Similan Islands

Why go

For the best snorkelling and diving you can reach from Phuket, the Similan are worth a very long day. They are a national park, open only from mid-October to mid-May.

Not for you if you want to sleep on the island, or if a long road transfer spoils the day.

What you will find

For 2026 to 2027 the park is open from 15 October 2026 to 15 May 2027, for day visits only: overnight stays on the islands have ended, and only liveaboard dive boats stay out at night. The park caps the number of visitors each day, and can close early in bad weather.

Koh Tachai, in the same park, has been closed to visitors since 2016. Day-trip listings include several snorkelling stops and, on one of them, a climb to the Sail Rock viewpoint.

Getting there

The boats leave from Thap Lamu, in Phang Nga province, south of Khao Lak, about 1 hour 15 to 1 hour 30 by speedboat from the islands. From Phuket that means a pick-up around 5.30 am, a long drive north and a return after 6 pm.

Before you go

The park fee is 500 baht for a foreign adult and 250 baht for a child.

Life jackets are compulsory for everyone on the crossing.

Sunscreens containing oxybenzone, octinoxate, 4-MBC or butylparaben are banned in Thailand's marine national parks, and touching coral and feeding fish are forbidden.

If you get seasick, one guide finds the catamaran slower but steadier than the speedboat.