Complete price list - vacations on tropical beach island Koh Phra Thong, Thailand. Holiday accommodation - luxury and budget - scuba diving

Useful Information

• International Transport
• Local Transport
• Location
• Climate
• Prices
• Surin Islands
• Richelieu Rock

The Air Asia Option

Having flown into Kuala Lumpur from London it is then necessary to make your way into Thailand. This can be done by a connecting Air Asia flight from Kuala Lumpur to Phuket. The price of this is as little as U$35 one way.

Alternatively, it is possible to make the trip up from Malaysia to Thailand by bus. This is slightly more complicated in that it comprises 3 legs. The first is from KL to Hat Yai. Then Hat Yai to Krabi and then Krabi to Khuraburi.

This is indeed an arduous journey and, costing U$25, it is not much less than the plane. However, it is an interesting journey for the budget traveller and does not come with the tight baggage allowance of an Air Asia flight.

Marine Eco-Initiatives

Blue Guru is proud to operate several international eco-initiatives. These are conducted with both tourist and local community participation.

Divers and non-divers can join in to make a real difference to the island's shoreline and marine environment. Divers can also contribute to international research on coral reef health and whale shark migrations.

Richelieu Rock

Richelieu's structure and isolation make it a magnet for a multitude of marine life. It is a lone outpost in this part of the Andaman Sea, displacing tidal currents, causing upwellings of plankton and attracting life from many miles around.

A definitive favourite are the whale sharks that regularly visit Richelieu Rock throughout the year and ideal spot for the internationally recognised Whale Shark Project for which Blue Guru dive centre is an official operator.

Golden Buddha Beach Resort

Golden Buddha Beach Resort is one of Asia's finest eco-resorts. Situated on the west coast of Koh Phra Thong the resort enjoys more than 10km of exclusive Andaman beachfront and its own private, sheltered bay.

The residences at Golden Buddha are special. These spacious private homes benefit from large individual plots with extensive gardens. Each one is uniquely designed and crafted from the finest natural materials.

Sumptious meals are served at the Golden Buddha clubhouse. These are freshly prepared with local ingredients (much of the produce comes from the island itself). Also, their skilled chef creates home-baked bread and home made muesli. Topped off with stunning views of the Andaman Sea there is no better place to eat.

Go Pro on Koh Phra Thong

Becoming a PADI professional has never been easier. Blue Guru has an array of divemaster programs to suit your budget and taste. In all cases DM trainees will be kept busy at our base on Koh Phra Thong.

Assisting on courses, guiding ceritified divers in the Surin Islands and practising skills in the bay. All this and much more are part of the life of aspiring divemasters. Take the plunge to a new more rewarding life!

Whale Shark Program

As the dive centre located closest to Richelieu Rock, Blue Guru on Koh Phra Thong is keen to do everything they can to protect this world famous dive site’s most awesome visitor – the whale shark. Whale sharks are the world’s largest fish & are docile plankton eaters, so diving or snorkelling with these magnificent creatures is an amazing experience.

Unfortunately whale sharks are an endangered species. More research & action is needed to monitor their migrations & prevent extinction before it’s too late. Blue Guru is a registered operator and proud supporter of PADI's Whale Shark Project.

Dive & Activity Packages

Golden Buddha Beach Resort and Blue Guru dive centre bring you a selection of the island's most popular activities packaged to appeal to specific interests, offering great value for money.

Koh Tachai

Koh Tachai is a hidden gem in the Andaman Sea. It is a favourite of liveaboard dive boats passing between the Similan and the Surin Islands.

The island has 4 distinct dives, rated amongst the best dive sites in Thailand. The most famous of these is the Koh Tachai Plateau, a coral ridge lying 1km south east of the island, surrounded by scattered large boulders and a multitude of life. Fantastic swim through opportunities and high probabilities of observing Mantas and Whale Sharks are what makes this location a firm favourite with divers.

Blue Guru Diving will be running special day trips from Koh Phra Thong to Koh Tachai during the 2009-2010 season. There are limited places on these trips so please book ahead.

Khuraburi

Khuraburi is lively coastal town on the west coast of Thailand, 110km south of Ranong. It is currently unaffected by the wave of foreign tourism that has spread across Thailand and remains largely unexplored by westerners.This is unfortunate as Khuraburi is a truly delightful town with lots to offer the intrepid traveller. There are excellent opportunities for trekking, mountain biking and kayaking to name but a few.

More importantly, it serves as the main jumping off point for trips into the Surin National Park. During high season many Thai people head to Khuraburi to take a weekend break to the Surin Islands. However, during the week Khuraburi maintains its reputation as an easy going Thai town.

There are very few worthwhile places to stay in Khuraburi, but they are remarkably good value. Visitors to the area should certainly consider spending a day or two in the town before heading off to Koh Phra Thong or Koh Surin as it really is a pleasant place to hang out and explore.

Dive Trips

Blue Guru dive centre runs a number of dive trips for certified divers. Their experienced PADI Instructors can show you the best of Koh Phra Thong diving. Also they arrange day/multi-day diving trips to the Surin Islands and the world class Richelieu Rock.

 

 

PADI Diving Courses at Koh Phra Thong -Thailand

PADI Discover Scuba Diving (skills + 1 dive)	2,600 Bt	€58	$79
PADI Discover Scuba Diving (skills + 2 dives)	3,600 Bt	€80	$109
PADI Bubblemaker	1,600 Bt	€36	$48
PADI Scuba Review (full skill review)	2,600 Bt	€58	$79
PADI Scuba Review (full skill review + 1 dive)	3,600 Bt	€80	$109
PADI Open Water	12,000 Bt	€267	$363
PADI Advanced Open Water	9,500 Bt	€211	$288
Emergency First Response (EFR)	5,400 Bt	€120	$164
PADI Rescue	14,400 Bt	€320	$436
PADI Divemaster	49,000 Bt +	€1089	$1,484
PADI Assistant Instructor	15,000 Bt	€333	$455

All PADI courses are conducted by Blue Guru Diving. They are a registered Thai limited company with membership of the TDA (Thai Diving Association) and TAT (Tourism Authority of Thailand). Courses are always taught by one of Blue Guru's fully insured PADI Instuctors.

Further details of each course above can be found by clicking on that particular course above. All courses include full equipment hire. The Advanced Open Water course also requires a day trip to the Surin Islands which can be found below. The price of the Divemaster program is dependant on the number of dives required - full internships are sometimes available. Contact us for further details.

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Diving Day Trips at Koh Phra Thong, Surin and Richelieu

Fun dives at Koh Phra Thong	800 Bt	€18	$24
Night dive at Koh Phra Thong	1,600 Bt	€36	$45
Surin Islands diving day trip	5,900 Bt	€131	$179
Richelieu Rock diving day trip	5,900 Bt	€131	$179

Diving day trips are for Open Water (or equivalent) certified divers. Richelieu Rock requires Advanced Diver training. Open Water divers can dive Richelieu Rock but they must do a deep dive with Blue Guru Diving first. All groups will be led by certified Divemasters or Instructors and groups will consist of 4 divers or less. Diving equipment rental is available at 200 Bt a dive. National Park fees of 600 Bt for Richelieu Rock & Surin Islands are not included in the above prices.

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Whale Shark Program at Similan Islands, Koh Tachai, Koh Bon & Richelieu Rock

Whale Shark Program (8 days/7 nights package)

46,530 Bt

€1034

$1,410

The Whale Shark Program is a special package put together by Golden Buddha Beach Resort and Blue Guru Diving. This program is available from the 14th - 22nd February and 10th - 18th March. This package includes return transfers from Phuket or closer, all accommodation and meals. Also includes fully guided dives on the liveaboard trip and marine park fees.

The prices are based on two people sharing a Sea View House at Golden Buddha Beach Resort. Prices for singles or groups are available on request. Upgrade to Beach Front House is available at an extra charge of $100. All prices are subject to 7% Government Tax and 10% Service Charge.

Further details are available on the Whale Shark Program page. Full specification and itinerary of this remarkable experience can be downloaded in this Whale Shark Program PDF.

PADI Specialty Courses at Koh Phra Thong, Surin and Richelieu

PADI Underwater Naturalist	4,800 Bt	€107	$103
PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy	4,800 Bt	€107	$145
PADI Fish Identification	4,800 Bt	€107	$145
PADI Boat Diver (+Surin Islands day trip)	4,800 Bt	€107	$145
PADI Drift Diver (+Surin Islands day trip)	4,800 Bt	€107	$145
PADI Digital Underwater Photographer	5,100 Bt	€113	$154
PADI Underwater Videographer	5,100 Bt	€113	$154
PADI Underwater Navigation	5,100 Bt	€113	$154
PADI Search & Recovery Diver	6,000 Bt	€120	$182
PADI Turtle Awareness	4,500 Bt	€98	$136
PADI Night Diver	6,300 Bt	€133	$191
PADI Turtle Awareness (+Surin Islands day trip)	4,500 Bt	€100	$136
PADI Whale Shark (+Richelieu Rock day trip)	4,500 Bt	€100	$136
PADI Multilvel Diver (+Surin Islands day trip)	4,500 Bt	€100	$136
PADI Deep Diver (+2 Surin Islands day trips)	5,400 Bt	€120	$164

All PADI specialties are conducted by Blue Guru Diving. They are a registered Thai limited company with membership of the TDA (Thai Diving Association) and TAT (Tourism Authority of Thailand). Specialty courses are always taught by one of Blue Guru's fully insured PADI Instuctors.

Further details of each course above can be found by clicking on that particular course above. All courses include full equipment hire. A 700 Bt discount is offered on any Surin & Richelieu trip where it is taken as part of a PADI specialty course.

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Non-Diving Awareness Courses

PADI Project Aware	3,600 Bt	€80	$109
PADI Coral Reef Conservation	3,600 Bt	€80	$109
Emergency First Response (EFR)	5,400 Bt	€120	$164

All Non-Diving Awareness courses are conducted by Blue Guru Diving. They are a registered Thai limited company with membership of the TDA (Thai Diving Association) and TAT (Tourism Authority of Thailand). Specialty courses are always taught by one of Blue Guru's fully insured PADI Instuctors. Further details of each course above can be found by clicking on that particular course above.

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Snorkeling Trips and Courses

PADI Discover Snorkeling	1,600 Bt	€36	$48
Local snorkeling day trip	600 Bt	€13	$18
Local snorkeling 1/2 day trip	300 Bt	€7	$12
Surin snorkeling day trip	3,900 Bt	€87	$146

PADI discover snorkeling is conducted under the direct supervision of a PADI Instructor. The Surin snorkeling day trip does not include Surin National Park fees of 400Bt. All snorkel trip prices exclude equipment rental.

Island Exploration Activities

Koh Ra rainforest trekking + introduction to Lions village	1,500 Bt	€33	$45
Longtail expedition to the mangroves	1,500 Bt	€33	$45
Lions and Ta Pae Yoi village tours	1,500 Bt	€33	$45
Lions village tour	1,000 Bt	€22	$30
Ta Pae Yoi village tour	1,000 Bt	€22	$30
Thung Dap village tour	1,500 Bt	€33	$45

All Island Exploration experiences are based on a minimum of two people.

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Equipment Rental

Half day kayak rental	400 Bt	€9	$12
Half day kayak rental (premium kayak)	600 Bt	€13	$18
Full day kayak rental	600 Bt	€13	$18
Full day kayak rental (premium kayak)	800 Bt	€18	$24
Half day snorkeling kit rental	100 Bt	€2	$3
Full day snorkeling kit rental	200 Bt	€4	$6
Full day diving kit rental	400 Bt	€9	$12

ALL prices on this page are subject to the booking terms and conditions. ALL prices are based in Thai Baht. The Euro and Dollar conversions are for reference purposes only - they were correct at the time of publishing.

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