Sea Dragon Dive Center, Khao Lak Explorer, Wetzone Divers and Similan Seven Sea Club — Khao Lak's real PADI dive centers, with pricing, the Similan/Surin dive sites and the Marine Park's annual closure dates.
Khao Lak is Thailand's primary land-based gateway to the Similan Islands and Surin Islands Marine National Parks, plus Koh Bon, Koh Tachai and Richelieu Rock — a cluster of dive sites regularly ranked among the best in Southeast Asia. Nearly every established PADI center clusters along Khao Lak's Khuk Khak and Bang Niang beach roads, close to Thap Lamu Pier where day-trip and liveaboard boats depart. For the piers, seasons and non-diving boat tours across the wider province, see the Phang Nga island hopping guide.
Khao Lak — 5/51 T. Khuk Khak, Mu 7, Takua Pa, Phang Nga 82190 · Similan/Koh Bon/Richelieu Rock day trips arranged through partner boats; multi-day liveaboards aboard the MV Andaman and MV Explorer — contact for current rates
A PADI 5-Star IDC dive center and, by its own history, Khao Lak's original dive shop — open for close to 30 years and the first operator in town to run liveaboard trips out to the Similan Islands. It teaches the full PADI course range from Discover Scuba Diving through Instructor level, picks up from hotels across Khao Lak and Bang Niang, and today focuses heavily on its own two liveaboard vessels, the MV Andaman and MV Explorer, running multi-day safaris to the Similan and Surin Islands.
Best for: Divers who want Khao Lak's longest-running, most experienced operator, or a multi-day liveaboard rather than a single day trip.
Khao Lak — Khuk Khak, Takua Pa, Phang Nga 82190 · Similan Islands day trip (2 dives) from THB 6,150 · Koh Bon (2 dives) from THB 6,150 · Richelieu Rock (2 dives) from THB 6,500 · PADI Open Water Diver from THB 13,990 · PADI Advanced Open Water from THB 10,190
A PADI 5-Star dive center and resort running both day trips and liveaboards to the Similan Islands National Park, with a published online price list covering day trips, PADI courses and liveaboard packages ranging from budget to higher-end boats.
Best for: Divers who want transparent, published pricing across day trips, courses and liveaboards from a single PADI 5-Star operator.
Bang Niang, Khao Lak — main road, town center · Similan Islands day trip (2 dives), all-inclusive, from THB 6,500
A PADI dive center established in 2005, based on Bang Niang's main road in the center of town. Its own dive speedboat, the Blue Marlin, carries a maximum of 20 divers with dive groups capped at 4 per guide, and Nitrox is provided free of charge to Nitrox-certified divers on day trips. Wetzone runs day trips and dive safaris to Richelieu Rock, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, the Similan Islands, the Surin Islands and, with contracted partners, as far as the Mergui Archipelago in Myanmar.
Best for: Divers who want a small-group, Bang Niang-based operator with a published all-inclusive day-trip price and free Nitrox for certified divers.
Khao Lak, Phang Nga province (70 km north of Phuket) · MV Lapat liveaboard, 5 days / 4 nights, from THB 16,900 · flexible 2D/1N, 3D/2N and 4D/3N liveaboard options · day trips also offered
A PADI 5-Star dive center running its own two boats for day trips and liveaboards to the Similan and Surin Marine National Parks and Richelieu Rock. Its scheduled MV Lapat liveaboard runs 5 days/4 nights with published pricing from THB 16,900, alongside shorter flexible liveaboard lengths, departing daily during the parks' open season from mid-October to mid-May.
Best for: Divers who want a published liveaboard price and flexible trip lengths from a PADI 5-Star operator running its own boats.
Figures drawn from Khao Lak Explorer's, Wetzone Divers' and Similan Seven Sea Club's own published price lists as real, sourced examples — other operators set their own rates. Confirm current pricing directly with each dive shop before booking.
Almost all of the province's PADI centers — Khao Lak Explorer, Wetzone Divers, Similan Seven Sea Club and Sea Dragon Dive Center — are based in and around Khao Lak, mostly along the Khuk Khak and Bang Niang beach roads, since nearby Thap Lamu Pier is the main speedboat departure point for the Similan and Surin Islands. Phang Nga Town itself, further south, has no established dive center.
Day trips and liveaboards run to the Similan Islands National Park, Koh Bon and Koh Tachai (both known for manta rays and, seasonally, whale sharks), Richelieu Rock (regularly rated among Thailand's best single dive sites), and the more remote Surin Islands, which sit further north and are typically reached on longer trips.
Based on published operator price lists, a 2-dive Similan Islands day trip runs from about THB 6,150–6,500, a PADI Open Water course runs from about THB 13,990, and a 5-day/4-night liveaboard runs from about THB 16,900. A separate Marine Park fee (roughly THB 700/day for non-Thai divers) applies on top at protected sites. Exact pricing varies by operator, season and boat — confirm directly before booking.
No. The Similan Islands and Surin Islands Marine National Parks close annually for the Southwest Monsoon — for the 2025–2026 season the Similans closed May 15, 2026, with parks typically reopening around mid-October. During the closure, Similan- and Surin-bound trips stop; some Khao Lak operators shift to local reef or wreck dives in the interim. Confirm current park and trip status directly before booking, especially near the closure or reopening dates.
Khao Lak's Thap Lamu Pier is the closer departure point to the Similan Islands, generally putting day-trip boats there in roughly 1–2 hours versus a longer run for boats departing Phuket. Khao Lak is widely regarded as the primary land-based gateway for both Similan day trips and liveaboards, while Phuket adds more operator choice and international flight connections.
Verified against each dive center's own official site or PADI directory listing. Pricing, schedules and park operating status change -- confirm directly with the operator and the Department of National Parks before booking. BAANLYY is a data-and-tools platform, not a dive operator, and takes no paid placement in this content.
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Hero photo by Francesco Ungaro on Pexels. General information, not a diving safety guide -- confirm certification requirements and current operating status directly with each dive shop. Operators, prices, park seasons and site conditions change; verify before booking or diving.