How deep is Racha Yai?

Racha Yai ranges from 5 to 25 metres and is suited to beginner divers. It is a reef dive with mild current.

When is the best time to dive Racha Yai?

The season is Year-round. Expect 15–30 m visibility and 28–30 °C water.

How do you get to Racha Yai?

Day trip · 60 min from Chalong. It is in the Racha Islands area at 7.6090° N, 98.3659° E.

What marine life can you see at Racha Yai?

Blue-spotted stingray, Titan triggerfish, Moray eel, Cuttlefish. Highlights include bungalow bay hard-coral garden; concrete-cube artificial reef; blue-spotted rays on the sand.

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Racha Yai

Depth

5–25 m

Visibility

15–30 m

Water

28–30 °C

Current

Mild

Season

Year-round

Getting there

Day trip · 60 min from Chalong

Coordinates

7.6090° N, 98.3659° E

Verified

2026-09-12

The training ground of Phuket. Gentle slopes, sun-drenched sand, and hard coral so shallow it glows. Racha Yai is where most divers log their first Andaman dive — and it still rewards the hundredth.

Highlights

Bungalow Bay hard-coral garden
Concrete-cube artificial reef
Blue-spotted rays on the sand

What you'll see

Blue-spotted stingrayTitan triggerfishMoray eelCuttlefish

Photos: Roma Neus, ELPHUKET, Ralf Schmidt via Wikimedia Commons · licences

Racha Islands — Andaman Sea scenery near Racha Yai

Field footage · Andaman Sea

What the diving looks like.

Original footage from Andaman dives, chosen to match the reef terrain and marine life you can expect at Racha Yai.

Hard-coral garden with damselfishA sunlit field of staghorn and table coral, yellow damselfish holding station over every head. Classic shallow Andaman reef.

Racha Yai, in brief

How deep is Racha Yai?: Racha Yai ranges from 5 to 25 metres and is suited to beginner divers. It is a reef dive with mild current.
When is the best time to dive Racha Yai?: The season is Year-round. Expect 15–30 m visibility and 28–30 °C water.
How do you get to Racha Yai?: Day trip · 60 min from Chalong. It is in the Racha Islands area at 7.6090° N, 98.3659° E.
What marine life can you see at Racha Yai?: Blue-spotted stingray, Titan triggerfish, Moray eel, Cuttlefish. Highlights include bungalow bay hard-coral garden; concrete-cube artificial reef; blue-spotted rays on the sand.

Pack for this dive

Gear we'd bring to Racha Yai

First computer

Suunto

Suunto Zoop Novo

If you just got certified at Racha Yai, this is the computer your instructor probably wore. Nothing to break, nothing to charge.

$329Suunto ↗

Best seal

Scubapro

Scubapro Synergy 2 Trufit

The skirt that fits faces other masks leak on. Low volume, quick to clear, no fuss.

$139Scuba.com ↗

Classic

Mares

Mares Avanti Quattro+ Fins

The fin every rental shop in Chalong owns for a reason. Buy your own pair and stop guessing sizes.

$159Scuba.com ↗

Trips that diveRacha Yai

Day trip
Racha Yai & Racha Noi Day Trip
The classic Phuket day: two dives, a hot lunch on deck, and a nap on the sun deck back to Chalong.
from $115 · via DivebookerBook →Details
Course
Discover Scuba Diving · Racha Yai
Never dived? Racha Yai's sandy shallows are the gentlest first breath underwater on the coast. Two dives, one instructor, zero pressure.
from $135 · via DivebookerBook →Details
Course
PADI Open Water Course · 3 Days
Get certified in the warmest classroom on earth. Theory online before you fly, then three days at sea.
from $420 · via PADI TravelBook →Details
Day trip
Sunset & Night Dive · Racha Yai
Sunset from the deck, then torches on. Cuttlefish hunting, morays free-swimming, and bioluminescence when you cover your light.
from $120 · via DivebookerBook →Details

Next siteRacha Noi