Gentle Giant — a wooden Andaman expedition boat

Gentle Giant is for divers who would rather follow one long route than repeat the usual Similan circuit. Its special expedition links the North and South Andaman Sea in one trip, joining the granite boulders of the Similans to Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock, Phi Phi, Koh Haa, Hin Daeng, Hin Muang and the King Cruiser Wreck. That distance is the point: few boats can cover both regions without splitting the journey between separate itineraries. The boat itself keeps the group small, with space for 20 divers rather than a large floating resort. Come aboard for access to a broad spread of Thailand's best-known sites, a genuinely local crew, and enough days to make the long run south worthwhile. The shorter five-day route focuses on the North Andaman highlights; the seven-day expedition is the reason to choose Gentle Giant over a more conventional liveaboard.

From the dock, Gentle Giant presents as a classic wooden diving boat rather than a new steel hotel. The hull and open decks give her a practical, lived-in character, while the layout leaves room to get out of the cabin between dives. Once aboard, the saloon provides an air-conditioned retreat and the upper deck opens onto a broad sundeck with sea air and room to sit. The scale is useful: with only 20 passengers, the boat does not feel like a crowd moving through a terminal. People become familiar quickly, which matters when the same kit, benches and dive briefings are shared day after day. The boat is not the fleet's most polished vessel; its boat score sits below the crew, food and diving scores. The return is a smaller expedition atmosphere, a crew that carries much of the experience, and direct access to a route most boats divide into separate trips.

Gentle Giant suits divers who want a small working group rather than anonymous hotel service. Twenty passengers is enough for a lively saloon but small enough that the crew can recognise people, routines and small problems before they become interruptions. Thai, English and Chinese are spoken on board, making briefings and everyday requests straightforward for a mixed group. The crew's role is felt most clearly in the repeated details: tanks ready, meals arriving when divers need them, cabins kept in order and the next site explained before anyone enters the water. Passenger feedback places the crew, food and diving well above the boat itself, and that distinction is useful. Gentle Giant's wooden hull is not sold as luxury polish; the people running it are what make the week work. Evenings tend to gather around the saloon, the meal table or the open deck, with the day's sightings providing more conversation than any entertainment system.

The five-day route follows the classic North Andaman arc: Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock and Boonsung Wreck. The Similans combine living coral with granite boulders and pelagic sightings, with sites reaching -40m. Koh Bon is the manta site, where a cleaning station draws large rays to the wall; Koh Tachai's submerged pinnacles and Koh Tachai Pinnacle reach -40m and concentrate life where current sweeps across the reef. Boonsung Wreck is an old tin dredger turned artificial reef, with a maximum depth of -18m and fish thick enough to hide the surface. The seven-day, six-night expedition adds the southern Andaman and is the boat's defining route. Elephant Head Rock drops to -60m through arches, tunnels and caverns; West of Eden reaches -40m through granite canyons; King Cruiser Wreck reaches -35m; Christmas Point reaches -40m; and Deep Six reaches -50m. Other listed sites include Surin Islands, Anita's Reef, Shark Fin Reef and Breakfast Bend.

Similan Islands →

Max. depth · 40 m

Koh Bon →

Koh Tachai →

Max. depth · 40 m

Richelieu Rock →

Max. depth · 35 m

Boonsung Wreck →

Max. depth · 18 m

Koh Tachai Pinnacle →

Max. depth · 40 m

Elephant Head Rock →

Max. depth · 60 m

West of Eden →

Max. depth · 40 m

King Cruiser Wreck →

Max. depth · 35 m

Christmas Point →

Max. depth · 40 m

Deep Six →

Max. depth · 50 m

Surin Islands →

Max. depth · 25 m

Anita's Reef →

Max. depth · 35 m

Shark Fin Reef →

Max. depth · 40 m

Breakfast Bend →

Max. depth · 35 m

This route repeatedly offers reef sharks, white-tip reef sharks, barracuda, leopard sharks, tuna, trevally, nudibranchs, fusiliers and morays. Napoleon wrasse and turtles are recorded across much of the route, while groupers, whale sharks and manta rays remain possible encounters rather than promises. The reason to stay at Koh Bon is the cleaning station, where manta rays may arrive for maintenance; Koh Tachai Pinnacle uses current around its coral-covered dome to pull pelagic life across the site. The wrecks change the scale of the search. Boonsung Wreck is where the route records both stonefish and porcupinefish, while King Cruiser Wreck is the only listed site for bamboo sharks and eels. Breakfast Bend is the place for garden eels, damselfish and butterflyfish. Christmas Point is the only listed site for anemones and the specifically recorded shark encounter. Deep Six is the site associated with blennies. The large animals are the headline, but the unusual small finds give a diver reasons to slow down.

Nudibranch →

Nudibranchia

Napoleon Wrasse →

Cheilinus undulatus

Whale Shark →

Rhincodon typus

Manta Ray →

Mobula birostris

Guides put divers into the water in English, Thai and Chinese, with the crew combining local and international staff. Dive briefings cover the site before entry, and the guides organise divers into groups for the different sites and conditions. The published information does not give a fixed guide-to-diver ratio, a minimum logged-dive requirement, instructor numbers or a list of courses run on board, so Gentle Giant is best chosen for its guided itinerary rather than for a training programme advertised as part of the trip. Nitrox certification is not included simply because Nitrox is available; the certification itself is an optional extra. Oxygen and first-aid kits are carried on board, alongside fire alarms, extinguishers, life jackets and life rafts. Radar, sonar, GPS and marine radios support the vessel's navigation. A recall system and defibrillator are not described, so divers who require those specific systems should ask before booking.

The dive deck is built around repeated diving rather than decorative space. It has a shaded working area, a dedicated dive platform, DIN adaptors and separate camera-rinse facilities, with charging stations for equipment that needs power between dives. Nitrox is available as an optional extra, and rental equipment can be arranged. The boat carries the practical safety basics expected on a remote Andaman route: oxygen, first-aid kits, life jackets, life rafts, fire alarms and extinguishers, with radar, sonar and GPS supporting navigation. The platform keeps entries and exits at deck level, so the process is direct: kit up, move to the edge, enter, then return to the platform after the dive. The boat's published information does not give tank volume or construction, compressor details, tender arrangements, SMB provision or hot-water facilities, so those points should not be assumed when comparing it with another boat. For photographers, the separate camera rinse is the useful distinction.

Between dives, Gentle Giant gives the choice that matters on a liveaboard: air-conditioning inside or open air outside. The saloon is the place for shade, a film and a proper break from the heat, with a 55-inch screen and a large selection of movies. The sundeck is more useful when the sea is calm: sit under the shade, dry equipment, watch the islands pass or let the surface interval stretch without being trapped in a cabin. The boat's outdoor space is generous for its size, which helps on the longer expedition when several days are spent moving between the northern and southern Andaman. Wi-Fi is available for messages and light use, but the reason to come up is usually simpler—the horizon, a rinse, food, then the next briefing. On the afternoon cruise south, the boat itself becomes the interval between dive areas.

The expedition day starts before sunrise, with a morning call at 06:00 on the later days and the first dive following the briefing at 07:00. Breakfast comes after the first dive, lunch follows the middle of the programme, and snacks appear between the afternoon activities. On the first full day, Koh Bon takes the opening two dives, Koh Tachai Pinnacle the third, and Koh Tachai Reef the fourth. The following day moves through Tachai Pinnacle and three dives at Richelieu Rock, where the long surface intervals are punctuated by meals rather than idle waiting. Similan days bring Elephant Head Rock, West of Eden and Shark Fin Reef before the boat heads south. The southern section continues with Koh Haa, Hin Muang, Hin Daeng, Phi Phi and the King Cruiser Wreck. There are 22 dives across the seven-day route. The boat leaves the pier after dinner on the first night, and each evening closes around the next day's site plan.

Food is one of Gentle Giant's strongest points, reflected in the boat's 9.4 food score. Meals combine Thai dishes with Western and other international cooking, usually served buffet-style so divers can take what suits the next dive. Vegetarian options are available, and non-alcoholic drinks, tea and coffee are provided alongside drinking water. Snacks remain available through the day, which is important when the schedule places four dives between breakfast, lunch and dinner. The table is not an afterthought between briefings: it is where the group refuels, compares what appeared on the last dive and works out whether there is room for another portion before kitting up again. Beer is available, while alcoholic drinks are not part of the standard provision. The kitchen's local influence gives the trip a clearer Thai identity than a menu built entirely around familiar Western food.

The three cabin categories are Master, Deluxe and Standard. All have air-conditioning, a private bathroom with shower and toilet, and a safe; sea views are available across the cabin layout. The Master sits on the upper deck, the Deluxe on the main deck, while Standard cabins are placed across the upper and main decks. These are working liveaboard rooms, designed to get a diver clean, dry and horizontal between dives rather than to imitate a hotel suite. The wooden boat gives the accommodation a more traditional feel than a new steel vessel, and the air-conditioned saloon is there when the cabin becomes too small. A 55-inch screen and a large film library offer an indoor option after dark, but the better use of the space may be the upper deck, where the horizon remains visible. The cabins are en-suite, so returning from a dive does not mean queuing for a shared bathroom.

Gentle Giant's expedition departs from and returns to Thap Lamu pier, with transfers from Phuket hotels or Phuket airport included. Other listed departures use Asia Marina or Thap Lamu depending on the route, so the port shown for the chosen trip matters. Transfer arrangements are communicated with the booking details. Arriving in Phuket the night before is the sensible choice, leaving room for delays before the transfer to the pier.