Recommendation for best dive resort in Thailand

[Tovster]

I am planning to go on a dive vacation this December-January and I am trying to sort out which is the best dive resort in Thailand. I am overwhelmed by the vast number of choices available to me. I have little interest in seeing anything else in Thailand or in the night life; I just want to dive my brains out for a couple of weeks.

I am somewhat bored with the species in the Caribbean and diving in the Red Sea is not comfortable during the winter. Is there a specific dedicated dive resort that you can recommend in Thailand? I am traveling from New York and I have to get this right.

Incidentally, is there a resort with a great "house reef" and unlimited shore diving in Thailand as there is in Bon Aire?

Thanks,
John

 

[stevenl]

You will hardly find any dive resorts like in the Caribean or Red Sea. Closest is probably the Le Meridien hotel, where you can also do shorediving. After 2 dives you will want something else though.

It really does not make much of a difference in which hotel you stay, transfers are easily arranged from all hotels, and included in the diving prices.

Staying on Kata Beach has the advantage that it is closest to the pier from where the boats depart, and has some nice shore and longtail diving as well, so you don't always have to do full day trips in order to get some nice diving under your belt.

Have fun.

 

[mase]

You might want to look into live-aboards. They are very reasonable, much less expensive than in other areas, and you will be diving in the best places Thailand has to offer. Since you are not interested in the other aspects of Thailand, they maybe your best choice.

 

[Ringo]

Like Steven I recommend Kata Beach - but then again I am somewhat biased. There are many nice hotel establishments in this area on Phuket - some located directly on the beach. Apart from the Liveaboard cruises (also highly recommended), Phi Phi Overnight Cruises and daytrips there are also shore and longtail boat dives to sites only 5 minutes from the beach. Readily available from some but not all of the DC's in Kata/Kata Noi. There are also pleasant shore dives off the southern end of Karon beach. The beauty of these shore and local boat dives is that there are not too many divers at these sites so you wll see more of the smaller marine life than at Koh Racha Yai daytrip dives for example.

 

[ShakaZulu]

From what I heard, topside diving is pretty good too....

 

[surfacemarker]

December and January are a great time to visit the Westcoast (Phuket, Phi Phi, Similan Islands) I would really recommend looking into a liveaboard option to the Similans or/and the extended option into the Mergui Archipelago which a lot of operators offer as well. Although Thailand has a lot to offer on land as well I think if you're only interest is diving you should go for a live aboard. You will not find a lot of good house reefs here and day trips are usually about 1.5 hours by boat at tleast here on the west coast. On the East Coast (Koh Tao) the set up is slightly different - no live aboards but dive sites are closer by. However diving is generally considered nicer on the West Coast of Thailand.

 

[smartecosse]

3 days doing local sites
3 days liveaboard Hin daeng hin Muang
7 Days liveaboard Similans/Richilieu/Tachai etc

minted

and all for under US$1400 ........

 

[katdiver]

I have to agree, that time of year it's best to be on the west coast. If it's diving you want the liveaboard is a must. You can try us in Ao Nang for local, Phi Phi, Shark Point and Hin Daeng, then move over for a liveaboard to Surin/Tachai and Richeliue Rock.

 

[stevenl]

If it's diving you want

Maybe 'wanted' would be better.

 

[mikkylad]

I have to agree with most of the above posts, 'house reefs' and 'dive resorts' do not really exist as in some other areas. If you're really not interested in seeing anything of Thailand other than the diving (I would recommend changing that opinion slightly though....even if only for a a day or two), liveaboard is the only way.

For a longer liveaboard experience, 4 dives a day and some unspoiled diving on quiet sites take a look at diving the Mergui Archipelago in Burma.

Enjoy