MV Pawara

THAILAND · SIMILAN ISLANDS · UPDATED 9 NOVEMBER 2026

Pawara photo gallery: operator imagery supplied through LiveAboard.com. Photos are undated; the confirmed cabin allocation governs your booking.

Pawara is a sociable way to spend four nights among the Similans’ granite reefs and the northern Andaman’s famous pinnacles. Free nitrox for qualified divers is a useful part of the package, while a proper lounge and generous sundeck make the surface intervals feel like part of the holiday. Cabin choice matters: the lowest fare is not automatically the best fit for someone who values privacy.

Pawara dates and cabin prices

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Cabins and the boat behind the name

Operated by West Coast Divers, Pawara is a 35 m steel-hulled liveaboard with a 7 m beam. The booking specification lists 24 guests and 13 cabins. Built in 2006, the vessel has a documented 2023 renovation.

Master and Deluxe cabins sit on the main deck, with sea views; Standard cabins are lower down. Master and Standard rooms can be arranged as doubles or twins, while Deluxe rooms use bunks. Budget cabins are the practical entry option. Bathroom descriptions vary by allocation, so a Budget reservation needs an explicit ensuite-or-shared confirmation. Master, Deluxe and Standard are advertised with private bathrooms.

Our cabin tip: a main-deck room offers daylight and a different outlook between dives. A lower-deck room can still make excellent sense if most of your waking hours will be spent outside. The useful comparison is the actual room and bathroom arrangement, not the category name alone.

Life aboard: a comfortable surface interval

The original Divezone review enjoyed Pawara’s shaded upper-deck seating and the panorama from the sundeck. Those remain the social heart of this style of trip: somewhere to swap sightings, read a fish guide or simply watch the islands pass. The air-conditioned lounge offers a cooler retreat, with entertainment and charging space.

Thai and international meals are served buffet-style, with fruit and snacks between dives. Water, tea and coffee are included; alcohol and soft drinks may be charged separately under the chosen package. Vegetarian options are listed, while allergies need an agreed arrangement. Internet depends on coastal reception, so an uninterrupted work connection is not a realistic part of the promise.

Four nights, from the Similans to Richelieu Rock

The regular programme is four nights aboard with 14 planned dives. Boarding is in the evening at Thap Lamu, followed by an overnight crossing. The first diving day stays around the Similans, the second works north through Koh Bon and Koh Tachai, and the third concentrates on Richelieu Rock. The last day returns via Tachai and Bon before the mainland transfer. Sites and dive counts remain weather-dependent.

Route description available below.

Route order: Thap Lamu harbour area (1) → Similan Islands (2) → Koh Bon (3) → Koh Tachai (4) → Richelieu Rock (5) → Koh Tachai (4) → Koh Bon (3) → Thap Lamu (1). Numbered locations are regional planning references. Lines are schematic connections, not navigation tracks or guaranteed dive entries.

2026–2027 fares and a comparable total

Published planning rates checked 9 November 2026 are in THB per person sharing, for four nights. The table adds the quoted THB 2,300 diver park fee; flights, hotels, rental equipment and personal extras remain additional.

Full-board meals, guiding, tanks, weights and certified nitrox fills are included in the advertised package. Transfers cover specified Phuket and Khao Lak locations. Solo private use is quoted as one diver fare plus one non-diver fare; a shared berth and a private cabin are therefore very different purchases.

Rental terms vary by seller. Sunrise lists a basic set at THB 500 per day and a computer at THB 250 per day. Insurance inclusions, larger tanks, courses and private guiding need to be itemised on the actual quote.

Pawara dates and cabin prices

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Diving, transfers and non-diving partners

Free nitrox applies to appropriately certified divers. Currents and offshore pinnacles make recent experience useful; the operator assesses certification, last-dive date and any training or private-guide needs. A certification card alone does not promise access to every planned site.

Phuket pickups are generally in the late afternoon, with Khao Lak later in the evening. The return is in the afternoon after the final dives. A hotel night after the cruise leaves a sensible buffer before flying and avoids building a tight connection around a weather-sensitive schedule.

Non-divers are accepted, with the lower fares shown above and separate park charges. The sundeck and occasional permitted beach stops provide alternatives to scuba, but this remains a diving holiday. A partner hoping to snorkel every day needs the supervised arrangements confirmed, especially on days spent around offshore pinnacles.

Guest feedback: the appeal and the compromises

Planning your trip?

Thailand travel guide · Thailand liveaboard choices · Similan Islands diving · Sister boat Sawasdee Fasai

Pawara questions, answered

Schedules and source details

Checked 9 November 2026: booking specifications and dated guest reviews; published fares and rental terms; dated route and cabin programme; PADI vessel profile.