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Flaunting its rich marine diversity and natural rocky formations, the pristine underwater kingdom of Thailand is a picturesque landscape to explore. Diving has been one of the most popular adventure water sports in various destinations in Thailand since time immemorial. With its postcard-perfect islands, long coastline, and clear turquoise waters, the country has always been a scuba diving hotspot.
Although Thailand is packed with a myriad of diving destinations, the ones that have conquered all hearts, include Koh Tao, Koh Chang, Similan Islands, Phuket, Phi Phi Islands, and Hin Daeng – Hin Muang. While Koh Tao will offer beginners the best scope to start their diving journey,
HTMS Chang Wreck will allow them to enjoy a unique diving experience in an artificial reef. While Similan Islands will offer avid divers a wide selection of excellent diving sites, Hin Daeng – Hin Muang will ensure them the highest number of marine sightings.
Phi Phi Islands will surprise you with its awe-inspiring limestone formations and coral carpets, while Phuket will let you spot some rare and unique marine marvels.
1. Koh Tao
The small island of Koh Tao is considered to be one of the cheapest and the best diving destinations in Thailand. This place is packed with a myriad of diverse marine creatures, including white moray eels, shrimps, crabs, bull sharks, leopard sharks, whale sharks, and coral-encrusted reefs.
If you are a beginner, Koh Tao also has more than 70 dive schools, where you can learn the basic skills required to go underwater. Diving sites like Shark Island, Twins, and White Rock are calm and shallow and are suitable for ammatuer divers.
Skilled divers can opt for Chumphon Pinnacles, which isknown for its vibrant underwater life and stunning rock formations.
Best Time for Diving in Koh Tao: January to August
2. HTMS Chang Wreck, Koh Chang
HTMS Chang was sunk back in November 2021 by the Thai Navy to serve as a man-made reef. At present, the 117 meters long HTMS Chang lies 30 meters underwater with the mast and captain’s cabin lying about 12 meters underwater.
Considered to be one of the country’s largest wrecks, the HTMS Chang makes for an important diving site in Koh Chang. While diving here, you can spot a diverse variety of underwater creatures, including octopus, barracuda, squid, grouper, whale shark, and reef fish.
Best Time for Diving in HTMS Chang Wreck, Koh Chang: November to April
3. Similan Islands
Flaunting a colouful and flamboyant underwater topography, with majestic granite boulders and rich corals, Similan Islands is known to be one of the best diving destinations in the entire world. Offering an outstanding visibility, this place lends you the opportunity to spot a wide range of colourful fishes.
Similan Islands is home to more than 20 dive sites, the famous out of which are Elephant Head, Christmas Point, East of Eden, & Beacon Point. While Elephant Head is home to huge boulders, gorgeous, and channels, Christmas Point flaunts ribbon eels, nudibranchs, & colourful soft corals.
East of Eden presents a mix of hard and soft corals, while Boulder City houses leopard sharks, napoleon wrasse, & bumphead parrotfish. Beacon Point flaunts pelagic fish, long nosed emperors, bluefin trevally, pufferfish, and basslets.
Best Time for Diving in Similan Islands: December to April
4. Hin Daeng – Hin Muang
Offering lively soft coral gardens, steep walls, manta rays, and whalesharks, Hin Daeng – Hin Muang is one of the favorite diving destinations among avid divers. Hin Daeng divesite brims with leopard sharks and rays on its South West side, while its East side features the most alluring soft coral growth.
The shallow areas of this site house moray eels, while critters like cowrie shells and nudibranchs are also common sightings. Hin Muang is shrouded in anemones and purple soft coral gardens. Whalesharks, trevallies, and jacks are also common sightings here.
Best Time for Diving in Hin Daeng – Hin Muang: November to April
5. Phi Phi Islands
The underwater beauty of Phi Phi Islands is as tempting as its over water charm. The crystal clear waters of this island shelter beautiful tropical marine life, breathtaking coral carpets, and mesmerizing limestone walls.
The possible sightings of colourful small marine creatures, such as seahorses, turtles, snappers, mackerel, stingrays, baitfish, and reef sharks also make your underwater tour at Phi Phi Islands totally worth it.
Some of the most popular diving sites you can choose on Phi Phi Islands include Loh Samah Bay, Hin Bida, Maya Bay, Koh Bida Nok & Koh Bida Nai.
Best Time for Diving in Phi Phi: November to April
6. Phuket
Considered to be the largest island of Thailand, Phuket makes for one of the most adventurous diving spots in the country. Exuberant corals, colourful fishes, and breathtaking limestone crops sheltered here promise to offer the adrenaline seekers an exhilarating underwater experience.
While you are diving in Phuket, you can challenge your luck to spot some barracudas, manta rays, and cuttlefish. The diving sites of Anemone Reef and Shark Point will also let you spot leopard sharks and colouful soft corals, while Koh Doc Mai will allow you to spot seahorses, ghost pipefish, nudibranchs, and white eyed morays.
Best Time for Diving in Phuket: November to April
Green Diving
Although the sun-soaked beaches and photogenic tropical islands of Thailand will lure you to the core, the enthralling underwater world of the country will surely leave you craving for more.
And while you are at it, remember the best way to appreciate beauty is to leave it better than before – Dive Green with environment friendly operators and do not litter the ocean.
So, as soon as you can, head to Thailand to experience the beautiful oceanic world, and all you need to do is just dive in!