Question Diving in Thailand this December

[ilovecolours]

I'm heading to Thailand on a trip with a family member and will be in Koh Lanta for a couple of days. I'm hoping to dive there for a day before going to the mainland. My time with my family member will end in Bangkok, and I was thinking of flying somewhere to dive for a few days before leaving the country. (I've already been to Bangkok a few times and would much rather dive than stay there.) Sadly, I get seasick, so I'm not contemplating a live aboard (and I'm really short on time), but would love to do day dives for 2-3 days. Should I go back to Ko(h) Lanta since I've heard the diving there is good, it's safe (I will be travelling solo at that point), and it's not overrun with tourists, or what do people recommend?

I've read some comments about Koh Lanta vs. Koh Lipe vs. Koh Phi Phi...

I really don't have that many days, so I'm pushing it... but I really do want to see if I can make something work.

Thank you in advance for your suggestions!

 

[Centrals]

Koh Lanta: Long day trip because of the distance from base. As long as you do not take the speed boat transfer from Phuket, the roughness of the sea has no impact on the usual land/sea(15mins on car ferry) transfer from Phuket. Big boat is used and I had never ever experienced rough sea on my recent couple of trips to Koh Lanta.
Van from Phuket Bus Terminal 1 to Krabi Bus Terminal and then to Koh Lanta( usually FOC drop off at the resort of your choice on the west coast only but need to confirm withe driver). Krabi airport also has the land/sea transfer to Koh Lanta.
Koh Lipe: Most operator use long tail boat so usually only goes out for one dive.
It is not the same for Koh Lipe even from Pakbara if the sea is rough. Hat Yai is usually the port of entry to those who flied in from Bangkok. Get the early flight and the transfer to Koh Lipe is readily available at the airport.
Arrive early in either Krabi or Hat Yai to make the same day transfer to either island.

 

[JonnieB]

There are day boats going to Koh Phi-Phi and Koh Haa from Lanta. These are both national marine parks and great sites to dive. Any scuba shop on the island can arrange a trip for you...just pick one near your hotel. As for the end of your stay, yes, you could fly back to Krabi and drive to Lanta. You could also fly to Phuket and do day trips from there to local sites like the Racha Islands, King Cruiser wreck, Shark Point, and Koh Doc Mai, all nice dives. Get a hotel on the southern part of the island (Chalong, Rawat, or Kata Beach) for easy access to the boat pier in Chalong. Another option is to go to Pattaya, a two hour drive south of Bangkok and dive the local sites there. It's nowhere near as good diving as the Andaman Sea but it is very accessible from Bangkok. In Pattaya, I'd recommend Copperfin Scuba or Pattaya Scuba Adventures.

 

[ilovecolours]

There are day boats going to Koh Phi-Phi and Koh Haa from Lanta. These are both national marine parks and great sites to dive. Any scuba shop on the island can arrange a trip for you...just pick one near your hotel. As for the end of your stay, yes, you could fly back to Krabi and drive to Lanta. You could also fly to Phuket and do day trips from there to local sites like the Racha Islands, King Cruiser wreck, Shark Point, and Koh Doc Mai, all nice dives. Get a hotel on the southern part of the island (Chalong, Rawat, or Kata Beach) for easy access to the boat pier in Chalong. Another option is to go to Pattaya, a two hour drive south of Bangkok and dive the local sites there. It's nowhere near as good diving as the Andaman Sea but it is very accessible from Bangkok. In Pattaya, I'd recommend Copperfin Scuba or Pattaya Scuba Adventures.

Thank you. I hadn't heard of Pattaya before. That might be a good option since I can avoid flying. I'll look into it!

 

[ilovecolours]

Koh Lanta: Long day trip because of the distance from base. As long as you do not take the speed boat transfer from Phuket, the roughness of the sea has no impact on the usual land/sea(15mins on car ferry) transfer from Phuket. Big boat is used and I had never ever experienced rough sea on my recent couple of trips to Koh Lanta.
Van from Phuket Bus Terminal 1 to Krabi Bus Terminal and then to Koh Lanta( usually FOC drop off at the resort of your choice on the west coast only but need to confirm withe driver). Krabi airport also has the land/sea transfer to Koh Lanta.
Koh Lipe: Most operator use long tail boat so usually only goes out for one dive.
It is not the same for Koh Lipe even from Pakbara if the sea is rough. Hat Yai is usually the port of entry to those who flied in from Bangkok. Get the early flight and the transfer to Koh Lipe is readily available at the airport.
Arrive early in either Krabi or Hat Yai to make the same day transfer to either island.

Thank you so much! Very helpful advice!

 

[Centrals]

@ilovecolours
Don't waste your money and time in Phuket. The island is full of tourist traps except the airport.
Forget about Pattaya especially as a single female!!!!! It is that kind of place infamous in Thailand. @JonnieB probably has forgotten to suggest for an night out in Soi Cowboy in Bangkok!!!
Koh Chang is better but diving is very very ordinary. Catch the Gov bus 999 from Ekkamai bus terminal(right next to BTS Ekkamai station) in the morning.

Hin Daeng and Hin Muang are the best sites but far from Koh Lanta. Enquire with Blue Planet for their trip on their own big and fast catamaran.
You will love Stonehenge in Koh Lipe if you love colour!!
Koh Lipe is the only place excluding LoB where you can do four dives a day.
Koh Lipe is tiny and Dec is the peak season so you better make your mind up and book the accommodation asap.

Catch the overnight train from Hat Yai back to Bangkok to avoid the no fly penalty. The journey is nearly 1000km and takes around 14-16hrs. 1st and 2nd class AC sleeper is freezingly cold even blanket is provided. Book the ticket early. Train #32 is the best from Hat Yai to BKK. Train travelling in the Kingdom is great and I thoroughly enjoyed the experiences.

I am off Koh Lant and Koh Lipe in early Nov for two wks. All the accommodation has been paid for.

 

[KBlack]

If you want to avoid the boats then Phuket is the best option in my opinion. Kata Beach can be one of the best dive sites on the west coast of Thailand. There are more beach diving options in Phuket but Kata beach is by far my pick.

Sure high season is just starting so in the next couple of months the island will fill up with tourists but if you can handle that then beach diving is a great option. Contact Thien at Rumblefish for details. there shop is walking distance from the beach and they have plenty of accommodation options nearby. Their team is friendly and family orientated so you wont feel like a single traveler for long. I first started diving Kata Beach with Thien 15 years ago. I live and work in Phuket now as a technical Instructor but I still enjoy a local beach dive. You will probably not get deeper than 15m unless you get a longtail out to the deeper sites but the local reef is where all the action is.

 

[Centrals]

There is NO single site in the Kingdom can beat the colours of Stonehenge in Koh Lipe. PERIOD.
HTMS Chang wreck in Koh Chang is far more interesting than the lousy King Cruiser in Phuket.

 

[Edward3c]

It doesn’t matter where your traveling to, it will take a day out of you holiday each way from/to Bangkok.

For K Lipe, I fly (old airport), van than ferry.
For K Tao, I VIP bus (overnight) then ferry.

Never been to Phuket, flights from the U.K are cheaper to Bangkok.

 

[Centrals]

It doesn’t matter where your traveling to, it will take a day out of you holiday each way from/to Bangkok.

For K Lipe, I fly (old airport), van than ferry.
For K Tao, I VIP bus (overnight) then ferry.

Time is utter important if you do not have much to spare.
Round trip of two days from BKK to HKT to make shore dive out from Kata Beach!! I would rather spend the money and time exploring Bangkok and its surrounding areas, far more interesting and rewarding.
You will not find anything interesting in Koh Phuket. Even Koh Tao has two sites which Phuket cannot compete. Paying nearly US$100.00 for two boat dives out from Phuket!!! 50+ divers on the tiny wreck of King Cruiser is nothing but JOKE.