Manta Queen 1 - The Original Similan Islands Liveaboard Ship

MV Manta Queen 1

Please wait
FREE T-shirt! & get a free Drybag or Beach Towel!... find out more here!
Manta Queen 1 Liveaboard Similan Islands Diving
Thailand Thailand
Type: Liveaboard
Departs from: Tab Lamu Pier, Khao Lak
No. of guests: 20
Boat rating: 9/10 Based on 27 divers
Read all MV Manta Queen 1 reviews
Prices from: 898 USD
808 USD
Contents [Show]

MV Manta Queen 1 is a very popular & highly-respected Similan diving liveaboard boat that takes up to 20 guests to the best diving sites in Thailand, including Koh Bon, Koh Tachai & Richelieu Rock. The boat’s cabins each take up to two guests, in twin or double bed layout. Most cabins have private bathrooms, but some of the twin cabins do not, and the price for these is lower. All cabins have air-conditioning. At nearly 30 metres in length, Manta Queen 1 has plenty of space for couples and groups to socialize over a meal or evening drink, and there are plenty of places (inside & out) for guests to find some privacy with a book or to just top up a tan.

In addition to giving plenty of space to guests, the large size of Manta Queen 1 ensures that any rough seas during the first or last months of the diving season are dealt with easily. 
Group-on-manta-queen-1Although diving from Manta Queen 1 is among the best-value liveaboard, guests don’t miss out on anything. All meals, fruits, snacks, tea, coffee, sodas & drinking water is included, too.

Manta Queen 1 happily accepts divers of all levels, including new fun divers, enthusiasts and even professionals. There is Nitrox available, as well as SSI courses. And now free Wi-Fi, that is dependent on when the boat is in range of a signal. Even though the prices are low, safety and quality remain a top priority. The professional team teach the courses and qualified & experienced Divemaster guides lead groups of no more than five divers, chosen to be at similar levels. Every year Manta Queen 1 undergoes a full overhaul and interior renovation, in order to maintain the best experience for all on board.

IManta Queen 1 offers four-night trips, that span five calendar dates and up to 15 dives. 

Prices & Schedule

MV Manta Queen 1 Diver Prices Overview 2026 / 2027
DestinationsDuration Twin Cabin En Suite Twin Cabin En Suite Double Cabin
, , , ,
( 15 Dives )
5D / 4N Twin Cabin898 USD En Suite Twin Cabin962 USD En Suite Double Cabin962 USD
MV Manta Queen 1 Special Offers Coming Up
10% discount
We have lots of discounts for this boat. Please see schedule for details
Included In The Price
Transfers to & from the airport
Transfers to and from local hotels
Meals
Snacks
Tea / coffee
Drinking water
Soft drinks
VAT
Night diving torch
Weights & weightbelts
Standard tanks
Dive master services
Mask and Snorkel
Full-foot fins
Towels
Soap & Shampoo
Luggage storage
Not Included In The Price
Dive equipment
National park fees
Dive computer
Alcoholic drinks
Dive insurance
Larger tanks
Nitrox
Tips / Gratuities
View More Months
View More Available Months

Itinerary

The 5-day 4-night Manta Queen 1 diving safari itinerary departs from Khao Lak in the evening. Guests sometimes meet at the dive centre first for balance payment, equipment fitting and to sign a few forms. But some are taken directly to the boat, there is a general briefing and a light evening meal is served on board. The boat sails into the night and the diving starts in the morning of the following day.

There are four dives per day for three days, then three dives on the final day, before the boat returns to the pier in the afternoon.

After the trip guests are taken to their chosen destination in Khao Lak or Phuket.

Click below for more details.

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.

Itineraries
Itinerary Name (click the itinerary name to open) Days / Nights Number of dives
Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock, Boonsung Wreck 5D / 4N 15 Dives

Facilites, Layout and Specifications

Facilities Available with MV Manta Queen 1
Nitrox Available
En Suite Available
Air con
Dinghy
Courses Available
Free Pickup
Suitable for Children
WIFI
Lounge
AV Entertainment
Vegetarian Food Available
Double Beds Available
Sundeck
Shaded Sundeck
Available to Charter
Beach Transfers
Rinse Tanks
MV Manta Queen 1 Layout 
deck plan 2019
8x En suite main deck cabins
2x Std. twin lower deck cabins

 

MV Manta Queen 1 Specifications
Length. 27 metres.
Width. 6 metres.
Hull. Wooden.
Engines. 2x Hino 450hp 10 cylinder.
Generators. 1x 40Kw. 1x 50Kw.
Nitrox filling station. Nitrox tanks and PADI courses available.
Cruising speed. 8-9 knots.
Navigation. GPS Sat.Nav, depth sounder, compass.
Water. 14,000 litres.
Accommodation. 10 air conditioned cabins
Amenities. Large salon, sun deck, tea and coffee.
Crew. 1 Captain, 1 Engineer, 1 Cook, 4 Assistants.
Diving. 30x 12-litre aluminium tanks, int'l valves.
Safety. VHF Radio, life jackets, life rings, first aid kit.
Dinghy. 2x 4 metres with 40hp engine.

Courses

There is a selection of SSI diving courses available on Manta Queen 1, including Enriched Air Nitrox (EAN) and Advanced course. We always recommend MQ1 guests to pre-book their course with just a 500 THB deposit. However, it's usually ok to choose and confirm after your arrival.

Courses
Courses Prices
Adventure Deep (30m.)
64 USD
Pool refresher
80 USD
Deep Specialty
224 USD
SSI Advanced Adventurer
Including: Use of computer
257 USD
Nitrox
Including: Use of computer & all Nitrox fills
273 USD

Transfer details

The Manta Queen fleet use minivans to collect guests from hotels & the airport. Each minivan is pre-arranged for its set route, times & guests.

If you're staying in and around Khao Lak you can get free scheduled transfers in the afternoon on departure day.
Manta Queen 1's Phuket guests can get free transfers. The pickup times are usually after lunch and until 3.30pm, depending on the location of your hotel.
Pickups from Phuket Airport are mid-afternoon on departure day.

At the end of the cruise, everyone is usually transferred to your chosen hotel in Phuket or Khao Lak.

Booking / Enquiry

Booking or enquiring is easy follow these steps
Step 1:
Complete the form below by entering your details
Step 2:
We usually reply within 2 hours (please check your email & spam)
Step 3:
We can reserve your space(s) commitment-free for up to one week
Step 4:
Deposits to book are usually paid using any card, PayPal or bank transfer

Fields marked with are required
contact_email_copy[]

MV Manta Queen 1 Reviews

Read real reviews from people who have dived with MV Manta Queen 1
mmar MV Manta Queen 1
mmar
Nationality: Spanish
Dived: 29 December 2025
Boat rating: 8/10
Great trip during New Year’s! The food, staff and dive spots were great. The only con: the rooms are a bit small and the mattress not comfy. However, it didn’t matter since I spent most time diving or in the sun deck/dining deck.
Ravi Bhatia
Nationality: Indian
Dived: 15 December 2025
Boat rating: 9/10
Wonderful trip experience, had 15 dives over 4 days. The trip on MQ1 between 15-19Dec 2025 everything was in order, the boat was in great shape, dive guides were great, food and stay was good, dive sites were amazing! Saw everything from Octopus, cuttlefish, blacktip and whitetip sharks, schools of fusiliers, sea kraits, sting rays, eels, snappers, emperor fish; lots of lovely fish life n huge quantity at Richelieu and Koh Tac hai in particular. Saw barracuda tornado, and hundreds of tuna, jacks, emperor fish hunting together in 100s of numbers at Richelieu rock. We were also allowed a beach trip on Similan islands at Sail rock, where monitor lizards can be spotted. I lost my Akaso Brave 7 camera and was unable to retrieve it back from koh Tachai reef, because it was on a night dive and next morning we went to Richelieu rock.
Alistair  MV Manta Queen 1
Alistair
Nationality: British
Dived: 24 November 2025
Boat rating: 9/10
We started on a dreich day, so the weather would be a challenge. Yet at no time did this cause an issue. Although I was in one of the smaller bunks we would only be sleeping there as the rest of the time would be spent either in the water or making new friends. The boat crew and the dive team were magnificent. The food plentiful and of high quality. Each dive was preceded by an in depth briefing and safety check. The Dive mast ers knew where we were at all times under water. Visibility was poor but marine life was abundant. If you ever consider a liveaboard make these guys your first port of call.
Asa MV Manta Queen 1
Asa
Nationality: Swedish
Dived: 17 November 2025
Boat rating: 9/10
Everything was great except the beds! Too hard! Better madrasses would make the experience much better!
Jc MV Manta Queen 1
Jc
Nationality: Singaporean
Dived: 16 October 2025
Boat rating: 10/10
Very good food on board.
Leon
Nationality: Dutch
Dived: 07 April 2025
Boat rating: 10/10
Again a great experience! Great team on board, from captain, cook, boat boys and dive crew! They are all fully commit to give you a really great dive experience. And the team from no troubles just bubbles thanks for your kindness, active monitoring of all arrangements. Hope to see you all again soon.
Joe
Nationality: American
Dived: 10 February 2025
Boat rating: 10/10
Just finished an incredible 5 day - 4 night experience on the Manta Queen 1. We did 15 fantastic dives over the 4 days. The dive staff, boat crew, cook and housekeeping went above and beyond to make this such awesome experience. I can’t say enough about this trip. I have been diving for about 45 years, and this set the bar at an all time high. Thank you!
Jack and Emily  MV Manta Queen 1
Jack and Emily
Nationality: British
Dived: 25 November 2024
Boat rating: 9/10
Boat crew were fantastic in ensuring the safety of all those on board during some choppy conditions. Cleaning and cooking crew were also brilliant. Rooms were cleaned daily, the boat was always clean and tidy, and the food was alway frequent and plentiful. Would just say that more western food options would have been good. They also catered great for dietary requirements. Dive crew were also very friendly and professional. Overall, the trip exceeded our expectations for our first liveaboard with it being a great value for money. We would return!
Helen MV Manta Queen 1
Helen
Nationality: Swedish
Dived: 18 November 2024
Boat rating: 8/10
The boat is great, the cabins small but very good, loved the fans.(I don’t fancy air con) the boat crew were all stars and the captain really put the extra effort to take us to Richelieu timeing the Wawes.
Andy Jewson Manta Queen 1
Andy Jewson
Nationality: British
Dived: 16 February 2024
Boat rating: 9/10
Great trip. Diving was outstanding, fantastic underwater scenery, boulders, swim throughs, walls, masses of coral in good condition. The variety and quantity of underwater life is quite astonishing, from gorgeous little harlequin shrimps to 1m+ tuna and barracuda. At times there are so many fish around you it is quite overwhelming. No manta or whales sharks and talking to the guides it is clear these are very rarely sight ed, I think some of the promotional material is a bit misleading about this. We hired all equipment, which was in very good condition, no issues at all with kit. Cabin on board was clean and comfortable. Catering on board was fantastic, we never seemed to stop eating delicious food. Thai crew were fantastically friendly and helpful, I didn't even need to rinse my own mask before diving and there was always somebody on hand to zip up my wetsuit. Dive guides were professional and knowledgeable and made sure we got the best from each dive site. Two comments on the commercial side. It was a bit disappointing that the first thing we were subjected to when we checked in was a hard sell of the PADI nitrox diving course at £200+ each, you absolutely do not need to be a Nitrox diver to enjoy this trip and if we had wanted to take a course we would have booked it up front. And we were a bit surprised to be told on the last morning that we were more or less expected to leave tips for Thai crew and dive guides of around £100 each. I have no objection to tipping and was happy to leave something in particular for the Thai crew but we already paid a fair bit for the trip and this was made to feel more like a surcharge than a voluntary tipping process.
page
Free Scuba Diver!
T-shirt & wrist band
+ Drybag or Beach towel