Shark Diving in Thailand: Swim with the Sharks

The best spots for diving with sharks, whale sharks and manta rays in Thailand. 

Thailand is a world diving mecca. Recently, sharks have become a popular subject (is it "shark week" again?), and now there are places where you can dive with them and see them up close. Thailand has many amazing places for shark diving, and here is a review of the best five.

The Surin Islands National Park
The five Surin islands of Thailand are on the edge of the Andaman Sea. These islands are uninhabited and house pristine reefs and jungles. You can fly into Phuket and take a tour from there to the Surin Islands. Alternatively, the bus from Bangkok takes 12 hours to Ranong, then you need to hire local transport to the Surin Islands National Park. Keep in mind, while this is the most beautiful spot on the earth, it is also very much untouched by human hands, which means few modern conveniences. The roads are unpaved and the islands have no electricity. If you can handle this for a few days, you'll see the most amazing sites of your life.

Basic 3-day snorkeling tours run about $300. For about $600 (roughly converted from Thai Baht), you can book a scuba diving session at Ao Tao with baby blacktip sharks, whale sharks, giant manta rays and sea turtles. You can also book boat tours around the Surin and the Similian Islands and see the whale sharks from above water. Most boat yours are $50 to $100 for a whole day.

Phi Phi Island National Park
Leopard Sharks and Guitar Sharks are among the rare species of sharks you can see at Phi Phi Island (aka Koh Phi Phi) near Phuket. Here too it's the Andaman Sea, which offers up some of the best sharking sites in the region. Phi Phi is much easier to reach, only a few miles from Phuket. You can fly into Phuket and take a local shark tour to Phi Phi Island. These tours are numerous, and every hotel in Phuket has fliers and information on diving excursions. Night diving is also popular in this area, provided you have the right guide and take safety precautions. Check to see if your guide is a TAT registered tour company.

Ko Tao
This island in the Gulf of Thailand is known as a popular starting place for beginning divers. The island is teeming with dive schools and instructors. You won't find as many turtles or mantas here, but there have been a lot shark sightings. Whale sharks and blacktips are often spotted here at Chumphon Pinaccle. The prices are cheaper here, under $200 for beginner lessons, and it's only an hour from the Ko Samui airport or from the Chumphon rail station.

Siam Ocean World  (photos to right, and very top)
Dive with sharks in the Siam Ocean World Aquarium at Siam Paragon in Bangkok. Planet Scuba sponsors both experienced and first-time beginner dive sessions. The cost for either is about $198. You can dive and swim with leopard sharks, giant nurse sharks, blacktip sharks, manta rays and other fascinating fish. The program lasts 4 hours. There is an hour and a half of diving lessons and basic safety instructions, then you will dive in an exotic fish aquarium. Finally, you swim with the sharks. You take a glass-bottom boat out onto the surface of the shark tank, then plunge into the water from the boat. You may not take cameras, but a photo will be taken by the staff for your souvenir.

If you're happier to just watch the sharks from dry land, Bangkok's Siam Ocean World has an underwater tunnel and viewing areas to see the sharks from a safe distance. Entrance is only $18 and will also give you access to other tanks to view hundreds of tropical marine species.

Underwater World Pattaya
Just 2 hour by bus from Bangkok, and you'll find Pattaya and its many beaches. These beaches are filled with sunbathers and swimmers, and there are a few snorkeling tours here. There is also a coral reef diving center. However, the best sharks here are at Underwater World Pattaya, an aquarium right in the heart of the town. Admission is about $14 to view from the glass tunnels.

You can dive with sharks and rays for about $150, and this also allows you to swim with dolphins! It's an all day excursion.

So there you have it. Sharking and diving can be fun in Thailand, and there's plenty of it.