Thailand Liveaboards & Myanmar Liveaboards from Khao Lak or Phuket
FAQ and useful information

To lighten your load on your Thailand or Myanmar diving liveaboard, we’ve already planned plenty of things for you on our boat BUNMEE 4.

In your cabin, you will find organic shower gel, shampoo, and towels. We also offer you a stainless steel water bottle on board to reduce the use of plastic bottles.

What you should bring:

• Toothbrush and toothpaste
• Natural and biodegradable sunscreen
• Hat and sunglasses
• Beach towel
• Jackets/pullovers for stargazing nights, which can get chilly
• Your certification card and diving logbook
• Possession of diving insurance is required
• A medical certificate is not mandatory in Thailand but is highly recommended
• But most importantly… bring your spirit of adventure 🙂

Except for the cruises to Myanmar, all our Thailand liveaboards depart in the evening, after dinner.

This allows you to take a flight and arrive on the same day, giving you some time for shopping, enjoying the beach, or taking a moment to relax.

For the Myanmar (formerly Burma) diving liveaboards, we ask you to be with us around midday.

We will finish the immigration formalities together, and boarding will take place between 2:30 PM and 4:00 PM.

Don’t forget that we can arrange all your transfers before and after the cruise, as well as hotel reservations. For more information, visit our dedicated page.

On our side of the world, we have equipped ourselves with aluminum 12L single-outlet DIN-International tanks (with screw-on cap). So, you won’t need to bring a yoke if you have a DIN regulator.

Similarly, you will need to mount your backup source (octopus – Air 2 – etc.) on the same first stage as your main regulator – no risk of freezing in our waters 🙂

A 3mm shorty wetsuit is usually sufficient, but a 5mm full-length wetsuit may be appreciated during days with 4 dives. To enhance diving safety, we also ask autonomous divers who wish to manage their dive profile autonomously, even with the presence of a guide, to have their own surface marker buoy (SMB) to signal their ascent to the boats on the surface.

If you bring your own diving equipment, ensure that your regulator and buoyancy compensator device (BCD) have been properly maintained and checked for optimal safety to avoid any surprises when you’re ready to take the plunge.

No need to overload your luggage! We can provide all the diving equipment you’ll need, and at the Center, you’ll find the following rental gear:

• Full set: 600 THB/day (approximately 18 euros)
• BCD or regulator: 200 THB/day
• Shorty wetsuit: 150 THB/day
• Mask and fins: 150 THB/day
• Air-Nitrox computer: 250 THB/day
• For heavy Nitrox users, we can provide 15L tanks at the rate of 300 THB/day.

Our boats are equipped for Nitrox 32 fills.

The rates per fill are:
200 THB / 12L – 250 THB / 15L
We also offer discounted packages onboard.

If you plan to stay in Thailand for less than 30 days, you can benefit from the visa exemption.

• Upon arrival, present your valid passport and fill out the arrival/departure form.
• You will receive an entry stamp in your passport, allowing you to stay in Thailand for up to 30 days without a visa.

If you plan to stay for more than 30 days, you will need a tourist visa.

• Obtain a tourist visa from the Thai embassy or consulate in your country of residence before your departure.
• Complete the visa application form and provide the required documents such as your valid passport, passport-sized photos, and proof of round-trip flight reservation. 
• Pay the applicable visa fees and wait for the approval of your application. Once approved, you can travel to Thailand with your tourist visa and stay for the authorized duration (usually 60 days with the possibility of extension on-site).

Our cruises to Myanmar (formerly Burma) also require a visa. For the Myanmar immigration procedure, you will need to provide us with a copy of the first page of your passport at least 3 weeks in advance, and we will forward it to the authorities. Ensure you have with you during boarding:

• Passport with a minimum validity of 6 months 
• 2 passport-sized photos 
• 2 photocopies of the passport with the Thai Visa (we can make them directly at the center) 
• 200 US$ in cash for Visa fees + Mergui-Myanmar Marine Park Fee (30+170). The tickets must be in excellent condition to be accepted by the very meticulous authorities.

In Thailand, marine national parks are sacred and protected. Diving is limited in these areas depending on the time of the year, and fees are required to support conservation and preservation efforts in these protected marine zones. These fees contribute to funding park surveillance, maintenance, and management operations, as well as the implementation of marine environmental protection programs (such as turtle nesting and hatching protection, biodiversity preservation, sustainability measures, etc).

The fees for Thai Marine National Parks are as follows:

• 500 THB / entry / person / National Park (2 for our 3-day Southern circuits – 2 for our Similan Richelieu Rock circuits)
• 200 THB / diver / diving day
• The total amount should be prepared in advance before boarding, in cash and Thai Baht (THB) only. You will need to provide us with the details from the first page of your passport, as some parks have a limited number of entries and must be pre-paid to guarantee access.

The entrance fees to marine national parks in Thailand contribute to a sustainable diving experience by preserving the beauty of the sites and limiting over-tourism. They allow divers and visitors to play an active role in protecting these fragile environments.

Located just 9 degrees north of the equator, the islands enjoy a tropical climate with an average land temperature ranging from 25°C to 30°C.

The best season for a diving cruise to the Similan Islands and the Southern Islands in Thailand is from mid-October to mid-May, with the peak period being from December to April. This period is the dry season in Thailand, although there may be occasional showers at the beginning and end of the season.

The water temperature is around 28°C to 30°C, and the thermoclines have a temperature difference of up to 4°C at the beginning of the season.

The currents are generally weak to moderate but can be strong at some dive sites during the periods of new and full moon, allowing for drift diving.

Our cabins are air-conditioned and equipped with a private shower and toilet. We provide bath towels and deck towels for diving.

The cabins have two 220-volt sockets with Thai plugs (compatible with French plugs).

Meals:

During a Thailand or Myanmar diving liveaboard, we offer full board with three meals a day (breakfast, lunch, and dinner). You can choose between a Western or local-style breakfast. For lunch and dinner, they are prepared in a local buffet style by our dedicated cook. Each day, the meals are diverse, and you will have various choices: fish, poultry, meat, rice, vegetables, vegetarian, vegan, etc. Fresh fruits are available throughout the day.

Beverages:

A water dispenser is available and compatible with the stainless steel water bottles we provide at the beginning of each cruise. Tea and coffee are included and available at all times. Soft drinks and fruit juices are available at an additional cost throughout the day.

Alcoholic beverages are available and chargeable. You will have access to a selection of beers and bottled wines (white, red, rosé). Alcohol consumption should be done responsibly.