Snorkeling In Thailand – Guide To Find The Best Spots And Time

Whether you are a hobbyist or a professional underwater explorer, you will see lots of beauty while snorkeling in Thailand. The country’s both coastlines, the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea, offer numerous places to discover rich marine life, including coral reefs, turtles, and sharks. To plan your Thailand snorkeling vacation, we prepared this guide for you to find the best spots and the most suitable time to travel.

12 Best Thailand Snorkeling Spots

In a country so rich in wonderful destinations -Thailand has over 1400 islands- it is difficult to decide which one to visit. To help you make your shortlist, here we focus on those where there is good snorkeling.

Koh Tao

Koh Tao is definitely our top recommendation for snorkeling in Thailand. This little island in the Gulf of Thailand is famous for its rich marine life. The island’s surrounding waters are important breeding grounds for Hawksbill and Green sea turtles; moreover, there is a remarkable blacktip reef shark population living in the shallow coastal areas, so you can easily see one or even more while snorkeling.

If this isn’t enough, you can even encounter a whale shark. These gentle giants are regularly seen around the island, most frequently between March and May.

Our favorite snorkeling spots in Koh Tao are Janson Bay, Sai Nuan Beach, Shark Island, Hing Wong Bay and Sharks Bay. By visiting these sites, you can enjoy discovering the island’s best marine life, including colorful reef fish, sea turtles, and reef sharks.

Koh Phangan

If you are looking for easy snorkeling, you will find it in Koh Phangan. Featuring shallow reefs and calm waters, Koh Phangan’s snorkel spots are excellent for beginners and kids.

The marine life is not as vibrant as in the neighboring Koh Tao, and the visibility can be limited during the low tide months, but the underwater attractions should be satisfying for first-timers and for occasional snorkelers.

Phuket

Thailand’s largest island, Phuket, is still one of the most visited destinations thanks to its good flight connections and transfer options, excellent seaside resorts, a wide range of activities, and, of course, great beaches.

Some might think that the coastlines’ reefs are entirely destroyed due to the tsunami that hit the area in 2004 and due to mass tourism, but surprisingly, there is still some excellent snorkeling in Phuket, including beaches such as the Ao Sane or Ya Nui and boat accessible sites like Koh Hae Coral Island or Koh Bon.

Phi Phi Islands

Koh Phi Phi Don, Koh Phi Phi Le, and some smaller islands such as Bida Nok Bida Nai and Bamboo Island form Thailand’s most popular island group that became world-famous from the movie, The Beach, starring Leonardo DiCaprio. The Phi Phi’s are reachable from Krabi and Phuket by long-tail and speedboats.

Unfortunately, the increased tourism resulted in environmental degradation and also the tsunami damaged the surrounding reefs, but the Phi Phi Islands still shouldn’t be overseen if it comes to snorkeling in Thailand. The reefs are in better condition on the east coast of Ko Phi Phi Don and in the Had Yao – Long Beach area; look for tours that visit these sites if you want to see nice marine life.

Koh Ngai

Koh Ngai is a little island south of Koh Lanta that is famous for its pretty beaches and relaxed vibes. It is accessible by long-tail boats and speedboats from both Krabi and Trang.

Don’t expect partying or shopping here, there are no roads, shops, and bars on Koh Ngai but a few resorts with cozy restaurants that make the location perfect for family holidays and couple getaways. It is a great place to disconnect, relax, and enjoy nature, hiking, kayaking, and snorkeling, as the island is surrounded by shallow reefs.

Koh Kradan

A little south of Ngai, there is another small resort island, Koh Kradan, that is worth visiting, too! It is a quiet place with healthy corals that are easily accessible from the beautiful long sandy beach.

You can visit Koh Kradan on island-hopping trips from Koh Lanta, but if you’d like to spend a few days in paradise, come for a longer stay. If your travel itinerary allows, spend a few nights in one of the friendly resorts and discover the reef that runs parallel to the main beach.

Koh Rok

The twin Rok Islands, Rok Nok, and Rok Nai are about 30 km south of Koh Lanta, in Krabi Province. Along with other Andaman Coast islands, they are part of Thailand’s National Parks, the Mu Ko Lanta National Park, to be exact.

These islands attract thousands of visitors each season with their brilliant white-sandy beaches and clear waters. The thriving underwater world welcomes divers and snorkelers with healthy coral reefs, turtles, moray eels, and reef sharks.

There is no public ferry service to Koh Rok, you can get there on a day trip from Koh Lanta. From the nearby small islands (Ngai, Kradan, or Koh Mook), you can take a longtail boat too. Tours usually include a stop at another fantastic snorkel site, Koh Haa too, which is the next on our list!

Koh Haa

This group of 5 small islands lies about 20 km from Koh Lanta. They also belong to the Mu Ko Lanta Marine National Park and are open only for visitors in the dry season, usually from November to May. Thanks to this strict protection, marine life can recover in the off-season.

The corals are in top condition here, and one can observe rare species such as the leafy ghost pipefish. On top of these, there is a high chance to spot pelagic species such as whale sharks or manta rays. A not-to-be-missed snorkeling spot in Thailand!

Koh Lipe

Lipe Island in the south of Thailand, near the Malaysian border. It is often referred as the Maldives of Thailand thanks to its pristine, white sandy beaches and crystal-clear waters. This dreamy destination is beautiful not only above the water, but also underwater.

There are numerous off-beach snorkel spots around Koh Lipe that are easily accessible. However, the most vibrant marine life can be seen at the outer reefs, which are the best to visit by joining an outside-zone boat trip.

Surin Islands

This little archipelago of 5 islands in the Andaman Sea is a National Park totaling 142 square km and can be visited only in the dry season between mid-November and mid-May.

The two biggest islands are Koh Surin Nuea and Koh Surin Tai, which are separated by a narrow channel. Sun-seekers find perfect white-sandy beaches here while snorkeling fanatics can enjoy swimming over shallow coral reefs that give a home to colorful fish species and other sea creatures. Day trips to the Surin Islands are available from Phuket and Khaolak.

Similan Islands

When searching for the best Thailand snorkeling sites, the Similan Islands must come to mind! This archipelago in the Andaman Sea belongs to the Mu Koh Similan National Park and was rated as one of the Top 10 diving destinations in the world by National Geographic.

Sadly, the coral bleaching in 2010 greatly affected the area, but the Similan Islands is still proud to have unique wildlife above and under the water. On land, you can observe tropical birds, critters, and reptiles, while underwater, you find reef fish, turtles, and sharks inhabiting the region’s pristine reefs. If you are looking to see some of Thailand’s best beaches and clearest waters, book a trip to the Similans!

Koh Chang

An island archipelago on the eastern side of the Gulf of Thailand, Koh Chang is one of Thailand’s last undiscovered regions. It is less developed than the country’s popular tourist hotspots but still offers everything you could ask for to have a relaxing yet adventure-filled vacation.

Even the main island has some snorkeling beaches with marine life to see, but the smaller islands a little south (including Koh Rang National Park) offer the best underwater sights. Join a Koh Chang day trip to visit these sites and discover shipwrecks and stunning coral reefs.

What To See While Snorkeling In Thailand?

Thailand’s waters provide home to a wide range of ocean creatures. The quality of marine life depends on the area you visit.

Unfortunately, the coral reefs around the most popular tourist hotspots like Phuket or the famous Maya Bay at the Phi Phi Islands are not in good condition. The corals at remote islands and in national parks are still healthy and offer pleasant underwater views with a variety of hard and soft coral species to see.

Reef fish are abundant both in the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea; the most common ones are angelfish, boxfish, batfish, triggerfish, bannerfish, parrotfish, butterflyfish, and unicornfish. An interesting fact is that six species of anemonefish can be seen in Thai waters.

Thailand’s most enchanting underwater inhabitants are sea turtles (mainly Green and Hawksbill species) and blacktip reef sharks, both commonly seen around shallow reefs.
You can also encounter moray eels, sea snakes, stingrays, shrimp, nudibranchs, crabs, seahorses, sea stars, sea urchins, Christmas tree worms, sea clams and sea cucumbers.

Moreover, the country is famous for pelagic encounters: manta rays are usually spotted around Phuket and Khao Lak, while you can see whale sharks in Koh Tao and north of the Similan Islands.

Which Coast Of Thailand Is Better For Snorkeling?

It is a frequently asked question if it comes to snorkeling in Thailand, whether the Gulf of Thailand or The Andaman Sea is better?

Well, we visited both regions and found good snorkeling at both. Therefore, we say it depends on your personal preferences and travel time (we explain this in the next section) which is better for you.

In the Gulf of Thailand, you will find the best snorkeling in Koh Tao, Koh Phagan, and around Koh Chang. On the Andaman Coast, the Surin Islands, the Similan Islands, Koh Rok, and Koh Haa are the top snorkel spots.

What Is The Best Time For Snorkeling In Thailand?

Thailand has a tropical climate influenced by monsoon winds, causing wet and dry seasons. It is possible to find good snorkeling at any time of the year, but you need to know the weather patterns to decide which part of the country to visit, as the west coast (Andaman) and the east coast (Gulf of Thailand) have different wet seasons.

The Gulf of Thailand’s islands are best to visit between February and April when the weather is pleasant and the underwater visibility is excellent. The wet season here starts at the end of October and runs till mid-December.

The weather on the Andaman Coast is pretty much the opposite: the dry season is between November and April. There is monsoon in the Andaman from mid-May to mid-October, when many island destinations like the Similan and Surin Islands are closed due to rough seas and heavy rain.

Despite being situated in the Gulf of Thailand, the regions of Pattaya and Koh Chang have climates similar to the Andaman Coast, with the best time to visit being from November to February.

Inspired? Pin it!