Racha Yai Island

Racha Yai Island is located about 30 kilometers south of Phuket. Because it is easy and quick to reach, and because the dive sites offer a wide range of depths, the island is very popular as a one-day diving destination for both beginners and experienced divers.

Depending on wave direction, diving usually takes place either on the west or the east coast of the island.

Bungalow Bay

The dive site Bungalow Bay (also known as Ao Patok) is popular during the high season from November to May. The bay has a wide white sandy beach and beautiful rocky cliffs, where you can sometimes see wild goats watching arriving tourists.

If you follow the southern or northern walls of the bay, you will see many schools of small fish, moray eels, lionfish, and other marine life. The walls are covered with hard corals.

Along the southern wall, toward the exit of the bay, you can find an artificial reef made of concrete spheres. Slightly deeper, at around 9-10 meters, there is a mushroom-shaped coral with a small cave at its base that is easy to swim through.

In the central shallow area, there are several reefs where barracudas are often seen. A bit deeper, where the bottom becomes sandy, you will almost always find stingrays hiding in the sand.

The depth increases gradually from the shallow beach area and reaches 20-25 meters near the exit of the bay. If you continue further, you can reach depths of more than 40 meters.

Bay 1 and Bay 2

Bay 1 (Ao Lah) is located on the eastern side of the island. In the shallow area, from 3 to 9 meters, there is a large coral reef full of different fish species.

Deeper, in the sandy zone, you will find an artificial reef made of concrete cubes and spheres. This reef was installed relatively recently, and in certain conditions it can look like the ruins of a destroyed city.

Among the concrete cubes, you often see lionfish and triggerfish. Under the cubes lie huge sea cucumbers, which can grow up to two meters long.

Further out in the sea lies the sunken ship Haruby Star. The bottom of the wreck is at around 20 meters, and the top at about 14 meters. It is easy to swim inside the wreck, but you should be careful, as moray eels often live there.

Siam Bay

On the northern side of the island is the dive site Siam Bay.

In my opinion, Siam Bay does not have as much marine diversity as Bay 1 or Bungalow Bay, but it has its own advantages.

Large dive boats visit this site less often, so there are fewer crowds on the surface and underwater. There are several large gardens of soft and hard corals here. Along the sandy area near the shore, you can see scattered coral farms - artificial metal or concrete structures where different coral species are attached. Over time, they become home to many small fish.

In the center of the bay, at depths of over 20 meters, there are artificial reefs shaped like life-size elephants and warriors in traditional armor. Due to strong currents and storms, many of them have fallen over, but they still create an interesting underwater scene.

Marine life here is less used to divers and can be easily frightened, so when taking photos or videos you should be especially careful and calm.