MV Koon9 Overview
MV Koon 9 is easily the largest Similan Islands scuba diving liveaboard. The boat is 52 metres long, and more than 10 metres wide. Most Similan liveaboards are 26-30 metres long, and the larger ones are 35-37 metres long. Koon 9's huge size enables it to stay stable and comfortable when crossing between islands, and gives everyone on board more space to enjoy their diving holiday. Even though up to 30 divers can stay overnight, there's still plenty of room, plenty of food, & lots of seating space.
The boat has twin cabins, and fixed double cabins. But the twin cabins can be turned into doubles, with a huge bed. All of the guest cabins have a large sea-view window, air conditioning, a private en suite bathroom and some have a smart tv. Solo guests who stay in a twin cabin only share with another same-gender guest. But you normally spend most of your non-diving time out of your cabin, in the communal areas. And Koon 9 has lots of space, both inside and out. On the upper deck there is a large air-conditioned lounge saloon with comfy sofas & armchairs and a huge tv with multimedia and Ninento games console. The large indoor dining room has plenty of tables for you to enjoy delicious Thai and western food throughout the cruise. And between the wonderful meals, there's always fruit and snacks available, plus soft drinks (sodas) for free.
Koon 9's sundeck is also incredibly large. Up here there are sun loungers and soft seating. Guests can have coffee in the morning or drinks in the evening while enjoying panoramic views and a lovely sea breeze. And of course if you want to sunbathe, you have plenty of space and opportunity up here. This sundeck area is also very photogenic, so expect to take some selfies!
Let's not forget that this is a scuba diving boat, and you join these trips to jump into the crystal-clear Andaman Sea. Thanks to its width Koon 9 has a massive diving platform. Everyone gets their own tank slot and storage space for gear between dives, and for personal items when diving. The floor surface is non-slip and everything is in the correct place. The team of boat crew will help you with your gear, and into and out of the diving tender dinghies. If you're certified to dive with Nitrox, it's available on Koon 9. Our guests' feedback about the trips is always good, especially about the quality and condition of the rental gear.
The boat's itineraries are explained in more detail on the 'Itinerary tab', but in summary you can join for one night, two nights, three nights or for four nights. And you can start your trip on almost any day of the week. Whichever itinerary you choose, it's almost certain that your dive trip on Koon 9 will be an unforgettable experience!
For the Wednesday night departures, guests normally join for 4D/4N exploring all the best dive sites, ending at Richelieu Rock on Sunday. However, you can also join on a Wednesday night for 3D/3N or 2D/2N.
Most guests join Koon9 in the morning for 2D/1N or 3D/2N trips. Although we strongly advise everyone to stay in Khao Lak the night before departure, you can stay in Phuket and get an early morning transfer that costs 500 THB/person.
MV Koon9 Facilities, Layout & Specifications
MV Koon9 Layout |
MV Koon9 Specifications | |
Type: | Steel. |
Length: | 52 metres. |
Beam: | 10.5 metres. |
Engines: | 2 x 600hp. |
Speed: | 10 knots. |
Generators: | 2 x 138 kva & 1 x 30 kva. |
Compressors: | x 2 |
Fuel: | 10000 litres. |
Water: | 21000 litres. |
Water maker: | 8000 litres/day. |
Navigation: | GPS, Compass, Depth sounder. |
Safety: | 3 x 65 person life rafts, Oxygen, First aid, Fire extinguishers, CCTV. |
MV Koon9 Courses
If you want to take part in a diving course on Koon 9 it's important to book in advance. The most-commonly chosen liveaboard diving courses are the Advanced Open Water and the Nitrox EANx.
In most cases, the team need to send you online learning so that you can study online before you come, which will minimise learning during your cruise.
PADI courses include eLearning in advance, but cost a little more than the SSI course, where you learn the theory during the trip.
PADI AOWC = 7,000 THB
SSI Advanced Adventurer = 5,000 THB
MV Koon9 Itinerary
Koon 9 has several itineraries, because it is a 'flexible liveaboard' that spends nearly all week out at sea. Be careful to choose the correct itinerary that matches the dates you plan to join.
Every Wednesday evening Koon 9 starts a new trip, and guests go out for 4D/4N doing up to 15 dives. These are dives at Similan on Thursday and Friday, Koh Bon & Koh Tachai on Saturday, and Richelieu Rock on Sunday.
Also starting on Wednesday nights you can join for 2D/2N (7 dives at Similans) or 3D/3N for 10 dives at Similans, Koh Bon and Koh Tachai.
You can join on Thursday mornings for 2D/1N (Similans), or for 3D/2N (Similans, Koh Bon & Koh Tachai), or for 4D3N Similans, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai & Richelieu Rock)
You can join on Friday mornings for 2D/1N (Similans, Koh Bon & Koh Tachai), or for 3D/2N (Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai & Richelieu Rock) or for 4D3N Similans, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock & Surin)
You can join on Saturday mornings for 2D/1N (Koh Bon, Koh Tachai & Richelieu Rock), or for 3D/2N (Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock & Surin Islands) or for 4D3N Similans, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock & Surin)
You can join on Sunday mornings for 2D/1N (Richelieu Rock & Surin Islands), or for 3D/2N (Richelieu Rock, Surin Islands, & Koh Tachai)
You can join on Monday mornings for 2D1N (Richelieu Rock, Surin Islands & Koh Tachai)
The itineraries below are the most-common for each trip, but these can sometimes be changed for a number of reasons. Small changes are made due to weather & sea conditions, special marine life sightings, overcrowded dive sites, local-authorities' instructions, and the needs & requests of the paying guests. The safety & comfort of all guests is most important at all times.
MV Koon9 Transfer Details
In most cases, MV Koon 9 guests are collected from local (Khao Lak hotels) in the morning and taken to the pier. The pickup time is at set times and shared with other guests.
Guests who are unable to come to Khao Lak the day before can get collected from Phuket, but this is very early in the morning and costs 500 THB/person.
For Wednesday evening departures, guests are collected in the late afternoon or early evening. It is possible to come from Phuket, because the trip starts in the evening.
At the end of your trip, the Koon team will take you back to local hotels around Khao Lak for free. If you need to go to Phuket, the team have shared vans for 500 THB/person.
For customers who would like a private taxi please see below for details.
(Click below for a rough guide to the rates you can expect to pay ‘per vehicle,’ not ‘per person’.)
MV Koon9 Schedule & Prices
Destinations | Duration | Twin | Double |
---|---|---|---|
Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock ( 6 dives) | 2D / 1N | Twin 16,900 THB | Double 16,900 THB |
Richelieu Rock, Surin Islands ( 6 dives) | 2D / 1N | Twin 16,900 THB | Double 16,900 THB |
Similan Islands ( 6 dives) | 2D / 1N | Twin 16,900 THB | Double 16,900 THB |
Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai ( 6 dives) | 2D / 1N | Twin 16,900 THB | Double 16,900 THB |
Surin Islands, Koh Tachai ( 6 dives) | 2D / 1N | Twin 16,900 THB | Double 16,900 THB |
Similan Islands ( 7 dives) | 2D / 2N | Twin 18,900 THB | Double 18,900 THB |
Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock, Surin Islands ( 10 dives) | 3D / 2N | Twin 22,900 THB | Double 22,900 THB |
Richelieu Rock, Surin Islands, Koh Tachai ( 10 dives) | 3D / 2N | Twin 22,900 THB | Double 22,900 THB |
Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai ( 10 dives) | 3D / 2N | Twin 22,900 THB | Double 22,900 THB |
Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock ( 10 dives) | 3D / 2N | Twin 22,900 THB | Double 22,900 THB |
Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai ( 11 dives) | 3D / 3N | Twin 24,900 THB | Double 24,900 THB |
Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock, Surin Islands ( 14 dives) | 4D / 3N | Twin 27,900 THB | Double 27,900 THB |
Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock, Surin Islands ( 14 dives) | 4D / 3N | Twin 27,900 THB | Double 27,900 THB |
Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock ( 15 dives) | 4D / 4N | Twin 29,900 THB | Double 29,900 THB |
Do you have a large group and want to charter the whole boat?
click below to find out more |
7 Reasons to Book with us:
- Best-price guarantee, AND get FREE gifts.
- We don’t ask for any payment or your card details until you are ready to confirm your booking.
- For safety reasons, it’s impossible to complete a booking instantly online , as some other websites claim to offer. We always check first as each boat has a different criteria regarding diver details & experience .
- We offer each boat’s booking & payment policy (below). Some other websites have standardised terms, asking for full payment but many boats’ payment terms are a 20-30% deposit, and the balance paid on arrival.
- Our Thailand-based staff are experts about logistics, the dive sites & all the boats . Take a look at the reviews on our site & tripadvisor.
- Our team are always online to answer your questions. We always respond the same day , usually within a few minutes
- Customer service is everything!
For example, if a trip is cancelled, we will ensure you can choose between an alternative similar trip or a full & unconditional refund .
Call us: (+66 89 136 3121)
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