The numbers
- Season
- ≈ 15 Oct – 15 May
- exact dates set by the DNP each year
- Reopens
- 15 October
- Departure
- Thap Lamu pier
- ~20 minutes south of Khao Lak town
- Crossing
- ≈ 1 h – 1 h 30
- by speedboat, morning departures
- Day trip
- Roughly ฿2,500–4,000
- with hotel transfer and lunch — indicative, varies by operator and boat
- Park fee
- Around ฿500
- for foreign adults, paid separately — set by the DNP and revised periodically
Facts checked 5 August 2026 · updated seasonally
Why people come to Khao Lak at all
The Similans are the reason this stretch of coast has a tourist economy: nine granite islands about 60 km offshore, with water clarity that regularly reaches 20–30 metres and beaches of coarse white boulder-sand. Khao Lak is the nearest mainland base, which is why day boats leave from here and not from Phuket alone.
What a day trip looks like: pickup from your hotel early morning, speedboat from Thap Lamu, two or three snorkelling or beach stops — typically around Ko Miang (island four, the park headquarters) and Ko Similan itself — and back by late afternoon.
What is closed: Koh Tachai, the northernmost island, has been closed to visitors since 2016 for reef recovery, and overnight stays on the islands have been suspended in recent seasons. Divers who want more than a day go by liveaboard instead.
Day trips from Khao Lak
Find a place near here
We cover hotels along this coast — the Khao Lak beaches, Phuket and Krabi — plus a handful on Koh Samui, across in the Gulf. Start with hotels in Khao Lak, or browse every hotel we cover; prices and availability show on the partner's own site.
Common questions
When are the Similan Islands open?
Can you stay overnight on the islands?
Which island is Koh Tachai?
Planning the rest of the trip? Compare places to stay, or see what is open month by month.