Need advice diving in Thailand.

[ppatrick]

Hello,

I’ll be in Thailand from Apr19 to May3 to visit my parents in Bangkok. Yes I was born and spent most of my childhood in Thailand. Although I speak the language, I don’t know anything about diving in Thailand (I was certified in the US). I did some web surfing and was inundated with a mountain of information. I would appreciate if someone who dove there before could give me some advice.


Thank you,
Patrick

 

[josh]

Hello,

I’ll be in Thailand from Apr19 to May3 to visit my parents in Bangkok. Yes I was born and spent most of my childhood in Thailand. Although I speak the language, I don’t know anything about diving in Thailand (I was certified in the US). I did some web surfing and was inundated with a mountain of information. I would appreciate if someone who dove there before could give me some advice.

Patrick

Hi Patrick
If you are staying in bangkok, then the easiest place to dive is Pattaya (notice I did not say the *best* place). Pattaya is about 2 hours away from bangkok, and very easily accessible. Some people do the round trip in a day (drive down leaving BK at 6am, on the boat by 9 and back home that evening). The diving is well, OK to good I suppose is the best you can say about it! Not great viz normally, but some interesting wrecks and some nice marine life (in the small sense - no whale sharks or mantas!) and some decent corals. Can be a reasonable challenge (currents plus low viz 5 to 10 meters would be an average range), this also includes samaesan, about 45 minutes further along from pattaya by car.

If you have the time and want superb diving then you need to travel (Similans, Phuket, Samui, Koh Tao etc), others can fill you in better than I can on that (these are trips you will need to fly to get to from bangkok).

In pattaya there are a large number of dive shops/ boats etc offering a number of different trips and options. There are mostly farang (western) run, and the two most on the web I suppose are Aquanauts and Mermaids (I often dive with aquanauts), and you can search for their web sites. There are a number of other operations, Planet scuba, Adventure divers, neptune (I think), although I really have little info on these. There are a couple of Thai run operations, but again I have not so much info on these.

I dive most weekends at pattaya, travelling down from bangkok and staying ovenight or over weekend if diving sat/sun. Its worthwhile, so long as you are not looking for mantas!
-j-

 

[ppatrick]

Hello Josh,

Thanks for your advice. Pattaya is better known for the night life party place. If you say the visibility there is bad (yeah 5 – 10 meters is awful), then I would fly to the southern provinces to get better quality dives. The only reason I’ll be in Bangkok (while not diving) is to visit my parents and friends.

You mentioned a number of places: Similans, Phuket, Samui, Koh Tao etc. Which one is the best (in your opinion)? Have you dived at those places? I’ve heard that Phi Phi Island has one of the most beautiful reef in the world. I guess you can tell by now that I’m a reef diver ^_^. Can you recommend me some good dive shops in the southern provinces? Do you know any active scuba diving club in Thailand?

Whale sharks and mantas! They are the absolute “must see” (IMO)! Thanks for reminding me about them. I’ll do some more research find out where to find them.


Again thanks for your advice,
Patrick

 

[gregorio]

Where is the poll?
I vote for similan!

 

[SeaArch1]

I vote the Similans

 

[ppatrick]

Hmm... it looks like most people think Similan is the best place in Thailand.

 

[TeddyDiver]

Vote for Similan too. However, it's allways a live-a-board, so they have differences (places/dives) etc. Some smaller boats avoid the most crowded times more succesfully than the "better" and more expensive ones. Make sure also to get to dive at the "Richelieu Rock" too. It's actually not a part of the Similans but really worth a dive or two .
There's many good sites also elsewhere in the Phuket area: Shark Point, Raya Yai etc

 

[josh]

You mentioned a number of places: Similans, Phuket, Samui, Koh Tao etc. Which one is the best (in your opinion)? Have you dived at those places? I’ve heard that Phi Phi Island has one of the most beautiful reef in the world. I guess you can tell by now that I’m a reef diver ^_^. Can you recommend me some good dive shops in the southern provinces? Do you know any active scuba diving club in Thailand?
Patrick

I have dived all of those, but I am really not the best person to point you in the right direction down south. My *personal* fav is definately similans (40 meter viz, whale sharks and mantas all "on the menu" so to speak, but obvioulsy not guaranteed!), but as noted you need to do a "live aboard" trip to get the full benefit. Phuket and Phi phi has some excellent diving, as does Koh Tao, but, and arguably, in my opinion a wee step below similans. Both phuket and Koh tao are day trips. Koh Tao I like as with a bit of effort you can do 5 dives a day (some of the dive sites are close).

Sure there are several people on the baord who are full time down south, and hopefully one of those can give you a more informed opinion.
-j-

 

[ppatrick]

Again thank you everyone who shared their advice/opinions.

First of all, what is the “live aboard” trip? Does it mean I have to stay at their dive resort or live on the ship? Is it a good idea to buy a dive package?

5 dives a day! The sites must be so beautiful (enough to make you forget the tiredness ^_^).

 

[TeddyDiver]

First of all, what is the “live aboard” trip? Does it mean I have to stay at their dive resort or live on the ship? Is it a good idea to buy a dive package?

5 dives a day! The sites must be so beautiful (enough to make you forget the tiredness ^_^).

On a live-a-board you live in a boat. In the Similans generally 4 days, 3 to 4 dives a day. Check up http://www.diveasia.com/, http://www.rayadivers.com/index_en.php they have also a center in the island of Raya Yai if you like to live more on the water. There's a lot of other great centers too but those two I know well enough to recommend.
Actually there's also day trips to Similans but they are an option only if you dont have the time to do a liveaboard.