Conditions referenceSeason, water and visibilityBest Nov–Apr · Moderate current · 28–31°C (coldest Jan, warmest Apr)
- Current
- Moderate
- Water temperature
- 28–31°C (coldest Jan, warmest Apr)
- Visibility
- 10–30m: Commonly 15-30m in the dry season (November-April) with calm seas; drops to roughly 10-20m during the southwest monsoon and after heavy rain.
- Experience
- A genuine mix.
01 · Marine life
What you may see
Sightings are never guaranteed. The bars show typical likelihood by month.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | commonly seen |
| February | commonly seen |
| March | commonly seen |
| April | commonly seen |
| May | commonly seen |
| June | destination closed |
| July | destination closed |
| August | destination closed |
| September | destination closed |
| October | commonly seen |
| November | commonly seen |
| December | commonly seen |
Common across the soft-coral pinnacles and macro sites year-round.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | commonly seen |
| February | commonly seen |
| March | commonly seen |
| April | commonly seen |
| May | commonly seen |
| June | destination closed |
| July | destination closed |
| August | destination closed |
| September | destination closed |
| October | commonly seen |
| November | commonly seen |
| December | commonly seen |
Pink and purple soft-coral gardens define Stonehenge, Jabang, Seven Rocks and Koh Sarang.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | occasional |
| February | occasional |
| March | occasional |
| April | occasional |
| May | occasional |
| June | destination closed |
| July | destination closed |
| August | destination closed |
| September | destination closed |
| October | occasional |
| November | occasional |
| December | occasional |
Occasional at 8 Mile Rock, sometimes circling divers on the safety stop.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | occasional |
| February | occasional |
| March | occasional |
| April | occasional |
| May | occasional |
| June | destination closed |
| July | destination closed |
| August | destination closed |
| September | destination closed |
| October | occasional |
| November | occasional |
| December | occasional |
Occasional, not reliable.
02 · Dive sites
Dive sites worth knowing
A starting point, not a ranking. Conditions decide what works on the day.
8 Mile Rock
Koh Lipe's marquee deep dive: a submerged pinnacle roughly 8 nautical miles northwest, dropping past 40m.
16–40m · Strong current
Jabang
A soft-coral pinnacle in the Butang group, one of the park sites named in the phased monsoon closure.
8–25m · Moderate current
Koh Yang
East and west sites off a small island, among the more relaxed dives in the archipelago.
5–18m · Mild current
See all 6 dive sites
03 · LogisticsGetting there and costsModerate. Fly to HDY. Typical trip $.
Route overview
Moderate
Reachable but with some friction: a 1.5h boat crossing.
Airport options
HDY
Hat Yai International Airport
Nearest full international airport; road transfer roughly 2h to Pak Bara pier, then a ~90-minute speedboat to Koh Lipe
TST
Trang Airport
Domestic airport with a road transfer to Pak Bara pier (~2.5-3h), then speedboat to Koh Lipe
LGK
Langkawi International Airport (Malaysia)
Alternative entry via Malaysia; high-season ferry from Langkawi to Koh Lipe ~1.5-2h with immigration at both ends
Typical trip cost
$
under $2,000
Per person, excluding international flights.
- Budget-to-mid.
- Two-to-three-dive day trips commonly run roughly 2,500-3,500 THB (about $70-100) including gear and lunch; single fun-dives are often ~1,000-1,500 THB.
- A week of land-based day diving with a budget-to-midrange room lands well under $2,000 per person, excluding flights.
- Transfers to the island add cost: Hat Yai-Pak Bara-Lipe packages run roughly 1,000-1,500 THB one way.
Permit or park fee
What you pay
Tarutao National Marine Park entry for foreign visitors is 200 THB per adult and 100 THB per child (3-14), versus 40/20 THB for Thai citizens (rates current as of 2026). Paid in cash. Confirm current amounts at booking.
How it works
Most dive sites lie inside Tarutao National Marine Park and require park entry, collected in cash by operators. Diving is arranged through licensed Koh Lipe operators.