Three dives · three Phuket routes
Leave Phuket behind for a full day on the Andaman Sea, with three dives, tropical island scenery and a dedicated Thailand Divers scuba instructor for your booking. Most hotel and villa pickups are scheduled between 07:00 and 07:30, and we confirm the exact time for your accommodation before the trip.
At Chalong Pier, you will meet your instructor, board the day-trip boat and set out for your booked route: the Racha Islands, Phi Phi Islands or King Cruiser, Shark Point and Koh Doc Mai. Breakfast and lunch are always served onboard, with time between dives to relax, enjoy the views and prepare for your next underwater adventure.
Scheduled returns to Chalong Pier are approximately 17:00–17:30 for Racha, 17:00–18:00 for King Cruiser and 18:00–18:30 for Phi Phi. Your hotel or villa drop-off follows the boat’s return, so the exact arrival time depends on your accommodation and the shared transfer route.
Your booking confirmation remains the final source for your exact date, pickup place and time, destination and instructor.
Your Quick Day-Trip Checklist
Before going to bed the night before your trip:
- Check the exact pickup time and location in your booking confirmation.
- Save the WhatsApp details from your instructor’s business card.
- Be ready at the agreed pickup point at least 10 minutes early.
- Wear your swimwear under comfortable clothes.
- Pack a towel, sun protection, a light dry layer and any personal medication.
- Bring your diver certification card or eCard if you are a certified diver.
- Bring cash for any confirmed National Marine Park fee or personal extras.
- Keep your phone charged, with the sound turned on during the pickup period.
- Check that your flight or journey to altitude is safely outside the no-fly period after diving.
Choose your day
Three Phuket Scuba Day Trips
Racha Islands
Tropical reef diving for Discover Scuba Diving, training and qualified divers. Approximate Chalong return: 17:00–17:30.
Phi Phi Islands
Three dives among limestone-island scenery for qualified divers. Approximate Chalong return: 18:00–18:30. National park fees apply.
King Cruiser
King Cruiser Wreck, Shark Point and Koh Doc Mai for suitably experienced qualified divers. Approximate Chalong return: 17:00–18:00.
Start of the day
Morning Pickup
Every Thailand Divers day trip departs from Chalong Pier. Your booking confirmation will give you the exact minivan pickup time for your hotel, resort, apartment or villa, or tell you if you should meet your instructor at the pier.
Free shared hotel transfers are available from Phuket’s main beach areas. Most pickups from these areas are between 07:00 and 07:30. Pickups from other locations may be earlier, so always follow the exact details in your booking confirmation.
Please be waiting in the hotel lobby or at the agreed property entrance at least 10 minutes early. Do not wait in your room. The minivan collects several customers on its route, so being ready helps keep every pickup and the boat departure on time.
If you are staying in an Airbnb or private villa, send us the exact address, a Google Maps pin and, where helpful, a picture of the correct entrance. A villa name alone may not be enough for the driver to find you in the early morning.
If the minivan is late
Phuket traffic and earlier hotel stops can occasionally make the minivan a few minutes late. Please remain at the agreed pickup point, keep your phone nearby and allow a little time for traffic or a delayed customer at an earlier stop.
If the delay becomes a concern, contact the scuba instructor named in your booking confirmation using the WhatsApp details sent to you.
Meet your instructor
Arriving at Chalong Pier
Your minivan will take you to Chalong Pier, where you will meet your Thailand Divers scuba instructor and join the day-trip boat.
Your own dedicated scuba instructor
Whether you are diving alone, as a couple or in a small booking, your Thailand Divers reservation has its own dedicated scuba instructor for the day. You receive personal attention, clear communication and consistent support throughout the trip.
Your instructor will help you identify the correct boat, check that your equipment is onboard and explain the plan for the day. Listen carefully to the boat safety briefing, including where to sit, how to move around the boat, where equipment is stored and what to do in an emergency.
If the pier feels busy, stay with your instructor and follow their directions rather than trying to find the boat by yourself.
Three-dive day
What Happens on the Boat?
All three Thailand Divers Phuket scuba day trips—Racha Islands, Phi Phi Islands and King Cruiser—always include breakfast and lunch onboard. Drinking water and other refreshments are also available. Tell us about vegetarian food, allergies or important dietary requirements before the trip.
A typical three-dive day follows this pattern:
- Hotel or villa pickup and transfer to Chalong Pier.
- Meet your Thailand Divers scuba instructor and board the boat.
- Breakfast, boat briefing and dive-equipment preparation during the journey.
- Dive-site briefing and the first dive.
- Surface interval, refreshments and lunch.
- Second dive, followed by another surface interval.
- Third dive on the booked itinerary.
- Return to Chalong Pier and transfer back to your accommodation.
The exact sites and timing can change. Sea conditions, currents, weather, official instructions and the boat captain’s safety decisions may affect the order or location of the dives.
Please do not arrange an airport transfer, flight or another tightly timed activity immediately after your expected return. Boat and road-transfer times are estimates rather than guarantees.
First time underwater
New Divers: Discover Scuba Diving
Discover Scuba Diving is for people who do not hold a scuba-diving certification. Thailand Divers runs this experience at the Racha Islands, where your dedicated instructor will introduce the equipment, explain the essential safety rules and practise the required beginner skills with you before and during your dives.
You will remain under the close supervision of your instructor. Relax, listen to the briefing and never feel pressured to descend before you are comfortable. Tell your instructor immediately if you are anxious, cold, uncomfortable, unable to equalise your ears or simply need more time.
All required scuba equipment is arranged using the height, weight and foot-size information supplied before the booking.
Certified Divers
Certified divers should have their physical certification card or digital eCard available and must provide accurate information about their certification level, total dives and date of last dive.
If you have not dived recently, Thailand Divers may recommend a refresher or an easier first day at the Racha Islands. King Cruiser Wreck and some deeper or current-affected sites require suitable experience and are not treated as general beginner destinations.
Bring your own suitable scuba-diving insurance details. If you are unsure whether your policy covers recreational scuba diving in Thailand, check before the trip rather than waiting until the morning.
What Should You Bring?
Travel light. There is limited dry storage on a day-trip boat, and you will not need a large suitcase or a full set of personal diving equipment unless this has been arranged.
Essential items
- Swimwear, ideally worn under your clothes before pickup
- A towel
- Sunglasses with a secure case
- A hat or cap
- Reef-conscious sun protection
- A rash vest or light long-sleeved top for sun protection
- A light dry layer for the return journey
- Waterproof protection for your phone and valuables
- Any personal medication you may need during the day
- Your certification card or eCard if you are a certified diver
- Your dive-insurance details if applicable
- Cash for confirmed park fees, tips or personal extras
Useful optional items
- A small reusable water bottle
- Hair ties for long hair
- A dry bag
- A spare contact-lens case or prescription mask if required
- Seasickness protection that you have discussed with a pharmacist or medical professional before the trip
Avoid bringing expensive jewellery, unnecessary valuables or anything that could be damaged by salt water. Thailand Divers and the boat operator cannot guarantee secure storage for personal belongings.
Sun Protection and Looking After the Reef
The tropical sun can be strong even on cloudy days. A hat, sunglasses, shade and a rash vest or light long-sleeved top can reduce how much sunscreen you need.
Choose mineral-based or reef-conscious sun protection where possible and allow it to absorb before entering the water. Some common sunscreen chemicals can affect corals and other marine life.
While diving or snorkelling:
- Do not touch, stand on, kick or collect coral.
- Do not chase, feed or handle marine life.
- Keep fins and equipment away from the reef.
- Follow your instructor’s directions and maintain good control in the water.
- Take only photographs and leave only bubbles.
Wildlife is wild, so no particular animal sighting can ever be guaranteed.
Phi Phi only
National Marine Park Fees
Bring cash on a Phi Phi Islands trip: 600 THB per scuba diver and 400 THB per non-diver or snorkeller. The fee is paid when entering the National Marine Park.
There is no additional National Marine Park fee for the Racha Islands or King Cruiser day trips. National park charges are set by the authorities and can change, so your booking confirmation remains the final instruction.
Can a Non-Diver Join?
Yes. Non-divers can join many Phuket day-trip boats and enjoy the journey, meals, scenery and time onboard. Snorkelling may be possible when the site and sea conditions are suitable.
Non-divers can join the Racha Islands and Phi Phi Islands routes. King Cruiser is a wreck-focused trip, and its dive sites may not provide suitable or interesting snorkelling. The captain and crew decide where swimming is permitted.
Non-divers should bring the same sun protection, swimwear, towel and waterproof storage recommended for divers. The Phi Phi National Marine Park fee for a non-diver is currently 400 THB.
Included onboard
Food, Drinks and Dietary Requirements
Breakfast and lunch are always served onboard all three Thailand Divers Phuket scuba day trips, with drinking water and refreshments available during the day.
Tell us about vegetarian requirements, food allergies, religious dietary requirements or other important needs before the trip. The boat kitchen may not be able to accommodate every request without advance notice.
Stay hydrated throughout the day. Avoid heavy alcohol the night before diving and do not dive while unwell, hungover or dehydrated.
Flying or Travelling to Altitude After Diving
A typical Phuket day trip includes multiple dives, so you must leave a suitable surface interval before flying or travelling to significant altitude.
Divers Alert Network recommends a minimum of 18 hours before flying after multiple dives in one day or diving over several days. A longer interval gives an additional safety margin.
This rule also matters if you plan to travel to a high-altitude destination after diving. Do not treat the end of the boat trip as the start of a normal travel day without checking your schedule.
Read the full Thailand Divers guide: Flying After Scuba Diving.
What If the Weather Changes?
Rain does not automatically cancel a scuba trip. The important factors are sea conditions, wind, currents, visibility, official instructions and the captain’s assessment of whether the trip can operate safely.
The advertised destination may remain the same while the exact dive sites change. If conditions are not suitable for one site, the captain and dive team may choose a safer alternative.
If the operator cancels the whole trip, Thailand Divers will contact you about the available next step. Never assume a trip is cancelled simply because it is raining at your hotel.
Morning support
Who Should I Contact in the Morning?
Your final booking confirmation will name your Thailand Divers scuba instructor and include the WhatsApp details you need.
Save those details before the trip. If the minivan cannot find you, the pickup is delayed or you have a problem early in the morning, contact the instructor shown in your confirmation.
Practical answers
Frequently Asked Questions
How early should I be ready for pickup?
Be at the agreed hotel lobby, villa entrance or meeting point at least 10 minutes before the confirmed time.
What if the minivan is a few minutes late?
Stay at the pickup point and keep your phone nearby. Shared transfers can be delayed by Phuket traffic or by a guest at an earlier stop. Contact your instructor if the wait becomes a concern.
Do I need to bring my passport?
Thailand Divers collects the information required for the passenger manifest before the trip. Bring the original passport only if your personal confirmation tells you to do so.
Do I need my scuba certification card?
Certified divers should have their physical card or digital eCard available. Discover Scuba Diving guests are not certified and do not need a diving licence.
Are breakfast and lunch included?
Yes. Breakfast and lunch are always included on the Racha Islands, Phi Phi Islands and King Cruiser day trips.
Can the return time change?
Yes. The return depends on the destination, sea conditions, the day’s dive plan, pier activity and Phuket traffic. Treat all return times as approximate.
How long must I wait before flying?
After the multiple dives completed on a Thailand Divers Phuket day trip, plan at least 18 hours between your final dive and flying. Longer is more conservative.
Ready for Your Phuket Diving Day?
Thailand Divers arranges scuba day trips for first-time divers, certified divers and accompanying non-divers, with clear pickup information and personal instructor support.
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