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Liveaboard Diving in Koh Tachai

What To Expect On A Koh Tachai Liveaboard

Liveaboards to Koh Tachai usually visit this area on a Similan Islands itinerary on theri way to Richelieu Rock. It's only 12 square kilometers in size and located on the northwest of Similan Islands National Park, it actually lies between the Similan and Surin Islands. An idyllic location in the Andaman Sea, this small uninhabited island is formed of lush rainforest, stunning white sandy beaches and crystal clear waters. Relatively untouched Koh Tachai is still unspoilt and worth the visit on your liveaboard dive cruise. Below the surface, some other visitors include whale sharks, manta rays, leopard sharks and Napoleon wrasse to name just a few. The waters around the island are quite shallow towards the shore then drops off suddenly to depths of 70 metres. Acting like a barrier, these drop offs protect the island and the rich waters around it offer excellent snorkeling.

What You Can See

There are two great dive sites at Koh Tachai, the plateau to the south and the eastern reef. Off the eastern coast, the sheltered shallower waters make for good night dives. Most liveaboards will moor here for the night.

Koh Tachai plateau, about 1km south east of the island, is so named because it is ringed by a ridge like coral plateau crowned with hard corals, gorgonian sea fans line the scattered boulders, sloping from 12 - 35 m to the sandy bottom where leopard and nurse sharks lie peacefully undisturbed. Groups of snapper lurking on the top ledges, octopus hiding amongst the corals, under which red banded cleaner shrimp work tirelessly. It is best to pay close attention to the divemaster's brief as this site can be challenging at times although the swim-throughs provide shelter from the strong currents. There is a descent line from a buoy on the south side, helping the diver to descend in sometimes strong surface currents. This site is for the more experienced diver. Towards the end of the dive, you may see coral eating Hawksbill turtles, groups of batfish or even the banded sea snake lurking near the mooring line upon your ascent. Keep an eye out for the odd Napoleon wrasse patrolling the area.

Koh Tachai pinnacle is usually done as a drift dive and here the currents bring high levels of plankton, during the months of February - April, and in turn the larger pelagics feeding on them such as the Manta Ray and Whale Shark. The strong currents enable the barracudas, trevallies and sharks to hunt easily for smaller prey. Early morning dives can waken you up from your slumber quite quickly as it can sometimes be a feeding frenzy and you may not know where to look there are so many fish. Visibility varies on the month and the amount of plankton in the water, between 10-30m. If the larger pelagics are not on show then be on the lookout for the macro life. Small frogfish and nudibranch are known to grace these waters.

An impressive underwater topography mixed with a diverse marine life make Koh Tachai a must for Surin or Similan cruises.

Getting There

The best way to get to Koh Tachai is on a Thailand liveaboard trip to the Similan or Surin Islands, which will depart from either Phuket or Khao Lak. Further from Phuket than from Khao Lak, (200 km north of Phuket and 80 km northwest of Khao Lak), it is worth checking what port you prefer to depart from. Khao Lak is about 100km north of Phuket and can be reached overland. Please check your itinerary before purchasing flight tickets. There are international flights into Phuket and / or domestic flights from Bangkok to Phuket. Reachable from Khao Lak in one hour you may find other day boats in the area.

Koh Tachai Diving Reviews

9.0 Superb
121 Verified Reviews

9.6 Exceptional
Simon V
Belgium

Really nice diving, beautiful reefs

Diving Koh Tachai in December on the The Junk

9.6 Exceptional
Guan Jie O
Singapore

Prefer exploring the pinnacle more as I feel the reef area has less to offer. Pretty good in general.

Diving Koh Tachai in December on the Genesis I

9.2 Superb
Kerstin L
Sweden

The Dome was visited three times and every time it was different things to see. Good experience!

Diving Koh Tachai in November on the Manta Queen 1

9.2 Superb
Ozlem I
United Kingdom

It was little bit difficult with current but I believed I improved my skills as well. They know what they are doing it ... our instructors are very good.

Diving Koh Tachai in November on the Manta Queen 3

9.6 Exceptional
Raven J
United States

Excellent. We got to see a giant manta, schools of barracuda, and a school of mating parrot fish.

Diving Koh Tachai in November on the Deep Andaman Queen

8.8 Fabulous
Scott H
Switzerland

Water warm and visibility was very good. Many dive boats are around at the same time which does detract from the great dive location.

Diving Koh Tachai in December on the White Manta Thailand

9.2 Superb
Thomas M
South Korea

Good manta spotting, excellent visbility

Diving Koh Tachai in February on the White Manta Thailand

8.0 Very good
Leila H
Switzerland

Very nice, but challenging with rather strong current

Diving Koh Tachai in November on the Oktavia

9.6 Exceptional
Giorgio B
Italy

The second best spot, where we spent two dives, totally worth. Comparing to Richelieu Rock, that’s more suitable for big fishes. A wonderful Manta Ray spotted from very close.

Diving Koh Tachai in November on the Deep Andaman Queen

9.6 Exceptional
Won Jeung L
South Korea

Sometimes strong current and surge, but that made the diving more interesting. FIsh and human struggling at the same time.

Diving Koh Tachai in November on the Sawasdee Fasai

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Liveaboard Diving in Koh Tachai

What To Expect On A Koh Tachai Liveaboard

What You Can See

Getting There

Koh Tachai Diving Reviews

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