Forra Dive Resort & Liveaboard

What Forra Dive Resort & Liveaboard does

Forra Dive Resort & Liveaboard is a privately held dive operator and beachfront accommodation provider based on Koh Lipe, Satun Province, Thailand. Founded in 1997, it is the oldest dive center on Koh Lipe and positions itself as 'the Butang Archipelago specialists,' offering recreational scuba diving, multi-agency certification courses, freediving, snorkeling, and multi-day liveaboard expeditions across up to five marine parks in the South Andaman Sea. The company serves international leisure travelers — primarily individual recreational divers, certification-seeking beginners, freedivers, and snorkeling tourists — with multilingual customer support across at least nine languages. Operations are anchored by general manager Antoine Pantelic, a French CMAS/PADI/SDI instructor with over 12,000 logged dives.

The core product portfolio spans (1) day diving (fun dives at THB 1,500 and night dives at THB 2,000 per dive) for certified Open Water divers, limited to small groups of four divers per guide; (2) certification courses from introductory Try Dive (THB 2,500–2,730) through Open Water, Advanced Open Water, Rescue Diver, and Divemaster (THB 35,000) delivered under PADI, CMAS, SDI, and SSI affiliations; (3) liveaboard packages aboard three vessels (MV Charan 5, 9, and 10) ranging from 2-day/8-dive trips at THB 12,000 to 7-day/26-dive full expeditions at THB 39,500; (4) freediving instruction under Molchanovs and Apnea Total; and (5) snorkeling trips at THB 920 per person. The company maintains two beachfront properties on Koh Lipe — 18 bungalows at Sunrise Beach and 15 plus 7 family deluxe bungalows at Pattaya Beach — alongside an Italian restaurant ('Kioskino') and beach bars.

The revenue model is fully direct-to-consumer, with bookings taken through the company's Wix-hosted e-commerce website, walk-in traffic at the resort clubhouses, and limited travel-agency reselling (e.g., Brother Louis, Lonely Planet referrals). Revenue streams are transaction-based for daily activities, one-time fees for certification and liveaboard bookings, and recurring nightly rentals for bungalow accommodation. Operations are seasonal, with peak activity from November through May and low-season discounts during the southwest monsoon. The business is bootstrapped, founder/family-owned with no institutional investment, no subsidiaries, and no publicly disclosed financial metrics.

Name

Forra Dive Resort & Liveaboard

Legal name

Forra Dive Resort & Liveaboard

Website

https://forradiving.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Forra Dive Resort & Liveaboard is a privately held Thai dive operator on Koh Lipe, established 1997, offering scuba certification courses, fun dives, liveaboard expeditions, freediving, snorkeling, and beachfront bungalow accommodation to international recreational divers and tourists.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

NAICS

Tour Operators (56152), Recreational Goods Rental (532284), All Other Traveler Accommodation (721199)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAJAJAD

Diving Experiences (Scuba Dives, Dive Trips, PADI/SSI Courses)

Travel & Hospitality/Tours, Attractions & Experiences/Marine & Water Experiences (Boat Tours, Diving, Snorkeling, Fishing)

SECONDARYTHAAAIAA

Dive Centers & Scuba Training (PADI/SSI, certifications)

Travel & Hospitality/Adventure, Amusement Parks & Ecotourism/Marine & Coastal Ecotourism (Diving, Snorkeling, Whale Watching)

SECONDARYTHAAAKAD

Scuba Diving & Freediving Centers (Training, Guided Dives)

Travel & Hospitality/Adventure, Amusement Parks & Ecotourism/Adventure Sports & Activity Centers (Paragliding, Skydiving, Surf Schools)

SECONDARYTHAAAIAL

Dive & Snorkel Equipment Rental, Retail & Boat Services (compressors, gear hire)

Travel & Hospitality/Adventure, Amusement Parks & Ecotourism/Marine & Coastal Ecotourism (Diving, Snorkeling, Whale Watching)

Keywords

• Scuba diving courses
• Liveaboard diving trips
• Dive resort accommodation
• Freediving instruction
• Snorkeling excursions

Headquarters

HQ city

Satun

HQ country

Thailand

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Daily Diving Activities: Fun dives, night dives, and guided daily dive trips around the Butang Archipelago for certified divers. Revenue generated per dive or as multi-dive packages.
2. Diving Certification Courses: PADI, CMAS, SDI, and SSI certification courses including Open Water, Advanced Open Water, Rescue Diver, Divemaster, and specialty courses. One-time fee per course.
3. Liveaboard Trips: Multi-day liveaboard expeditions (2-7 days) covering 3-5 marine parks in the South Andaman Sea. Packages include accommodation on boats, meals, and multiple dives. Price ranges from THB 12,000 to THB 39,500 depending on duration and number of dives.
4. Accommodation (Bungalows): Beachfront and eco bamboo bungalows at Sunrise Beach and Pattaya Beach locations. 18 bungalows at Sunrise Beach, 15 at Pattaya Beach plus 7 family bungalows.
5. Freediving Services: Freediving courses (Molchanov and Apnea Total) and guided freediving trips. SSI Freediver certification available.
6. Equipment Rental and Snorkeling: Rental of diving equipment, snorkeling gear, and sea kayaks. Snorkeling trips priced at THB 920 plus insurance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Forra Dive Resort & Liveaboard operates a scuba diving center and beachfront bungalow resort on Koh Lipe, Thailand. It sells guided recreational dive trips (fun dives, night dives), multi-day liveaboard expeditions across multiple marine parks in the South Andaman Sea, internationally recognized diving certification courses (PADI, CMAS, SDI, SSI from Open Water through Divemaster), freediving instruction, and snorkeling excursions. It also rents bungalow accommodation at two beachfront locations.

Product overview

Forra Dive Resort & Liveaboard operates as a diving service provider and resort offering a comprehensive portfolio centered on scuba diving experiences in the Butang Archipelago and South Andaman Sea. The core offering consists of diving courses (Open Water, Advanced Open Water, Rescue Diver, Scuba Diver, Divemaster) and recreational diving (Fun Dives, Night Dives), complemented by freediving courses and snorkeling trips. Liveaboard trips aboard three vessels (MV Charan 5, 9, and 10) provide multi-day diving expeditions ranging from 2 to 7 days with 8 to 26 dives across multiple marine parks. Accommodation is available through on-site eco lodge bungalows at Sunrise Beach and Pattaya Beach locations. The company is affiliated with PADI, CMAS, SDI, and SSI diving organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Small group sizes - max 4 divers per guide for fun dives

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Association Thailand Underwater Sports (ATUS)coreOthersNational underwater sports federation. Forra Diving operates under ATUS affiliation as a recognized dive center in Thailand.
• Confederation Mondiale des Activites Subacquatiques (CMAS)coreOthersInternational diving federation. Forra offers CMAS certification courses and operates under CMAS standards.
• Federation Francaise d'etudes et de sports sous-marins (FFESSM)coreOthersFrench diving federation. Affiliated partner for French-speaking diving certifications.
• PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors)coreOthersWorld's largest diving certification organization. Forra offers PADI courses from Open Water to Divemaster level.
• SDI (Scuba Diving International)coreOthersInternational diving certification agency. Owner Antoine Pantelic is an SDI Instructor.
• SSI (Scuba Schools International)coreOthersInternational diving training organization. Forra offers SSI Freediver certification courses.
• ScubaprominorOthersPremium scuba diving equipment brand. Forra maintains a wide selection of Scubapro equipment.
• MaresminorOthersScuba diving equipment manufacturer. Part of Forra's equipment inventory.
• AqualungminorOthersDiving equipment brand. Included in Forra's regularly maintained equipment stock.
• Dive Supply PhuketminorOthersRegulator maintenance service. External maintenance provider for diving regulators.
• Marine Mechanic PhuketminorOthersCompressor maintenance service. External maintenance for diving air compressors.
• ACE Koh LantaminorOthersTank maintenance service. External maintenance provider for scuba tanks.
• Brother Louis Travel AgencyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDutch travel agency (brotherlouis.nl) specializing in backpacker travel to Thailand. Cross-promotes Forra Diving services.
• Lonely PlanetminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGlobal travel guide publisher. Forra Diving is featured as a recommended operator in Lonely Planet Thailand guide.
• Koh Hai Divers (Rainbow Divers Koh Ngai)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner dive center on Koh Ngai. Listed as a partner for referral and coordinated diving activities.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Liveaboard.com: Online booking platform specializing in dive liveaboard reservations globally — adjacent to Forra's liveaboard offering because it competes for the same customer's booking decision while also serving as a potential distribution channel.

Direct peers

• Blue Dive Koh Lipe: Direct competitor operating a dive center and PADI/SSI courses on Koh Lipe. Comparable because it offers the same core services — fun dives, certifications, and liveaboards — to the same international tourist base in the Butang Archipelago.
• Rainbow Divers (Thailand): Long-established PADI dive operator with branches in the Andaman region (Koh Lanta, Krabi) offering dive courses, fun dives, and liveaboards targeting French- and European-speaking customers — directly overlapping Forra's core European tourist segment.
• Davy Jones Locker Diving Koh Lipe: PADI five-star dive center on Koh Lipe offering fun dives, certifications, and liveaboard trips in the same waters as Forra. Directly comparable on geography, product mix, and target customer.
• Scuba Junkie Sipadan: PADI five-star dive resort and liveaboard operator in Malaysia/Indonesia combining accommodations with multi-day dive packages — comparable integrated resort-plus-dive-plus-liveaboard business model to Forra.

Regional players

• Kon-Tiki Diving Krabi: PADI dive center based in Krabi/Ao Nang offering daily dive trips, certifications, and liveaboards to Phi Phi and local islands. Comparable on product offering and South Andaman Sea dive sites but operates from a different departure port.
• Crystal Dive Resort Koh Tao: PADI five-star career development center on Koh Tao offering dive courses and accommodations targeting European customers. Comparable integrated dive-resort model though based in the Gulf of Thailand rather than the Andaman Sea.
• Phuket Pro Dive: PADI five-star CDC and TDI facility in Phuket running multi-day liveaboards to Racha Yai/Noi and Phi Phi — comparable on liveaboard routes that overlap Forra's South Andaman Sea itineraries.

Broad incumbents

• PADI Travel: Global diving certification body's booking platform that lists dive operators and liveaboards worldwide — adjacent distribution channel and aggregator that competes for the same international diving tourist as Forra.

Others

• Lonely Planet (Thailand guidebook): Global travel guidebook publisher that already features Forra Diving — adjacent ecosystem participant that drives organic demand for Andaman dive operators including Forra.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/forradiveresort
• Instagraminstagram.com/forradiveresort/?hl=fr
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/forra-diving

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Forra Dive Resort & Liveaboard