Question West coast of Thailand for new divers - one week recommendation?

[Drair56]

The west side tends to get currents, being more open - Koh Tao really is more beginner friendly. Visibility on Tao in March can be hit or miss, but it doesn't matter as much for getting certified. Second the recommendation for Master Divers there; Elaine runs a great shop.

I don't think there is a specific spot for large pelagics; they can show up all over, but the chances are fairly slim. I did a bunch of dives on Koh Tao and never saw anything bigger than a turtle, but I know people who saw a whale shark there on their open water course. Personally, I have only seen whale sharks at Richelieu Rock up north and Eight Mile Rock down south (ir's named for being 8 miles away from Koh Lipe), while my only manta encounter thus far had been at Hin Daeng. I met a diver who had seen a whale shark at Stonehenge, which is a really shallow (6-8m) dive site near Koh Lipe - one would think that a place where a whale shark's tail can brush the bottom while its mouth pops out of the water would be the last place to encounter one, but there it was.

One possible option you may want to look at, depending on your time constraints and how much you end up liking diving, is a course at Koh Tao followed by a liveaboard in Andaman Sea. My last trip out (January 22-27) we had a lady onboard who had just completed open water on Koh Tao, and she had the time of her life at Richelieu Rock, although she did have some trouble at first with the more challenging diving conditions there. You can find her review at TripAdvisor here.

We did a live aboard in the Adaman Sea a couple years ago. The dive masters were excellent and could be helpful to newbies. Highly recommend.

 

[Edward3c]

Hello! My partner and I are currently in Cambodia with plans to go to Thailand in mid-March and get OW certified somewhere in the Andaman Sea. Our plan was to island hop, but due to some Covid/visa issues we’ll have less time than expected - about a week and a half - so it seems like we should stick to one area and I don’t have a ton of time to research, so I’d love recommendations.

Would love a low-key vibe (not into nightlife scene), with nice beaches and snorkeling spots/shore diving if possible? and of course, beginner friendly! Looking at Koh Lipe or Khao Lak right now, but am totally open. Spot with more pelagics would be ideal, my dream is to see mantas and understand you can day trip to Koh Bon from Khao Lak which is why it’s a thought, but I’d kind of prefer an island too…spent the last few months in the USVI, and miss that island life, but also get that it’s a longer journey!

Thanks for any help

I’d suggest Ko Lipe, I used DJL last two trips. Would have been there now, but for the ridicules day 5 PCR test. So I’m in the Philippines spending my money diving. No PCR or quarantine requirements. Provided fully vaccinated.

 

[Shasteca]

Koh Lanta, Lipe, Phi Phi, Tao and not counting Phuket. Where else(island wise)?
All the sites in Lanta are very far(day trip is relative expensive same as Phuket) but pretty good. There is party scene in some places but can be easily avoided. The ongoing trouble in Ukraine has probably deterred at lot of tourists from coming to Asia.
One step at a time if budget is important: Koh Tao.

Good to know about sites being further away for Koh Lanta. Khao Lak would still be on the table maybe and I guess I’m seeing some tiny islands with a dive shop or two like Koh Kradan, Ko Ngai, but not sure how beginner friendly those would be anyway.

 

[Shasteca]

I’d suggest Ko Lipe, I used DJL last two trips. Would have been there now, but for the ridicules day 5 PCR test. So I’m in the Philippines spending my money diving. No PCR or quarantine requirements. Provided fully vaccinated.

DJL looks great, thanks for the rec. Yeah Philippines was actually my top choice but it didn’t open up until we were already on our way yeah, all the tests plus the stay at a gov approved hotel have been adding up to a much more $$ trip than expected

 

[Barmaglot]

Regarding Koh Lipe, I haven't used them myself, but I've had Adang Sea Divers recommended to me, for using a speedboat rather than a converted fishing boat. This is less important for nearby sites such as Stonehenge and Pattaya Corner but more important for places like 8 Mile Rock.

 

[Shasteca]

Regarding Koh Lipe, I haven't used them myself, but I've had Adang Sea Divers recommended to me, for using a speedboat rather than a converted fishing boat. This is less important for nearby sites such as Stonehenge and Pattaya Corner but more important for places like 8 Mile Rock.

Good consideration, thanks!

 

[nat_siriu]

I was certified Advance in Koh Tao and lived there for almost the entire of last year during the lockdown. Got to dive there almost every weekend. I saw whale sharks there 4 times from my dive in Oct 20 - Apr 21. I like the island, good vibe and dive sites are near by.

There are dive sites near the island just 20 mins boat ride or around 1 hour to Chumphon and Southwest which are deeper with nice school of fish. Most of the time especially near the island, the sea is calm. Mar and April are good months. Koh Tao is also the cheapest place for dive course, you just need to choose the right dive school as many reviews said, it is a factory there!

I did my Advance with Nitro Koh Tao. Instructors are super experienced, new dive equipment and fun crowds. They are a new dive school but the owner was an instructor at another school with tons of dives. His crews are great too.

Nitro Koh Tao (Reviews) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

www.tripadvisor.com