Due to the large area and the distance between dive sites, (many of the best sites are in open ocean, miles from other land masses) virtually all Burma diving is done from liveaboard safari boat. These liveaboard trips all depart from Thailand and are run by Thai registered companies.
The closest departure point is Ranong which is a five hour drive from Phuket Island or a short Bangkok Air flight from Bangkok.  From Ranong the boat passes over the estuary to the Myanmar town of Kawthaung (previously called Victoria Point) where immigration formalities are handled before heading north west into the Mergui archipelago. Many dive liveaboards combine Burma diving with dives in Thailand at Similan Islands, Surin Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai and Richelieu Rock.
These boats depart from Phuket or Khao Lak. Frustratingly although Burmese waters are just a few miles north of Surin islands, it is necessary for the liveaboard boats to sail around 540 nautical miles to Ranong/Kawthaung to get passports stamped and then sail another 50 or so miles to the nearest dive site. This wastes about one day of diving and the extra miles add to the cost of the cruise. These formalities are fairly straight forward, your tour leader and boat captain will take care of it for you, but they are pricey. The entry fee varies depending on where you dive and for how long but is in the US$200 price range. Continued >>
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