Official announcements of the Department of National Parks and other news and reports about visiting and diving the Similan Islands.

News

The Similan Islands are now open and will close on 15th May 2016

Similan Islands re open

Today the Similan Islands National Park re-opened its gates for visitors until 15th May 2016. The first daytours have departed this morning to the Similans and later this evening the first scuba diving liveaboards will depart to the Similan Archipelago. Most other operators will assume operations beginning of next week ...

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New Rules & Regulations for 2015/16 Travel Season

Similan rules Oct 2015

On 6th of October the Similan National Park Head Office in Thap Lamu has announced the new rules & operating regulations for the upcoming 2015/17 season. Also new strict operating and monitoring regulations for Similan tour operators have been introduced by the Park Authorities. The main beaches are beeing divided ...

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DNP To Tackle Park Fee Payment Situation

Visitor Center on Koh Miang

In the past the tour operators were responsible for the park fee payment of their guests. Up to now it is the responsibilty of the tour operator to collect the park fees from the tourists and pay them to the rangers on the islands once the boat arrives. This arrangement ...

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Amount of Scuba Diving Liveaboards on the Decline

A rare sight: budget liveaboards in the Similan Islands

For the first season since the Tsunami 2004, the numbers of scuba diving liveaboard trips and the overall total number of divers visiting the Similan Marine Park are on the decline. Daily observations of scuba diving vessels have indicated a total decline of about 30% compared to January 2014 in ...

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Many early-season Manta Ray & Whale Shark sightings

Manta Ray at Koh Bon

Since middle of october manta rays and whale sharks are romping in the waters around the Similan Islands. Marine megafauna sightings in october aren’t unusual, but in the past years the big fish left the similans for November and returned back in the middle of January. This November although has ...

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Reports of dying Parrotfish and Redtooth Triggerfish

parrotfish abundance similan islands

In the last couple of weeks, several reports of dead triggerfish species as well as parrotfish occured. Dive masters and snorkel guides reported several individuals dead on the beaches as well as on most of the snorkel- and dive sites. Only a few species, and all of them very abundant, ...

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Similan National Park Will Re Open on 15th October 2013

The Director of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Conservation, Manopat Haueungkaew, has announced that this years National Park opening date will be shifted to the 15th October 2013 to give the tourists two more weeks to visit the Similan Islands. The director expressed his hopes to gain more ...

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