As every year the Similan Islands close at 15th May due to unsafe weather and sea conditions and this year is no exception. The National Park will open on 15th October 2016. All tour operators stopped their boats for maintenance, accessing the park is now illegal and punishable by law. ...
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Parts of Similans closed due to Royal Visit between 23rd and 30th December 2015
Every year around end of December / beginning of January members of the Thai Royal Family pay a visit to the Similan Islands. During the royal visit parts of the islands are closed for the public for security reasons. The Royal Thai Navy is already present with one warship and ...
Read More »The Similan Islands are now open and will close on 15th May 2016
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 ...
Read More »New Rules & Regulations for 2015/16 Travel Season
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 ...
Read More »DNP To Tackle Park Fee Payment Situation
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 ...
Read More »Park Authorities and Royal Thai Navy to Strictly Enforce Rules & Regulations
In 2014/15 the Similans were visited by an average of 1,000 guests per day. In order to control the safety of the ever increasing numbers of visitors, the Royal Thai Navy is looking into strictly controlling daytrip and overnight boats heading towards the Similans from October on. Also a new ...
Read More »The Similans are now closed and will open on 15th October 2015
The national park authorities stick to middle of October for the 2015 season opening date of the Similan Islands. With the additional two weeks of opening time, the park rangers are aiming for an increase in visitor fees. The middle of October marks the end of the rainy season with ...
Read More »Similan National Park Entrance Fee Increases to 500,- THB on February 1st 2015
From Febraury the 1st, 2015 the Similan Entry Fee will increase from now 400,- Thai Baht to then 500,- Thai Baht. This park fee rise was planned long ago and in November 2014 already installed for a very short period of time. At that point many Similan tour companies complained ...
Read More »Amount of Scuba Diving Liveaboards on the Decline
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 ...
Read More »Many early-season Manta Ray & Whale Shark sightings
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 ...
Read More »Reports of dying Parrotfish and Redtooth Triggerfish
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, ...
Read More »Similan National Park is closed for Speedboat Traffic between 5th and 8th November
In the evening of the 3rd November a heavy storm hit the Similan Islands and again many Speedboat Captains ignored the weather warnings. This resulted in one speedboat beeing lost at sea for several hours in the night from the 3rd to the 4th November. The speedboat in question found ...
Read More »Similan Opening Update – The State of the Islands October 2014
The Mu Koh Similan Islands National Park has opened its gate for visitors on 15th October 2014. Every year a couple of tourguides come to inspect the islands and the reefs for a full assessment of underwater life and coral health. This year the inspectors found the reefs in better ...
Read More »National Park Authorities Stick To 15th October as Opening Date for 2014
As announced by the Thai National Parks authorities the opening date for the Mu Ko Similan National Park will be again on 15th October 2014 – if weather conditions allow. The park authorities stick to their new policy of officially opening the islands two weeks earlier than the actual travel ...
Read More »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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