The Smiling Seahorse, located at 170 Ruangrat Street, Kambon Khao Nivet, Muang, 85000, Thailand, invites you to experience a unique blend of delightful cuisine and tranquil ambiance. Nestled in the heart of Muang, this charming establishment is perfect for those seeking a serene getaway enriched by the flavors of coastal Thailand.
Welcome to The Smiling Seahorse, a captivating destination nestled in the picturesque Muang district of Thailand. Situated at 170 Ruangrat Street in Kambon Khao Nivet, our establishment promises an experience that merges delectable cuisine with an inviting atmosphere, making it ideal for both locals and travelers alike.
Immerse yourself in the vibrant flavors of Thai cuisine, where each dish is crafted with fresh, locally sourced ingredients, guaranteeing a taste that reflects the rich culinary heritage of the region. Our menu features a variety of options, from traditional favorites to innovative creations, ensuring every visit is a new adventure for your palate.
As you enter The Smiling Seahorse, you’ll be greeted by a warm and friendly atmosphere that mirrors the welcoming spirit of Thai culture. The interior is adorned with coastal-inspired decor, creating a soothing environment that encourages relaxation and enjoyment. Whether you’re here for a casual lunch, a romantic dinner, or a gathering with friends, our space is designed to accommodate all occasions.
In addition to our enticing food offerings, The Smiling Seahorse is also known for its exceptional service. Our staff is dedicated to providing an unforgettable dining experience, ensuring that every detail is attended to with care and attention. We believe that great service can elevate a meal, and our team is committed to making you feel at home during your visit.
Beyond the culinary experience, The Smiling Seahorse serves as a community hub where people can gather, share stories, and create lasting memories. We invite you to join us for special events, live music nights, and seasonal festivities that celebrate the joyous spirit of the region.
Conveniently located in Kambon Khao Nivet, The Smiling Seahorse is easily accessible for both residents and tourists exploring the vibrant surroundings. Make us your go-to spot for indulging in the flavors of Thailand while enjoying the peaceful ambiance that makes our location truly special.
We look forward to welcoming you to The Smiling Seahorse, where every visit is a celebration of taste, culture, and community. Join us to experience the heartwarming essence of Thai hospitality, and let us take you on a culinary journey unlike any other.
เดอะสมายลิ่ง ซีฮอร์ส (เมืองระนอง, ไทย) - รีวิว - ThailandAgoda.com
Attractions
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2.44 miles
The Smiling Seahorse is perched on a picturesque hilltop overlooking 170 ruangrat Street Kambon Khao Nivet, Muang, 85000, Thailand
The title says it all and every component of the Smiling Seahorse stands out. The dive sites were varied and each one offered something new to shout about. I reached my 900th dive on this trip from Khao Lak to Phuket, and have been on many live-aboards, and this one knows what divers want. They help you don your wetsuit, hold on to your tank before you jump in or climb back up the ladder, to save your back for your 24 dives in a week, put your fins on for you, remove them after the dive, and would likely breathe for you if requested.James, my extremely experienced guide and cruise director, did everything in his power to make all my dives special. What resulted in that, were some pretty special dives: 8 black tipped sharks in a few minutes, 5 massive blotched fantail rays, a guitar shark, a leopard shark, a deadly stonefish, giant clams, and rivers of fish swimming through the corals, actually blocking my view of him at one point, and it was hard to follow him, like in a fog! These big schools of fish are one of the main reasons for a live-aboard, remoteness, and these are some incredibly healthy reefs.The food was excellent as well, with mountains of it offered 3 times a day, plus a “snack”, which really amounted to 4 meals a day.If you want to feel like every day is your birthday, with your invited guests including countless green morays, cuttlefish, huge schools of giant trevallies and bright fusiliers carpeting the ocean, get aboard the Smiling Seahorse.
I set sail with The Smiling Seahorse on a 5 day / 4 night North Andaman Trip from February 28 to March 3rd, 2024. For context, I am an Advanced PADI diver with 30 lifetime dives before I boarded the boat. This was my first liveaboard experience and I was accompanied by four friends who I had dived with previously in Dubai and four other divers. My only understanding of what to expect was from watching a few nice YouTube videos from The Smiling Seahorse’s channel, but that was theoretical. It was time to finally experience the live-aboard life in person.Let’s start with the boat – The Smiling Seahorse (TSS) is 25m long, custom-built craft with 8 rooms that divers can either share or occupy individually. There are three levels – a lower deck with rooms, chef’s kitchen and dive equipment where divers can jump on a Zodiac and head to their drop off points; a main deck with the captain’s quarters at the help, more rooms, a main gathering area where all meals are had and briefings delivered, and finally, a sundeck to relax and enjoy the incredible views of the Andaman Sea, many islands and more.TSS is owned by a French couple Frank and Camille Fogarolo who have run this live-aboard for 12 years. While Camille was present to greet us when we arrived and ensure that we settled in smoothly, Frank was with us for the entire trip. Tall and lean, Frank is a veteran diver who runs a professional operation. His first briefing was the main one. It was both comprehensive and detailed and covered our plan plus do’s and don’t on the boats and in the water. Frank then introduced us to his team of dive pros — Velika (from Switzerland), James (England), Min (Thailand) and Mici (Hungary) — each with 2,000+ dives. We were divided into smaller groups with one of these pros as our group leads. The rest of the staff, all Thai, included the captain, chef and crew who looked after us and the boat from end to end. Unfortunately for me, I caught a bad throat infection a day after arriving in Thailand, so I could only make 7 out of 14 total dives on this trip, but all said and done, those dives were great. The visibility was amazing on almost every dive, with understandably the least on the sunset dive at Richelieu Rock. They really save the best for last because the marine life at Richelieu Rock was extraordinary. While going in and out of chilly thermoclines, I swam through tornados of barracuda, swarms of tiny sliversides, countless fusiliers, waves of long, slim cornetfish, mixed hordes of trevally and Smalltooth Emperors. It was stunning. I am so grateful for Velika who led me through my first three dives at the amazing Similan Islands and then for James who I dived with at the brilliant Richelieu Rock. Velika was kind, patient and caring. James gave me tips on how to better equalize the pressure in my ears as I was having trouble with that. Both had a deep understanding of our dive locations. On our last day, I sat with James for an hour and he helped me identify all the marine life we saw – ghost pipefish, box fish, trevally, cornetfish and many more. I feel a lot more educated now. I gained both knowledge and experience from Velika and James and really glad that our paths crossed. The food on board included breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks in between. The cuisine included Thai and Italian with a barbecue surprise on our last night. There were more options for non-vegetarians (including chicken, pork and lamb) than for vegetarians, but enough to get by. Meals were mostly stir-fried or deep-fried and served with rice. Spice levels varied from spice-free to really hot, so we definitely had range. Breakfast cereals, tea, coffee, soy-milk as the alternative for regular milk, beers, wine, crisps, juice and soft drinks were all on board and fueled us from dive to dive. This was such a great trip. The TSS experience and team were wonderful and I would happily recommend them to anyone considering a liveaboard in Thailand. I could not make the second trip to Myanmar with them but I look forward to that the next time.
I’m a liveaboard newbie, and my introduction to dive holidays was wonderful. The staff and crew of The Smiling Seahorse were attentive, but not cloyingly so – attending to your gear and filling tanks seamlessly. They lended a hand when yours couldn’t find the shoulder straps or you need a zip up. They were careful with photo gear, and the varying needs of all guests. Between dives one could rest in clean, comfortable air-conditioned cabins, or on covered decks with cool ocean breezes. Cabin lavatories feature on-demand water heaters. Meals and snacks were quite good: from nearly a full English, to yogurts, fresh fruits, damn fine cups of coffee, and mostly Thai-influenced and delicious lunches and dinners. Some items were mildly spicy, which I quite liked. I loved the banana fritters and ice cream snacks we had exactly twice on our 9-day voyage to the south and north Andaman seas. The beer/wine fridge featured a running tab that was settled at the end of the trip. The dedicated photo cubby was popular and crowded but a nice place to prep your cameras. Compressed air was a nice touch. What would I do differently? Bring a 5 mm suit if you’re easily chilled. Consider an air mattress if you’re not a fan of very firm mattresses. Lastly, I should have booked with The Smiling Seahorse much sooner. I would venture that their company is very hard to top.
I am a fairly experienced diver with hundreds of dives over 25 years in 10 different countries so I am pretty familiar with the dive industry.I am pleased to say that the Smiling Seahorse is absolutely excellent, a very well run organization operating a very clean and comfortable boat and offering great diving trips in the Andaman Sea:Pros: – Management: Main man Frank is very French, but which I mean he can be quite direct, but also runs a very tight, well organized ship, balancing the safety and health of his customers with creating a fun, friendly and welcoming environment for all. The Thai crew is great, always friendly, very professional, rooms were kept clean, the dive crew was always attentive and helpful. Anybody familiar with Thailand will know that keeping a group of 8 Thai crew happy and consistently focussed is no small task… The fact that so many of the crew have been with the boat for years tells you something. Very professional organization. -Boat: Probably 5 or 6 years old, but you would not really know if, the boat is really in great shape. The cabin and bathroom was simple (I stayed in a deluxe with its own bathroom), but very clean and comfortable enough. Some people commented that they found the mattresses a bit thin but I found it very comfortable. Also, the AC worked really well. I did not see a single ant or roach on this boat… and I have been on enough boats in Thailand to know that is not always or even usually the case. This boat is clean, comfortable and fit for purpose.The main deck has dining tables and some day beds to chill out and the beer fridge and food counter. This is the main living area, where the dive briefings happen. It is easily big enough for the 16 customers on the boat and is comfortable, with open sides so you can enjoy looking out at the water while chilling out.The upper deck is quite large with a long day bed couch and some mattresses for laying out in the sun. Mostly the area is used for smoking and sunbathing. I feel like they could do more with this area, maybe put some hammocks up there or something, as there is plenty of room.Dive deck is well organized, nitrox available, staff is very friendly and helpful, dive masters/ instructors are absolutely on top of their game. Whole thing was very professional. They fill your tank directly from the compressors after every dive so no need to change tanks. There is a camera room for gear which is a nice touch.Food: Food was pretty good, nothing exceptional but there was lots of it… no complaints.-Diving: We did a 4 day trip and hit Richelieu Rock, Koh Bon and a few other sites around there. Andaman has some of the best diving in Thailand and was pretty great, particularly Richelieu Rock. With 4 dives a day, you get to see quite a bit in a short trip. Most of the diving is done off a dingy, which adds a bit of complexity, but you get used to it pretty fast and the boatman is a super cool guy with a great sense of humor. Some of the sites had pretty strong current so after a a day or two, it can get pretty tiring if you are not used to it. Cons:- No wifi on the boat! For a 4 day trip over the weekend, this was not fatal, but I probably would not be able to take a longer trip during the week without being able to check email and send out messages. In fact, I found 4 days unplugged sort of nice, but not exactly convenient if you have something urgent to deal with.-Transfers: Boat went out of Ranong, which is sort of out of the way… need to fly directly into Ranong as it is 4 or 5 hours by car from Phuket. The boat returns to Thap Lamu Pier in Khao Lak. It is about a 2 hour ride down to Phuket and the transfer arranged through the company is pretty expensive. Next time, I would just book a car myself on InDrive for 600 baht. -Very French! This is not really a “con,” it is what it is, French owner, a lot of French customers. Personally, I would rather spend 4 days with a group of French people than a bunch of loud obnoxious Americans and I am from New York City. But on our trip, half the customers were French and most of the rest were Swiss, German or Dutch. So if you want to spend your trip swapping dive stories with a bunch of Aussies, Americans or British folks, might not happen on this boat. Who knows, could be a good thing! ;D
My buddy and I have just returned from a terrific 9d/8n manta ray expedition with the Smiling Seahorse. Per usual (this is my 3rd trip with them) we saw a ton of reef fish, pelagics, hard and soft corals, sharks, rays and plenty of the macro stuff my old eyes are having trouble finding on my own these days. What we did NOT see were other divers (or mantas, sadly). For the most part, we were completely alone. This made diving some of the best sites in Southeast Asia even better, sites like Shark Cave, Black Rock and the incredible Burma Banks. Definitely a perk of choosing one of the more remote itineraries.Franck and his crew were, as always, professional, attentive and dedicated to making the trip safe and enjoyable. James was a superb trip leader – personable, fun, knowledgeable and quick on his feet when plans have to change. Our DM Simon was great: found things we’d have never seen, kept a good pace, kept us on good routes through the dive sites, and just generally made the trip better for everyone on his team (4 divers). This was challenging for him I suspect as two of us were photographers and two were not. Never had any trouble with this though, Simon kept us all heading in generally the right direction.Our specific trip included the welcome contribution of Jamie Piyada, a marine biologist who heads up the Manta Project in Thailand and environs. Her presentations were informative and interesting and a little sad having to discuss candidly the existential threats to mantas worldwide, the most deadly of which are of course caused by humans. Our failure to find any mantas on this trip underlined that point a little too effectively, if unintentionally.To end on a happier note, this trip also included an evening (or two!) of black water diving. A very different perspective than the one we normally have diving. I am now much more aware of the complexity and beauty of all that “stuff” floating around in the water, stuff I previously ignored. Do it if you get the chance.Things you will probably see mentioned favorably in other reviews include the trip BBQ, friendliness and professionalism of the whole crew, nice rooms, nice boat, good food, excellent organization overall. These comments are accurate. It’s a class outfit and from what I understand the only operator currently allowed in Burma. I would highly recommend them to anyone, on any of their multi-day itineraries. All in all, a great trip with a great company.
Smiling SeahorseThis was our first liveaboard diving trip so we have nothing to compare this with, however, I can honestly say that our expectations were more than exceeded in every respect.The Smiling Seahorse operation is superbly run and managed by its owner Franck, an extremely personable individual and diving enthusiast, who goes to great lengths to ensure that no detail of your stay onboard is overlooked. After being swiftly administered on arrival, Franck then delivered a welcome address to all passengers to explain how the boat functions, where everything was and then introduced all of his staff, from the captain and diving instructors to the chefs and general assistants. This was a great touch and showed how invested he is in his crew and for us to meet each and every one of the staff onboard.We were assigned our diving instructor (Mici) and dived with another couple of similar experience for the duration of the trip. Mici went to great lengths to put us at ease and explained every step of each dive we undertook but made absolutely clear that safety was her primary concern throughout. We undertook our PADI AOW qualification whilst diving and this was seamlessly integrated in to our diving programme. Some of the dives were quite challenging due to varying currents and invariably plans had to be changed underwater to reflect the conditions but at all times she had the whole group’s welfare and safety in mind. On all of the dives, the pace at which we covered the terrain was excellent and she was always attentive and keen to point out the abundant wildlife.The diving itself was varied, with Richelieu Rock providing the most spectacular array of sea life, from huge shoals of Trevally and Barracuda to amazing fan corals to name but a few. Visibility wasn’t always great and at times the currents were strong but we viewed this as positive learning and we always managed to see some incredible sights.The food onboard was simply outstanding! We are vegetarians and the chefs went to great lengths to ensure that we had an appropriate choice for each meal – the food was largely Thai inspired and was truly delicious. On one evening they even prepared a BBQ on the sun deck and this was preceded by some delicious rum cocktails, which went down very well! At various intervals Franck would make announcements to ensure all were informed or (as a keen underwater photographer) brief us on other aspects of diving (black water diving), which was offered as an additional activity. Despite the broad international makeup of the guests onboard, all were made to feel part of the ‘family’ and we made some great acquaintances during our trip.Overall, Franck’s outstanding leadership of the Smiling Seahorse and attention to detail is what made this trip so successful and enjoyable for all concerned. We would thoroughly recommend to anyone considering a live aboard and will undoubtedly be back again.
The best diving experience ever!! They go to the best dive sites in the area – from the southern 8 mile rock(Hin Paad) to the northern Richelieu Rock. And they offer the most number of dives – 25 compared to other liveaboards that offer 18 or 19 during the same period. Do not say you know the Similan area until you have experienced The Smiling Seahorse Liveaboard!!
I have been on a lot of liveaboards but Smiling Seahorse has the best layout. Everything is thoughfully laid out from the individual cubbyholes in the room to the cubbyholes on the dive deck, the individual crates assigned to each diver. Ensuite bathrooms are spacious and clean. Fridge is filled with different yogurts, cheeses, salami and ice cream! Meds for headaches to motion sickness is also readily available. Food is plentiful and tasty. This is coming from someone who was seasick all throughout the 2 week trip that started from the Andaman Seas and ended in Burma. In between my bouts of motion sickness, i appreciated the variety of food and fresh fruits supplied daily. Staff is helpful and always ready to help. Franck the owner is amazing. He is knowedgeable and always willing to help with information and anything else that is required. He does everything with a smile!
Staying at The Smiling Seahorse was a very good experience. The organization of the dive is unlike anything I have ever seen. It is made simple and very convenient for people. The owner of the boat, Frank, is an extremely good underwater photographer and I was very fortunate to be able to learn from him.The food they serve is extremely good. There was food to suit every European taste.In a year I am thinking of trying the routes in Burma watersAlexander AlexandrovBulgaria
The Smiling Seahorse was a great choice for my recent liveaboard trip. Booking directly was easy and payment was simple. The crew and dive staff were outstanding. Everyone is very friendly and puts a lot of effort into ensuring you enjoy your holiday. It was a 5 night trip to Similian and Surin islands and although the weather was a bit rough with a fair sea swell at times, the trip leader planned the dive sites accordingly so that no dives were missed. We had people from Australia, Asia, Europe and South America onboard who mixed well and it was a happy boat to be on. The food was excellent and plentiful, snacks and soft drinks, coffee, tea etc were available all the time; even things like electrolyte sachets and reef friendly toileteries were provided. After the last dive all our diving gear was washed and hung up by the ever helpful boat crew so that everything was dry by the time we reached Ranong port. Transport to and from local hotels was also arranged for us. I highly recommend this well run and professional company and look forward to joining them again.
One of best safari boats I have been! Well organized and equipped! Local staff is friendly and “invisible “ but you don’t miss anything!Food was amazing and different every evening!Frank is a good host and great underwater photographer and I strongly recommend his course if you want to increase your skills.I will come back again ?
We entrusted our first liveaboard experience to boat owner Frank and the crew of the Smiling Seahorse and we couldn’t have been more pleased! Great diving, service, and food. The dive team was great and we loved every minute of our time in the Similan Islands and Richilieu Rock. Highly recommend!
Amazing diving liveaboard! Great dives, great food, great vibes, great crew and DMs! Blackwater dives and Camera room are a big plus vs. other liveaboards. Thanks to Frank, Lady, Velika, Simon and all the Team for this wonderful time!