bases such as Hua Hin, Chumphon and Ranong are worth pricing too. Stay-and-dive deals appear on Thailand dive resorts. Do not cut corners on instructor ratio, equipment condition, insurance or the safety briefing.
Sample trip budgets
Both builds are illustrative, based on Krabi Local Diving prices. Lodging and food are left as your own costs.
| Line item | 3-day fun dive trip | Open Water plus fun dives |
|---|---|---|
| Diving | 3 × ฿2,900 = ฿8,700 | Course ฿14,500 + 2 × ฿2,900 = ฿20,300 |
| Park fees | 3 × ฿400 = ฿1,200 | 2 × ฿400 = ฿800 |
| Dive computer | ฿300 (one rental) | ฿300 (one rental) |
| Subtotal | ฿10,200 | ฿21,400 |
| Your costs | Lodging, food, tips | Lodging, food, tips |
Booking tips and cancellation terms
Read refund terms before paying. Krabi Local Diving considers refunds if you cancel before 5 PM the previous day. It offers none for no-shows or partial dive trips. An activated eLearning deposit is also non-refundable. If weather stops a trip, that operator refunds in full. Travel insurance covering cancellations fills the gap. Ask for price, inclusions, park fee and transfer terms in writing, then compare quotes side by side. Our Thailand dive trip planner can help you shortlist bases first.
Try diving costs for beginners without certification
If you are not certified, a Try Dive can be cheaper and quicker than committing to Open Water. Krabi Local Diving lists pool and Local Islands Try Dive options at ฿3,500. Its Phi Phi Try Dive costs ฿5,100, reflecting the longer boat trip.
Ask whether the price includes equipment, transfers, lunch and any national park fee. A Try Dive is an introductory experience with an instructor. It does not replace a certification course. Discover Scuba dives commonly stay around 5–12 m, while an Open Water certification permits dives to 18 m.
Choose a pool session if you mainly want to test your comfort underwater. Choose a boat-based option if seeing reef life matters more. Confirm the itinerary and written total before booking, especially for Phi Phi.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is PADI in Thailand?
Quoted examples here are SSI, not PADI. Phuket Dive Tours lists ฿8,000 to ฿10,000 for short Open Water formulas, and Krabi Local Diving lists ฿14,500. Ask PADI schools for written quotes, then compare dives, fees and inclusions.
Notes for your next dive trip
Optional updates to our Thai diving guides.
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