Diving In Thailand - Timeline and Itinerary Help

[nicnackerz]

Hi all!

My husband and I are planning a trip to Thailand! This is a dream destination for us, and we have a lot we want to do, including spending a few days in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and of course, diving!

We are AOW certified and have done quite a few dive-centered trips (most recent was to Cozumel - it was phenomenal). I want to do a LOT of diving in Thailand (honestly, if I could, I'd be underwater all the time!), but we have quite a few other non-diving things we want to do, too. This brings me to my question: We could go to Thailand for 2 weeks over the holidays (December / January), when I've heard the diving and weather is best. However, we'd be limited to two weeks (more like 10 days on the ground, with the travel time from Idaho), and it's quite pricey. This would mean, if we spend a couple days in Bangkok and a couple days in the northern area, we'd have maybe five days of diving. If we were to do this, where would be the best place to dive at, with travel considerations (ease of access from Bangkok, flight restrictions for 24 hours after our last dive, etc.). I'm considering scratching Chiang Mai, and maybe we can go on another trip if need be, to get more diving. I love sharks, and wanted to visit the Similan islands and Koh Tao potentially. So, best places to go? Should we scratch Chiang Mai (too much in one trip) and just dive?

The other option we've got is to go in the summer. I'm a teacher so I have almost unlimited time off. If we did this, we could spend a couple weeks diving if we wanted to (husband can work flexibly and remotely), and see the other stuff. However, I have heard the diving is not as good in summer.

I guess I'm mostly reaching out to see what you all think about the two options, and look for recommendations regarding which is better. I'd be glad to shorten our trip to prioritize diving if we go in December, especially if the diving is that much better that time of year. Thoughts?

 

[Alastor]

In the winter time consider a liveaboard from Khao Lak. There are numerous from 2 till 6 days the longer ones going toward the famous richelieu rock and neighbours. You will not regret the diving that are easy and colorful.
Boats are a bit small and have essential services. Do not compare them with maldives liveaboard.

The eastern side of thailand (Koh Tao etc...) are for summer period due to the monsoon.

Have a great diving!

 

[passeparici]

2 weeks is very short to do all what you want to do ! Consider that most of the time it takes 1 day to go from one place to another in Thailand. The north is very nice but it takes more than 2 days to visit (at least if you really want to see something and not rush to just see Chiang Mai. The Myanmar border for instance is very nice to see). For a first trip I would skip the north. You can stay a few days in Bangkok then take a plane to Pukhet and then visit and dive there. To visit you can go 1 day to James Bond island and around, 3 days in Koh Phi Phi (with the transportation) and dive a morning there and you can go to Kao Lake with a taxi (quite cheap and convenient) and either dive there with a speed boat (I hate it if the sea is a bit rough) or take a 3 or 4 days liveaboard that goes to Richelieu Rock. In the summer, if you go early in the season (June or July) it is still ok question of weather, later it rains more and more. The Similan are closed but you can still dive at Koh Tao (diving from Koh Samui is not worth it as they go in Koh Tao for that and then you have a lot of boat. Better to stay at Koh Tao). Summer is not the perfect time to dive neither to visit...

 

[Scuuba-Doo]

Hi,

I am travelling to Thailand with my sister this November, we will be there for 16 days covering Bangkok, Chiang Mai and a 4 Days liveaboard trip to the Similans.

Day 1 (arriving in arvo) to Day 5 in Bangkok, taking sleeper train to Chiang Mai on Day 5
Day 6 to Day 10 in Chiang Mai, we are lucky enough to be going to the Lantern Festival!
Day 11 midday flight to Phuket, pick up by liveaboard team, spending the night on the boat
Day 12 to Day 15, 4 full days of diving then drop off at Phuket
Day 16, spending one day in a nice resort in Phuket recovering from the liveaboard, flying out late evening

It will be our first time diving in Thailand as certified divers, so I can't give you much information in terms of the diving part. I think Koh Tao is in monsoon season during the time you are travelling Thai (please correct me if I am wrong), so you may wanna reconsider if you really wanna go there this time.
In terms of land activities
- look into Thai Bus Food Tour (Bangkok), you can enjoy Michilin guide food while touring historical sites from the bus, with a guide talking you through the culture. May be you can cut down number of day spend in Bangkok this way.
- allocate Chaing Mai part of the trip over a weekend, because that's when most of the markets open in Chiang Mai

Hope our intinerary helps you with your trip planning, happy to share more about my planning if you are interested

 

[Bookworm11]

You are trying to do too much with the amount of time you have . You could spend that entire time in Bangkok! I spent 9 nights there and still have tons to see! Scratch Chiang Mai, and I would hire a private guide in Bangkok. Tour with Tang has great guides and reasonable. Get one and use mass transit. Even better, get one for 2 days. I can let you know the name of the guide I used. She took me to some non touristy stuff, like temples that tourists don't usually go to. I even got blessed by a Buddhist monk. Then go dive somewhere. From what I have read, I'd suggest the Phi Phi islands as Phuket sounds like a traffic nightmare. But I only dove in Koh Tao and Koh Phanghan.

 

[Roberto Bonifacio]

Hi all!

My husband and I are planning a trip to Thailand! This is a dream destination for us, and we have a lot we want to do, including spending a few days in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and of course, diving!

We are AOW certified and have done quite a few dive-centered trips (most recent was to Cozumel - it was phenomenal). I want to do a LOT of diving in Thailand (honestly, if I could, I'd be underwater all the time!), but we have quite a few other non-diving things we want to do, too. This brings me to my question: We could go to Thailand for 2 weeks over the holidays (December / January), when I've heard the diving and weather is best. However, we'd be limited to two weeks (more like 10 days on the ground, with the travel time from Idaho), and it's quite pricey. This would mean, if we spend a couple days in Bangkok and a couple days in the northern area, we'd have maybe five days of diving. If we were to do this, where would be the best place to dive at, with travel considerations (ease of access from Bangkok, flight restrictions for 24 hours after our last dive, etc.). I'm considering scratching Chiang Mai, and maybe we can go on another trip if need be, to get more diving. I love sharks, and wanted to visit the Similan islands and Koh Tao potentially. So, best places to go? Should we scratch Chiang Mai (too much in one trip) and just dive?

The other option we've got is to go in the summer. I'm a teacher so I have almost unlimited time off. If we did this, we could spend a couple weeks diving if we wanted to (husband can work flexibly and remotely), and see the other stuff. However, I have heard the diving is not as good in summer.

I guess I'm mostly reaching out to see what you all think about the two options, and look for recommendations regarding which is better. I'd be glad to shorten our trip to prioritize diving if we go in December, especially if the diving is that much better that time of year. Thoughts?

Liveaboard to Similan, 4 day chang mai, 4 days liveabord Similan, 2 bays Bangkok

 

[Leobendive]

We did 2 trips to Thailand. On the first trip we combined Bangkok, Khao Lak and Koh Lanta. On the second trip Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and Koh Chang.

Bangkok, Chiang Mai and diving seems to much for a 2 week trip.

In Bangkok get a private guide - Tours with Tong is great as already mentioned above. As my wife gets sea sick easily we did not do a liveaboard. Instead we did day trips to the similian islands and Koh Bon/Koh Tachai from Khao Lak. It was nice. I too enjoyed diving on Koh Lanta. When you are open for a longer boat ride you could also go to Hin Daeng and Hin Muang from there. Very great diving!

When going to Chiang Mai don't miss the white temple in Chiang Rai. There are full day trips from Chiang Mai, but it is quite a long car ride. We opted to first fly to Chiang Rai, get airport pick up by a tour guide and car transfer to Chiang Mai at the end of the day. Saved us some time in a car.

 

[JonnieB]

The op seems to have disappeared?

 

[Centrals]

@nicnackerz
Have you decided you final itinary yet?
A lot of interesting suggestions but time is your main constraint. Trying to do too many things in too short of time is asking for trouble.
One certain thing: stay well clear of Phuket which is full of scam, rip off, mafia etc etc. Avoid arriving at the airport in the evening because you will be at the mercy of the mafia on transportation. The last airport bus is at 18:30.
Khao Lak is the place.

 

[GDMP]

If diving is a priority, I agree with the suggestions to either 1) do a short liveaboard from Khao Lak (just make sure it has at least one dive at Richelieu Rock, as it's still a very, very special site and is a good bit better than the other places the liveaboard will visit), or 2) get to Hin Daeng and Hin Muang from Koh Lanta. For me, Richelieu, Hin D, and Hin M are the pick of the diving bunch in Thailand. Koh Bon is nice too, and Tachai can be good. Similans quite nice topography, but not that fishy now.

For you, I guess you could only either do the liveaboard or Lanta, given your other plans. If you want to do more diving, I'd do the liveaboard. If just two days' diving or so, you could do Lanta trips to Hin D, Hin M, and another place (I'd prob pick Koh Haa). I'd go with Lanta Diver (the dive shop) — nice bunch and well run. Hope that helps!