Question Thailand Liveaboard suggestions (March/2025)

[JonnieB]

We are doing the Phinisi "Best of Thailand" (i.e. north and south) in March 2024. The Phinisi and the Junk are sister ships.
Will report post trip.

That's the way to do it...north and south Andaman in one go if you have the time and funds. I was on Phinisi's Similan trip earlier and while not a luxury boat by any means, the crew is professional and the food is great (and there is plenty of it). The wooden design is also a nice touch.

 

[JonnieB]

I was on the Manta Queen 8 in 2019 and the South Siam (Somboon 3) in 2018, both in the Similans. I'd rate them as adequate; the trip was definitely worth doing, but the boats were nothing special. I knew this when I booked, but it came down to timing and availability.

To the OP, unless something has changed since COVID, liveaboard bookings are like the old days of travel agents in the US with Thai dive shops (or liveaboard.com) acting as agents. The agent get a commission from the operator if they book it and even if you book directly with the operator, you still get the same price.

For this reason, your might as well talk to a local shop that knows all the boats and can help you match your skills/desires with an appropriate op. I was very happy dealing with @stevenl of Welcome to Phuket dash Scuba, your personal Phuket divecenter and diving school .

The main exception that didn't take bookings from unaffiliated shops was The Junque/Phinisi. I don't know if this is still the case, but if it is you'll want to evaluate them separately.

It's not...any dive shop can book customers on Junk/Phinisi

 

[tursiops]

That's the way to do it...north and south Andaman in one go if you have the time and funds. I was on Phinisi's Similan trip earlier and while not a luxury boat by any means, the crew is professional and the food is great (and there is plenty of it). The wooden design is also a nice touch.

Thanks for the input on the Phinisi. Do the Quad rooms actually have enough room for four people?

 

[JonnieB]

If you only have time for either a south or north Andaman trip, I'd recommend going south, which would include diving Koh Phi-Phi, Koh Haa marine park, and Koh Lipe in Tarutau Marine Park on the Malaysian border. I think the sites are better, and certainly less crowded than the Similan islands ones. The only exception would be if you were going on a northern route that includes the far north Surin islands as well.

In March, you could also consider a liveaboard in the Gulf of Thailand. There are several nice liveaboards (Aquarian being one) that do 4-6 day cruises to Ko Tao and the Chumporn and Ang Thong area marine parks. The diving isn't as good as the Andaman Sea but there are some nice open water pinnacles like Sail Rock and SW Pinnacle. There are some decent jack and baraccuda balls and always the chance of a whale shark sighting. As it's your first time to Thailand, it would be easy to combine such a trip with time in Bangkok either pre or post cruise.

 

[JonnieB]

Thanks for the input on the Phinisi. Do the Quad rooms actually have enough room for four people?

Space is pretty tight in most of the rooms...think bunk beds on the quad rooms. I was in a twin share room and I ended up sleeping up on deck due to the small bed and engine noise. However, I was perfectly comfortable sleeping under the stars with the waves gently lapping alongside the boat.

 

[Centrals]

@Rafael Moreira
If the trip to Similan does not work out for various reasons then I would suggest you should look at the combined trip to Koh Lanta and Koh Lipe.
Travelling from Phuket to Koh Lanta is dead easy and Lipe is just another ferry away. You can stop over at Koh Phi Phi first before moving on to Lanta if you prefer. There is absolutely no need to spend any unnecessary time in Phuket except wasting your money and time. Catch the airport bus, check with the schedule, to Phuket Old Town and spend your first night in a quaint town. The speed boat bound for Koh Phi Phi and Lanta departs from Rassada Pier which is just a short ride from the Old Town. Alternatively, you can literally travel by van + ferry to Koh Lanta vis Krabi , very useful if the sea is rough.
If you are arriving at BKK first then a short flight to Krabi or Hat Yai for the transfer to Lanta or Lipe respectively.
Hat Yai is interesting and you will notice Muslim culture quite dominance there.

 

[poifromthebag]

I'm planning to go to Thailand for the first time in March 2025. I've been looking through related posts but haven't been able to find updated advice regarding the best liveaboards based on your experiences.

What itinerary should I consider? It seems like Similan Island is a good spot. Most importantly, what are the places that I should avoid for diving?

I appreciate your time in answering my questions

I went with Smiling Seahorse in Feb 2023 and had a 10/10 experience. Similan is the popular destination and Richelieu Rock is definitely the highlight. There were about 4 other LOB's moored out there and we shared dive sites with them but were never in each others way. We'd see the other divers, but that's it. It's so far out that you practically have to be a LOB to reach it.

Smiling Seahorse's setup and boat culture was superb. Well thought out boat, cabins that exit outwards, excellent local crew, excellent guides, excellent food, etc. Clean but not luxury (I don't care about luxury).

My next trip I'll be heading to Koh Lanta, Koh Phi Phi, etc. But if I ever go back to Similan (or Myanmar) I'm going with Smiling Seahorse.

BTW... where are the LOBs that go to Koh Lanta, Koh Phi Phi and Hin Deang/Muang?

 

[JonnieB]

I went with Smiling Seahorse in Feb 2023 and had a 10/10 experience. Similan is the popular destination and Richelieu Rock is definitely the highlight. There were about 4 other LOB's moored out there and we shared dive sites with them but were never in each others way. We'd see the other divers, but that's it. It's so far out that you practically have to be a LOB to reach it.

Smiling Seahorse's setup and boat culture was superb. Well thought out boat, cabins that exit outwards, excellent local crew, excellent guides, excellent food, etc. Clean but not luxury (I don't care about luxury).

My next trip I'll be heading to Koh Lanta, Koh Phi Phi, etc. But if I ever go back to Similan (or Myanmar) I'm going with Smiling Seahorse.

BTW... where are the LOBs that go to Koh Lanta, Koh Phi Phi and Hin Deang/Muang?

You want cruises to the "south Andaman" for Phi-Phi, Koh Haa, and Daeng/Muang. There are no LOBs to Lanta. LOBs for south Andaman leave from either Phuket or Hat Yai (Koh Lipe).

 

[Centrals]

BTW... where are the LOBs that go to Koh Lanta, Koh Phi Phi and Hin Deang/Muang?

All the dive sites around Koh Lanta are far from the island.
You can forget those sites between Phuket and Koh Phi Phi. The better one are south from Koh Phi Phi eg Koh Bida, Koh Haa, Hin Deang/Muang and couple near to Koh Lipe.
Most of the sites can be done as day trip from Koh Lanta.
The only saving to dive from LoB on South Andaman is TIME.

 

[passeparici]

If you don't know Thailand and want to mostly dive I would recommend a cruise in the Similan/Surin/Richelieu Rock. We can't recommend a boat if we don't know the amount of money you plan on spending. The Junk is pretty expensive. Smiling Sea Horses is nice for less money. I was on the MV Andaman also and it was very nice and cheap. At the end the main difference is about the "luxury" and the food so it all depends of the importance you put on that. If you don't want to have LOB then Koh Lipe is nice but a bit far to reach. Koh Phi Phi is also nice, easy to reach and you can go party with the youngsters. Koh Tao is scuba diving oriented with nice spots but a bit crowded on the diving sites. I like Koh Chang. It is a bit isolated from other diving sites so if you want to dive more than 3 to 4 days it is not the best sites. I would not dive from Phuket as you can be on crowded boats. I hate speedboats so I try to avoid places where you need them to dive...