MV Sawasdee Fasai Overview
Sawasdee Fasai is surely one of the best Similan liveaboard boats and is a certain favourite of ours. Our team and friends and family always choose Fasai first when we go diving at the Similans. The size and construction of the boat ensure safe, stable and comfortable cruises, and there's plenty of places to relax on board. Most of Sawasdee Fasai’s cabins have private en suite bathrooms, and all are air conditioned.
Since 2016 MV Sawasdee Fasai has been owned and run by the same team as MV Pawara. That means each trip is extremely well managed by professionals who know how to take the best care of guests of all ages & diving experience levels. Rental equipment is top quality but available at great rates, and the food is simply delicious. Sawasdee Fasai joined the fleet because Pawara had become so successful & popular that many trips were sold out a year in advance. Similan Islands diving guests normally want the best safety and comfort that their budgets allow, and Sawasdee Fasai meets the same high standards. Sawasdee Fasai has the perfect staff & crew to provide the best food, service, safety & professionalism for diving Similan Islands cruises.
There are four types of cabins on Sawasdee Fasai. The main deck has two master cabins that have large sea-view windows, plus there are five twin-bunk deluxe cabins. These also have sea-view windows, and wide single bunk beds. On the lower deck there are four standard cabins that can be configured as twin beds or a large double. All Master, Deluxe, & Standard cabins on Sawasdee Fasai have a private en suite bathroom, a mini safe, and plenty of cupboards & shelves. Finally, the boat has twin-bed budget cabins that are perfect for divers who want the best value but still enjoy the best diving & the luxury of a larger Similan liveaboard boat. The budget cabins have air conditioning and share two large bathrooms on the same deck, that are only used by guests in these cabins. Guests staying in lower deck budget cabins have a very short walk to two large bathrooms. And if you're in the upper deck budget cabins, you get a large sea-view window and it's a very short walk to the dining area and lounge saloon.
Sawasdee Fasai has lots of space for guests to socialise or relax. There’s a large sundeck on the roof, plus another at the front of the boat. Both of which have all-weather sofas. In addition, there's a huge air-conditioned lounge saloon and a dining area at the rear of the main deck. It’s very easy for guests to find somewhere to sit together or to find peace & privacy alone. Finally, the dive deck of Sawasdee Fasai is massive. This is perfect for storing everyone’s equipment and enabling guests to gear up and step into the crystal-clear seas around the best dive sites in Thailand. A large dive deck is vital to the overall enjoyment of guests on a Similan liveaboard cruise. The team of local crew are very service minded and a lot of fun. They help divers into and out of the water. Naturally, Sawasdee Fasai has motorised tender dinghies for beach visits and to retrieve divers who surface away from the main boat.
The trips depart in the evening and you start diving the following morning at an easy Similan Islands dive site. During the trip the boat moves north to Koh Bon, Koh Tachai & Richelieu Rock. There are up to 14 dives including a night dive, and a beach visit. Some websites show the trips to be 5D/4N, but this is incorrect & misleading. With an evening departure and mid-afternoon return four days later, the trips are 4D/4N. Don't trust websites that try to mislead you to appear better value.
The kitchen staff and crew, plus the international dive staff, are always on hand to offer help & service, and understand the needs of guests who are on a diving cruise in Thailand. The food is cooked fresh for every meal and served buffet style. It’s a mixture of local and western cuisine, always with a vegetarian option. Tea, proper coffee, drinking water, fruit and snacks are available throughout the day for free. And local beer, wine & soft drinks are available at extremely-reasonable rates.
Dive groups are organised so that everyone dives with others of a similar level, experience, needs & air consumption. Of course, this is flexible if couples, friends or family want to stay together. The timing of divers entering the water is very well organised, to ensure that everyone gets their turn at going in first, and the surface or dive site isn't crowded unnecessarily.
With all these wonderful things, plus Early-Bird discounts for bookings made before the end of August, it's easy to see why so many Sawasdee Fasai trips are full a long time before departure.
MV Sawasdee Fasai Facilities, Layout & Specifications
MV Sawasdee Fasai Specifications | |
Length: | 36.8 metres. |
Width: | 7.8 metres. |
Draught: | 3 metres. |
Engines: | 2 x 520 hp. |
Max speed: | 16 knots. |
Cruising speed: | 12 knots. |
Electricity: | AC 220 volts, 50 Hz, DC 12 volts. |
Water supply: | 25,000 litres. |
Navigation: | Radar, GPS, Sonar and YHF/HF radio. |
Safety: | Oxygen, first aid kit, life jackets and life raft. |
Cabins: | 11 AC cabins, 2 Suite, 5 Duluxe and 4 Standard. |
Other: | Photo editing and viewing facilities, DVD/CD player, Video Projector, PC and Printer. |
MV Sawasdee Fasai Courses
A wide range of PADI courses are available on MV Sawasdee Fasai. PADI AOW (Advanced Open Water) and Nitrox Enriched Air are the most popular, mainly because diving at The Similan Islands is perfect for Advanced diving courses, and Nitrox fills are available for free on Sawasdee Fasai.
Please let us know in advance which courses you are interested in so that we can prepare materials in your language, staff and equipment. It is sometimes possible to decide at the last minute or after boarding, but always best to book first.
Courses | |
---|---|
Courses | Prices |
Scuba review
|
1,500
THB |
Specialty Dives, such as Adventure, Night, Deep
|
1,500
THB
/dive
|
Advanced Open Water (for part-course referrals, please contact us)
|
6,000
THB |
Nitrox (EAN)
Including: free Nitrox fills for the remainder of the cruise.
|
6,000
THB |
Open Water Diver* (classroom, confined water + 4 dives on Pawara)
(4 Dives)
|
9,000
THB |
MV Sawasdee Fasai Itinerary
There are up to four dives per day on Sawasdee Fasai, and two on the final day of the cruise, but none in the evening of departure day. While some other websites advertise these trips as 5D/4N, we prefer to show them as 4D/4N.
Although each diving cruise spans 5 calendar dates, there are only four days of diving and the whole trip is less than 96 hours long.
Guests are collected from Phuket & Khao Lak during the late afternoon and evening of the first day, and board the boat around 8.00pm.
During departure evening there are boat, cabin & crew introductions, welcome dinner and drinks, and the boat sails into the night.
The diving starts early the next morning at an easy dive site in the central Similan Islands. Here, the tour leader and dive instructors can identify the level, experience and needs of each guest and sometimes perform a ‘scuba review’ for those who haven’t dived in more than a year.
Click on the link below for a detailed itinerary for Sawasdee Fasai.
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 Sawasdee Fasai Transfer Details
MV Sawasdee Fasai guests can enjoy free scheduled transfers on departure day and after the cruise.
The pickup time depends on the location of the guests’ hotels, but generally start late afternoon in southern Phuket and early evening from Phuket Airport and Khao Lak to meet the boat for an evening departure from Tab Lamu Pier, Khao Lak.
On the final day of the trip, Sawasdee Fasai arrives at Tab Lamu Pier in Khao Lak mid-afternoon on the final day of the trip and are transferred to local hotels & resorts, or even Phuket Airport.
The arrival time depends on the distance from the pier and the weather and sea conditions which determine docking time.
The team like to know as soon as possible where guests want to be dropped after the trip, so that arrangements can be made before the boat sails out of the mobile phone signal.
It's also important to know in order to avoid guests having to hang around at the pier waiting for their transfer.
MV Sawasdee Fasai Scheduled Transfers 4D / 4N Trips
|
|
---|---|
16:45 - 18:30 | Pick up from Phuket : Free |
19:00 - 19:30 | Pick up from Khao Lak : Free |
22:00 | Departure ( Tab Lamu Pier, Khao Lak ) |
15:30 | Return ( Tab Lamu Pier, Khao Lak ) |
16:00 | Drop off to Khao Lak : Free |
17:00 - 18:00 | Drop off to Phuket : Free |
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 Sawasdee Fasai Schedule & Prices
Destinations | Duration | Budget Twin | Standard Twin / Double | Deluxe Twin | Master |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock ( 14 dives) | 4D / 4N | Budget Twin 30,700 THB | Standard Twin / Double 37,700 THB | Deluxe Twin 39,700 THB | Master 45,700 THB |
MV Sawasdee Fasai Special Offers Coming Up | |||||
10% discount We have a lot of specials available for this boat. Please see the boat schedule for more details | |||||
10% discount valid till 31st Aug 2025 We have a lot of specials available for this boat. Please see the boat schedule for more details |
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 .
The booking process for MV Sawasdee Fasai is very simple & convenient.
Firstly, ask us to reserve a space in the cabin of your on the date/trip that you would like to join. We are happy to do this for free, and without any commitment from you.
When you are ready to confirm, we ask for 50% of the cruise price as a deposit. This payment can be via PayPal or a direct domestic bank transfer in several currencies.
You don't even need a Paypal account, although PayPal do encourage you to open one.
If you pay by the direct bank transfer, you will get the best exchange rate and probably not pay any fees at all. That's because we have accounts in Euro, USD, GBP, CAD, SGD, AUD, NZD and THB.
For regular-price bookings, the 50% balance is due 60 days before departure
Trips which qualify for Early Bird discounts normally need to be paid in full upon booking, but each booking can be discussed case-by-case.
Extras, such as national marine park fees and equipment hire are paid in cash on board.
Cancellation policy:
Cancellation fees depend on the time and reason for cancelling. Please contact us for details. The management of Sawasdee Fasai are both considerate & flexible whenever possible regarding customer cancellations.
Most travel insurance policies can protect you from unforeseen cancellation penalties.
Call us: (+66 89 136 3121)
or fill out the form below