Merdeka 3 — A Wooden Thai Liveaboard for Diving and Wellness

Merdeka 3 is for divers who want the Similan route without treating the boat as only a place to sleep between dives. Its character sits in the combination: wooden hull, open-air living space, diving, sunset yoga and the possibility of a whale shark sighting along the route. The boat suits a group that wants time in the water but also values a massage, a kayak or a quiet place above deck. Weekend cruises run from Chalong to Chalong over three days and two nights, making the boat easier to fit into a Thailand trip than a longer expedition. It is also a practical choice for mixed groups: the diving requirements are open to complete beginners, while experienced divers can bring their own routine to the deck. The appeal is not high-spec technical diving. It is a compact southern Thailand escape built around warm-water diving, full-board meals and a little more space for recovery than a dive-only schedule.

Merdeka 3 makes its first impression as a working wooden liveaboard rather than a polished hotel at sea. The open-air saloon keeps the living areas connected to the weather, while the sun deck gives the boat a place to stretch out between dives. Inside, the layout is compact enough that the group becomes familiar quickly, but the boat still has separate places to eat, rest and prepare for the water. A bar and hot tub add a social edge; kayaks and massage shift the mood away from a purely dive-focused trip. The boat is run for groups as well as individual bookings, so it can work either as a shared weekend or a private charter. English is the crew language. There is no Wi-Fi, which matters less on a short route than it would on a week-long crossing, but it does mean the boat's social spaces carry the evening.

Merdeka 3 has the feel of a small group boat rather than a resort with a separate staff for every task. English is the crew language, and the open-air spaces keep divers, crew and guides in the same orbit through the day. Sunset yoga gives the evening a different shape from a standard dive schedule, while whale shark sightings are one of the route's reported highlights when the encounter comes together. The boat can take groups or private charters, so the atmosphere will depend partly on who boards, but the layout encourages people to share the saloon and deck rather than retreat behind separate hotel corridors. The crew's role is practical: organise the diving, keep meals moving and make the short cruise work for people who may not all have the same experience in the water. That balance is the reason to choose Merdeka 3 over a boat built only around bunk space and tanks.

Merdeka 3 visits Thailand's southern Similan sites on a three-day, two-night weekend cruise from Chalong and back to Chalong. The route is presented as a chance to explore the southern Similan area, but no individual site descriptions or verified site depths are available here. There are therefore no named pinnacles, walls, wrecks or cleaning stations to promise in advance, and no depth should be attached to the itinerary. The boat's reported whale shark sightings belong to the route's appeal, not to a guaranteed site encounter. This is the right choice for a short Similan liveaboard built around the overall area rather than a published list of specific dive sites. Divers who choose their boat by exact site names, maximum depths or a detailed day-by-day itinerary will need those points confirmed before departure.

The crew speaks English. Merdeka 3 accepts complete beginners: no logged dives are required, and no diver certification is required for the trip's entry level. Discover Scuba Diving, Open Water and Advanced Open Water courses are available on board as paid courses, so a non-diver can join a group that includes certified divers. The boat's safety description is full safety, but details such as guide-to-diver ratios, instructor qualifications, briefing format, oxygen, defibrillator and recall procedures are not given. That makes the boat accessible rather than specifically aimed at advanced divers. Certified guests should still expect the final organisation of groups and briefings to be set by the crew around the route and conditions.

The dive operation is built around a dedicated dive deck, compressors and a diving tender. The 3.6-metre RIB takes divers away from the main hull and brings them back after the dive, which keeps entries and exits separate from the boat's living spaces. Gear rental is included, but the boat does not offer nitrox and is not set up for technical diving. Tank material, tank volume, valve type, camera facilities, rinse tanks, hot-water return showers and SMB arrangements are not specified, so divers with particular equipment needs should check those points before boarding. The setup suits straightforward recreational diving rather than decompression or mixed-gas work. The important choice is clear: Merdeka 3 offers the compressor, deck and tender needed for its recreational route, but divers planning a technical configuration or relying on nitrox should choose another boat.

Between dives, Merdeka 3 gives the group several ways to come off the deck without disappearing into a cabin. The open-air saloon is the shaded social space, while the sun deck suits those who want to dry out in the light. A hot tub, massage and kayaks make the gaps between dives feel less like waiting for the next briefing. Sunset yoga is part of the boat's wellness character, and the bar gives the evening a simple meeting point. The boat is not built around Wi-Fi or a long list of indoor distractions. Its useful spaces are outside: somewhere to eat, somewhere to lie down, and somewhere to look out over the water until the crew calls the next dive.

The weekend begins on Friday evening and ends on Sunday afternoon, but the detailed order of briefings, dives, meals, surface intervals and any night dive is not given. What is clear is the shape of the trip: diving is combined with full-board meals, time on the open deck and the wellness side of the boat, including sunset yoga. The RIB supports the dives away from the main hull, then the group returns to the saloon, sun deck or cabins before the next activity. Evenings can move from the water to the bar, hot tub or yoga rather than ending as soon as the last dive is over. This is a short cruise, so every part of the weekend has to share the same limited time: the boat offers a compact Similan escape, not a long expedition with a published four-dive-per-day schedule.

Meals are served buffet-style, with both Western and local food. Dietary restrictions are accommodated, and the boat carries hot and cold soft drinks as well as alcoholic drinks and spirits. On a diving weekend, the buffet matters because people return hungry, wet and on different personal schedules; a plate can be built quickly without turning every meal into a formal event. The mix of local and Western dishes also keeps the table useful for a mixed group rather than making everyone eat the same style of food throughout the trip. Full board is part of the weekend package. The galley is not presented as a destination in itself, but the food supports what the boat is designed to do: get divers fed, hydrated and ready for the next time in the water.

The cabins are on the lower deck and air-conditioned. The Quad Cabin uses four bunk-style beds and a shared bathroom, while the Twin Bunk Aft Downstairs cabins use single bunk beds with a shared bathroom. The Deluxe King Cabin has a double bed and an attached bathroom. That choice changes the nights more than any decoration would: the shared cabins suit divers who accept a simpler arrangement, while the king cabin gives two people a private bathroom after a day in salt water. The lower-deck position keeps the cabins close to the working part of the boat, so movement and the engine are part of liveaboard life rather than something hidden behind hotel-style insulation. The open-air saloon and sun deck are where the boat feels most spacious; the cabins are for cooling down, drying off and sleeping before the next dive.

The cruise departs from and returns to Chalong. Drop-off at another location is available as an extra arrangement, while the regular route is Chalong to Chalong. Arrival the night before is the sensible choice, so a delayed flight does not put the Friday evening embarkation at risk.