The Junk

Scuba diving and sailing in the Similan Islands onboard June Hong Chian Lee, winner of our 'Liveaboard of the Year' award in 2009, is a unique, once in a lifetime experience; though often many guests enjoy it so much, they make a date to return again the next year.

An authentic and historical teak wood merchant sailing vessel, this boat definitely has the most character of any Thailand liveaboard and has been used for several films including James Bond's The Man With The Golden Gun and Swiss Family Robinson.

The Junk, as she is known in the local diving industry, has been redesigned interiorly to provide its guests with en-suite cabins, lots of on-deck relaxation space, and a large air-conditioned saloon to cool off in. It was originally built in Malaysia in 1962 as a merchant sailing vessel but was renovated into a classical yacht. Constructed mainly from hard teak wood called Takien Tong she's 30 metres long and has 3 masts with 330 square metres of sails.

The Junk's regular high season itinerary includes 1 extra day's diving so that you can also visit the more remote Surin Islands. Little visited by other tour boats, these uncrowded islands are fantastic for macrolife as well as some marine life you won't see in the Similans, such as bumphead parrotfish and black-tip reef sharks. In low season The Junk operates 4 night dive tours to the southern islands around Phuket and Phi Phi.

The divemasters have been working in the Similan Islands and throughout The Andaman Sea for several years now and their enormous passion for scuba diving and the underwater world adds further to this special liveaboard adventure in Thailand. They pass their enthusiasm on to their guests, and the dive briefings are the most thorough that you'll hear anywhere. If you haven't dived in a while, a free buoyancy workshop can be arranged on board. And as experienced scuba divers, you'll love the freedom to dive for as long as you like, within safe scuba limits of course.

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Notes: Child policy: Children under 18 years of age must not be left unsupervised while on-board or in the water. Parents and guardians are responsible for the supervision of children under 18 years of age. One parent or guardian must supervise children during dives. This may mean that parents or guardians are unable to dive together. Guests are not advised to bring children under the age of 12 on a liveaboard safari due to the environment and the nature of the holiday.

Dive experience: Open water certification only.

Cruise price per person includes: Cabin accommodation with air-conditioning, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, drinking water, hot drinks, return transfers from Phuket airport and all hotels in Phuket (Patong, Kata, Karon, Chalong, Rawai, Kamala) and Khao Lak (Khao Lak transfers excluded for boat departures from Chalong), dives (as detailed in the trips above), experienced English-speaking divemaster(s) (6 divers per DM), 12 litre tanks, weights and weightbelt, all taxes.

Cruise price per person excludes (mandatory, unless customer provides own): Scuba equipment (4 nights: US$ 109), dive insurance, Similan and Surin park fees (4 nights: US$ 50). Unless otherwise stated, all the listed items need to be paid on arrival (cash or by credit card).

Optional extras: Soft drinks, alcoholic drinks, nitrox fills for enriched air certified divers (4 nights: US$ 109), torch, dive computer, 15 litre tank. Unless otherwise stated, all the listed items need to be paid on arrival. Note: prices of items purchased onboard are subject to change.

How to get there: Similan Island & Richelieu Rock: The Junk's liveaboard tour departs at 7 pm from either Thaplamu pier in Khao Lak or Patong Beach in Phuket, depending on the itinerary. 4 night trips begin and end in Khao Lak. 6 night trips may begin either from Khao Lak and end in Phuket, or begin in Phuket and end in Khao Lak. A minibus service from all hotels in Phuket and Khao Lak to and from the boat is provided (approximately 2 hours transfer).
4 night trips disembark at 2 pm, 6 night trips at 10 am. The last dive is on the penultimate day at 11 am (4 night trips) / 2 pm (6 night trips). Please allow 18 hours before flying after diving.
Phuket & Phi Phi Island: These safaris depart from Chalong pier in Phuket. A minibus service from hotels in Phuket (Patong, Kata, Karon, Chalong, Rawai) to and from the boat is provided.
For more details, including airlines, see our Thailand travel information section.

Non-diver rate: 10% off the published price.

Single supplement (if you do not want to share accommodation): This is optional - single travellers may choose to share a cabin or pay a supplement of 80% to the published price: for their own cabin.

Dive clubs and group discounts: Pay for 8 guests and 1 extra person can join in the lowest price cabin free of charge (9+ guests).

Whole boat charter rate (per night): Pay for 16 guests and 2 extra persons can join free of charge (max. 18 guests).

Similan, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai & Richelieu Rock (5 Days / 4 Nights - 14 Dives)

Trip highlights: whale sharks, manta rays, turtles, great macro life/ marine diversity

Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, cage diving, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, very popular, wall diving, wreck diving

Dive sites and activities: Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock, and Khao Lak wrecks

Day 1
The Junk departs from Tab Lamu pier in Khao Lak in the evening after all the guests have been transferred from their hotels around Phuket, Khao Lak or Phuket International Airport, and are onboard. The tour leader will welcome you onboard, assign a cabin to you and explain in detail the boat features and the plans for the coming days. A welcome dinner will be served while the liveaboard starts its journey towards the Similans. Arrival at the islands is due at midnight. After a good night's sleep in your comfortable cabin, the diving will commence the next day.

Days 2-4
The Similan Islands are by far the most spectacular dive destination in Thailand, consisting of 9 granite islands covered in tropical jungle and surrounded by sparkling clear blue waters. The underwater scenery features beautiful hard and soft coral gardens, as well as huge granite boulders and dramatic rock formations that form swim-throughs and canyons. Drift diving is common here as the currents run over rich reefs teeming with marine life. Up to 4 dives a day will leave you with a better knowledge of the marvels that lie in this marine park.
Richelieu Rock is your best chance to encounter a whale shark. Eagle and manta rays are also common visitors here during the diving season. Your guides will probably plan more than one dive at this unforgettable site. Huge schools of trevally and barracuda cruise in the currents, and many tiny species such as frogfish, ghost pipefish and seahorses hide in the cracks and crevices.
There will be a full breakfast (bread and a toaster at your disposal, eggs cooked in different styles, bacon, ham, fried beans, fruit yoghurt, pancakes, or rice soup for a more traditional Asian meal) followed by a 2nd dive during the morning, then an afternoon dive after lunch and a surface interval that can be spent relaxing or snorkelling. Lunch is served buffet style, with different choices of white or brown rice, noodles, plenty of vegetables, fresh salad, seafood, meat, and also curry and cooked vegetarian dishes. A night dive will end a perfect day in the water. Dinner is at 18:00 hrs (before the night dive) and consist of a variety of Asian dishes, plus more familiar western meals such as Italian pasta, pork steak and fries, Mexican food, or goulash and potatoes.

Day 5
2 more morning dives and breakfast before disembarkation in Khao Lak. Transfers back to local hotels or Phuket Airport are also provided.

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Similan, Surin, Richelieu Rock & Khao Lak (7 Days / 6 Nights - 19 Dives)

Trip highlights: whale sharks, manta rays, turtles, great macro life/ marine diversity

Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, cage diving, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, very popular, wall diving, wreck diving

Dive sites and activities: Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Surin Islands, Richelieu Rock, and Khao Lak wrecks

Day 1
The Junk departs from Tab Lamu pier in Khao Lak in the evening after all the guests have been transferred from their hotels around Phuket, Khao Lak or Phuket International Airport, and are onboard. The tour leader will welcome you onboard, assign a cabin to you and explain in detail the boat features and the plans for the coming days. A welcome dinner will be served while the liveaboard starts its journey towards the Similans. Arrival at the islands is due at midnight. After a good night's sleep in your comfortable cabin, the diving will commence the next day.

Days 2-6
The Similan Islands are by far the most spectacular dive destination in Thailand, consisting of 9 granite islands covered in tropical jungle and surrounded by sparkling clear blue waters. The underwater scenery features beautiful hard and soft coral gardens, as well as huge granite boulders and dramatic rock formations that form swim-throughs and canyons. Drift diving is common here as the currents run over rich reefs teeming with marine life. Up to 4 dives a day will leave you with a better knowledge of the marvels that lie in this marine park.
Richelieu Rock is your best chance to encounter a whale shark. Eagle and manta rays are also common visitors here during the diving season. Your guides will probably plan more than 1 dive at this unforgettable site. Huge schools of trevally and barracuda cruise in the current, and many tiny species such as frogfish, ghostpipefish and seahorses hide in the cracks and crevices. Healthy reefs await your arrival at the Surin islands as well, home to the greatest variety of hard coral in Thailand. Napoleon wrasse, yellow-masked angelfish, bumphead parrotfish, barramundi, as well as lots of turtles that still come ashore here to lay their eggs.
There will be a full breakfast (bread and a toaster at your disposal, eggs cooked in different styles, bacon, ham, fried beans, fruit yoghurt, pancakes, or rice soup for a more traditional Asian meal) followed by a 2nd dive during the morning, then an afternoon dive after lunch and a surface interval that can be spent relaxing or snorkelling. Lunch is served buffet style, with different choices of white or brown rice, noodles, plenty of vegetables, fresh salad, seafood, meat, and also curry and cooked vegetarian dishes. A night dive will end a perfect day in the water. Dinner is at 18:00 hrs (before the night dive) and consist of a variety of Asian dishes, plus more familiar western meals such as Italian pasta, pork steak and fries, Mexican food, or goulash and potatoes.

Day 7
Disembark in Khao Lak after breakfast. Transfers back to local hotels or Phuket Airport are also provided.

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(11 Days / 10 Nights - Dives)

Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, cage diving, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, very popular, wall diving, wreck diving

Dive sites and activities: zz

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Phuket & Phi Phi Islands (4 Days / 3 Nights - 11 Dives)

Trip highlights: turtles, non diving activities

Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, cage diving, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, very popular, wall diving, wreck diving

Dive sites and activities: Phi Phi Islands, Shark Point, King Cruiser Wreck, Anemone Reef, Koh Dok Mai, Racha Noi, Racha Yai

Day 1
Join The Junk on a short safari to explore the very best of Phuket and Phi Phi. You will enjoy a mixture of colourful reefs, submerged pinnacles and limestone walls. There is the possibility of night dives and the tour is suitable for dives of all levels. The trip departs from Chalong Pier in Phuket at 7 pm, after all guests have been collected from their hotels around the island. The tour leader will welcome you onboard, assign a cabin to you and explain in detail the boat features and the diving plan for the tour.

Days 2-3
With its mini-walls and shallow coral gardens predominating, there are a host of dive sites to choose from around the Koh Phi Phi National Park. Wildlife is varied with blacktip reef sharks common, tigertail seahorses, ornate ghost pipefish, cornetfish, octopus, scorpionfish, bluefin trevally, barracuda and more. Along the route there are some incredible views from the boat, including Phi Phi Island’s famous beaches and limestone karsts climbing vertically from the sea. There will be opportunities to leave the yacht and take a sight-seeing trip with the dinghy.
Shark Point and Anemone Reef are covered with colourful soft corals and anemones with a variety of fish, from barracuda to seahorses, and for the lucky ones of course, the iconic leopard shark! The King Cruiser is a car ferry wreck that is covered with soft corals and hides some wonderful gems, such as huge lionfish and turtles, as well as being home to schools of snapper. Koh Dok Mai is a tiny piece of sheer rock sat between Shark Point and Phuket but dives here can provide amazing memories! From a spacious cavern to frogfish, ornate ghostpipefish and even bamboo sharks, ‘Flower Island’ never fails to surprise.
Racha Noi has some of the best visibility of all sites in the area. Often described as a ‘mini Similans’ the granite boulder topography is also unique compared to other areas. It offers hard coral reefs, boulders with large swim throughs and the beautiful pinnacle on the south point of this island. Strong currents can make the point challenging, however with a year round chance to see manta rays, it is worth the effort to dive here.
Racha Yai is an excellent place to begin as it is blessed with sloping hard coral reefs, small bays with white sandy bottoms, and a choice of wrecks on the west coast. Titan triggerfish, clownfish, porcupinefish and yellowtail barracuda are found here.
Although The Junk can't control the quality of your underwater experiences, it can ensure you of a first class dining experience. First is a light breakfast before the first dive. For some that just means a cup of fresh coffee and maybe a slice of toast with marmalade or cheese. Then after the first dive the kitchen serves up the Full Monty - eggs (different style every day), bacon, ham, fried beans, fruit yoghurt, choice of bread, pancakes, warm croissants, fresh tomatoes and cucumber, or rice soup for guests who want to have a traditional Asian breakfast. Lunch is an Asian affair - 3 or 4 accompanying dishes built around seafood, meat and some vegetarian dishes. The meal aims to be nourishing yet light and healthy at the same time. Often there will different kinds of rice, maybe some noodles, and plenty of vegetables and fresh salad. Dinner is normally taken around 6 pm and consists of a full complement of Asian dishes and some western food which could be pasta, pork steak and fries, Mexican food, or goulash and potatoes. In between meals there is always fresh fruit available, cookies in a jar, and after the night dive there will be something sweet waiting for you. This could be doughnuts, banana cake, cheese cake, custard, fruit in syrup, or nuts.

Day 4
Again a wake up call and a light breakfast will start the day before the first dive. After a full breakfast and dive 2, lunch will be served. After dive 3, snacks will be served as the boat returns to Chalong for disembarkation at 4 pm.

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Phi Phi islands, Hin Daeng & Hin Muang (5 Days / 4 Nights - 14 Dives)

Trip highlights: whale sharks, manta rays, turtles

Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, cage diving, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, very popular, wall diving, wreck diving

Dive sites and activities: Koh Haa, Hin Daeng, Hin Muang, Phi Phi Islands, Shark Point or King Cruiser Wreck, Koh Dok Mai

Day 1
Join The Junk on a short safari to explore the very best of the southern Andaman Sea of Thailand. The trip departs from Chalong Pier in Phuket at 7 pm, after all guests have been collected from their hotels around the island. The tour leader will welcome you onboard, assign a cabin to you and explain in detail the boat features and the diving plan for the tour.

Days 2-3
Hin Daeng and Hin Muang are submerged boulder pinnacles covered with healthy soft corals in various shades of red and purple. A lot of fish action takes place here, especially when there is a current, including manta rays and even whale sharks. Koh Haa is famous for its cavern systems. With its mini-walls and shallow coral gardens predominating, there are a host of dive sites to choose from around the Koh Phi Phi National Park. Wildlife is varied with blacktip reef sharks common, tigertail seahorses, ornate ghost pipefish, cornetfish, octopus, scorpionfish, bluefin trevally, barracuda and more.
Shark Point is covered with colourful soft corals and anemones with a variety of fish, from barracuda to seahorses, and for the lucky ones of course, the iconic leopard shark! The King Cruiser is a car ferry wreck that is covered with soft corals and hides some wonderful gems, such as huge lionfish and turtles, as well as being home to schools of snapper. Koh Dok Mai is a tiny piece of sheer rock but dives here can provide amazing memories! From a spacious cavern to frogfish, ornate ghostpipefish and even bamboo sharks, ‘Flower Island’ never fails to surprise.
Although The Junk can't control the quality of your underwater experiences, it can ensure you of a first class dining experience. First is a light breakfast before the first dive. For some that just means a cup of fresh coffee and maybe a slice of toast with marmalade or cheese. Then after the first dive the kitchen serves up the Full Monty - eggs (different style every day), bacon, ham, fried beans, fruit yoghurt, choice of bread, pancakes, warm croissants, fresh tomatoes and cucumber, or rice soup for guests who want to have a traditional Asian breakfast. Lunch is an Asian affair - 3 or 4 accompanying dishes built around seafood, meat and some vegetarian dishes. The meal aims to be nourishing yet light and healthy at the same time. Often there will different kinds of rice, maybe some noodles, and plenty of vegetables and fresh salad. Dinner is normally taken around 6 pm and consists of a full complement of Asian dishes and some western food which could be pasta, pork steak and fries, Mexican food, or goulash and potatoes. In between meals there is always fresh fruit available, cookies in a jar, and after the night dive there will be something sweet waiting for you. This could be doughnuts, banana cake, cheese cake, custard, fruit in syrup, or nuts.

Day 5
Again a wake up call and a light breakfast will start the day before the first dive. After a full breakfast and dive 2, lunch will be served as the boat returns to Chalong for disembarkation at 2 pm.

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[Information is best estimate in ideal circumstances and subject to changes beyond our control. The itinerary is a guide only and may be adapted to best suit the weather, tides, currents, availability and other prevailing events. Price is for the cruise, not for an exact number of dives].

There are 2 double bed, 2 triple (can be used as twin bed) and 2 quad bed en-suite (private bathroom) cabins on the lower deck of this Thai liveaboard.

All the cabins have: No. of bathrooms / showers - 8 / 8 - hot water

Crew comprises: Nitrox - Dive platform at sea level - 2 Motorised dinghies - Free buoyancy workshop - Air-conditioned saloon with video, music system, marine & general interest library - 150m² deck area for relaxation - Water dispenser

PADI certification courses available including Advanced Open Water Diver.

Customer reviews:

"Everything above expectations. The crew was a very, very smooth operating machine and extremely friendly and profesional but also personal! Would have been very cool to experience some sailing on The Junk." - Filippa, Sweden, 17 December 2023 ...

"Equipment was new, well-maintained and the service from the support crew was fantastic.The food was fantastic. The sleeping quarters/ bunks were o.k. Nothing glamorous but there was air con and everything we needed." - Hillary Brown, Scotland, 25 January 2017 ...

"Equipment worked very well. Was in good condition. Staff was Great. Very impressed. The "fintastic service" and back rubs following a dive were phenomenal. Facilities were good. Nice to have own shower and separate toilet. Nice rooms. Clean. Beds made daily and turndown service." - Curtis Ronning, Canada, 04 January 2017 ...

"The welcome briefing very precise. The liveaboard manager was on the boat before we took off to make sure all was good for the guests on board and only upon confirming, took off to start the journey.
Very diligent helpful crew. Always on time with schedule. Was impressed how the pickup time was perfectly on time before boarding the boat and the preciseness continued.
Awesome food. Always was so much, good balance of vegetables, fish, meat, fruit with mix of Thai and western dishes." - Shiila Takaoka, Hong Kong, 20 March 2013 ...

"Really professional guys, excellent guides! Boat crew is very good too, additional 'thanks' to cook Na. Rating would be excellent if the the price is lower. " - Anna Shtemberg, Russia, 13 February 2012 ...

"Excellent ambiance, strong emphasis on safety, professional, really tried their best. Not for free but good value for money." - Martin Aberg, Sweden, 1 February 2012 ...

"The crew of The Junk was very helpful, ran a great boat and was very knowledgable. They made the trip just amazing. " - Ori Ayalon, Israel, 23 January 2012 ...

"Unique well-kept liveaboard boat with friendly staff. Food was excellent. The divemasters were very personable and knowledgeable about the local sealife. Felt like I got very good value for the money. Would go again." - Drew Reese, USA, 4 January 2012 ...

"The operator was incredible. The boat was a one of a kind vessel which you should never pass up. The crew went out of their way to try and make sure we had everything we needed. Would definitely return to the ship in a heartbeat. I recommended this to all my friends and think some may be coming eventually. " - Oscar Prat, USA, 29 December 2011 ...

"We had an excellent time; best liveaboard we have ever been on. The diving was great; the divemasters were great and the boat staff was great too." - Michael Hayes, USA, 16 March 2011 ...

"Wonderful people and a great Thai liveaboard crew. Eager to please and help in any way they could. Very knowledgeable about the dive sites. They had the equipment there and on time. They just didn't have a wetsuit that would fit me. They were helpful." - Brandon Babcock, USA, 7 March 2011 ...

"The staff were excellent on the Junk. There was plenty of food. The dive guides were excellent. There were some passengers though that had the TV on from 6 am until 10 pm. They never turned the TV off. Maybe this should be mentioned in the initial dive brief that there are other customers onboard and not only them. A few customers did speak to the guides about this but they did not to seem to have any success with a big group of Americans! " - Karen Wellings, Saudi Arabia, 20 November 2010 ...

"Dive masters available at any moment and competence. Very good cooking, varied dishes. Kindness and availability of the boat crew." - Guy Raiwisque, France, 14 January 2009 ...

"Great divemasters, very professional and friendly, helpful and cheerful staff, great food. They took excellent care of another diver who had to be evacuated for decompression sickness on Day 2. That emergency medical situation was handled very professionally and calmly. Very nice, relaxed, friendly atmosphere on the boat, great video provided at the end of the tour." - Mia Hyun, USA, 1 February 2008 ...

"The dive boat was well organised with good briefings conducted before each dive explaining what we would expect to see. The food was good too! It was also a unique experience to be able to sail on a junk!!" - Vivian Fong, Singapore, 31 December 2007 ...

"The crew were all very professional, the atmosphere was relaxed and the facilities first class. The food was plentiful and very good, if anything too good as I ate too much. All in all a very good experience." - Mark Saunders, USA, 11 July 2007 ...

"We are talking about making this an annual trip, it was so good!" - Sharon Winders, UK, 1 April 2005 ...