Smiling Seahorse, Thailand
9.1 Superb - Nitrox available
- En-Suite bathrooms
- Family Cabins
“The dive safari with The Smiling Seahorse was a fantastic experience, offering great value for money without unnecessary frills. ”
Highlights
Newly built for 2018, the Smiling Seahorse liveaboard offers fantastic dive trips to Thailand and Myanmar. The 3-night 'Best of Thailand' trip showcases some of the best dive areas in the Andaman Sea, including the Surin Islands, Richelieu Rock, Koh Tahcai & Koh Bon. The Myanmar dive trips are a fantastic way to explore this newly opened dive area and to get up close with manta rays, eagle rays, mobula rays, leopard sharks and cool macro critters such as frogfish, seahorses, and pipefish. The spacious dive deck at the back of the boat allows ample room for kitting up and gear storage and a dedicated photography room.
The Smiling Seahorse is 25m long and accommodates 16 divers over 4 decks. On the upper deck are 2 standard cabins with one double or two single beds and shared bathrooms. The 4 deluxe and 2 master cabins on the main deck have en-suite bathrooms, and all cabins feature air-conditioning. There is also an open-air dining room, a huge sun deck, and a camera station for photographers.
The experienced and professional crew of the Smiling Seahorse liveaboard offers a warm welcome. Book online today to reserve your space.
Choose your departure date
Included: VAT, Drinking Water, Soft drinks, Tea & Coffee, Beach BBQ, Full-Board Meal Plan (All meals), Snacks, Diving Package, Kayaks, Cabin Towels, Deck Towels.
Required Extras: National Park Fees ($30-300 / trip).
Optional Extras: Gratuities (฿1,000 / day), Airport Transfer, Hotel Transfer, Alcoholic Beverages, Nitrox (฿2,400-5,700 / package), Nitrox Course (฿6,000-8,000 / activity), Private Dive Guide (฿4,000 / day), Rental Gear, Scuba Diving Courses, Land Excursions, Snorkel Gear.
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
Drawings & Vessel Layouts
Cabin Types
Smiling Seahorse Reviews
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- 9.1 Superb
- Vessel 8.9
- Crew 8.8
- Food 9.8
- Diving 9.4
- Value 8.8
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- 10 Exceptional
- Wendy H
-
United Kingdom
Fabulous trip with great team
Seeing a manta ray. Relaxed atmosphere. Good group pairings.
- Recommended for
- Organised. Clean boat. Crew
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- 9.6 Exceptional
- Ingrid G
-
Austria
We liked it very much
I can only recommend the Smilling Seahorse to everyone, we didn't miss anything. the boat is well organized, the crew very friendly and very helpful
- Recommended for
- small groups (only 4 divers per guide), lots of space, great crew
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- 9.6 Exceptional
- Matthias K
-
Germany
It is just perfect !
Diving, Eating, Relaxing and that 4 times a day 😎
- Recommended for
- Dive sites, Crew and the Food
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- 9.6 Exceptional
- Sebastian S
- Germany
Great experience
I can highly recommend the smiling seahorse. First and foremost, the entire crew is highly professional in all aspects of the operation. Briefings, operational procedures, tidinesses on the dive deck, execution of the dives and pick up back to the boat, all are done in a way to guarantee the utmost safety and comfort for the guests. I’ve been diving for more than 20 years and this has been one of the top operators I’ve had the pleasure to dive with. I can’t stress this enough: safe diving is the basis of a happy trip! Then there is the boat itself and the food: cabins were comfy, AC was very good (though it was also possible to sleep with the window open, which was very nice), the decks are set up really well, and the food was very good. Finally, and most importantly: the crew, from the deck hand to the dive leader, all were extremely friendly, approachable, and concerned with the safety, comfort and well-being of the guests. Thank you very much for making this a great trip!!
- Recommended for
- Professionalism, Friendliness, Cleanliness
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- 9.2 Superb
- Michael K
-
Israel
Great boat for diving enthusiasts
Fantastic dives.
- Recommended for
- Diving. Diving. Diving.
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- 9.6 Exceptional
- Robert V
-
United States
Amazing experience.
We booked the photography expedition in the Similan National Park with the Smiling Seahorse. The boat is a 3 deck dive boat with functional cabins, a mess hall, and a perfect setup room for underwater photography and general rec diving. The boat owner and leader Frank is also a photographer. He is a super friendly and fun person to be around. He was very engaged in the day-to-day activities, and his excitement about the diving and photo opportunities was contagious. He also went out of his way to give us tips about underwater photography, which were greatly appreciated. He is an amazing photographer and his presentations were engaging and informative. Our guide, James, was equally top notch, and easily one of the best dive guides we’ve had in our diving history. He was safety conscious, highly skilled, and we learned so much from him about the reef sites we were visiting, including the sea life, and tips for safe diving in general. The supporting crew was equally amazing, ensuring tank fills and gear were setup, and the meals were good. Everything was well planned out so it never felt too crowded onboard despite full capacity. What you don’t easily see is all the work the crew is doing behind the scenes to make the liveaboard the most enjoyable experience. The dive sites themselves were fantastic, with healthy reefs, corals and fish, and the dive operation is very conscious of protecting the reef. The blackwater dive was incredible and unique , and each dive site provided great variety. This was one of the best diving trips I’ve done, hands down, and the crew and boat deserve the highest praise. We will be back soon!
- Recommended for
- Friendly and accommodating crew, great dive sites, great photography room
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- 8.4 Very good
- Monica R
-
Spain
Great week aboard the Smiling Seahorse
We spent a fantastic week aboard the Smiling Seahorse diving in Myanmar waters. It is an exclusive diving area, as there are no other dive boats around, although there are fishing boats. The life we found was mostly small: many moray eels, nudis, crabs... and also an ocean blanket! I especially liked that both the briefings and the diving were done with your guide in groups of a maximum of 4 people. The boat is comfortable; The cabins are small but with enough space. All the guides and crew did their best to make us enjoy ourselves and make us feel comfortable and safe. As an experience unlike any other life on board, we were given the option to try blackwater diving and I loved it!
- Recommended for
- Our guide. Small groups. No one else diving around.
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- 9.2 Superb
- Anon
-
Poland
Fantastic !
My diving cruise with The Smiling Seahorse was absolutely fantastic from start to finish. Everything was extremely well organized and seamless, making the entire vacation completely stress-free and enjoyable. The crew was exceptional — professional, friendly, attentive, and always making sure everyone felt comfortable and safe. The food was amazing throughout the trip, with great variety and quality at every meal. The boat itself is excellent: very comfortable, well maintained, and thoughtfully designed for divers. The cabins are spacious and comfortable, and the common areas are very well organized, giving everyone plenty of space to relax between dives. What truly made the experience unforgettable was the incredible selection of dive spots. Every dive offered something special, with beautiful marine life, stunning coral reefs, and perfectly planned itineraries. Overall, this was a full enjoyment vacation and one of the best liveaboard experiences I’ve had. I highly recommend The Smiling Seahorse to anyone looking for a perfectly organized diving adventure with a fantastic crew and unforgettable diving.
- Recommended for
- Crew. Dive sites. Food.
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- 8.8 Fabulous
- Matteo A
-
Italy
Best way to go diving in the Mergui Archipelago and the Burma Banks , hands down.
The trip was logistically setup in a very clever way. Each and every day there were highlights and surprises to be discovered. I experienced my first two Blackdives after almost 3 decades of recreational diving and it was mind-blowing. Frank and his team work very hard let the clients enjoy the cruise, and, last but not least , the security was considered paramount every time.
- Recommended for
- Diving guides, Blackdives and laid back atmosphere
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- 9.6 Exceptional
- brice L
-
France
Great liveaboard in a region few other boats venture into.
I just spent 8 days onboard the Smiling Seahorse in the Mergui Archipelago (Myanmar). Franck & Camille run a top-notch operation here. The new boat (2nd season in the water) was designed and built by them, and they've done a brilliant job with the layout and all the little details that are important for us divers. She is a beauty! The cabins are comfortable with plenty of power sockets and storage space, and with a silent AC unit and ensuite bathroom/toilet (I stayed in a Deluxe Cabin). The sundeck is huge, shaded and great to relax on, as well as the upper deck that has plenty of tables and sofas. The fridges and bar area are always stocked with drinks, snacks and freshly brewed coffee. The main deck has a really well designed and spacious dive deck, making it super comfortable to gear up before and after each dives. There's a really big photo room for all the camera gear, with lots of power sockets. That's also where the kitchen and chef is located. The food on the boat is really delicious, varied and plentiful. To top it all up, the way the diving and dive groups are organized is perfect: first, you can do 4 dives a day, every single day. This means a night dive every day! I've never had that on any other liveaboards. And the dive groups are always small: maximum 4 divers per guide. On this trip we were only 9 clients so most groups were 2 divers per guide, and every group usually jumps in the water with enough intervals so you don't even meet on the dive sites. I believe this really is a great set-up: relaxed, intimate, personalized diving. You feel like you have the whole ocean to yourself (very few other liveaboards come to these waters). Franck and the guides (all instructors) are all super nice, warm and fun to hang with, and they are also very experienced, serious and knowledgeable divers/guides. There's a great vibe on the boat. All the dives are the regular 50bar and/or 50-60minutes. The local crew members and tenders are all super cool and very good at their jobs: the gear is always well taken care of, the tanks and Nitrox blending always spot on, the boat always drops you at the right spot to find the dive site, and all the decks are always clean and tidy. Now the diving: first we were quite unlucky this week with some pretty bad viz (usually 5 to 10 meters). Second, even though the archipelago is a no-fishing zone, this is not enforced at all and there are a lot of small fishing boats everywhere and on all the dive sites (nets, cages, lines). Despite that, the quantity of life on most sites is pretty amazing: incredibly healthy and thriving corals, countless reef fish, big schools of barracudas, trevallies, Jacks, etc.. We saw a lot of critters (nudibranchs, shrimps, crabs, seahorses....) as well as quite a lot of massive marble rays and stingrays. The topography at most sites we went to is breathtaking: dramatic pinnacles and walls, gorgeous coral gardens, boulder fields, swim-throughs and small caves. I can only imagine how incredible these sites would be with a better viz (that you do get!). Probably due to the combined bad viz and over-fishing, we didn't see many sharks or turtles, and no mantas (but they were spotted on multiple dives the week before us). But still, the diving was great and I can only recommend the Smiling Seahorse and the Mergui Archipelago! I will be back!
- Recommended for
- The boat, the crew, the diving
