Whenever we enter the Similan or Surin National Parks we need to pay a fee. There is an entry fee that everyone pays, and then a daily fee for each diver. Snorkelers pay only the entry fee. The entry fee covers you until you leave the park, no matter how long or short a time that is.
It’s a simple idea, but what does it mean for us as visitors?
If you go on a day-trip for one day and leave at the end of the day, you will need to pay a new entry fee the next time you enter.
If you go out on a liveaboard and stay for 3 days in the Similans then your entry fee covers you for those 3 days. Most liveaboards go to both the Similan and Surin National Parks, so there will be be two entry fees to pay.
For many years, the National Parks charged liveaboards just one fee for each park per liveaboard trip, and boats could move backwards and forwards between the parks freely.
Recently the parks have started to enforce the entry/exit rule, and now, once a liveaboard boat moves from Similan to Surin, it must pay to re-enter the Similans.
Because of this, many liveaboard boats have started to spend the last day diving local wrecks. They go to the Similans first, then Surin (Richelieu Rock is in Surin National Park), and then need to find dive-sites outside of the National Parks on their way home.
Do I need to plan ahead?
While there were limits in the past, they were never enforced.
In 2018 the numbers were reduced and they are now enforced.
The limits are now set at:
The high season for the Similan and Surin parks are Christmas/New Year/Chinese New Year/Songkran. Outside of these times there has been diver tickets available for last minute purchase – but it must still be at least the day before.
Snorkeling however has been completely different. Prior to these rules being enforced, up to 7000 people visited the island at peak times.
The limits that have been set have significantly reduced the number of available snorkeling places.
What do I need to know?
In order to enforce these numbers, tickets must now be bought in advance – and passenger name, date of birth, nationality and passport number must be provided at the time of purchase.
National Park tickets are non-transferable and non-refundable, so once bought, if you change your plans, that money is gone.
The National Parks require that all visitors have insurance that covers them for the activity that they are doing – snorkelingor diving.
If you don’t have your own insurance, the boat operator (or agent that you buy through) will arrange insurance for you.You only pay for the number of days you need and it’s fairly inexpensive.If you use the agent’s insurance you will often have to provide a scan of the photo page of your passport.
What are we getting for our money?
The fees collected from all of Thailands National Parks are spent on maintaining the parks for future generations.
The National Park provide rangers, toilets, bins, mooring buoys, monitoring, and emergency assistance services.
