Event· Koh Similan (#8)· Thailand
Similan and Surin Park Opening Day (15 October)
8° 39.1′ N · 97° 38.4′ E
The day the Similan and Surin marine parks reopen after the monsoon closure. Day boats rush out from Thap Lamu and the first crowds land at Donald Duck Bay.
Practical
Coordinate is the Wikipedia park reference point. The 2026–27 season opened on 15 October 2026 and runs to 15 May 2027 (Tisland Travel; ad-hoc-news, April 2026). The 2026 closure ran 16 May to 15 October (Thairath, 15 May 2026), and the Surin park follows the same dates. Pattaya Mail reported over 1,300 visitors on one opening day, so expect crowded moorings at Koh Similan (#8) in the first week. If you want quiet bays, arrive a few days later. Swell left over from the monsoon can stop boats: one opening-season report says operators held back because of high waves. Since 15 October 2025, entry uses an electronic ticket from the QueQ app or e-ticket.dnp.go.th. It must be issued, and your identity confirmed, before 8am on the day you visit. Rangers scan the QR code on arrival (Tisland Travel). The fee is 500 THB per foreign adult and 250 THB per child aged 3–14 (2026). Check the DNP announcement each year, because the date has varied between 14 and 15 October.
Best for
Being first into the park for the season
Season
15 October each year (verify the DNP announcement)
Nearby
- Similan Seasonal Closure (mid-May to mid-Oct)Right here
- Similan Island Birds and Wildlife0.3 NM away
- Ao Nguang Chang (Koh Similan)0.6 NM away
- Beacon Reef0.7 NM away
- Koh Similan Anchorage (Donald Duck Bay, #8)0.8 NM away
- SW Monsoon on the Similan–Surin Coast (May–Oct)0.8 NM away
- Donald Duck Bay (Ao Kuerk)0.9 NM away
- Koh Similan Park Restaurant and Shop0.9 NM away