You don’t need to choose the most expensive liveaboard to experience some of Thailand’s best diving.
Our budget Similan liveaboards offer a more affordable way to explore the Similan Islands and the famous dive sites of the North Andaman Sea, with options ranging from shorter trips to longer multi-day adventures visiting Koh Bon, Koh Tachai and Richelieu Rock.
At Pirate Divers, budget doesn’t mean choosing the cheapest boat and hoping for the best. We select liveaboards that offer good diving, experienced crews and genuine value for money — then help you find the one that suits you.
A budget liveaboard generally means simpler accommodation and fewer luxury extras — not less time underwater.
Depending on the boat, you may find twin or shared cabins, shared bathrooms or more basic communal areas. Other affordable liveaboards offer air-conditioned cabins, ensuite bathrooms and facilities you might normally associate with more expensive boats.
What matters is finding the right balance between price, comfort, itinerary and the amount of diving you want to do.
Some boats are particularly good choices for solo travellers. Others offer excellent value for couples or groups of friends. And some are perfect for divers whose priority is simple: spend as much time as possible underwater without paying for luxuries they don’t need.
Tell us your dates, diving experience, preferred cabin and approximate budget and we’ll help you compare the options.
Each boat offers something slightly different. When comparing them, we recommend looking beyond the headline price and considering:
Trip length — How many days and nights are you actually aboard?
Route — Does the itinerary include just the Similan Islands, or also Koh Bon, Koh Tachai and Richelieu Rock?
Cabin — Twin, double, shared or another configuration?
Bathroom — Private ensuite or shared?
Air-conditioning — Available in the cabin, communal areas or both?
Nitrox — Is it available and, if so, is it included or charged separately?
Extra costs — Check what is included in the advertised price, particularly marine park fees, equipment rental, Nitrox and transfers.
Not sure which details matter to you? That’s exactly what we’re here for.
Budget liveaboards are designed primarily around diving rather than luxury.
Your days normally revolve around diving, eating, relaxing and getting ready to dive again. That makes them a great choice if you’d rather spend your money getting underwater than on a larger cabin or hotel-style facilities.
Accommodation varies considerably between boats. Cabins can range from simple shared or twin accommodation to air-conditioned ensuite cabins.
Space aboard any liveaboard is naturally limited, so don’t expect a hotel room at sea. If cabin size, a double bed or a private bathroom is important to you, tell us before booking and we’ll point you towards suitable boats.
Liveaboard diving burns a surprising amount of energy, so food is an important part of any trip.
Meals are served throughout the day, together with snacks, fruit and drinks depending on the boat. If you have vegetarian, vegan or other dietary requirements, let us know when enquiring so we can check what can be accommodated.
This is what you’re here for.
Multi-day liveaboards allow you to wake up close to the dive sites and make several dives throughout the day without travelling back to Khao Lak each evening.
The exact number of dives depends on the boat, itinerary and trip length, so compare the individual liveaboard details rather than assuming every trip offers the same schedule.
Even on a budget boat, a well-organised dive deck makes a big difference. You’ll normally set up your equipment in your own space and keep it assembled during the trip.
Equipment rental, dive computers, larger tanks and Nitrox may be included on some boats and charged separately on others. We can confirm exactly what is included before you book.
The route depends on the boat and length of trip. Longer North Andaman itineraries can combine several of the region’s best-known diving areas.
The Similan Islands offer a huge variety of underwater scenery, from colourful reefs and sandy slopes to enormous granite boulders, swim-throughs and deeper dive sites.
With multiple sites spread around the islands, this is where many Similan liveaboard itineraries spend a significant part of their trip.
North of the main Similan Islands, Koh Bon adds a different style of diving to the itinerary and is particularly well known among divers hoping for encounters with larger marine life.
Koh Tachai offers some exciting diving, including sites that can provide stronger currents and plenty of fish action.
It’s a destination that experienced divers often look for when comparing longer Similan liveaboard itineraries.
For many divers, Richelieu Rock is the highlight of a North Andaman liveaboard.
This isolated, horseshoe-shaped pinnacle is famous for its extraordinary diversity of marine life. There’s plenty to find on the reef itself, from tiny macro subjects to large schools of fish, while encounters with bigger visitors are always possible.
A trip including Richelieu Rock is well worth considering if your schedule and budget allow.
Choosing by price alone isn’t always the best way to choose a liveaboard.
A slightly cheaper trip isn’t necessarily better value if it misses a dive site you particularly want to visit, has a cabin arrangement you won’t enjoy or charges separately for things included on another boat.
Instead, tell us:
We’ll use our knowledge of the different boats to narrow down the choices and help you find the liveaboards that genuinely suit you.
Is it worth spending a little more?
Sometimes, yes.
The diving may be very similar, but moving from a budget boat to a mid-range liveaboard can buy you additional comfort during the many hours you’re not underwater.
Depending on the boat, that could mean a larger or ensuite cabin, more space around the vessel, fewer guests, different cabin choices or additional facilities and inclusions.
For some divers, none of that matters. A clean bed, good food and great diving are all they need.
For others, spending a little more can make four or five days at sea considerably more comfortable.
There isn’t a right or wrong answer. Decide what matters to you and we’ll help you compare the actual differences rather than simply comparing prices.
Similan liveaboards operate during the Andaman Sea diving season, when the Similan Islands National Park is open to visitors.
Trips normally operate from around October through to May, with individual boat schedules, departure dates and availability varying throughout the season.
If you’re planning for the coming season, especially over Christmas, New Year or other popular periods, it’s worth contacting us early. Particular boats and cabin types can fill well in advance.
Price category shouldn’t determine safety. We select established liveaboard operators and take safety seriously when recommending a trip. If you have questions about a particular boat’s safety equipment or procedures, ask us and we’ll check the current specifications for you.
That depends on the trip length and itinerary. Multi-day liveaboards normally offer several dives each day, but the exact schedule varies by boat and can also be affected by conditions. Check the individual boat itinerary for the planned number of dives.
That depends on the trip length and itinerary. Multi-day liveaboards normally offer several dives each day, but the exact schedule varies by boat and can also be affected by conditions. Check the individual boat itinerary for the planned number of dives.
There are plenty of Similan liveaboards to choose from, and more expensive doesn’t automatically mean better for you.
Tell Brenda when you’re traveling, your diving experience, how long you want to spend at sea and roughly what you’d like to spend.
We’ll help you compare the boats and find the trip that gives you the combination of diving, comfort and value you’re looking for.