Manta Queen 8 Liveaboard, Thailand

Name: Similan Islands – Koh Bon – Koh Tachai – Richelieu Rock – Boonsung Wreck (Khao Lak - Khao Lak)
Start: 2027-01-28
End: 2027-02-02
Location: Thailand

8.6 Fabulous

Nitrox available
Free Internet
En-Suite bathrooms
Aircon Cabins
Warm Water Showers

from $ 142 / day Check dates

“Seeing whale sharks, manta rays, great barracuda, and much more ticked all the boxes on what I wanted to see.”
Josh W, Australia

Highlights

Small dive groups with a maximum of 5 divers
Freshly cooked buffet-style meals
4 dives per day
Nitrox available on board

The latest addition to the Manta Queen Fleet, the Manta Queen 8 offers 6-day/5-night/19-dive trips to Similan and Surin Marine Parks, departing from Phuket. Trips depart early in the evening on the first day and start with a light dinner on board. The following 3 days include 4 dives a day and 1 night dive while exploring the Andaman Sea. The last day consists of 3 dives before check-out in the late afternoon. Dive groups are kept small to a maximum of 5 divers or less. Nitrox is available for an extra charge.

The Manta Queen 8 liveaboard accommodates up to 24 guests in 10 double or twin cabins. Each cabin has AC and private en-suite bathrooms. For relaxation, social areas include the indoor lounge with a TV and a large sun deck, a great place to relax between dives or enjoy a cold beer at the end of the day. Meals are freshly cooked, buffet-style at the open-air dining area, and snacks and fruit are served between dives.

The 9 experienced and knowledgeable crew and dive guides of the Manta Queen 8 are waiting to show you the beauty of the Andaman Sea. Book online today.

This boat is part of the Manta Queen Fleet.

Choose your departure date

Date

Itinerary

Price

Select

12 Nov

6 Days / 5 Nights

$ 949

FULL

19 Nov

6 Days / 5 Nights

$ 949

FULL

26 Nov

6 Days / 5 Nights

$ 949

Select Cabin available

03 Dec

6 Days / 5 Nights

$ 949

Select Cabin only 3 spaces left

10 Dec

6 Days / 5 Nights

$ 949

Select Cabin only 4 spaces left

17 Dec

6 Days / 5 Nights

$ 949

Select Cabin available

24 Dec

6 Days / 5 Nights

$ 949

Select Cabin only 5 spaces left

31 Dec

6 Days / 5 Nights

$ 949

Select Cabin available

07 Jan

6 Days / 5 Nights

$ 949

Select Cabin available

14 Jan

6 Days / 5 Nights

$ 949

Select Cabin available

21 Jan

6 Days / 5 Nights

$ 949

Select Cabin available

28 Jan

6 Days / 5 Nights

$ 949

Select Cabin available

Included: VAT, Airport Transfer, Hotel Transfer, Drinking Water, Soft drinks, Tea & Coffee, Full-Board Meal Plan (All meals), Snacks, Diving Package, Snorkel Gear, Cabin Towels, Complimentary Toiletries, WiFi internet.

Required Extras: National Park Fees (฿1,300-2,500 / trip).

Optional Extras: Gratuities, Nitrox (฿2,500-3,500 / trip), Nitrox Course (฿8,000), Private Dive Guide (฿3,500 / day), Rental Gear, Scuba Diving Courses (฿2,000-8,000).

Book now, pay later: You can easily place your booking online. We will then hold the spaces for you and you can confirm with a payment later.

* Extra fees are shown per person.

Pay by bank transfer or online with

Best Price Guaranteed

Boat features

Free Internet
En-Suite bathrooms
Aircon Cabins
Warm Water Showers
Air Conditioned saloon
Sun Deck
Seaview Cabins
Non-Smoking Rooms
Custom built for diving
Charging stations
Indoor Saloon
Outdoor Dining
Audio & video entertainment
Local & International Crew
Separate Rinse for u/w Camera
Outside Showers
Daily housekeeping

Food & Drinks

Vegan Options
Vegetarian Options
Full-board Option
Snacks All Day
Buffet style
Western Food
Local Food

If you have any specific dietary requirements whilst on-board your cruise, you can add this to your special requests on step 2 of the booking form. We advise limiting these requests to religious beliefs or food allergies.

Diving

Nitrox available
Shaded Diving Area
DIN Adaptors
Rinse Hoses
Dive deck

Languages Spoken

The crew speaks English, Dutch, German, Spanish, and Italian.

Gear Rental

Equipment is available for rent on this boat. Please provide your rental needs on the booking form. If the rental gear is not included in the price, you will need to pay for it on board the boat. Show prices

Drawings & Vessel Layouts

Cabin Types

Boat Specifications

Year renovated: 2017

Length: 28m

Beam: 7m

Max guests: 24

Number of cabins: 12

Number of bathrooms: 13

Boat navigation and safety

Radar
Depth Sounder
GPS
Radio VHF/DSC/SSB
Emergency Rafts
Life Vests
Fire Alarm & Fire Extinguishers
Oxygen
First Aid Kits
Fishfinder
Satellite & mobile phones
Bilge pump alarm
Search light
Crew trained in first aid
Emergency flares

Manta Queen 8 Reviews

8.6 Fabulous

Vessel

7.5
Crew

8.6
Food

9.4
Diving

8.8
Value

8.6

10 Exceptional
Patricia P
United States

Best dive trip in my 26 year history
I've been diving on liveaboards for 26 years, only on the other side of the globe. Our trip with Manta Queen 8 was by far our best trip ever. It was a 1st Class operation . Every comfort was well attended to from dining to comfort on the boat. The crew was always attentive and were incredibly helpful in every way to make our experience shine. We loved our dive guide - Penny. She is very competent, listened to our needs and hopes pre-dive and post dive, was very familiar with the sites, and in pointing out things that we might have missed. Max gave great pre-dive information and excelled managing 23 divers. We really enjoyed the schedule, and his and the team's professionalism in making all aspects of the trip easy for the divers. It was our first experience diving in Asia. Even though the travel there is extensive, we will definitely be back.
Recommended for
Incredible diving, dive guides, & safety. Crew was amazing & so helpful & friendly. From diving to general help, to attention for my dietary restrictions, you're a 1st class act!.
17 Feb, 2026

10 Exceptional
Loïc M
France

Too good, go there with your eyes closed!
The kindness and professionalism of the Thai crew and monos made for an unforgettable stay.The sites were beautiful, rich in flora and fauna.These few days spent with them were really great! Thanks to them
Recommended for
The crew and the diving staff. The perfect organization. The quality of the dive sites.
06 Feb, 2025

Translated from French

8.8 Fabulous
SARA C
Italy

AMAZING!!!
Amazing experience, great staff and wonderful diving! Loved every second of the trip!!!
Recommended for
Diving, staff, landscapes
27 May, 2019

10 Exceptional
Charlotte M
Belgium

Don’t miss Manta Queen 8!!
Exceptional live aboard ! Stunning dive sites, great guides who are really professional! The atmosphere on the boat was real fun and the staff & crew are so friendly, kind and helpful! The boat itself is beautiful and comfortable with lots of spots for sunbathing and chilling between dives! The food was delicious ! Highly recommend for a great adventure in the similan islands
Recommended for
Dive sites and guides. Staff, crew and group atmosphere. Food and comfort.
21 Mar, 2026

10 Exceptional
Juan A
Chile

100% recommend
I was part of a 3 people group guided by Chelsie. What a great guide. Cheerful and very calm and independent under water. Always gave us freedom but never stop worrying about while trying to show us amaizing creatures.
Recommended for
Beautiful divesites. Lovely people. Food.
31 Dec, 2025

9.2 Superb
Chantal L
Canada

An experience to do again
Richelieu Rock and the faboulus dives with the whale-shark, Thank you Thomas, we had a wonderful. It was our first time on a liveabord and we look foward to do this again. Thank you also to the two cooks that provide us with very appetizing meals
Recommended for
The dive guides, the creew helping on board, the dive sites
04 Jun, 2018

10 Exceptional
Kenton G
United States

10/10 will do again!
We had the best time. Diving was amazing with clear viz. Guides and boat staff was welcoming and helpful. The boat is not fancy but you are there to eat, sleep, dive, repeat!
Recommended for
Staff was amazing. Food was amazing. Diving was amazing.
21 Apr, 2026

10 Exceptional
Orlando R
India

If you haven’t done a liveaboard, this should be your first.
The sites were incredible and well selected. The interval between each dive and the whole trip in general was organised very well.
Recommended for
The Sites, The Dive Crew and The Food
02 Mar, 2020

9.6 Exceptional
ALAIN G
France

Top cruise in marine reserves
Cruise with 9 divers, very good weather from January 22 to 27, 2026, top sea condition, beautiful sites with lots of fauna and flora, good cabin boat n°1 comfort and very nice crew. Disembarkation on a paradisiacal beach in SIMILAN.Conclusion+++++ also for Liveaboard
Recommended for
Great dive sites with abundant life. Nice and available crew and very professional dive master (max). We recommend this 6n/5d cruise on the Manta Queen 8.
01 Feb, 2026

Translated from French

8.4 Very good
Josh W
Australia

Fantastic unforgettable experience, but a little pricey
Seeing whale sharks, manta rays, great barracuda, and much more ticked all the boxes on what I wanted to see.
Recommended for
Diving experiences, food, the people on board
03 Mar, 2020

80 reviews

8.6 Fabulous
80 Verified Reviews

Sort reviews by:

9.2 Superb
Matthias G
Germany

Great Trip on a nice boat with fabulous food
The 4 dives at Richelieu Rock The huge amount of super tasty food The knowledge of Mark, the boat leader, and the dive sites we visited The good quality of the rental gear The friendliness and helpfulness of the crew
Recommended for
Food, Friendly Crew, Amount of Dives
03 Dec, 2019

9.2 Superb
Macy N
Hong Kong

Eat Sleep and Dive
Safety is always the top priority, the team is taking care of everyone! Though it would be better to ask the preferred language before assigning people into groups instead of by nationality.
Recommended for
Friendly and helpful crews, professional dive guides
10 Dec, 2019

9.6 Exceptional
wenyue Z
China

Enjoy diving
19 dives in 5days with amazing crews and dive guides.
Recommended for
very nice food. very nice crew. very nice dive guide.
18 Dec, 2025

8.8 Fabulous
Oskar A
Sweden

Memories and friends for life!
Our liveaboard experience with MQ8 was overall very very good. Great diving in every way: dive masters, instructors, dive briefings and service from the boat-boys made the whole experience very smooth and felt luxurious for us that previously only have gone for day trips when diving. Getting to know the crew and your gear was very nice. We were lucky enough to see both Manta Ray and Reef Shark around Koh Bon/Koh Tachai. Marvellous aquatic life such as huge schools of jackfish and barracuda, and not to mention a palm sized sea horse at 30m depth at Richeliou Rock. We made memories and friends for life, so happy we did this. Great great great value for money! Love from Sweden!
Recommended for
Great diving, overall superb staff, comfy boat!
14 Feb, 2018

9.2 Superb
Mark K
Australia

A must do trip for all divers
Had a great time and saw a lot of life types for the first time. Trip was relaxing with everything looked after
Recommended for
Dive guide Tony. Made every dive great. Food was awesome, pretty sure I gained a couple if kg. Booking process was simple.
07 Jan, 2025

8.8 Fabulous
Oliver B
Germany

Great liveaboard
Very well organized liveaboard, with great crew, great cook and good dive guides. We would love to come back.
Recommended for
Dive sites. Crew. Essen.
21 Feb, 2026

Translated from German

9.2 Superb
Ginae L
United States

Great overall trip with professional dive crew
The variety of marine life was unparalleled. Our dive guide, Daniel, was incredible.
Recommended for
Dive guide, marine life, value for money
27 Feb, 2020

9.2 Superb
Karl Dick L
Sweden

Bra tur
Fin grotta 😀 fantastiskt mat
Recommended for
Personalen, kocken, vädret
03 Jan, 2024

10 Exceptional
Simon G
United Kingdom

Great boat, crew and entire dive experience!
Richelieu rock and then the unexpected whale shark on the wreck dive.
Recommended for
The crew support, the diving and the guide team
30 Nov, 2019

8.8 Fabulous
Sophie H
Austria

Great Dive Site and super friendly staff
the dive at richeleu rock
Recommended for
divesites, food, people
23 Nov, 2019

8.0 Very good
Vivek V
India

One week of blissfulness
It was an enjoyable trip with the crew. Rooms were a little cramped but very clean overall. Variety of food was commendable & my vegetarian diet was taken care of. Dive sites are simple and all about small fish. Overall a happy ending
Recommended for
Young energetic divemasters. Quality of crew. Fresh food & ice cream.
07 Mar, 2026

8.8 Fabulous
Danny C
United States

Great dive sites!
Lot's of colorful coral.
Recommended for
Friday crew. Great food. Awesome trip.
18 Dec, 2022

8.4 Very good
Thomas F
Australia

Budget friendly option with some hidden gems
Fun and laid back trip on the Manta Queen 8. Dive sites of good quality but how much you will see and what you will get out of it depends on your dive guide. On our boat there was a mix, some very experienced and excellent at pointing things out, others less so. This is the only reason for giving the diving 3 stars. On some dives, some of the guides seemed unfamiliar with the site or just disinterested. Whilst others were incredibly switched on taking the time to ensure their divers saw the best stuff. Can’t knock the food on the boat tho, it was incredible! During our trip mix of weather and conditions but the team always worked hard to find safe solutions so we could keep diving. Thai crew were also amazing, often going above and beyond. At the end of the trip there is a tip box for the crew, recommend getting cash out for this as you will want to tip for their good service. The boat is dated but I think the affordability of the price fairly reflects this. Dive sites were all of a pretty good quality. Obviously over 19 dives some varied from “meh” to “Amazing!!”. If you are a coral lover heaps to see. Saw a range of marine life over the trip. Were not officially in whale shark on manta season so none saw. Some current and surge, may be tough for beginner divers but nothing obscene. Visibility was also good considering the amount of rain. Recomend staying closer to the dive shop than farther away. The transit is arranged but is a minivan so will pick up others along the way. The further you are away the longer this will probably take.
Recommended for
Affordable. Great food. Good dive sites.
06 Nov, 2024

9.6 Exceptional
Ross G
Ireland

Best experience I've had so far in my life.
Mark and his team were very professional. Wake up call was followed by a detailed brief of what each dive entailed(this calmed my nerves each morning as I was relatively new to diving). The staff were there to help us on with all our gear and make sure we were all safe and secure. We saw a whale shark and manta ray on our trip including countless fish and sea creatures. Already looking forward to my next liveaboard.
Recommended for
This was my first liveaboard trip and hopefully plenty mpre to come. Although I have nothing to compare it to - staff, facilities and diving were amazing.
18 Jan, 2019

10 Exceptional
Stuart H
United Kingdom

Top Dive Trip on Manta Queen 8
A nice variety of dive sites, good food, and a very friendly bunch of divers from across the world.
Recommended for
The boat crew for there support, and the food from the kitchen was really good. The dive guides and Chelsea for managing the dive itinerary. Lovely dive sites.
27 Apr, 2026

8.8 Fabulous
Brian H
Ireland

I'd rather Jacks than Fleetwood Mack.
It was a very positive experience overall, my wife's first time to do a liveaboard and she loved it! Difficult to pick a single highlight, but perhaps an example will serve. 3 days ago was our first dive at 6:00 on the underwater pinnacle of Richelieu Rock, full of beautiful madness in all directions. Like ballet, as I explained to Miyuki, except there's no music, no choreography and the dancers try to eat each other. We returned to the boat in a blaring sunrise, had a bit of a dance with our kitchen staff friends and went and had some bacon and eggs. I would revise my general opinion of mornings if this were a more regular occurrence. The night dive with blacktip sharks was also church, moved Miyuki to tears. Then you end each day sitting around with convivial people, talking about your dives and this that and the other- a wonderful way to spend a week.
Recommended for
Smoothness of organization, which includes the family atmosphere of respect and fun amongst all staff. Sociable multi-cultural group of fellow divers, nobody excluded. Great dives, especially Richelieu!.
29 Mar, 2025

9.2 Superb
Sebastian V
Thailand

Great crew and diving
Great trip with excellent diving. The crew were kind and attentive with our equipment and knew our specific requirements. Weather was good the whole trip and had ample time to recover between dives. Dive deck became a little crowded and the dinghy broke halfway through the trip which resulted in long surface swims. Other than that was a great trip.
Recommended for
The service of boatcrew and DMs. Dive sites. Value for money.
10 Jan, 2026

8.8 Fabulous
Joram V
Netherlands

Great course and super crew with a whale shark on our second last dive🙏👌
Whale shark, richelieu rock, food, good ship, Surin Islands, fantastic and super professional crew
Recommended for
Whale shark, food, staff
23 Nov, 2019

8.8 Fabulous
ben N
United Kingdom

Great trip, would have happily done another week...
Had a fantastic 6 days aboard the Manta Queen 8, took a while to choose the boat but was worth the time taken. The crew and dive guides made a big effort to make the trip an enjoyable experience, and this was helped by the amazing dive sites, the stand out being Richelieu Rock - I don't think I've seen such an abundance of marine life in one area, 3 dives wasn't enough! We were lucky to have Eti as our guide for the week and his ability to find the small stuff was outstanding, if you're a keen micro photographer, he's your man! The whole crew were friendly and helpfull throughout the entire trip, especially with helping kit up and getting in the Ribs, and the Nitrox was always a constant 31-32%. We had a full boat of 24 divers plus 6 guides and this did make the dive deck a bit busy pre and post dive, but this is more to do with peoples awareness of how to not get in other peoples way, the only other niggle was the beds had a plastic cover on the mattress under the sheet, which is fine for hygiene and cleaning, but did make them a bit sweaty. If your thinking about a Liveaboard in Thailand this is one I'd recommend, you'd be hard pushed not to enjoy it, and at no point did we run out of beer....
Recommended for
Richelieu Rock. Dive guides & Crew. Range of sea life - Sharks to Seahorses.
04 Mar, 2026