Thailand

At the heart of South East Asia, Thailand is an independant kingdom combining 20th-century sophistication with an ancient culture that has evolved over the past 700 years.

Covering just over 500,000 sq km, it is bordered by Malaysia to the south, Myanmar to the west, Laos to the north and Cambodia to the east. It is unique amongst Southeast Asian nations in that it has never been occupied by a foreign colonial power. Largely as a result, it has maintained a cohesive sense of national identity and traditional culture.

With over 22 million annual visitors, Thailand is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Asia. Thailand is divided into four distinct regions: the mountainous north, the vast northeast plateau, the central plains, and the narrow Isthmus of Kra to the south, stretching down to the border with Malaysia.

It has an enormous amount to offer, from ancient temples to rainforest and remote islands with palm-fringed beaches and, of course, coral reefs teeming with life for divers and snorkelers.

The Andaman sea is extending from coast of Burma down past the west coast of Thailand and Indian Islands of Andaman and Nicobar, to beyond Malaysian and Indonesia, and has been traditionally used for fishery and transportation of goods between the coastal countries and its coral reefs and islands are popular tourist destinations.

The area is regionally outstanding in terms of both species diversity and intact corals. Approximately 200 coral species and 400 fish species have been recorded to date. Thailand’s most extensive, pristine, and best-developed reefs occur in the Andaman Sea, particularly in the Surin and Similan Islands. Although the Andaman Sea composes only one third of Thailand’s coastline, over half of the country’s coral reefs are found in these waters.

Thailand is also bordered by the Gulf of Siam, which follows a great parabola from the border with Malaysia on the south coast around to Thailand and Cambodia and the southwest tip of Vietnam. Most known islands of the Gulf are named Samui, Tao, Phangan. Contrary to the sea of Andaman where the visibility can achieve until 30m, the Gulf, due to the turbid waters from river outlets coming from the continent, does not benefit from this chance, the water is rather green and blurry.

As you guess, the most beautiful dives are in Andaman Sea, and the best way to discover them is the liveaboard. In the North extends a multitude of dive sites among which famous Richelieu Rock situated in the national park of Surin, the island of Bon renowned for its cleaning station of Mantas, the archipelago of Similan famous for the incredible submarine variety.

In the South of Phi Phi and Lanta, the “must-see” Koh Haa for its cave, its canyons and its chimney, and the impressive and colored huge outcrops of Hin Daeng and Hin Muang. Another dive destination in the Andaman Sea is Mu Koh Tarutao Marine National Park (just north of the Malaysian border).

Marine life in Andaman sea is so various, hard and soft corals, macro life, school of snappers or barracudas, and pelagic fish can been spotted.

Whether it is day trip diving around Phuket or liveaboard in Similan Islands or in Burma, let us organize your next holidays in Thailand and just focus on diving.

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