Khao Lak’s headline trips — the Similan and Surin islands — leave from Thap Lamu pier and run only while the national parks are open, roughly 15 October to 15 May. Everything else on this page runs all year: Khao Sok and Cheow Lan Lake are two hours inland and indifferent to the sea state, and the elephant sanctuaries are open through the monsoon.
Pick by what is open
Diving from Khao Lak
Nothing is sailing today. The dive season follows the national parks rather than the weather, and they reopen 15 October — operators taking bookings now are taking them for dates after that.
Read the guide →Year-roundElephant sanctuaries near Khao Lak
"Sanctuary" is not a protected word in Thailand. Any venue can use it, including one that still offers rides, so the sign on the gate tells you very little. This page is about what to check instead — and it is one of the few Khao Lak day trips that runs all year, including the months when the Similan and Surin parks are closed.
Read the guide →Year-roundKhao Sok & Cheow Lan Lake
The marine parks are shut, but Khao Sok is not: the park and the lake run all year, and the monsoon is when the forest is at its greenest.
Read the guide →Closed for the seasonThe Similan Islands
When the Similan Islands are open, how the speedboat day trip from Thap Lamu pier works, and what it costs. Closure dates update automatically each season.
Read the guide →Closed for the seasonThe Surin Islands
The quieter marine park: how the Surin Islands trip from Kuraburi pier works, when the park is open, and how it compares with the Similans.
Read the guide →What people ask before booking
What is there to do in Khao Lak?
What is open in Khao Lak when the marine parks are closed?
Planning the rest of the trip? Compare places to stay, see when to come, or how to get here.