Short answer
Thailand's Andaman marine national parks opened for the 2026–27 season on 15 October 2026. The environment minister announced the opening and told the Department of National Parks to tighten safety, and the Similan Islands counted 1,409 visitors on the first day. The Similans and Surin Islands were closed from 16 May to 14 October. Visitors are asked to wear life jackets on boats, use sunscreen without coral-harming chemicals and avoid single-use plastic.
The parks opened on 15 October 2026
On 15 October 2026 Thailand's minister of natural resources and environment said the marine national parks on the Andaman coast had officially opened for the new tourist season. The Department of National Parks published the statement the same day. It describes the opening as the end of a seasonal closure that lets the ecosystem recover.
The department's own closure list for 2026, published in the Royal Gazette on 9 January 2026, puts the Similan Islands and the Surin Islands at 16 May to 14 October, so 15 October was their first day back. Pattaya Mail adds that the closure also keeps boats off the sea in the south-west monsoon.
What the minister ordered
The minister told the department to raise safety standards for visitors: staff and rescue teams ready, risky areas watched and tour operators held to the rules. He asked visitors to follow the rangers' instructions, not to drop litter and not to damage coral or marine life.
The department's director-general named the parks ready to receive visitors: the Similan Islands, the Surin Islands, Hat Noppharat Thara–Mu Ko Phi Phi, Mu Ko Lanta, Ao Phang Nga and Laem Son. He said visitor numbers are controlled to each area's carrying capacity, boat speed and noise are managed, and that some sites and campsites may change with the weather.
What visitors saw on opening day
The Similan Islands counted 1,409 visitors on 15 October: 1,359 on day trips and 50 scuba divers. The park chief said rangers were telling visitors to use sunscreen without chemicals that harm coral, to cut single-use plastic and to respect the protected zones set up against illegal fishing.
Pattaya Mail reported that guests check in at Ban Thap Lamu pier in Phang Nga, collect equipment and hear a safety briefing, then ride about 90 minutes to the islands, with life jackets compulsory on the boats. The Surin Islands also announced their season from 15 October, with snorkelling at chosen spots and visits to the Moken village. Pattaya Mail gives the end of the Similan season as 15 May 2027.
What it means for a Similan day from Phuket
Our Similan Islands speedboat day trip runs from 15 October to 14 May and starts from $105 per person. The price includes the national park fee, hotel transfer from most areas of Phuket and Khao Lak, breakfast, lunch and snorkelling gear. Pickup in Phuket is between about 5:30 and 7:30 am, and the speedboat leaves Thap Lamu pier at about 9:00.
Every guest needs a passport copy sent by email no later than the day before the tour. Bring sunscreen that is free of the chemicals the park asks visitors to avoid. If the park or the operator judges the sea unsafe, the trip is moved or refunded. We do not run trips to the Surin Islands. For rules, quota and what the day looks like, read when the Similan Islands are open.
Practical checklist
- Book the Similan day for a date from 15 October 2026 onwards; the park is closed from mid-May.
- Email a passport copy for every guest no later than the day before the tour.
- Pack sunscreen without oxybenzone, octinoxate, 4-MBC or butylparaben.
- Keep your life jacket on during the boat ride, as the park requires.
- Check the sea forecast the evening before; trips are moved if the sea is unsafe.
Questions and answers
Are the Similan Islands open now?
Yes. The Similan Islands reopened on 15 October 2026 after the closure from 16 May to 14 October, and the park counted 1,409 visitors on the first day. Pattaya Mail gives 15 May 2027 as the end of this season.
Which Andaman parks did the minister name?
The Department of National Parks named the Similan Islands, the Surin Islands, Hat Noppharat Thara–Mu Ko Phi Phi, Mu Ko Lanta, Ao Phang Nga and Laem Son as ready for visitors.
Do the Similan boats require life jackets?
Yes. Pattaya Mail reported that all boat passengers must wear life jackets on the crossing to the islands. On our Similan tour a life jacket is included with the snorkelling gear.
Does the national park fee cost extra on our Similan tour?
No. On our tour the Similan Islands national park fee is included in the price from $105 per person, so there is nothing to pay at the pier.