Thailand does not allow to rent tanks

[h90]

Asked a padi dive center if the have tanks for rent and got this answer:

"Sorry we are not allowed to just rent out tanks.
This is due to the regulations of the TAT (Tourist Autority of Thailand).
On the other hand it is also safer to dive (even under indirect)
supervision because currents can be severe and unpredictable for people
who do not know the area very well."

 

[ianr33]

I may be cynical but when I hear of operations that will not rent tanks,or will not let me dive there site with my tanks I tend to think that the real reason is financial rather than concern for my welfare.

 

[h90]

I think the same. And I really don't belive that TAT has any regulations like that.
I wrote already for TAT and asked them (now waiting for answer).

We should note here, that till now all companies which did not give me a tank were foreign companies in thailand (danish, US, UK, German).
the only dive shop which gave me a tank was a Thai owned (with German Instructor and they didn't charge anything for it (as I had 2 day trips in the past with them).

I may be cynical but when I hear of operations that will not rent tanks,or will not let me dive there site with my tanks I tend to think that the real reason is financial rather than concern for my welfare.

 

[wedivebc]

I think the same. And I really don't belive that TAT has any regulations like that.
I wrote already for TAT and asked them (now waiting for answer).

We should note here, that till now all companies which did not give me a tank were foreign companies in thailand (danish, US, UK, German).
the only dive shop which gave me a tank was a Thai owned (with German Instructor and they didn't charge anything for it (as I had 2 day trips in the past with them).

We were able to rent tanks on Koh Samui. I can see a problem if you were in a marine park that required you to be in the company of a DM.

 

[Zippsy]

I may be cynical but when I hear of operations that will not rent tanks,or will not let me dive there site with my tanks I tend to think that the real reason is financial rather than concern for my welfare.

It's likely both reasons but either reason sounds reasonable to me. It's not unheard of that a dive shop is trying to make a profit. Some of them are even run like businesses.

 

[ianr33]

It's not unheard of that a dive shop is trying to make a profit. Some of them are even run like businesses.

I have no problem with dive shops making a living. I do have a problem when there silly regulations get in the way of my diving.

Case in point on Cayman last year.Sunset House would not let me dive with my doubles due to "insurance reasons" Only way I could do the shore dive there was to use there tanks (Even though I offered to pay for a tank and use mine)
Net result: I wont be going to Sunset House again if I can help it.Plenty of other places to go dive

 

[stevenl]

You can probably wait a very long time for an answer from the TAT.
A lot of shops don't rent out tanks for 2 reasons: liability, if something does go wrong and there is no DM from the shop there, you have a more difficult story than when there was somebody from the shop;
they make more money if you book a daytrip than for only tankrental.

I know here in the area some shops rent out tanks, not many though. If you're in Kata Beach: no problem, you can rent tanks and weights here.

 

[h90]

I have no problem with dive shops making a living. I do have a problem when there silly regulations get in the way of my diving.

Case in point on Cayman last year.Sunset House would not let me dive with my doubles due to "insurance reasons" Only way I could do the shore dive there was to use there tanks (Even though I offered to pay for a tank and use mine)
Net result: I wont be going to Sunset House again if I can help it.Plenty of other places to go dive

I do also have a problem if someone is concerned about my safety in a realy not dangerous place.
seen at a 8 meter deep place, children snorkeling, 27 degree (celcius) water no current.
There even the insurance reason makes more sense. But if it is my dive shop I let you sign, that you use equipment against my recommendation, that you don't dive with us, just near us and therefor we are not respondsible for anything happen.
Than all the insurance things should be clear and everyone happy.

 

[Ringo]

Asked a padi dive center if the have tanks for rent and got this answer:

"Sorry we are not allowed to just rent out tanks.
This is due to the regulations of the TAT (Tourist Autority of Thailand).
On the other hand it is also safer to dive (even under indirect)
supervision because currents can be severe and unpredictable for people
who do not know the area very well."

Sorry, there is no such regulation from TAT. Sounds like a poor excuse to me. There are DC's in Thailand who rent out tanks irrespective of whether the shop is managed/owned by foreigners or Thai. Seems to me from some of your posts that you have issues with foreign owned DC's in Thailand. Would be interesting to know why?

 

[h90]

Sorry, there is no such regulation from TAT. Sounds like a poor excuse to me. There are DC's in Thailand who rent out tanks irrespective of whether the shop is managed/owned by foreigners or Thai. Seems to me from some of your posts that you have issues with foreign owned DC's in Thailand. Would be interesting to know why?

Got a little bit problems with foreign owned DCs, maybe because I tried mainly in Pattaya. They double charge as what Thai owned companies do, in Pattaya they all don't give tanks for rent and they all make scuba to something 100 % commercial where the diver is just something disturbing you must live with when you earn money.
I know only 2 thai companies which are a lot better in that.
Of course that can be also bad luck, if I know 5 more foreign companies they might be all excellent and 5 more thai companies are maybe all bad.

All that crap like "TAT does not allow to give tanks for rent" "for your own safety we don't give tanks for rent" "even you have already the AOW manual, you must buy it again from us, because PADI require that from the DC" only came from foreign companies in Thailand.
By the way I am myself a foreigner in Thailand.