Success is a wonderful thing when we achieve it, but it can become a burden. Running one of the best scuba diving liveaboard ships at The Similan Islands means that reputation and returning guests soon fill up every trip. Then you have to turn people away. This has become the case for the owners and management of one of our first and best boats, MV Pawara. Such a good reputation and great-value cruises with a wide choice of cabins means that many guests want to join the 4 Day / 4 Night cruises to Thailand’s best diving areas. 
With a capacity of 24 guests, Pawara is often sold out, has a waiting list, and still has to turn divers away. These include returning guests who want to come back to enjoy the great service, luxury, and diving on offer. We are proud to present MV Sawasdee Fasai, the new sister ship for Pawara.
MV Sawasdee Fasai started life as a luxury scuba diving liveaboard catering mainly for Japanese guests, and for 2014-15 the boat’s ownership was taken over by a dive centre in Phuket that tried in vain to broaden the ship’s appeal. 
However, with a limited agent base and internet presence, the boat (MV Scuba Explorer) wasn’t as popular as it deserved to be. In addition, the choice and layout of the cabins was not as good as it could have been. Pawara’s owner has invested heavily in the project, which will be launched in November 2016 and offering luxury scuba diving trips in December. The financial investment is huge, including buying the boat outright, and totally refitting almost every panel and part. 
This is nothing like plastering over cracks and adding a new coat of paint. The end result will be as good as a brand new boat, and better than most brand new boats. Sawasdee Fasai has been taken out of the water for a full renovation and refurbishment, including new cabins, lounge/saloon, engines, and many steel panels. Both Sawasdee Fasai and Pawara have Bauer compressors and twin membranes for Nitrox fills - free to certified divers. At 37m. in length and with a strong steel hull, Sawasdee Fasai guarantees comfortable and safe cruises from Khao Lak’s Tab Lamu Pier 64 kilometres west to Thailand’s most beautiful diving archipelago. The boat’s large size ensures calm and comfortable journeys and the captain is usually able to drop divers off right above the reef, but there are also two motorised dinghies to pick divers up after quickly and efficiently, and transfer guests to the pristine beaches of the Similan Islands. 
Guests on Sawasdee Fasai can also comfort themselves in the knowledge that the team of local crew and western dive staff will take the very best care of them during the duration of their stay on board. While some of the crew and staff from previous seasons on Pawara may have moved on for pastures new, they soon realised that the grass isn’t greener on the other side, and are back with one of the best diving teams in Thailand.
The first trip is scheduled for departure on December 16th 2016, and some of the trips during peak season are already fully booked. If you are interested in enjoying Thailand’s best diving experiences on one of the best boats available, contact us today to enquire about a diving liveaboard cruise on MV Sawasdee Fasai.
