Open water dive PADI in Bangkok HELP!!!

[Ex-Aquanaut]

I swore I wasn't going to comment on this, but the more he drones on about it just begs the question:

How does one's possession of the little blue book have even the slightest thing to do with the quality of the instructor?

I'd challenge you to find more than a handful of instructors -- if that many -- in Phi Phi with work permits. When we were placing some instructors there I asked about it and was told flat out Immigration doesn't check on the island.

So, by LK's reasoning, all the instructors on Phi Phi must be crap.

Does he have a work permit for whatever he does to support himself in Thailand? If not, then is he crap at it?

I've been searching for the correct adjective, but all I can up with is "stupid." As in it's a stupid argument.

And yes, I have a WP.

 

[Apecks]

And yes manybe you are right, it probably does go on in other parts of Thailand, but I am not aware myself of this type of thing in other areas.

It does happen.

I have had more than my fair share of bad experiences in other spots!

One particular day trip in Phuket was memorable - going to a different dive site than the one we book on for, having to kit up on the back platform, overloaded boat, not enough lead, part filled tanks, buddy teams vastly unmatched, in-experienced divemasters, divers going over there cert level and panicing, lost kit and obnoxious management on the pier.

Did it put me off Phuket - no of course not, it has some of the best diving in the world.

Would I dive with that dive operator again - no way.

 

[Bowmouth]

Would I dive with that dive operator again - no way.

Yep, one can get disappointed in Phuket too.
Still, I would love to know who you dived with....

 

[lord khram]

Devon Diver you are talking absolute crap again, please read what I have written.

I can assure you that Immigration officials in Pattaya are very keen on the work permits. infact on this forum some shops have even used the Thai beurocracy as one justification for the high prices they charge.

Please read what i wrote 'I was asked to conduct a course' At the time I was not a PADI DM but have equivalent and more advanced qualifications through another agency.

I can assure you the guy concerned with the 30m comment does not know me, I am told it is standard practice at the particular shop to get people on the boat. Definitely no joke.

With the flooded mask incident I was on the boat myself and was told by the instructor concerned that the guy stated he had never been shown to clear the mask on any earlier course. If you think a dm candidate is acceptable to not have the basic open water skills, then the PADI standards are even worse than i first thought.

I dont rent kit, I have my own, however If I was to be offered substandard kit, I most certainly would complain about it.

With regard to your comment about my experience, I can assure you that I have done several thousand dives at a wide variety of locations and conditions, including cave diving and deep dives with mixed gasses, so I do know what I am talking about. I can assure you that my comments are based on facts unlike the assumtions used in your reply.

May I be so bold as to suggest you try doing a few dives in the pattaya area yourself sometime before telling me i am talking nonsence.

 

[Apecks]

Yep, one can get disappointed in Phuket too.
Still, I would love to know who you dived with....

Well you did ask, it was:-

Phuket Diving, Similan Dive, Liveaboard Phuket and Thailand by Diving Thailand.

Quite a big outfit by all accounts, maybe they just had a off day

We did take some photo's on the boat at the time because we did not think people would believe us. May be if Lord Khram starts his 'name & shame' thread I will post them up.

 

[lord khram]

I swore I wasn't going to comment on this, but the more he drones on about it just begs the question:

How does one's possession of the little blue book have even the slightest thing to do with the quality of the instructor?

I'd challenge you to find more than a handful of instructors -- if that many -- in Phi Phi with work permits. When we were placing some instructors there I asked about it and was told flat out Immigration doesn't check on the island.

So, by LK's reasoning, all the instructors on Phi Phi must be crap.

Does he have a work permit for whatever he does to support himself in Thailand? If not, then is he crap at it?

I've been searching for the correct adjective, but all I can up with is "stupid." As in it's a stupid argument.

And yes, I have a WP.

Hello again Aquanauts, we havent spoke for a while, hope you are all ok.
I never said all instructors at any resort are crap, only my point is if an individual or organisation is prepared to lie/cheat over one piece of paper (visa) maybe they could do it about another one (instructor card).
I dont need a work permit, can support myself in Thailand quite comfortably thanks doing nothing. Its great, you should give it a try.
If yourself and your business are 100% legal as you state, and I have no reason to disbelieve you. How do you feel about other shops on your doorstep cutting corners and costs, the end result maybe to undercut your prices and take business from yourself?
In the real world thats called unfair competition.

Nice to see we are talking again.

 

[lord khram]

Well you did ask, it was:-

Phuket Diving, Similan Dive, Liveaboard Phuket and Thailand by Diving Thailand.

Quite a big outfit by all accounts, maybe they just had a off day

We did take some photo's on the boat at the time because we did not think people would believe us. May be if Lord Khram starts his 'name & shame' thread I will post them up.

I think such a thread would be a good idea to assist people in making their choices when selecting a shop.
However to make it work we must leave our positive experiences as well.
Hopefully this would encourage the bad shops to book their ideas up, and the good ones would encourage it because it would be free publicity.
Everybody is a winner. Oh appart from the bad boys of course.

 

[DevonDiver]

Devon Diver you are talking absolute crap again, please read what I have written.

Not really, I know the dive industry quite well...I also know Thailand quite well.

Congrats on being the first moron on here to be promoted to my ignore list

 

[lord khram]

Not really, I know the dive industry quite well...I also know Thailand quite well.

Congrats on being the first moron on here to be promoted to my ignore list

Thank ****** for that I get fedup explaining myself several times to morons that cant read, and would sooner speculate.

And if i decide to start the name and shame thread, your shop could be the first on the thread!

 

[Arizona]

LK...did you ever think about posting anything positive and helpful on the forum?

Perhaps the endless barrage of snide and unsubstantiated remarks is why you only ever got thanked once, despite being a regular contributor....

After reading recent posts in other threads I decided to remove the "Thank You". DevonDiver your posts have always been helpful. Time to move on...