Thailand, July 2015

[modustollens]

I usually take a month for diving in Summer when I free from my labours.

This summer I will spend 5 days in Patayya, 10 days on Koh Tao, 5 on Samui, a few on Phanagan and a couple of days in Chumpon.

I will be with my girlfriend who, though she did her Open Water, did not really take to diving. So, when I am diving I will be alone.

Perhaps there are some board members who will be in these areas during the same time as I? Or, perhaps some veterans of these places will give me pro-tips?

I have been looking at dive sites, and dive ops trying to make decisions about where and with whom to go and I have some ideas already, but, alas, there is only so much one can glean from the internet. I have read a lot of reports on this forum about all these places too and my latest searches are yielding results that I have read already.

I have a general plan at present; and I have been in Thailand before - 4 or 5 times now I think - I dove in Phuket a few times, Koh Lanta and Krabbi; so, my choices of places to go now reflect places I have not been. I looked into the Similians but as far as I could tell a lot of the park is shut down due to the sea state at this time of year; so, that area I shall reserve for a winter excursion.

I welcome any comments or advice, especially from those with recent experience for many of the threads I read are more than a year or two old.

Last summer I spent 25 days or so diving in Subic with Andy Davis based on research I did here on SB; so, I suspect I can get some good information again.

Thanks,

MT

 

[stevenl]

Sorry, I can't help you very much with that area.

I would recommend you though not to go diving from Samui, since the diving will be at Koh Tao sites anyway, and limit your diving in Pattaya to 1, maybe 2 days, so do your diving mainly while stayong on Koh Tao.

Have fun.

 

[lord khram]

I agree with Steven. Also note, diving in the Gulf is no where near what you can experience on the West coast of Thailand.

Koh Tao is definitely the best bet, and by far the cheapest, just select your DC with care as you can often find yourself on very overcrowded boats.

If you dive in Pattaya, ask the shop which day they dive at Samae San, the diving and general environment there is a bit better than in the city. If you do decide on a day trip from Pattaya city, try and find a trip to Koh Rin and / or the Khram Wreck, in my mind the only sites worth bothering with.

In and around Pattaya the only shop I will ever recommend is Real Divers.

 

[modustollens]

OK - good advice.

I made a little 'price-per-dive' chart and it was easy to see that diving out of Samui was much more expensive than Koh Tao and the length of the boat trips were much longer too. I have my girl with me and one of her friends so my trip schedule must bend a bit to accommodate them - her friend is meeting us two weeks after I arrive so Samui is on te list given the direct flight from BKK. But, yes, I agree, price alone shows Koh Tao is where I need to maximize my diving days and my travel schedule has me on Koh Toa more than any other place. Diving in the other places is a sanity salve from sitting on the beach (which I can do for about an hour before I need to get up and do something).

Lots of reviews about diving in Patayya on this board are rather negative; but, since the sites will be new to me I will try some at least once, especially the wrecks that are there. I'll look into getting to Koh Rin and the Khram Wreck. I think I can manage 4-6 dives in Pattaya given my schedule; so, if there is at least one good wreck to see a few times that will keep my interest.

MT