The numbers
- Season
- ≈ 15 Oct – 15 May
- set by the DNP each year
- Reopens
- 15 October
- Departure
- Kuraburi pier
- ≈ 1 h north of Khao Lak by road
- Crossing
- ≈ 1 h – 1 h 15
- by speedboat
- Day trip
- Roughly ฿2,800–4,500
- with transfer and lunch — indicative; fewer operators run here than to the Similans
Facts checked 5 August 2026 · updated seasonally
What makes Surin different
Surin sits further north and further out than the Similans, close to the Myanmar border, and gets a fraction of the traffic. The draw is in the water: shallow, extensive reef flats that make it the better snorkelling park, where the Similans are the better boulder-and-beach spectacle.
The Moken: the islands are home to a settled community of Moken, the sea-nomad people of the Andaman. Village visits are part of most itineraries; go with an operator that treats it as visiting a living village, not an exhibit.
For divers: Richelieu Rock, within the park’s waters, is widely rated the top dive site on this coast — whale shark sightings are most often reported late in the season, roughly February to April. It is a liveaboard or long-day-trip site, not a casual stop.
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
Similan or Surin — which one?
When are the Surin Islands open?
Where do boats leave from?
Planning the rest of the trip? Compare places to stay, or see what is open month by month.