One of the most famous islands for diving and one of the main attractions in Thailand is Phuket.
The 50km long and 22km wide island is located in the Andaman Sea.
Phuket is located 870km south-southwest of Bangkok. Phuket is the largest island in Thailand.
Phuket is the only island in Thailand that is its own province. Phuket hasn’t always been an island. In 1784, Captain Forrest reported an isthmus more than a kilometer long
and 750 meters wide that connected Phuket to the mainland.
Phuket is a green oasis in Thailand simply because of its countless coconut palms, rubber plantations, pineapple plantations and banana plantations, each of which is one of the island’s attractions.
The island is not only very popular for diving.
The European influence of the Portuguese, who maintained trading posts in Thailand, can still be seen in many of the streets of Phuket. The influence can also be seen in Phuket’s architecture,
which is one of the island’s attractions.
Another attraction on Phuket is the unique Chinese temple Put Yaw in Thailand,
which is almost 200 years old and dates back to the time of Rama I. Rama I was the first king of Thailand from the current dynasty. Another of Phuket’s many attractions is Laem Phromptep.
Laem Phromptep is the southern cape of Phuket, which is very popular with residents from Thailand because of the endlessly beautiful sunsets. You will rarely find tourists here.
Phuket Airport offers both domestic and international connections.
It is possible to book a flight to Bangkok and to book a flight from Bangkok with Bangkok Airways, Thai Airways or Orient Thai Airlines. But there are also flights that fly directly from Frankfurt to Phuket or from Munich to Phuket. These flights are with Condor or LTU. The advantage of flying to Phuket with the Condor or flying to Phuket with the LTU is
that the diving luggage is transported relatively cheaply.
However, those who want to experience the attractions of Thailand up close can
take the bus to Phuket after taking a flight to Bangkok. There are daily bus connections from Bangkok.
Phuket has all types of accommodation from quiet resorts to luxury hotels on bustling Phuket Beach. The Laguna Beach Resort is particularly recommended for diving.
One of the most famous diving centers is integrated in the Laguna Beach Resort, the Euro-Divers Laguna Beach.
Diving and diving areas in Phuket / Thailand
The diving schools and diving centers on Phuket can hardly be counted. There are some that need to be taken a little critically in terms of the condition and age of the equipment.
If in doubt, have the equipment shown to you before diving.
Furthermore, care should be taken with diving licenses, as these are not always awarded according to the rules of the respective association. Here is a short list of the diving schools and diving bases that have long been known to be reputable for diving in Phuket:
Armins Diveteam
Calypso Divers
Dive Community
Elixir Divers
Euro-Divers Laguna Beach Resort
Go-Pro
International Dive Academy
Nautica Divers
Ocean Divers
Ocean Lovers Diving Center
Ocean Zone Divers
Paradise Diving
Phuket Pro Dive
Scandinavia Divers
Scuba Guards
Scuba Quest
Sea Fun Divers
Sharkey Scuba
The best time for diving around Phuket is from November to April. Visibility on the dive sites is up to 35m. That’s quite a lot for Thailand.
Only Racha Yai is suitable for diving for beginners . The other dive sites that are approached by the diving centers are more recommended for advanced divers. Dive sites around Phuket known as attractions are
King Cruiser Wreck, Shark Point, Racha Noi, Anemone Reef and Koh Dak Mai.
The beginner dive site Racha Yai is up to 25m deep. The visibility is between 15m and 30m,
so it is quite good for diving.
There is only a very light current. Dive site attractions include trumpet fish, rays, barracuda and staghorn corals.
The wreck of the car and passenger ferry King Cruiser is one of the attractions of the diving area around Phuket. The wreck can be dived for lionfish, scorpionfish and barracuda.
The wreck is 83m long and 24m wide. For diving it is between 12m and 35m deep.
There is a strong current around the wreck. Visibility is 20m.
Another of the attractions of the Phuket diving region is the Shark Point dive site.
Shark Point is 22m deep. Although there is hardly any current, this dive site is more for advanced divers. For diving visibility is between 5m and 20m.
The underwater attractions are leopard sharks, moray eels and seahorses.
Racha Noi is the deepest dive site around Phuket. Racha Moi is between 5m and 40m deep.
The visibility of 15m to 35m makes this dive site one of the very special attractions. Manta rays and, with a bit of luck, whale sharks can also be encountered while diving. Racha Noi is also only
recommended for advanced users.
At Anemone Reef the current is only moderate. Here too, however, the reef is one of the attractions in the Phuket diving region, but is only for advanced divers.
The reef is between 5m and 25m deep. Visibility is 20m.
When diving you will encounter fan corals, parrot fish and trumpet fish.
Another diving attraction around Phuket is Koh Dok Mai.
Koh Dok Mai has a sometimes strong current. The dive site is 30m deep.
Visibility is variable. The maximum is 20m. Seahorses, leopard sharks and lionfish can be seen while diving