Frequently Asked Questions

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There are many ways to come to Ranong: Pick yours...

Come to Ranong by Plane

Travel to Ranong by plane in about 1h30 minutes from Bangkok

- check the timetable and price directly on NOK AIR and Air ASIA website.
2 flights a day at the moment from Bangkok Don Muang Airport (the lowcost airport an hour away from the main airport).

Go to Ranong by train

Travel by train, from Bangkok to Chumpon followed by a 3 hours bus ride to Ranong.
Train fare from Bangkok to chumpon around 1,234thb (£24, $34).
Some find traveling by train more comfortable than by bus because you have a real bed to lie into for the night and the bus is then quite fast to reach Ranong.
Bangkok (Hualamphong) 08:05 09:20 13:00 14:45 15:10 15:35 17:05 17:35 18:30 19:30 22:50
Nakhon Pathom 09:22 10:48 14:37 16:11 16:38 17:15 18:33 19:12 19:58 20:59 00:09
Hua Hin 11:29 13:35 17:17 18:45 19:13 20:10 21:10 21:54 22:34 23:36 02:24
Chumphon 14:41 - 21:21 22:45 23:24 00:52 01:27 02:58 03:28 04:23 05:59

Go to Ranong by Bus

Travel by Bus:
Bangkok - Ranong:
Both air-conditioned and non air-conditioned buses depart from Bangkok's Southern Bus Terminal to Ranong every day for the approximately 9-hour trip. Air-conditioned buses, varying in 3 types, depart from Bangkok at the following times:
VIP Bus: 9 p.m. very comfortable and fast.
First Class Bus 8:20 pm. comfortable and fast as well.
Standard 1 Bus: 9:00 am, 9:10 am, 8:20 pm, 8:30 pm and 9:00 pm. Comfortable and fast.
Standard 2 Bus: 8:50 am, 1:50 pm, 5:30 pm and 7:30 pm. No toilet in the bus so it stops more often.
For a current schedule call Bangkok Southern Bus Terminal at tel.: 0 24351199, 0 24351200 or the Ranong Bus Station at tel.: 0 7781 1548.   

Suratthani - Ranong:
Air-conditioned bus from Suratthani: 8:00 am / 2:00 pm.
From Ranong: 8:00 am / 2:00 pm.
Minibus from Suratthani: every hour from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm.
From Ranong: every hour from 6:00 am to 11:00 am and 12:30 pm / 2:30 pm / 3:30 pm. The trip takes about 3 hours.

Chumphon - Ranong:
Air-conditioned bus from Chumphon: 5:50 am, 8:30 am, 10:30 am, 12:30 pm.
From Ranong: 1:30 pm, 5:30 pm, 7:30 pm, 21:15 pm.
Minibus from Chumphon: every hour from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm.
From Ranong: every hour from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm.
The trip takes about 3 hours.

Phuket - Khao Lak - Ranong:
Air-conditioned buses run every day from Phuket to Ranong, passing through Khao Lak:
From Phuket: 8:10 am, 10:00 am, 11:50 am, 2:00 pm, 3:50 pm, 6:10 pm.
From Khao Lak: 9:50 am, 11:50 am, 1:50 pm, 3:50 pm, 5:40 pm, 8:00 pm.
From Ranong: 6h30am, 8h00, 9h30, 10h30, 12h30, 2h30pm, 4h00pm, 5h30pm.
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We can pick you up on Koh Phayam for our trips to Thailand's best dive sites as koh Phayam is on the way between Ranong and Surin Islands.
However for trips to Burma, you will have to take a boat back to Ranong as MV Thai Sea will be leaving from there after immigration clearance.
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Time table : Koh Phayam and Ko chang

We can arrange for a hotel in Ranong or on Koh Phayam, we work with a selection on hotels and resorts and can book rooms from 700thb to 5000thb depending on what level of luxury you want.
Check out our selection of favorite hotels in Ranong.
Just send us an email with your budget and requirements, we'll do our best to find the best place.

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We will take care of this. You will only need to send us in advance a scan of your passport and bring along with you:
·       Your passport (the same)
·       1 passport size picture
·       Entry fees in new US dollar bills (Visa is 30USD, the rest is your permit to visit Mergui archipelago and depends on the length of the trip)
- ATTENTION: no pen/stamp/fold mark on the bills or they will be refused

This visa is only valid to visit Mergui Archipelago, if you want to visit the rest of the country, you can apply for a visa at the embassy or online (e-visa), this tourist visa is also valid for your cruise.
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Yes, there are fees to pay both in Thailand and Myanmar.
For a Thailand: during a Trip 1, you will spend 2 days in Surin National Park (Surin islands and Richelieu Rock) and one day in Similan National Park (Koh Bon, Koh Tachai). The total fee to pay is 1600thb per diver and 1000thb per snorkeler.
For Burma, you will have to pay a combination of visa, border fee and diving fee that must be paid in clean US Dollar Bills at the border.
​Please come with "looking like new", unfolded Dollars bills, it is not possible to change money at the border and while the authorities will accept Thai Bahts, it will be a lot more expensive than paying with USD.
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Update 1st November 2013: Citizen from USA, UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan arriving without visa will get 30 days of stay if they are arriving via a land border checkpoint from a neighbouring country.

Tourist Visa Waiver (visa exemption), no visa is required prior to commencing travel to Thailand.
  • Countries which get 90 days: Brazil, Chile, Peru, South Korea, Argentina.
  • Countries which get 30 days: Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Laos, Macau, Mongolia, Russia, USA, United Kingdom and Vietnam.
  • Countries which get 30 days at Airport and 15 days ONLY upon entry at land border: Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Brunei, Belgium, Czech, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Kuwait, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Oman, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Slovak, Slovenia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and  UAE.

If you join one of our trips to Burma, your passport will be stamped on exit and re-entry to Thailand. 
Please make sure you have paid any overstay before boarding to cross to Burma as it will delay the immigration process by a few hours if you haven't done so.

If you are citizen of a country that isn't allowed a visa on arrival in Thailand then please make sure you have a visa that permits multiple entries into Thailand. We recommend you contact the Thai Embassy in your country to ensure you are in compliance with all necessary visa requirements. If you are in this category and have entered Thailand with a single entry visa or a standard tourist visa, you must apply for a re-entry permit. We can assist you to get this but you need to inform us in advance.
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You cannot travel in Burma under the entry permit granted for the Diving cruise. If you wish to visit Burma you must apply for a visa at the Burmese Embassy in your country or in Bangkok. 

You can join our trip in Kawthong if you are traveling in Myanmar before the diving trip. Your Visa in Myanmar has to be valid for the lenght of your diving trip.

It is also possible for us to organise a visa for your diving trip and for you to organise a separate visa for inland if you prefer to pass by Thailand in between.
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Thailand and Burma are tropical countries with 2 seasons. The dry and cooler season is from November to March, then hot from March to May. Rain is common between June and October, sea can be rough so we are giving the boat (and ourselves) a rest.

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Because dive sites are quite far from the land and from eachother both in the Thai Andaman Islands and Mergui archipelago, the best way is without doubt to spend your diving holidays on a liveaboard. 
The best diving in Burma is found in the Mergui Archipelago which includes more than 800 islands spread on a 36000 square km of pristine water. Most of the best diving involves distances well beyond the scope of regular resort daytrips.

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We dive on both sides of the border and like them for different reason:
Diving in Thailand and Burma is very different. Seeing both is a good idea to see more diversity.

Thailand has better visibility and bigger schools of baracudas and trevalis due to the fact dive sites are in a national parc protected from fishing during the season.

Burma has a lot less diving boat (we are alone on every dive site while Richelieu Rock can have 100 divers at a time), more rare species (frog fish, seahorses, ghost pipe fish are seen on every trip, harlequin shrimps very often, nurse shark and big blotched sting rays quite often too) there are many caves in Burma as the rock is limestone, none in Thailand. There is more current, hence colder water (27-29'), hence coral is in a lot better condition in Myanmar.
Burma also have more challenging dive sites (deeper,current, caves).

So really, while nearby, it is two very different destinations. 
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Of course, we welcome non-divers on all cruises and offer them a 20% discount. Cruising the Thai Islands and in the Mergui Archipelago is a magical experience that anyone can appreciate. There are untouched islands with wild sandy beaches, clear water with great marine life and plenty of good snorkeling opportunities, you can relax with a good book, go swimming or use our Kayak to explore the islands around the boat. However our cruises are usually designed for divers, so do not expect too many island visits or activities.

Non divers cruises can be arranged for groups chartering the boat, we can then organize kayak expedition in the mangrove forest, visits of a waterfall on a deserted island, animal and bird watching and much more...
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Burma usually has more current than the Similan and Surin islands. We recommend you take your advanced and deep diver specialty courses before going on the trip in order to feel more confortable and take advantage of the deeper dive sites but all certified divers can enjoy Burma.
PADI courses are also available on the boat upon reservation. Use of a dive computer and surface marker buoy are also strongly recommended (we provide the SMB and rent computers). 
Also keep in mind that Burma is remote and evacuation can take up to 1 day, so please dive well within your limits and always within no decompression limits. Please also arrange your own diving and travel insurance.

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​The diving season is limited from November to the end of April, the tropical dry season, so it is likely that you will enjoy sunny skies, especially from mid-January to mid-April. Between November and mid-January visibility ranges from 15-20 metres, due to the high concentration of plankton, hence this is a great time to sight mantas and whale sharks. Around this time the water temperature drops and is normally between 24-28°C.
Visibility improves again reaching its optimum in February with visibility over 25-30 metres and water temperatures between 27-30°C.  Plankton comes back in higher concentration at the end of the season, again a good time for pelagic fishes
Currents can be strong during Full and New Moon.

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The tourist season follows the diving season from November to the end of April. 
You will most probably not see another dive boat on the Merghui Archipelago but the west coast of Thailand will be more busy. Keep it in mind when booking accommodation and the rest of your trip.

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You can make a bank transfer to our bank account in Thailand (using transferwise is the best way to do that) or pay via Paypal
There are many banks and ATM in Ranong to get cash in thai Bahts.

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For Thailand cruises, the park fees and any extra purchases on the boat must be paid in Thai Bahts. For cruises to Myanmar, the border/diving/entry fee must be paid in NEW US dollars notes. During the brief time on Kawthaung, US dollars and Thai Baht can be used for shopping. We suggest to take sufficient cash with you since it will be very difficult change money and find an ATM once you have left Thailand.
Our cruises include many things such as snack, soft drinks or the use of the kayak but if you want to drink a beer, rent a computer or an underwater camera, you will have to pay for it in cash upon return.
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Don't forget the tips:
Also, it is common practice to give the crew a tip at the end of the cruise. If you have been happy with their service, a common tip would be 500thb per day per diver which will be divided equally between the boat crew.

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No, it is not generally necessary to take any vaccinations to visit Thailand of Burma, but you should always consult your own doctor before any such trip. The boats have a complete medic first aid kits on board to deal with emmergencies. Wearing long sleeves and trousers at dawn and sunset can help to avoid mosquito bites if you go walking on the beach, you rarely see any mosquito on board. Keep in mind that Burma doesn't have a real medical system or hospitals. Serious cases need to be evacuated to Thailand and the journey could be long and expensive. Please come on board with your own medical, diving and travel insurance and be sure that they cover accidents that happen in Burma/Myanmar.
Myanmar has been completely under military control for over 50 years. You won't see much of the land during our cruise and have only very limited contact with people (only in Kawthoung and with the Burmese guide who will come with us during the trip.
We do not consider that paying a fee to the Burmese government to visit the Mergui Archipelago contribute in any meaningful way to supporting the military junta.
It is advisable not to ask political questions when on Burmese soil since this can be dangerous for them, not you. 
Burma political situation is changing little by little with a lot of improvement witnessed in the last year alone. We do hope that the country will open up borders in the near future and that going to Burma will be as simple as visiting Thailand.
Back to the top of page: all the frequently asked questions >>>

Where do we dive? When do we go? What are the next departures? How much are the cruises and what is included? 
Go to schedule and prices >>>

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