Dive Richelieu Rock & Ko Surin Marine Park
We are Launching our 2024-25 Dive season on board the luxury Motor Yacht Liveaboard Vessel, MV Koon 9. With an amazing convenient schedule, passionate divers can join us to dive “Thailand’s top dive site: Richelieu Rock,” Koh Tachai Pinnacle and the serene majestic Surin Islands Marine Park. We offer two options for divers to choose: the best choice 3 days / 2 nights or the convenient choice 2 days / 1 night liveaboard. click here for our Updated 2025 Liveaboard Information.
Richelieu Rock + Tachai Pinnacle + Similans or Surin Islands Marine Park
3 days / 2 nights, 10 dives. Price: 22,900 THB/diver, twin/double shared cabin. Marine Park fees: 1,600 THB per diver. Equipment Rental (complete set with dive computer for the trip): 2,400 THB. Round trip shuttle van transfer from Phuket to pier(s) in Khaolak area: 500 THB/person.
Main highlights: depending on the day of the week, at least 2 dives schedule at Thailand’s top dive site Richelieu Rock, with other dives scheduled for Tachai Pinnacle, Koh Bon. Similans and Surin Marine Parks.
Plan your Schedule Option
- (Friday – Sunday): Dives at Similans, Koh Bon, Tachai Pinnacle and Richelieu Rock
- (Saturday – Monday): Dives at Tachai Island, Richelieu Rock and Surin Islands Marine Park
- (Sunday – Tuesday): Dives 2 days at Richelieu Rock (up to 6 dives, weather permitting) and Surin Islands Marine Park
Richelieu Rock + Surin Marine Park or Tachai Pinnacle
2 days / 1 night, 6 dives. Price from: 16,900 THB/diver, twin/double shared cabin. Marine Park fees: 900 THB per diver. Equipment Rental (complete set with dive computer for the trip): 1,600 THB. Round trip shuttle van transfer from Phuket to pier(s) in Khaolak area: 500 THB/person.
Main highlights: 2 dives schedule at Thailand’s top dive site Richelieu Rock (weather permitting), 4 dives inside Surin Marine Park or Tachai Island.
Plan your Schedule Option
- (Saturday – Sunday): Dives at Tachai Pinnacle and Richelieu Rock
- (Sunday – Monday): Dives at Richelieu Rock and Surin Islands Marine Park
- (Monday – Tuesday): Dives at Surin Islands Marine Park and Richelieu Rock
Richelieu Rock Liveaboard Trip includes: Roundtrip transfer in Khaolak area (starts from 7AM) to departure Pier, speedboat transfer to MV Koon 9, all meals on-board, drinking water, coffee, tea, fruits and biscuits. Tanks (12L AL, yoke), weights & belt, Dive Tour Insurance and Local Divemaster service at no more than 4:1 ratio.
Transfer from Phuket Important Note: Roundtrip transfer from Phuket to departure pier in Khaolak (90-110km distance) is 500 THB per person. The Shuttle van pick-up time schedule for hotels and resorts in Phuket starts at 5:40AM depending on location. Shuttle van does not pick-up from private homes or AirBnB in remote area. Please contact us for pick-up availability and location if you are staying in private rentals or non-registered hotels & resorts.
Returning trip departure off the MV Koon 9 is approximately 3:30PM, reaching hotels in Phuket at 7:30PM or later depending on location and traffic.
Destinations Information
Richelieu Rock is known as one of the world’s best places to get the chance to dive with the Whale Shark. The top of this dive site is barely exposed only when low tide but with or without the shark, the vibrant underwater life and generally good visibility makes this dive site very popular. It takes normally 4-6 dives to truly appreciate this spectacular and iconic purple rock, discovered for recreational diving by Jaques-Yves Cousteau in 1989.
Visibility: 10-30 meters
Depth: 5-35 meters
Current: very mild to strong
Recommended Diver level: Advance certified with competent buoyancy control and ability to handle mild to moderate current
Koh Tachai is well known for large fish sightings over the last few years. Since 2014, whale sharks and
oceanic manta rays return frequently to this current driven pinnacle. Since the Marine Park closed the beach on this island from non-diving day tours, the richness of fish life had increased exponentially. On top of the pinnacle, divers get to hangout with schooling of jacks, barracudas and racing fusiliers in the blue.
Visibility: 10-30 meters
Depth: 10-30 meters
Current: moderate to very strong
Recommended Diver level: Advance certified with competent buoyancy control and can handle moderate to strong current
Koh Surin Marine Park
The lesser known jewel of Thailand West Coast, Surin offers amazing reef structures, coral gardens and beautiful topside views. Thanks to the Similans taking all of the notoriety, Surin continues to be a hidden gem for divers, with healthy reef and abundance fish life. Conditions are easy to moderate, and perfect for beginner to advance level divers. The resident marine life includes turtles, schooling of yellow-lined snappers, jacks and barracudas. You also will find some reef fish common only in this area such as Blue ring Angel Fish. Extra encounter on a dive is seasonal whale sharks and small stuff like seahorses and ghost pipefish.
Visibility: 10-30 meters
Depth: 5-30 meters
Current: mild to moderate (drift diving)
Recommended Diver level: Advance certified or open water with 10 dives or more.
Marine Park Fees & Safety Regulation
Similans and Surin Marine Parks regulation requires all scuba divers to have proof of certification by an ISO recognized training organization (PADI, SDI, NAUI, SSI etc.) equivalent to Advanced Open Water Level, with deep diving experience to 30m, log recent open water dive within 6 months and carry valid travel or diving insurance with coverage for recreational scuba diving. Dive computer is required for all scuba divers on our liveaboard trip. Marine Park Entrance fee (daily): 500 THB per entry and 200 THB/diver. Richelieu Rock Fee: 600 THB/visitor. (Important note: government regulation and fees are subject to change without any notice. We do not have any control of these regulations)
Equipment rental
Basic Set (BCD/Regulator/Octopus/Fins & mask/shortie wetsuit): 500 THB/set/day (popular!)
Deluxe Set (Basic set with Dive Computer): 800 THB/set/day (best deal!)
Dive Computer Rental: 300 THB/day
BCD Rental (XXS-XL): 200 THB/day, Regulator Rental: 200 THB/day, Open heel fins (without boots): 150 THB/day, Mask & fins (full-foot): 150 THB/day, Shortie Wetsuit (2mm, size: Junior, XXS-XXXL): 100 THB/day, Underwater light: 200 THB/day.