MV Smiling Seahorse

MV Smiling Seahorse is a new diving liveaboard boat launched late in 2018. It was purpose-built to offer safe & comfortable Similan Islands scuba diving liveaboard cruises. The new boat is bigger than its predecessor, but still only takes 16 guests. That means there’s more room and greater comfort. Smiling Seahorse has air-conditioned cabins, most of which have private bathrooms. Also the hull is steel and there's a dedicated photographers' room.

The boat is an ideal size for the number of guests. It’s 25m. in length with a width of 6.5m. This ensures that it’s always possible to find space to chill out away from others, but it also has a friendly atmosphere. The boat was designed from afresh, meaning that everything is in the right place. For example, the well-planned dive deck and cabin layout, and there’s a room just for photographers. From the large sundeck to the crew cabins in the lower deck, it’s a great boat. All guest cabins have air-conditioning and doors which open out to sea views, not into a narrow corridor along the middle of the boat.

On the upper deck of Smiling Seahorse there are two ‘Superior’ guest cabins which can be set up as twin or double depending on your needs. Further back is the main socialising & dining area. This is where guests spend most of their time eating, listening to dive briefings, exchanging stories over a drink, browsing photos, reading, or updating logbooks. There are tables with lots of comfy seating, and there’s a large TV.

On the main deck of Smiling Seahorse there are two Master Cabins at the front of the boat and four Deluxe Cabins in the middle. All have private en suite bathrooms. The Master Cabins have large double beds, and the Deluxe Cabins can be twin or double, depending on the guests. Also on the main deck is the galley, where the wonderful cooks prepare plenty of delicious food. It’s a great balance of Thai food made to western taste. Guests who have special dietary needs, including vegetarians & vegans, won’t go hungry, but please inform the team of any special diets in advance.

There is a photography room on the main deck, next to the kitchen and communal bathrooms. This is important on scuba diving liveaboards nowadays. Diving photographers can service, clean & charge lights & cameras. but Smiling Seahorse goes one step further than all other Similan diving liveaboards. The attention to detail for photographers to store, service, charge and clean cameras and equipment is second to none. A pro photographer (and owner of the boat) joins nearly every trip, and there are regular clinics and presentations to help you get as much as possible out of each trip.

On the well-designed dive deck there is easily enough room for all divers to feel comfortable when gearing up. All the tanks, equipment, compressor and other machinery is located here, out of the way.

In its first two seasons Smiling Seahorse offered trips mostly in Myanmar/Burma, but due to local unrest and Covid-19 travel restrictions, it focussed more on trips within in Thailand. There is a wide choice of trips, from 3 nights to more than a week long. For 2023-2024 the team will be back in Myanmar, but also having some wonderful trips in Thailand, due to the team benefitting from finding the perfect cruises during Covid.

Prices & Schedule

Some MV Smiling Seahorse trips depart from & return to several piers in three diferent towns of southern Thailand. The chosen pier depends on the itinerary, so pleae check carefully on our schedule. Some trips use Ranong, and others use Khao Lak or Phuket. A few trips will depart from one pier but finish at another. Please check the schedule and consult us before confirming your travel plans.

Check-in is at lunchtime or early afternoon on departure day.