Koh Tao dive sites
Koh Tao dive sites are known for affordable Open Water weeks rather than a second Full Moon, and a 2026 course is often 9,500 to 12,000 THB. Sleep Sairee or Mae Haad near the shop.
Back to Koh Tao PADI weekSairee shopsGulf viz
Open Water9,500 to 12,000 THB; 3 to 4 days
Viz windowEasier March to September
Arrival20 THB at Mae Haad
Stay splitSairee strip vs Chalok south
Search stays on Trip.com Check live 2026 rates and free-cancellation options. Book tickets on Klook Book tickets, tours, or transfers ahead for peak dates.
Tao is priced around a first cert; open Water runs 9,500 to 12,000 THB for 3 to 4 days. Fun dives sit on the same west-coast shops; sleep Sairee if the classroom is on the strip. Sleep Mae Haad if you want a two-minute walk to the boat; chalok is quieter and farther from most morning check-ins.
Pay 20 THB at Mae Haad, and visibility is easier March to September. October to December cancels first, and see diving for the national split. Keep a Similan liveaboard off that same first week, and boats from Koh Phangan take about 1 to 1.5 hours.
A workable course week
- Days 1 to 4: Pool and boat. Keep evenings short.
- Stay: Sairee or Mae Haad. Chalok needs a pickup.
- Buffer: One spare night before an international flight.
Keep going
Book
Common questions
- Is Tao worth it if you do not dive?
- Usually no. Pick Phangan or Samui if you want a bay without a regulator.
- Sairee or Chalok for the course?
- Sairee for the shop walk. Chalok if you accept a daily pickup.