| > | | | | famous Shark Point and King Cruiser Wrecks, are |
| Phuket offers some of South East Asia's finest dive | | | | widely acknowledged as being the best dive sites in |
| sites, and every year large numbers of scuba divers | | | | the Phuket region. The waters around in and around |
| travel to Phuket to sample the stunning underwater | | | | Ao Phang-Nga are notable for the profusion of |
| scenery, marine life and clear waters which are so | | | | marine life, offering divers access to a range of |
| typical of the diving in Phuket. | | | | marine life and coral which is unrivalled elsewhere in |
| Located on the western coast of the Thailand | | | | Phuket. |
| Peninsula, with its shores on the warm waters of the | | | | Phuket is also home to one of the worlds most |
| Andaman Sea lies the beautiful island of Phuket. The | | | | developed liveaboard industries, with a large number |
| largest island off the coast of Thailand, the island of | | | | of liveaboards offering diving in destinations such as |
| Phuket covers an area of just over 300 square miles, | | | | the Similan Islands, the Mergui Archipelago and the |
| and is connected to mainland Thailand via a bridge at | | | | Burma Banks. For scuba divers wishing to dive these |
| the north of the island. | | | | more remote destinations, a Phuket liveaboard is the |
| For the past 25 years, the island of Phuket has | | | | only realistic option for access. As such, the |
| catered for a large number of tourists from all over | | | | liveaboard industry in Phuket is a thriving and |
| the world, a large percentage of whom are scuba | | | | competitive business, with an increasing number of |
| divers looking to dive on some Asia’s finest | | | | liveaboards operating from Phuket. |
| dive sites. Today, scuba diving in Phuket is big | | | | Further east lie the islands of Ko Phi Phi Don, and Ko |
| business, and the island has a large number of | | | | Phi Phi Lae, a region characterised by the stunning |
| excellent dive centres offering a number of diving | | | | topography of the amazing limestone cliffs. These |
| services ranging from leisure dives through to the | | | | islands are fringed with a number of hard coral |
| most advanced courses. | | | | gardens, as well as some excellent examples of soft |
| The Racha Islands, located off the Southern tip of | | | | corals, orange sea fans, sea whips and black coral. |
| Thailand are one of Phuket’s best dive sites, | | | | Phuket is well deserving of its title as the Pearl of |
| and the two islands offer excellent diving in crystal | | | | the Andaman,’ and undoubtedly the region |
| clear waters as well as the opportunity for big animal | | | | boasts some of Thailand’s best dive sites. As |
| encounters. In particular, the smaller island, Racha Noi, | | | | environmental issues such as marine conservation |
| offers some breathtaking underwater scenery, and is | | | | slowly work their way up Thailand’s political |
| renowned for both whale shark and manta ray | | | | agenda, the future for scuba diving in Phuket looks a |
| encounters. | | | | healthy one. |
| The dive sites off Ao Phang-Nga, including the | | | | |