Double FATHOM
Mission Briefing

Country shortlist

Best snorkeling in Thailand

The Double Fathom shortlist for Thailand, ranked — 1 catalog destination. The grouping is ours; every rank and tagline is the catalog’s own.

Thailand appears in our catalog as one destination covering both of its coasts, because they snorkel differently and on opposite calendars. The Andaman side — the Similan and Surin island groups in national parks that open and close by season, Phi Phi and the Phang Nga coast — is the classic: granite boulders, coral gardens and big visibility in the dry months, which is also when the parks open. The Gulf side, Koh Tao especially, is the easy end of Thai snorkeling: shallow bays you wade into, warm water, and a calm window falling in roughly the other half of the year. What Thailand is not is untouched — its popular sites are busy and some show real wear — and one of its most famous attractions, Phang Nga Bay and its James Bond island, is a scenery-and-kayaking day rather than a snorkeling destination. We say that plainly rather than leaving it to a brochure to blur.

What we cover — and what we don’t

Where we cover Thailand: one destination covering the Andaman coast — the Similan and Surin island groups, Phi Phi and Phang Nga Bay — and the Gulf island of Koh Tao, with five sites between them. Thailand’s other coasts, its far south and its inland destinations are not in this catalog, and Phang Nga Bay is included as a scenery-and-kayaking day trip, labelled as such rather than as a snorkel site.

The ranked Thailand shortlist

In catalog rank order. Rank, taglines and “best for” notes are the catalog’s own; each destination page and guide goes deeper.

30

Thailand

The two-coast pick

Island reefs · Two seasons

Two coasts, two seasons: the Andaman's granite-island reefs and the Gulf's easy shore bays.

Thailand snorkels on two coasts that run on opposite clocks. The Andaman side — the Similan and Surin island groups, Phi Phi, and the Phang Nga coast — is the classic: granite boulders, coral gardens and big visibility in the dry, calm months, which is also when the national parks open. The Gulf side, and Koh Tao in particular, is the easy end of Thai snorkeling: shallow bays you wade into, warm water, and a calm season that falls in roughly the other half of the year. Thailand is not the place to expect untouched reef, and its busiest sites show real wear and real boat traffic — but the range is enormous, the logistics are simple, and the country has one honest trap worth naming up front: Phang Nga Bay and its James Bond island are a scenery-and-kayaking day, not a snorkeling destination.

Thailand destination guide →Best Snorkeling in Thailand →

Part of the regional shortlist

This country sits inside the Indo-Pacific — the wider grouping the ranked catalog uses.

Best snorkeling in the Indo-Pacific →

Other countries on the shortlist

Each country page groups the ranked catalog by country and states plainly what this catalog covers — and what it does not.

Best snorkeling in Indonesia →Best snorkeling in Australia →Best snorkeling in the Philippines →Best snorkeling in the Maldives →Best snorkeling in the USA →Best snorkeling in France →Best snorkeling in Italy →Best snorkeling in Spain →Best snorkeling in the Dutch Caribbean →Best snorkeling in Mexico →Best snorkeling in Greece →Best snorkeling in Dominica →Best snorkeling in Grenada →Best snorkeling in St. Lucia →Best snorkeling in Honduras →Best snorkeling in Anguilla →Best snorkeling in Venezuela →Best snorkeling in Ecuador →Best snorkeling in Palau →Best snorkeling in Fiji →Best snorkeling in French Polynesia →Best snorkeling in Egypt →Best snorkeling in Saudi Arabia →Best snorkeling in Oman →The full ranked catalog →

Planning a trip to Thailand?

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