Use the search bar above to find a Liveaboard available during your chosen time period.

Why you should choose The Phinisi:
The Phinisi is a very unique type of boat to dive from in Thailand, One of the few offering 10 night North and South Thai trips and Myanmar, Fantastic food, Small dive groups (4 pax).
The top 10 reasons to join a Liveaboard in Thailand

The Phinisi will be operating liveaboards in Thailand and Myanmar with 4 different itineraries: 4, 6, 7 and 10 night dive cruises. Built in 2007 at the length of 34 meters she can comfortably accommodate up to 18 guests onboard in 5 Double or Twin cabins (fixed and flexible) and 2 quad cabins. Each cabins is equipped with individually controlled air-conditioner unit, fans, ensuite bathroom and toilet.

The Phinisi offers various itineraries in Thailand and an exciting new destination: Myanmar!
With 7 and 10 night itineraries, The Phinisi takes you to the best dive sites in the beautfiul Mergui Archipelago.

Communal areas include indoor lounge equipped with Plasma screen, library & music, outdoor / outdoor dining area, cushion loungers and sundeck where you can chill out and relax when you are not diving. During the cruise guests will be pampered with a choice of international and Asian cuisine served buffet style in the indoor dining area. They cater to special dietary requirements; please simply inform the reservations team prior to your trip to ensure that they have plenty of dishes to suit your needs. A range of carbonated soft drinks, fruit juices, black, green and herbal teas are available, as well as some 'naughty' treats should you feel hungry between meal times. Guests may also select beer, wine or spirits from our cocktail bar at reasonable price.

Some of the most frequently asked questions about the Similan Island in Thailand.
When is the best time to Dive the Similans - How to get to the Similans - The top 10 reasons to join a Liveaboard in Thailand - Information about the Similans - Are these trips suitable for non-divers / snorkellers - The Latest Thailand Travel Information - Other general FAQs

The Phinisi - schedule

The Phinisi - prices and what's included

Prices are per person per trip in USD based on 2 persons sharing a cabin.
Exact pricing is available on the schedule here as prices vary dependant on the time of year, destination and the length of the trip and sometimes special offers are available.

The trip price includes:
Full board accommodation during the cruise
All dives inclusive of night dives
VAT, Airport Transfer, Drinking Water, Soft drinks, Tea & Coffee, Snacks, Kayaks, Land Excursions, Cabin Towels, Deck Towels.
Pick up transfer from airport / local hotel to the boat
NOTE : please inform us of your airport arrival terminal / hotel details so we can arrange your pick up accordingly
NOTE : transfer time from Phuket to Khao Lak (or vice versa) takes between 2 hours - 4 hours depending on pick up point

The trip price does not include:
Port, park and tax fees: Best of Thailand $115 per trip, Similans/Surin $50-65 per trip or Special trip $35 per trip
Alcoholic and other selected beverages
Dive equipment rental
Dive course
Nitrox
Non-standard tanks
Merchandise
Crew gratuity – cash only (All major currencies:USD, Euros, Thai are accepted and appreciated)
Dive insurance is mandatory as is your own personal dive computer (You can rent one for the trip if you do not have your own).
As well as the Mandatory Dive Insurance we highly recommend Trip and Travel Insurance on the off chance of missed or cancelled flights / lost baggage, documents, money or passport / Covid issues or any other unforeseen problems that could possibly occur.
Dive Assure Insurance offers cover for all these eventualities as well as complete Dive insurance all in one package.

This boat does not provide single cabin/room supplement for solo travelers. If you wish to have the cabin to yourself, this depends on availability. On certain times when the boat is not busy, the boat will probably let guest have it. Check with us for more details.

Booking and Cancellation Terms and Conditions.
Booking deposit: 30% of your invoice total is required within 7 days of booking to confirm your booking.
Final payment of 70% is due to 90 days prior to the departure date to complete your invoice payment.
Individual bookings made less than 90 days before the departure date will be payable in full upon booking to confirm your booking.
Cancellation at any stage involves forfeit of monies already payed.

Full charter:
Booking deposit:
10% - within 7 days of booking - non-refundable
Second deposit:
20% 180 days prior to departure - non-refundable
Balance due
90 days before departure - non-refundable

Diving Equipment Rentals (USD) prer day
Full Set (regulator, octopus, BCD, wetsuit, mask, fins) $ 25 Regulator with octopus$ 8
Computer $8
BCD $ 8
Wetsuit (shorty 3mm) $ 7
Mask $ 3.5
Fins $ 3.5
Torch $ 3.5
Aluminum 15 Lt Cylinder Per day US$10

Nitrox
Per fill US$10
Per day 25

*All prices are in USD. On-board pricing is liable to change without notice. Though we try to keep documentation as up to date as possible, please be aware that, although it is unlikely, prices may be different on your cruise.

The Phinisi - Video

The Phinisi - cabins

The Phinisi can comfortably accommodate up to 18 guests onboard in 5 Double / Twin cabins (fixed and flexible) and 2 quad cabins.
Each cabins is equipped with individually controlled air-conditioner unit, fans, en-suite bathroom and toilet with amenities and hairdryer.
To see photos of the cabins please visit the schedule and click on the cabin name to see the photos of each cabin, availability and price.

  • The Phinisi
  • The Phinisi
  • The Phinisi
  • The Phinisi

Lower Deck Twin Cabin
The lower deck twin cabin has 2 single beds for 2 single divers.
All cabins have individual aircon control, ensuite bathroom with hot water, overhead reading lights, bath towels, lockable safety box and cupboards for personal items.

Lower Deck Double / Twin Cabin
The lower deck double/twin cabin has 1 single beds and 1 double bed suitable for 2 single divers or a couple.
All cabins have individual aircon control, ensuite bathroom with hot water, overhead reading lights, bath towels, lockable safety box and cupboards for personal items.

Lower Deck Quad Cabin
The 2 lower deck quad cabins have 4 single beds for 4 single divers.
All cabins have individual aircon control, ensuite bathroom with hot water, overhead reading lights, bath towels, lockable safety box and cupboards for personal items.

The Phinisi - diving

About the Diving
The Top Ten Reasons to Dive the Similans - When is the best time to The Similan Islands - How to get to the Similans Similan islands dive sites descriptions

The Phinisi - itineraries

The Best of Thailand - 10 Night Itinerary

The highlights of Hin Daeng, Hin Muang, Koh Haa, Koh Phi Phi, King Cruiser, the Similan Islands and, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai and Richelieu Rock.
Schedule: up to 4 dives per day; 3 day dives and either a sunset or a night dive.

Please note: we wish to show you the very best diving possible but a number of factors can determine where we visit.
Weather, tides, currents and how busy a site is with other dive vessels all play a part in the Cruise Director’s decision of which route the yacht takes.
Whilst we attempt to ensure the number of dives we have scheduled is fulfilled, bad weather can hinder the yacht’s ability to reach a specified dive site in good time.
The safety of all on board is paramount and we always do our best in offering diving at alternate locations should we be unable to visit those sites listed below:

Southern Thailand
Koh Phi Phi
With mini-walls and shallow coral gardens predominating, there are a host of dive sites to choose from around the Phi Phi national Park. Hin Bida, Koh Bida Nok, Koh Bida Nai, Pilay Wall, and Hin Dot all offer something special.

Wildlife is hugely varied across the sites with black tip reef sharks common, tigertail seahorses, ornate ghost pipefish, cornet fish, octopus, scorpion fish, blue fin trevally, barracudas and more.

King Cruiser
The King Cruiser was a car ferry that used to travel between Phi Phi and Phuket. In 1997, the cruiser’ hit Anemone Reef on her crossing and sank a short distance away.
No lives were lost, but divers were left with a great wreck dive! While she is largely broken up now, she is covered with soft corals and hides some wonderful gems, as well as being home to several large schools of snapper.
While currents can be strong and visibility sometimes challenging, this is a great site to dive as part of an Advanced Open Water course.

Shark Point and Anemone Reef
These pinnacles are part of the same reef system and are only a very short distance apart from each other. Both sites are covered with colourful soft corals and anemones with a variety of fish to suit all divers. From barracuda to seahorses and for the lucky ones of course, the iconic leopard shark!

Koh Haa
Possibly some of the most underrated diving in the whole of Thailand, Moo Koh Haa (literally ‘five island group’) sits almost halfway between Hin Daeng and Phi Phi and is part of the Ko Lanta National Marine Park. There are actually several dive sites around Ko Haa but the highlights are Ko Haa Lagoon, Ko Haa Neua, and Ko Haa Yai.
Around these amazing islands you can see pinnacles, walls, boulders, caverns, and swim-throughs.
Ko Haa lagoon is ideal for night dives, courses, and snorkelling, while The Chimney and The Cathedral offer things that you cannot see on other Thailand liveaboard itineraries with caverns, swim-throughs and chambers littering the sites. Ko Haa has varied marine life too, with ornate ghost pipefish, morays eels, octopus, hawksbill turtles, sea horses, marble rays, and sometimes even leopard sharks.

Hin Daeng & Hin Muang
These two sites are pinnacles (translating directly as Red Rock and Purple Rock) in open ocean, reaching down to over 70m, and are best known for manta ray and whale shark encounters but, whether they are sighted or not, the sites also offer giant moray eels, pharaoh cuttlefish, schooling rainbow runners and snappers, barracudas, groupers, fusiliers and blue fin trevally. On the pinnacles, there are fields of Magnificent Anemones, walls of Hemprics soft corals, and huge gorgonian sea fans.
Almost perpetual good visibility and dramatic topography combined with huge fish number makes for excellent liveaboard diving.

Similan and Surin Islands
Similan Islands
The above water scenery will provide stunningly beautiful white sandy beaches with small forested areas. Dive some of the following sites; Boulder City, Sharkfin Reef, Anita’s Reef and Honeymoon Bay. Under the surface you may see: Leopard (zebra) shark, blue spotted stingrays, clown trigger fish, rabbit fish, scorpion fish, snappers, emperor fish, giant trevally and angelfish. The coral gardens, bommies and boulder formations are wonderful to dive.
Elephant Head Rock, visible from the surface, this is the biggest pinnacle in the Similans and has some fantastic swim-throughs. White tip reef sharks, batfish, trevally and barracuda can often be seen on the perimeter of the boulders.
If you look closely in the cracks and in the rubble you can see smashing mantis shrimp, porcelain crab, moray eels and cleaner shrimp.

Koh Bon
Often, this the most likely place to see manta rays on this itinerary. You are likely to see Napoleon wrasse, sweetlips, octopus, blue fin trevally, giant moray eels, great barracudas, fire dart goby, spiny lobster and nudibranchs of many types. The dive sites vary from wall diving to gently sloping reefs and from submerged boulders to coral gardens.
Elephant Head Rock, visible from the surface, this is the biggest pinnacle in the Similans and has some fantastic swim-throughs. If lucky you might see some white tip reef sharks, batfish; trevally and barracuda can often be seen on the perimeter of the boulders.
If you look closely in the cracks and in the rubble you can see smashing mantis shrimp, porcelain crab, moray eels and cleaner shrimp.

Koh Tachai
This island is famous for its pinnacle dive site and more relaxed reef diving. Normally, turtles, barracuda, pipe fish, and nudibranchs can be found here. There is also a chance to see bigger species in this area like manta rays and whale sharks, especially by late January until April.

Richelieu Rock
This limestone pinnacle was named by Jacques Cousteau after General Richelieu, who was an important Danish officer in the Thai Navy. There are gorgeous purple dendronepthya soft corals covering most of the pinnacle and other areas covered in magnificent sea anemones as well.
Barely breaking the surface at low tide, this horseshoe-shaped outcropping, slopes steeply to a sandy bottom at 18 to 35 meters (60-120 Ft). This site offers great diversity for such a small and isolated spot. It also offers excellent multi-level diving and, because it’s a high-profile reef, there’s always sheltered areas to hide from current.
The marine life is prolific and includes amongst, many other things; Pharaoh cuttlefish, large octopi, all 5 varieties of anemone fish of the Andaman Sea, variety of moray eels, ornate ghost pipefish, smashing mantis shrimps, harlequin shrimps, tiger tail sea horses, Spanish mackerel, frog fish, many schooling snapper and occasional sightings of manta rays and whale sharks.

Surin Islands
Topside scenery of Koh Surin with evergreen forests, mangroves and small beaches, surpasses even that of the picturesque Similan Islands. Under water the reefs of Surin have the greatest hard coral diversity in Thailand. You are likely to see Napoleon wrasse, yellow-masked angelfish, bumphead parrotfish, tomato anemonefish and barramundi, as well as lots of turtles that still come ashore in this area to lay their eggs. Because of the remoteness not many liveaboard boats visit these islands and you will be able to enjoy the dive sites without sharing it with tourist hordes.

Khao Lak Wrecks
Before disembarking in Khao Lak, if conditions and timing are favourable there is a choice of easily diveable wrecks between the Similan Islands and the port of Tap Lamu. The Boonsung and the Premchai are old tin miners that were sank 25 or so years ago and are a treat for underwater photographers as well as lovers of life of all kinds!!
Only in 18m of water they are covered in nudibranchs and various kinds of shrimps. Many quite unusual honeycomb morays also made these wrecks home. There are also huge numbers of schooling fish as well as rays d sharks that can occasionally be seen. Sea Chart 1 is a slightly more challenging dive and lies between 40 and 25 metres. Sunk during a storm in 2009 with a full load of teak, she is relatively new but already hosts an abundance of schooling fish.

Top Side
Along the route there are some incredible views from the boat including verdant forests, deserted beaches, and limestone karsts climbing vertically form the ocean. There will be several opportunities to leave the boat and take a walk on the islands. A walk up the trail to Sail Rock is definitely time well spent! You can even be entertained by marine life while relaxing on board with The Phinisi with dolphins cruising along with the boat not an unusual sight.

Similan & Surin Islands - 6 Night Itinerary

The following is a sample itinerary of where you might dive during your holiday with us. We wish to show you the very best diving but a number of factors can determine where we visit. Weather, tides, how busy a site is with other dive vessels all play a part in the Cruise Director’s decision of which route the yacht takes.
The safety of all on board is paramount and we always do our best in offering diving at alternate locations.
The Cruise Director is happy to listen to requests from guests to visit or remain at certain sites and providing it is possible and the schedule allows, then guest’s requests are respected.
Schedule: up to 4 dives per day; 3 day dives and either a sunset or a night dive.

Day 1 and Day 7 are reserved for embarkation and disembarkation; there will be no diving on these days. For the final day aboard we schedule 3 dives to allow plenty of time for off-gassing before disembarkation and your flight home. The Cruise Director is happy to listen to requests from guests to visit or remain at certain sites and providing it is possible and the schedule allows, then guest’s requests are respected.

Similan Islands
The above water scenery will provide stunningly beautiful white sandy beaches with small forested areas. Dive some of the following sites; Boulder City, Sharkfin Reef, and Honeymoon Bay. Under the surface you may see: Leopard (zebra) shark, blue spotted stingrays, clown trigger fish, rabbit fish, scorpion fish, snappers, emperor fish, giant trevally and angelfish. The coral gardens, bommies and boulder formations are wonderful to dive.
Elephant Head Rock, visible from the surface, this is the biggest pinnacle in the Similans and has some fantastic swim-throughs. If lucky, you might see some white tip reef sharks, batfish; trevally and barracuda can often be seen on the perimeter of the boulders. If you look closely in the cracks and in the rubble you can see smashing mantis shrimp, porcelain crab, moray eels and cleaner shrimp.

Koh Bon
Koh Bon is a dive site where manta rays may be seen. You are likely to see Napoleon wrasse, sweetlips, octopus, blue fin trevally, giant moray eels, great barracudas, fire dart goby, popcorn shrimp, spiny lobster and nudibranchs of many types. The dive sites vary from wall diving to gently sloping reefs and from submerged boulders to coral gardens.

Koh Tachai
Koh Tachai is famous for its pinnacle dive site and more relaxed reef diving. Normally, leopard sharks, marbled whip rays, turtles, barracuda, pipe fish, and nudibranchs can be found here. There is also a chance to see bigger species in this area like manta rays and whale sharks, especially by late January till April.

Richelieu Rock
This limestone pinnacle was named by Jacques Cousteau after General Richelieu, who was an important Danish officer in the Thai Navy. There are gorgeous purple dendronepthya soft corals covering most of the pinnacle and other areas covered in magnificent sea anemones as well.
Barely breaking the surface at low tide, this horseshoe-shaped outcropping, slopes steeply to a sandy bottom at 18 to 35 meters (60-120 Ft). This site offers great diversity for such a small and isolated spot. It also offers excellent multi-level diving and, because it is a high-profile reef, there are always sheltered areas to hide from current.
The marine life is prolific and includes amongst, many other things; Pharaoh cuttlefish, large octopi, all 5 varieties of anemone fish of the Andaman Sea, variety of moray eels, ornate ghost pipefish, smashing mantis shrimps, harlequin shrimps, tiger tail sea horses, Spanish mackerel, frog fish, many schooling snapper and occasional sightings of manta rays and whale sharks.

Surin Islands
Topside scenery of Koh Surin with evergreen forests, mangroves and small beaches, surpasses even that of the picturesque Similan Islands. Under water the reefs of Surin have the greatest hard coral diversity in Thailand. You are likely to see Napoleon wrasse, yellow-masked angelfish, bumphead parrotfish, tomato anemonefish and barramundi, as well as lots of turtles that still come ashore in this area to lay their eggs. Because of the remoteness not many liveaboard boats visit these islands and you will be able to enjoy the dive sites without sharing it with tourist hordes.

Khao Lak Wrecks
There is a choice of easily diveable wrecks between The Similan Islands and Khao Lak. The Boonsung and the Premchai are old tin miners that were sank 25 or so years ago and are a treat for underwater photographers as well as lovers of life of all kinds!! Only in 18m of water they are covered in nudibranchs and shrimps as well as large numbers of the unusual honeycomb moray.
There are also huge numbers of schooling fish as well as rays that can occasionally be seen. Sea Chart 1 is a slightly more challenging dive and lies between 40 and 25 metres. Sunk during a storm in 2009 with a full load of teak, she is relatively new but already hosts an abundance of schooling fish.

Southern Thailand - 4 Night Itinerary

The following is a sample itinerary of where you might dive during your holiday with us.
We wish to show you the very best diving but a number of factors can determine where we visit. Weather, tides, how busy a site is with other dive vessels all play a part in the Cruise Director’s decision of which route the yacht takes. Whilst we attempt to ensure the number of dives we have scheduled is fulfilled, bad weather can hinder the yacht’s ability to reach a specified dive site in good time.
The safety of all on board is paramount and we always do our best in offering diving at alternate locations. The Cruise Director is happy to listen to requests from guests to visit or remain at certain sites and providing it is possible and the schedule allows, then guest’s requests are respected.
Schedule: up to 4 dives per day; 3 day dives and either a sunset or night dive.

Itinerary
Koh Phi Phi With mini-walls and shallow coral gardens predominating, there are a host of dive sites to choose from around the Phi Phi national Park. Hin Bida, Koh Bida Nok, Koh Bida Nai, Pilay Wall, Hin Dot and Ao Maya all offer something special. Wildlife is hugely varied across the sites with black tip reef sharks common, tigertail seahorses, ornate ghost pipefish, cornet fish, octopus, scorpion fish, blue fin trevally, barracudas and more.

King Cruiser
The King Cruiser was a car ferry that used to travel between Phi Phi and Phuket. In 1997, the cruiser’ hit Anemone Reef on her crossing and sank a short distance away. No lives were lost, but divers were left with a great wreck dive! While she is largely broken up now, she is covered with soft corals and hides some wonderful gems, as well as being home to several large schools of snapper. While currents can be strong and visibility sometimes challenging, this is a great site to dive.

Shark Point and Anemone Reef
These pinnacles are part of the same reef system and are only a very short distance apart from each other. Both sites are covered with colourful soft corals and anemones with a variety of fish to suit all divers. From barracuda to seahorses and for the lucky ones of course, the iconic leopard shark!

Koh Doc Mai
Flower Island’ is a tiny piece of sheer rock sat between Shark point and Phuket but, although it is tiny, dives here can provide divers with amazing memories! From a spacious cavern to frog fish, ornate ghost pipe fish and even bamboo sharks, Koh Doc Mai never fails to surprise.

Racha Yai & Racha Noi
Racha Yai is an excellent trip for beginners and those that have not dived for a while. Indeed for any guests aboard carrying out Advanced Open Water courses on-board, Racha Yai offers the perfect opportunity for course dives, with sloping hard coral reefs, white sandy bottoms and a choice of wrecks on the west coast.
Racha Noi has some of the best visibility of all sites in the area. Often described as a mini Similans’ the granite boulder topography is also unique compared to other sites. It offers a choice of hard coral reefs, boulders with large swim throughs and the beautiful pinnacle on the south point of this island.
Strong currents can make the southern sites challenging, however, with a year round chance to see manta rays, it is worth the effort to dive here.

Koh Haa
Possibly some of the most underrated diving in the whole of Thailand, Moo Koh Haa (literally ‘five island group’) sits almost halfway between Hin Daeng and Phi Phi and is part of the Ko Lanta National Marine Park. There are actually several dive sites around Ko Haa but the highlights are Ko Haa Lagoon, Ko Haa Neua, and Ko Haa Yai.
Around these amazing islands you can see pinnacles, walls, boulders, caverns, and swim-throughs.
Ko Haa lagoon is ideal for night dives, courses, and snorkeling, while The Chimney and The Cathedral offer things that you cannot see on other Thailand liveaboard itineraries with caverns, swim-throughs and chambers littering the sites. Ko Haa has varied marine life too, with ornate ghost pipefish, morays eels, octopus, hawksbill turtles, sea horses, marble rays, and sometimes even leopard sharks.

Hin Daeng & Hin Muang
These two sites are pinnacles (translating directly as Red Rock and Purple Rock) in open ocean, reaching down to over 70m, and are best known for manta ray and whale shark encounters but, whether they are sighted or not, the sites also offer giant moray eels, pharaoh cuttlefish, schooling rainbow runners and snappers, barracudas, groupers, fusiliers and blue fin trevally. On the pinnacles, there are fields of magnificent anemones, walls of Hemprics soft corals, and huge gorgonian sea fans.

Top Side
Along the route there are some incredible views from the boat including Phi Phi’s famous beaches and limestone karsts climbing vertically form the ocean. There will be opportunities to leave the boat and take a sight-seeing trip on the dinghy.

There are several airlines that offer direct international flights to Phuket International Airport, though you may need to book a short hop from another local hub such as Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur or Singapore. We recommend staying 1 night in Phuket/Khao Lak before cruise departure, so you are well rested before the start of the cruise.
Please inform us in which hotel you will stay so we can organise your transfer. If you make your own way to the embarkation point, embarkation time is 18.00pm.
When you fly in on embarkation day, you can book our free transfer from Phuket Airport at 15.30hr. Please ensure that you arrive on time for this transfer.

For the final day aboard we schedule 3 dives to allow plenty of time for off-gassing before disembarkation and your flight home. Disembarkation at the end of the cruise will be just before 10.00am.
Phuket airport is about a 1 hour drive from the embarkation and disembarkation point. Please allow at least 2-3 hours for international flight check-in and 1.5-2 hours for domestic flights.

The Phinisi - specs

Built : 2007
Length : 34 metres
Breadth : 8 metres
Draft : 2.4m
Construction Material : Wood
Engines : Generators 1 x 380 HP 2 x 50 kW
Cruising Speed : 8 knots