MV Sawasdee Fasai

MV Sawasdee Fasai is an impressive steel-hulled Thailand liveaboard yacht taking up to 30 divers as it cruises the waters of the Andaman Sea, cruising the Similan Islands, Richelieu Rock and Khao Lak.

At just under 37 metres in length, she is one of the largest steel-hulled liveaboards in Thailand. Despite being a large boat, most diving is done from the very spacious dive deck, although there are 2 tenders on hand when necessary. The MV Sawasdee Fasai is now also equipped with free enriched air nitrox, so that suitably qualified divers can make use of this feature, very useful at some of Thailand's deeper sites.

As you might expect of a liveaboard of this size, there is ample space on board and with 4 decks you can always find a spot to yourself. The large, air-conditioned saloon is where most guests spend their time enjoying the TV, DVD, music system, computer and extensive scuba diving and reference library, well stocked in both English and Japanese.

There are 4 categories of cabin to choose from, the majority being on the middle deck and therefore commanding impressive views over the glinting ocean. The Master cabins (suite) boast excellent views over the front and side of the boat.

MV Sawasdee Fasai runs 4 night dive trips to the Similan Islands so if you are looking for a short Thailand liveaboard on a sturdy and impressive boat with excellent communal facilities then look no further.

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Dive experience: Just an open water license is required to join these Similan liveaboard trips.

Cruise price per person includes: Cabin accommodation with air-conditioning, breakfast, lunch, dinner, drinking water, hot drinks, nitrox fills for enriched air certified divers (it must be ordered in advance), return transfers to/from the boat from Phuket or Khao Lak areas, dives (as detailed in the trips above), experienced English-speaking divemaster(s) (4-5 divers per DM), tanks, weights and weightbelts, travel accident insurance, all taxes.

Cruise price per person excludes (mandatory, unless customer provides own): Scuba equipment (US$ 15 per day), Similan and Surin park fees at approximately US$ 6 per day, with an entry fee of US$ 15 per park. Unless otherwise stated, all the listed items need to be paid on arrival (cash or credit card).

Optional extras: Alcoholic drinks, soft drinks, torch, dive computer, 15 ltr tanks available for rent US$ 9 per day), dive insurance. 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: The MV Sawasdee Fasai liveaboard departs at 20:30 hrs from Khao Lak, after boarding at 19:30 hrs. There is a minibus transfer to the boat - from Phuket: 16:30-18:30 hrs / from Khao Lak: 19-19:30 hrs. The last dive of the trip will be at around 10:00 hrs, and the boat arrives back in Khao Lak at 14:00 hrs. The transfer arrives back in Phuket about 16:00 hrs. Please wait at least 18 hours before flying after diving. For details, including airlines, on how to get to Phuket, see our Thailand travel information section.

Non-diver rate: Approximately US$ 88 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 the non diver price.

Dive clubs and group discounts: See whole boat charter rate below.

Whole boat charter rate (per night): US$ 6,862.

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

Day 1
Mv Sawasdee Fasai departs from Tab Lamu pier in Khao Lak after all the guests have been transferred from hotels around Phuket, Khao Lak or Phuket International Airport, and are on board. 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 unusual and interesting marine life. Up to 4 dives a day will leave you with a better knowledge of the marvels that lie in this marine park.
Just breaking the surface at low tide, Richelieu Rock is probably your best chance to encounter a whale shark. Eagle and manta rays are also common visitors during the diving season. Your guides will probably plan more than one dive at this unforgettable site. Huge schools of trevallies and barracuda cruise in the currents, and many tiny species such as frogfish, ghost pipefish and seahorses hide in the cracks and crevices.
The boat has a lounge with audio-visual entertainment and dining area where delicious food is served throughout the cruise. You will very soon get used to the daily routine that includes a pre-breakfast before the 1st dive, an American breakfast when you surface, then lunch after the 2nd morning dive. Every day you will find different snacks after the 3rd dive to provide energy for the 4th (night) dive that is scheduled before dinner. Main meals are an exciting mixture of western and local Thai cuisine that caters for all tastes and also includes vegetarian options.

Day 5
Diving is not over yet: 2 dives at Koh Bon and/or the Bunsoong Wreck that near Khao Lak before returning to Tab lamu pier. A transfer by minibus will take you back to Phuket.

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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].

The lower deck has 4 Standard cabins with twin beds that can be converted to a Queen size bed. There are also 4 Budget cabins with twin bunk beds (2 cabins on lower deck with portholes and 2 cabins on upper deck). The main deck has 5 Deluxe cabins with twin bunk beds and bay windows. Finally there are 2 double bed Master Suites with front and bay windows on the main deck. All cabins have ensuite bathrooms, except Budget cabins which share a bathroom.

The Master Suites have a private toilet, hot water shower, and an additional TV and video player, refrigerator and minibar.

All the cabins have:

No. of bathrooms / showers - 12 / 14 - hot water

Crew comprises: Motorised dinghies - 40m² dive deck and platform with toilets and hot water showers - camera table and rinse tank - 82m² air-conditioned saloon/dining room with TV, video, video projector, music system, computer, printer, CD burner, movie library, fish ID and diving books, games and general book library - 74m² outdoor shaded area - 104m² sundeck with sun chairs and matresses

This Similan liveaboard provides a menu which mixes local and international cuisine cooked fresh daily. There is a pre-breakfast before dive number 1 followed by breakfast, lunch and dinner. This operator understands that snacks and cookies are provided between meals to stave off any hunger pangs.

• Thai, Italian, Japanese, international and barbecue dinners, lunch and breakfast.
• Buffet service in the upper deck saloon - choose from 4 main dishes per meal.
• All dietary requirements can be catered for - please send prior notice.
• Cruise dining service begins on the first day with a light evening meal.
• Operator rates their dining as good quality and second most important aspect of liveaboard cruise.
• Coffee, tea, drinking water, fruit, biscuits are provided free of charge.
• Beer, wine, fruit juice, iced tea and iced coffee are available for purchase.

Customer reviews:

"Overall, organization and logistics from Dive The World were excellent, dive masters and boat crew were very good. The vessel and cabin were good too, Diving can only continue if the sea and its inhabitants are being safeguarded. On our trip, there wasn't much attention towards nature and ecology. I saw several divers kicking and damaging coral and this was not addressed in the briefing by the diver masters." - Warnder Meijer, Hong Kong SAR, 17 February 2023 ...

"Too many things to mention here were bad and some even dangerous." - Camilla Carstens, Denmark, 23 March 2022 ...

"Beto and his staff where awesome!!!! from the time we got on the boat, until we left the boat! Great not only diving but the food and multicultural experience was second to none plus we formed multiple friendship that have been communicating with almost everyday since since completing the dive trip!" - Joel Bachman, USA, 17 January 2019 ...