Koh Lanta(getting there)

[chillyinCanada]

Two boat dives a day for 4 days + surcharge for one special trip to the Hins is just over B15,400.00.

That seems high to me. Do you mean, 15400 baht converts to usd $472?

 

[Centrals]

That seems high to me. Do you mean, 15400 baht converts to usd $472?

It is a bit high if compare with Philippines but it is a full day trip. I got pick up at 0730 and did not got back after 1500. All the sites are far and Hin Daeng/Mueng even more so, picked up at 0630. Surcharge for that trip is quite high. Breakfast and lunch are included. B400.00 per day discount with own equipment but I did not bring mine as my hand carry came under 6kg.
B600.00 for daily Marine Park fee and all the sites are within the park.
All add up to the final bill.

 

[Centrals]

Thailand is THE place for tourists in SE ASIA. And scuba diving is NOT their priority as there are other activities to pursuit.
Apparently I was the only person who did 4 consecutive days of diving during that period.
Most of them were using rental equipment.
Standard is various from novice to..... Since the guide to diver ratio is very small, the largest is 1:3 so the guide could take good of the inexperience. You will never get that on the cattle boat from Phuket.
The motto on Koh Lanta is RELAX.
Highly recommended for a vacation if you want to take it EASY.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Thailand is THE place for tourists in SE ASIA. And scuba diving is NOT their priority as there are other activities to pursuit.
Apparently I was the only person who did 4 consecutive days of diving during that period.
Most of them were using rental equipment.
Standard is various from novice to..... Since the guide to diver ratio is very small, the largest is 1:3 so the guide could take good of the inexperience. You will never get that on the cattle boat from Phuket.
The motto on Koh Lanta is RELAX.
Highly recommended for a vacation if you want to take it EASY.

I'll be in Thailand in March. I'll be hanging with a friend who was a diver but is no longer. My friend will be leaving before I do. I thought that I might enjoy some dives but I'm not sure that I want to go through what you've been through to do it. Heehee

 

[Centrals]

The direct and quickest route is by speed boat to Koh Lanta. Hope the sea is calm otherwise........The boat departs from Rassada Pier which is quite a distance from those beaches favoured by most tourists.
Spend couple of nights at Phuket Old Town and your friend can catch the airport bus(0600-1800) to the airport. Rassada Pier is about 4km from Phuket Old Town.
Have fun.

There are similar stories on line for land transfer from Phuket/Ao Nang to Lanta!!!!
Getting there is half the fun. Good laugh afterward.

 

[Centrals]

Breakfast this morning before catching the airport bus: Five various plates of dim sum(B90.00) + egg fried rice take away(B30.00). Grand total of under US$4.00.

 

[Centrals]

I'll be in Thailand in March. I'll be hanging with a friend who was a diver but is no longer. My friend will be leaving before I do. I thought that I might enjoy some dives but I'm not sure that I want to go through what you've been through to do it. Heehee

There is a alternative method:

Cops' Pattaya escort prompts swift rebuke

Two traffic and one tourist police officers who appeared in a video clip posted online while delivering a VVIP service to a Chinese woman have been identified and are facing a probe.

www.bangkokpost.com

How low can Thai police get?
Lost for words.

 

[Barmaglot]

There is a alternative method:

Cops' Pattaya escort prompts swift rebuke

Two traffic and one tourist police officers who appeared in a video clip posted online while delivering a VVIP service to a Chinese woman have been identified and are facing a probe.

www.bangkokpost.com

How low can Thai police get?
Lost for words.

The only thing that surprised me in that article is how trivially low the fee was. It's basically in the same ballpark as a limo ride. For a personal police escort, I would've expected another zero at the end, at least.

 

[Centrals]

Another cop fingered in VVIP police escort of Chinese tourist

Police say another non-commissioned officer was involved in offering an unsanctioned police escort service through a tour operator to a Chinese tourist, who revealed the illicit VVIP service via social media.

www.bangkokpost.com

Another cop is under investigation.
Surely the service has to be arranged before arrival.

 

[Centrals]

My latest trip report on Koh Lanta and Koh Lipe has been interrupted. The MOD is taking care of it so .....
Day 1.
Koh Rok: On a speed boat with 7 divers + 3 guides. Adequate room to move around, the onboard toilet is not that easy to perform the job!
On the way out I overheard a conservation when someone who had just been to Similan mentioning "thermocline".
First dive was pretty relax but suddenly I noticed all the fish, small or big, made a mad dash away from the open water. I turned around and hopefully expecting some big animals coming for lunch. But all I saw was a kind of sandstorm and was hit with really cold water! I had never experienced anything like that previously. 20C was recorded on one diver's computer. No fun at all.
The "thermocline" was present in many areas and there was no escape from it.
Two ghost pipe fish.

Day 2.
Koh Haa
Big boat with 26 divers. There were only two of us + DM.
"Thermocline" again.
We were at the right spot at the right time: a big guitar shark.
No blue water so far!
The schedule is for two dives but third dive is available at extra cost(B1,000.00) if there is demand. Indeed there were so some of us just sat around and have a chat on many topics.
I got back to my room around 17:30. This is the main disadvantage of divin at Koh Lanta but is still far better than those out from Phuket.

Day 3 Day of doing nothing.