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Diving or snorkeling around Phuket

Green Season Activities
from May to October
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Dear Valued Guests,

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On this page, we provide information about our activities during the low season – our "Green Season" – from May to October.

Since our Similan and Surin National Parks are closed and diving near the coast is not possible, the only option is Phuket, where you will find good diving conditions year-round.

Land tours to elephant camps, turtle nurseries, amazing waterfalls, temple visits, a tour to the famous James Bond Rock, and a boat trip on the Cheow Lan Reservoir in the beautiful Khao Sok National Park can also be booked through us.

Please email inquiries to info@me-diving-khaolak

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the boat



Lounge



Dining area



Dive deck



Sun deck



Weel house


MV Mandarin Queen 5

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Day Trips

Welcome aboard the MV Mandarin Queen 5. It is 26.2 meters long and 5.5 meters wide. We offer our guests a comfortable and enjoyable diving trip, regardless of their diving level. We offer daily diving and snorkeling trips to the best dive sites in the Phuket and Krabi region, operating year-round. The MV Mandarin Queen 5 is very spacious and specially designed for day scuba diving. The well-designed dive platform allows for easy entry and exit.
Divers can relax between dives in the large and spacious lounge or sit in the large covered area on the upper deck.


Facilities
- The vessel has three floors: main deck, upper deck, and sun deck
- Three bathrooms with freshwater showers
- Air-conditioned salon
- Freshly prepared breakfast and lunch buffets with Thai and Western delicacies. Vegetarian and vegan options available upon request
- First aid kit and 100% oxygen on board
- Water, soft drinks, milk, snacks, fruit, coffee, bread, and tea included


Technical Specifications
- Type: Marine steel monohull
- Length: 26.20 m - Beam: 5.50 m
- Draft: 2.05 m
- Engines: 2 x Nissan 420 HP
- Generators: 60 kVA
- Cruising speed: 8–11 knots
- Top speed: 14 knots
- Compressors: -
- Diving cylinders: 80 aluminum alloy cylinders with yoke and DIN valves
- Instrumentation: GPS plotter, depth sounder, mobile phone, SSB radio, AIS Marine
- Fresh water: 12,000 l
- Fuel: 4,000 l
- Life rafts, full life jacket kit. Fully equipped first aid station and oxygen supply.




The Tours

Racha Noi & Racha Yai
Saturday & Monday
The Racha Noi/Yai dive site is Phuket's second most popular dive site. Not only is it one of Phuket's most comfortable dive sites, but it also offers clear visibility all day long. There are several small wrecks of scooters and shipwrecks.

King Cruiser Wreck
Wednesday & Friday
Wreck diving doesn't always have to be challenging. The King Cruiser wreck is a unique dive site. You'll experience the underwater world in a whole new way. A large underwater wall is one of the highlights of the King Cruiser. And the wall is home to numerous aquatic life.

Phi Phi Island
Daily
If you've never heard of diving on Phi Phi, discover Thailand's underwater paradise now. Phi Phi is home to various hard and soft corals. These delicate hard corals attract numerous aquatic animals. Sea turtles are also frequently seen in this area.

Please note that the National Park Authority has been charging a fee for Phi Phi National Park since July 2017.
This fee is 600 Baht per diver and 400 Baht per non-diver. (Please bring the exact amount on board, in cash only.)



Weekly schedule and prices - MV Mandarin Queen

Day Dive sites Dives Departure / Arrival Price  
Monday Racha Noi / Racha Yai 3 05:30 a.m. / 7:00 p.m. 3.900,-
Tuesday Phi Phi Island & Shark Point 3 05:30 a.m. / 8:00 p.m. 3.900,-
Wednesday King Cruiser & Ko Doc Mai 3 05:30 a.m. / 6:00 p.m. 3.900,-
Thursday Phi Phi Island & Shark Point 3 05:30 a.m. / 8:00 p.m. 3.900,-
Friday King Cruiser & Ko Doc Mai 3 05:30 a.m. / 6:00 p.m. 3.900,-
Saturday Racha Noi / Racha Yai 3 05:30 a.m. / 7:00 p.m. 3.900,-
Sunday Phi Phi Island & Shark Point 3 05:30 a.m. / 8:00 p.m. 3.900,-
Monday & Saturday Racha Noi / Racha Yai for non-divers 3 05:30 a.m. / 7:00 p.m. 2.200,-

All prices in THB (Thai Baht)

Included in the price
Travel insurance, lunch, drinking water, soft drinks, fruit, diving mask and snorkel, fins, life jacket, dive guide, and liability insurance

Not included in the price
- Phi Phi Island National Park entrance fee for divers per day 600 THB
and for non-divers per day 400 THB
(Please bring the exact amount on board, in cash only in Thai Baht!)
- Transfer: 1 person 2,000 THB, more than one person 1,250 THB per person

Rental equipment per day
Buoyancy compensator 200 THB, regulator 200 THB, 3mm shorty 100 THB
Diving computer 250 THB, LED diving light 200 THB, compass 150 THB


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Side view



Bird view



King Cruiser wreck



beautifully overgrown



Leopard shark



Anemone reef


MV Excalibur II

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Day Trips
Welcome aboard the MV Excalibur II, Thailand's most comfortable day tour boat.
Our 23-meter-long dive boat was designed by divers for divers and built exclusively for Sea Bees Diving. The lower deck houses the equipment lockers, where you can safely store your gear overnight if you're diving with us for multiple days. No more hassle packing and carrying gear from the boat.
On the spacious dive deck, each diver has their own designated area with a gear box and two dive cylinders. After diving, the equipment can be washed and hung up directly on board.

There are also two freshwater showers and two toilets on board.
In the galley, our cook conjures up fresh breakfasts, lunches, and snacks.
On the large upper deck, you'll find ample sun-protected seating, a bar, and a spacious sundeck, naturally with plenty of shade.

When you dive with us, we'll not only take you to the most beautiful spots around Phuket, we'll also make your time on the boat a pleasure.

Aboard the Excalibur II, you'll find plenty of space to relax between dives, whether on one of our sundecks (including a large, padded, and covered one), at the dive bar, or in the salon. Your physical well-being is taken care of with freshly prepared breakfast, lunch, and snacks, as well as complimentary water and drinks from the onboard bar.

Each of our guests receives their own towel and a water bottle, which can be refilled free of charge throughout the day.

Comfort on board is very important to us, but safety and well-being underwater are even more important. Therefore, we only dive in small groups with a maximum of four divers per group and rely on dive groups to limit the number of divers at the dive site.

All dive groups are formed according to experience level, so every diver gets their money's worth.



The Tours

Racha Yai
Monday, Thursday & Saturday
Racha Yai offers several great dive sites with an artificial reef, various wrecks, and hard and soft corals.
Maximum depth: 35m
Suitable for beginners and advanced divers alike
Number of dives: 2

Racha Noi & Racha Yai
Wednesday
2 dives at Racha Noi and 1 dive at Racha Yai.
Visibility at Racha Noi is very good year-round, with up to 25m and more. Manta rays are also frequently spotted at the large rock formations during the season.
If conditions are good (little current, no waves), experienced divers have the chance to dive on the island's southern plateau. One of the most beautiful spots in the area, it can also compete with the well-known dive sites of the Similans.
Maximum depth 40m+
Racha Noi offers dive sites for all experience levels. Your dive guide will coordinate the right dive site with you.
Number of dives: 3

Phi Phi Island, Shark Point, King Cruiser & Koh Doc Mai
Tuesday: Shark Point, King Cruiser & Koh Doc Mai
Friday: Phi Phi Island & Shark Point
Sunday: Phi Phi Island & Anemone Reef

Phi Phi Island
2 dives at the stunning Phi Phi Islands and 1 dive en route (e.g., Koh Dok Mai)
Phi Phi offers several great dive sites with abundant coral, where blacktip reef sharks, turtles, and sea snakes are frequently spotted.
Maximum depth 35m
Suitable for beginners and advanced divers alike
Number of dives: 3

Shark Point
One of Phuket's most popular dive sites. The reef breaks the surface in a small area and slopes gently downwards. The sides are covered with soft and hard corals teeming with life.
A very nice dive site, also for drift dives.
Leopard sharks and bamboo sharks are frequent visitors.
Maximum depth: 25m
Suitable for all experience levels

King Cruiser
The King Cruiser is a former Japanese car ferry that eventually served as a ferry between Phuket and Phi Phi Island.
In 1997, a daredevil captain deviated from a designated route and skirted the anemone reef, which was barely visible at the surface.
A few hundred meters later, the ferry came to a stop and eventually sank without anyone being injured.
The 80-meter-long and 25-meter-wide catamaran has since remained upright at a depth of 33 meters.
The remains of the upper deck extend to a depth of 14 meters. The superstructure has since collapsed significantly, but you can still get interesting glimpses of the ferry's interior from the side.
The catamaran stands upright on its two skids on the sandy bottom, and with a flashlight, you can shine a few meters into the interior of the skids to spot sleeping leopard sharks. Huge schools of mullet and glassfish can be found at the large cargo hatch.
The wreck is now covered in coral and shells and is a huge magnet for schools of fish and barracudas.
Moray eels, scorpionfish, and families of lionfish can be found on the wreck.
Nurse sharks and zebra sharks often doze on the bottom.
Max. Depth: 33m

Koh Doc Mai
This isolated limestone cliff lies exactly between Phuket and Shark Point.
The name Koh Doc Mai means "Flower Island," and at this predominantly wall dive site, you'll find oyster shells, anemones, moray eels, seahorses, nudibranchs, and ghost pipefish. A paradise for macro photographers. There are also some small, easy-to-dive caves to explore.
Suitable for all experience levels


Weekly schedule and prices - MV Excalibur II

Day Dive sites Dives Departure / Arrival Price   
Monday Racha Yai 2 05:45 a.m. / 5:30 p.m. 4.200,-
Tuesday Shark Point, King Cruiser & Koh Dok Mai 3 05:45 a.m. / 5:30 p.m. 4.700,-
Wednesday Racha Noi & Racha Yai 3 05:45 a.m. / 7:00 p.m. 4.700,-
Thursday Racha Yai 2 05:45 a.m. / 5:30 p.m. 4.200,-
Friday Phi Phi island & Shark Point 3 05:45 a.m. / 6:00 p.m. 4.700,-
Saturday Racha Yai 2 05:45 a.m. / 5:30 p.m. 4.700,-
Sunday Phi Phi island & Anemone Riff 3 05:45 a.m. / 8:00 p.m. 4.200,-
Monday, Thursday & Saturday Racha Yai for Non-divers 2 05:45 a.m. / 5:30 p.m. 2.600,-

All prices in THB (Thai Baht)

Included in the price
Travel insurance, lunch, drinking water, soft drinks, fruit, diving mask and snorkel, fins, life jacket, dive guide, and liability insurance

Not included in the price
- Phi Phi Island National Park entrance fee for divers per day 600 THB
and for non-divers per day 400 THB
(Please bring the exact amount on board, in cash only in Thai Baht!)
- Transfer: 1 person 2,000 THB, more than one person 1,250 THB per person

Rental equipment per day
Buoyancy compensator 200 THB, regulator 200 THB, 3mm shorty 100 THB
Diving computer 250 THB, LED diving light 200 THB, compass 150 THB

National Park Fees and Rules to be implemented for Phi Phi Diving

A couple of years back the entry fee for the Phi Phi Island Marine National Park jumped to 400 THB for all tourists + 200 THB for divers.
After months of collecting the fee from our diving guests in the morning and then returning it back in the afternoon, we finally gave up.
No National Park officers came to collect the fees but the Thai government has announced that they will begin strictly enforcing the fee collection in 2018.

We have heard this before and to be honest we’re not 100% sure if they will collect the fees but we have to be prepared. Our tour leaders will have to collect 400/600 THB from our guests on the Phi Phi Island trip, in turn, if the fees aren’t collected by park officials then it will be returned to you at the end of the day.

No Try Diving at Phi Phi Island

In an effort to preserve the health of corals around Phi Phi, Try Diving program has been banned from Koh Bida Nok, Koh Bida Nai and Phi Phi Ley, the aforementioned are the best dive sites at Phi Phi and the where we visit on our day trips.
The Try Diving program will only be available at Racha Yai.

The new restrictions should not be a big blow to perspective Try Diving students, the Racha islands are far more favorable for the program and where we always recommend for your first scuba diving experience.

As long as the rules are enforced then it should hopefully see an improvement in the health of the reefs and for this reason alone we have to say that the new rules are a good thing.

Seasonal dive site closures

This will have a slight impact in low season, Turtle Rock, Palong Wall, Maya Bay, Loh Samah Bay and other dive sites around the main Phi Phi Island will be closed from 15th May to 31st October. Koh Bida Nok, Koh Bida Nai and Viking Cave will remain open throughout the year.

In truth, most of these rules have been around for a long time but have never been enforced. We’re unsure what will happen then. If the park officials to collect the entrance fee then we’d much prefer our guests to be prepared, having to fork out an additional 400 respectively 600 THB for your dive day is not a pleasant surprise.

Thank you to Local Dive Thailand to posting this information