The Allure of Thailand's Similan and Surin Islands

I’ve been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to dive in Thailand on two occasions. Both trips involved a live aboard for a week on the Andaman Sea side of Thailand (west coast), and a few days diving around the epically beautiful Phi Phi Islands.

There is diving in the Bay of Thailand (Koh Tao being the most popular location), and farther down the south coast in Krabi province, but for the most part, the live-aboard operators concentrate their itineraries on the area around the Similan and Surin island groups, which includes the legendary Richelieu Rock, Koh Bon and Koh Tachai.

Thailand does not seem to get as much positive press as Indonesia. This may be because unlike Indonesia’s numerous islands offering almost limitless coastline, there is a more limited number of dive sites offered in Thailand, and therefore more diver pressure.

On the plus side, unlike many areas of Indonesia, the diving in Thailand is quite easily accessible. In addition to the many live-aboard boats plying the waters, there are also day boats running out to all the major diving areas, from the islands of Phuket and Phi Phi Don, and from Krabi.

There have been two significant events in the past decade that have taken their toll on the health of some of the reefs in Thailand – the terrible tsunamis of 2004, and, more recently, areas of significant coral bleaching due to very high water temperatures.

Still, Thailand diving has many attractions – colourful reefs, some large animals (manta rays, leopard sharks, and the occasional whale shark), and an impressive biodiversity. Topside, the islands of Thailand are truly beautiful – the Similan and Surin islands featured in this gallery are lush, tropical forests and huge, weathered granite boulders at the shoreline. Thailand also has beautiful beaches and fantastic cuisine, making it a very popular tourist destination. A future instalment featuring Phi Phi and some of the other lovely southern sites will be featured next month!

_

Born and raised on the west coast of Canada, Judy has always felt a strong connection to the ocean. As an avid underwater photographer and photo essayist, Judy has traveled extensively to pursue her passion. Her work has been featured in several dive publications and websites. To follow her photo and travel blog, visit her at: Awoosh.com.

_