Thailand – Phuket & Phi Phi

Phuket is Thailand's busiest dive hub, and most diving here is done on day boats from Chalong Bay. To the south lie the Racha Islands: Racha Yai with sheltered sandy bays, artificial reefs and training wrecks, and the wilder granite boulders of Racha Noi, where manta rays visit South Tip. East of Phuket, on the way to Phi Phi, the Shark Point marine sanctuary, Anemone Reef, the King Cruiser ferry wreck and the limestone walls of Koh Doc Mai offer leopard sharks, seahorses and dense schools of fish. The Phi Phi islands – inside Hat Noppharat Thara–Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park – are dived both from Phuket and from dive centres in Ton Sai on Phi Phi Don, with walls and swim-throughs around Phi Phi Leh and the Bida islets. Hin Daeng, Hin Muang and Koh Haa belong to the Krabi–Lanta module, the Similans to the Similan–Surin module.

Facts

Best season: Year-round diving. November–April (north-east monsoon) brings the calmest seas and access to exposed sites such as South Tip, Hin Bida and the west side of Phi Phi Leh; May–October (south-west monsoon) is choppier, with diving moved to sheltered bays (east side of Racha Yai/Phi Phi Leh). Mantas at Racha Noi are mostly seen November–April
Water temperature: About 28–30 °C in the high season and 29–31 °C in the green season; a 3 mm shorty or full suit is enough
Visibility: Typically 10–30 m (15–20 m average at Racha Yai, up to 40 m at Racha Noi); 10–20 m in the green season, and plankton blooms or currents can drop it below 10 m at Shark Point and Koh Doc Mai
Getting there: Fly to Phuket (HKT). Day boats leave Chalong Pier around 08:00 with hotel pick-up from the west-coast beaches; Racha Yai is about 1–1.5 h, Racha Noi about 2–2.25 h, Shark Point/King Cruiser about 1.5–2 h. To stay on Phi Phi, take the ferry from Rassada Pier (Phuket) to Ton Sai on Phi Phi Don (about 1–2 h depending on the boat) – check current timetables
Phi Phi national park fee: Phi Phi lies in Hat Noppharat Thara–Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park. The entry fee for foreign adults is reported as 400 THB; Phuket dive centres collect about 600 THB per diver on Phi Phi trips, paid in cash to rangers on the day (a Phi Phi-based guide quotes 600 THB valid for 3 days, then 200 THB/day) – check current fees
Maya Bay closures: Maya Bay, Loh Samah Bay and Loh Ko Bay on Phi Phi Leh close to boats every year from 1 August to 30 September for rehabilitation (2026: reopening 1 October). Dives near the bay mouth (Maya Corner) depend on these rules – check current dates
Protected areas: Shark Point (Hin Musang) has been a marine sanctuary since 1992; Shark Point, Anemone Reef, the King Cruiser and Koh Doc Mai lie between Phuket and Phi Phi in Phang Nga province waters; Phuket operators charge the Phi Phi park fee only on trips that include Phi Phi. Racha Yai wrecks and artificial reefs are managed by the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR). Do not touch or collect – check current rules

Season

Best months: Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr
Acceptable: May, Oct
Poor: Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep
Water temperature: 28–30 °C

Best from November to April (December–February clearest and busiest). May to October is the southwest-monsoon low season: diving is possible but rougher with poorer visibility; sources differ on the edge months.

Dive sites (44)

Shark Point, King Cruiser & Koh Doc Mai

Anemone Reef – 5–30 m, intermediate
King Cruiser Wreck – 12–32 m, advanced
Koh Doc Mai – 3–30 m, intermediate
Shark Point – 5–25 m, intermediate

Racha Noi

Banana Bay – 3–25 m, beginner
Camera Bay – 5–25 m, beginner
Marina Bay – 5–30 m, intermediate
North Bay (Racha Noi) – 5–40 m, intermediate
Racha Noi Bay – 5–35 m, beginner
South Tip – 14–40 m, advanced
The Plateau – 12–70 m, advanced

Racha Yai

Bay 3 / Lucy's Reef – 5–22 m, beginner
Bays 1 & 2 – 3–25 m, beginner
Bays 4 & 5 – 5–30 m, intermediate
Bungalow Bay – 5–22 m, beginner
Harruby Wreck – 10–20 m, beginner
Homerun Reef – 5–23 m, intermediate
Marla's Mystery – 26–34 m, advanced
MV Meditation – 14–22 m, beginner
Siam Bay – 5–20 m, beginner
Staghorn Reef – 5–25 m, intermediate

Phi Phi Leh & Bida islands

Garang Heng – 5–24 m, beginner
Hin Bida – 2–24 m, intermediate
Hin Dot – 3–30 m, intermediate
Hin Klang – 5–25 m, intermediate
Kled Kaeo Wreck – 14–27 m, advanced
Koh Bida Nai – 5–25 m, intermediate
Koh Bida Nok – 2–30 m, beginner
Laem Tong Home Reef – 2–12 m, beginner
Loh Samah Bay – 8–20 m, beginner
Malong – 3–18 m, beginner
Maya Wall – 5–20 m, beginner
Monkey Beach – 18 m, beginner
Mushroom Rock – 5–24 m, intermediate
Nui Bay – 20 m, beginner
Palong Wall – 5–21 m, beginner
Pileh Wall – 5–25 m, beginner
Tonsai Wall – 18 m, beginner
Turtle Rock – 4–22 m, beginner
Viking Cave – 3–18 m, beginner
Wang Long – 18 m, intermediate
Whaleshark Wall – 24 m, intermediate

Phuket coast

Kata Reef – 2–12 m, beginner
Mai Thon Island – 5–12 m, beginner

Operators (11)

Sea Bees Diving (Phuket) – dive centre, Chalong, Phuket
Aussie Divers Phuket – dive centre, Chalong, Phuket
All4Diving – dive centre, Patong & Chalong, Phuket
Phuket Dive Tours – dive centre, Kata, Phuket
Sunrise Divers – dive centre, Karon, Phuket
Oceanic Dive Center – dive centre, Kata/Karon, Phuket
Sharkey Scuba – dive centre, Karon, Phuket
The Adventure Club – dive centre, Ton Sai, Koh Phi Phi Don
Blue View Divers – dive centre, Koh Phi Phi Don
Princess Divers – dive centre, Koh Phi Phi Don
Phi Phi Scuba Diving Center – dive centre, Ton Sai, Koh Phi Phi Don

Routes (13)

Site positions are approximate unless marked otherwise and are for orientation only — never for navigation. Dive sites on Phuket day trips are chosen on the day by the guide according to weather and current. National park fees, Maya Bay closures and access rules change; confirm them with your dive centre.