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Diving in Thailand has long been one of the greatest activities in the world but since 2025, there are new Thailand’s diving regulations for diving imposed by the Thai government. In this blog, Asia King Travel breaks down everything you need to know about Thailand's diving regulations so you can dive safely.
Diving in Thailand has always been tourist best choice
Diving in Thailand is a one of a kind underwater adventure, renowned for its wealth of marine life, azure waters, and unique blend of accessibility and affordability that welcomes novice divers and seasoned divers alike. One of the best things about diving in Thailand is its diverse marine ecosystem, where iridescent coral gardens are teeming with anemone-clad clownfish, manta rays glide past pinnacles, and curious whale sharks patrol deeper blue channels.
Popular destinations such as the Similan Islands and Richelieu Rock in the Andaman Sea provide dramatic granite boulders covered in soft corals, while Gulf locations like Koh Tao present gentle sloping reefs suitable for beginners practicing buoyancy skills. Thailand's balmy tropical temperatures 28°C on average throughout the year, translate to comfortable diving without bulky exposure suits, and water clarity often exceeds 25 meters in the dry season.
What special about diving in Thailand
Thailand officially enacted its new Thailand’s diving regulations on April 22, 2025, under the Marine and Coastal Resources Management Act. Thailand’s diving regulations will protect fragile coastal habitats and coral reefs and remain in force for five years. The rules apply throughout the nation, from Phuket and Koh Tao to the Similan Islands and so on. Operators and travelers must comply with these authoritative directives to ensure sustainable marine tourism and protect Thailand's underwater diversity.
Thailand’s diving rules tourist need to know
Effective from April 22, 2025, Thailand mandates that a dive and snorkel tour is accompanied by trained supervisors or assistants who are certified under the Marine and Coastal Resources Management Act. The depth scuba diving to supervisor ratio is four to one. Snorkelling and freediving clubs must have one supervisor for 20 visitors.
Introductory dives such as discover Scuba diving or try dives now consist of an intimate 1:2 student to instructor ratio, while certified scuba courses maintain the 1:4 student-to-instructor ratio provided that coral protective measures are applied.
A diving supervisor is essential
Dive operators need to display supervisor credentials and have them on demand by park or marine authorities. This assures professional management, lessening ecological degradation due to inexperience. For novices, it means more individualized advice, tighter safety procedures, and lower numbers of divers per group, maximizing learning as well as environmental stewardship.
Dive operators doing their job
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As a condition of any water activity, managers are required to conduct full briefings where they cover all relevant national and local marine legislation. These include coral safe buoyancy control, no-touch rules, and location specific bans within protected marine areas like Similans or Phi Phi. Life vests must be worn by snorkelers when swimming in reefs except for those who have valid freediving certificates, proof should be provided if challenged.
For diving in Thailand and scuba instruction, safety protocol and equipment inspection are addressed before going into the water. When a diver won't wear a vest or ignore during briefings, his activity must be immediately terminated. These Thailand’s diving regulations promote security and increase coral sensitivity, reducing incidental reef contact.
Life vests must be worn when swimming
Beginner divers benefit from structured pre-dive training and confidence with the application of protective gear. In addition to this, it also holds operators accountable, encouraging compliance with sustainable diving in Thailand practices like Green Fins.
Divers must maintain at least a two-meter distance above coral heads at all times. Dive guides or resorts must also instruct participants to learn neutral buoyancy technique prior to entering reefs, including in-water fin control exercises in shallow warm-up dives. Fin technique is not advisable since it can cause resuspension of sediment, smothering of coral, and long-term damage to the reef.
If a diver consistently demonstrates loss of control or contravenes the two-meter standard, they must be taken out of the dive and retrained or removed from the activity. For beginner divers, this gives a structured, safe introduction to diving in Thailand. It.fasts skill development rather than thrill, which equates to safer Thailand reefs from unintentional touching and long-term reef health.
Maintain at least two meter distance above coral heads
Advanced Open Water certified divers (PADI, SSI, etc.) or those who have logged a minimum of 40 dives may utilize cameras underwater, for training or recreation dives. No certification instructors or beginners are allowed to shoot underwater photos. Proof certificate or logbook must be present for inspection upon request by park or marine authorities.
This is designed to reduce the level of coral breakage caused by inexperienced divers distracted by equipment. Exemptions are for research or conservation dives under the proper permits.
Thailand Bans Underwater Cameras on Deep Dives
For inexperienced divers, it encourages a focus on buoyancy and safety skills before advancing to photography. It may delay selfie-taking, but ensures greater respect for the environment. For tour operators, it involves verifying qualifications and enforcing the ban improving reef conservation in the long term.
The warning strictly forbids such behaviors in coral reef areas: touching, handling, or moving coral or sea creatures; agitating sediment; feeding fish; littering; and walking over soft bottoms (Sea Walker). Physical contact is also not allowed in snorkelling. Laws sanction any disturbance that impacts sediment or wildlife.
Managers must monitor behavior and cease any infractions immediately. Snorkel and dive guides must be proactive when guiding groups, deterring natural touches. These restrictions are aimed at preserving biodiversity and preventing ecosystem degradation.
Physical contact is also not allowed in snorkelling
For beginners, a pre-dive lesson includes learning "look but don't touch." It's a focus on sustainable marine tourism, watching and not touching, and keeping Thailand's reefs intact for future generations of adventurers.
Those in charge, including supervisors and rangers, can cancel dives on the spot for non-compliance such as coral contact, failure to wear life vests, or missing briefings. Violations are to be notified to marine or national-park authorities. Supervisors or operators failing to implement these Thailand's diving regulations risk licence revocation, fines of up to 200,000 THB, and up to 2 years imprisonment under the Marine and Coastal Resources Management Act.
Exceptions apply solely to certified conservation or research dives. This imposes legal and financial accountability, promoting operators to follow eco-dive practices. New divers provide them with the confidence that there are standards being implemented and one might be dealt with severely for any misconduct. This institutional backing creates an environment in which reef conservation and safety are non-negotiable.
Supervisors can cancel dives on spot
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Thailand now has the law that dive instructors must be in possession of up to date certifications from PADI, SSI, NAUI, or CMAS. Certification dives and dive courses must include coral-safe demonstration of skill such as buoyancy control and neutral fin technique especially in sites that are protected. Educational emphasis on marine conservation is also encouraged through cooperation with programs such as Green Fins, which trains guides to lead reef cleanups.
Certification courses (Discover Scuba Diving) are restricted to sandy bottoms off reefs with little environmental impact. The focus on certification and environmental training creates an impetus for Thailand's dive tourism. Beginners benefit through acquiring professionally certified training in terms of safety and reef-sensitive guidelines. It also instills a new generation of environment-friendly divers ready to promote reef conservation.
Certifications from PADI, SSI, NAUI, or CMAS
Parties of 20 per supervisor for freediving and snorkelling, additional staff for big groups. Water deeper than 2 meters above reefs, forbidden to snorkel over shallow reefs to prevent accidental contact with the coral reef. All snorkelers must wear a buoyancy aid unless they possess current freediving or scuba qualifications.
Supervisors are responsible for making checks on fin control before allowing participants to dive close to reefs. These laws prevent safe, controlled snorkeling areas and damage to reefs. For untrained tourists, this translates to more orderly and safer tours. Correctly certified freed divers receive limited leeway but always under monitoring.
Snorkelling & Freediving Specific Rules
If you’re new to diving in Thailand:
Diving in Thailand laws mark a greater emphasis on sustainable tourism and marine preservation. Thailand’s diving regulations seem to be tight-fisted but really are in place to enhance safety features and keep the country's world-class dive sites intact for future generations of divers. Up for finding Thailand's best dive spots with professional tour guides and full compliance with the new rules? Let Asia King Travel be your travel companion of choice.
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