Have You Ever Wanted to Work in Thailand Part II

                             Living the dream.

  Scuba diving instructor in Phuket Thailand .

            One of the Most sort after jobs in Thailand for Overseas Workers is becoming a   Phuket Scuba diving instructor. Phuket Thailand Scuba diving is one of the largest if not the Biggest Centers in Thailand. Being the Biggest Needs it the largest Number of Instructors. Phuket itself is a large island on the west coast of Thailand. Pretty much the whole Island is given over to Tourism in one form or another. From the Big party Town Patong to the Small Villages to the South like Rawai and Nai Harn all Support the Tourist Industry in one Way or another. Other Reason is the Scuba. . . diving in Phuket is so varied and so suitable to teach Every level of course. From Discover Scuba Diving right through to instructor and beyond. The other reason its such a great place to work and dive is that the diving is good all year round. 

               During the "High Season" which Runs from Mid October till normally Second week of May to the North West of Phuket lie the Similan and Surin Marine Parks. The Parks are Closed for 6 Months of the year to Protect the Marine Life and Keep the Islands. . . in top condition. These two island groups offer some of the best diving on the planet. Both have exceptionally clear water even at 40 meters and offer a huge variety of marine life from the huge Whale Shark and Manta Ray to the tiny pygmy Sea horse and almost inviable Sea Moth. The Surin islands also includes the world famous Richelieu rock which is rated in the top 10 sites in the world but to us who work here many rate Koh Tachai even higher. 

            For most new instructors just fresh from their IDC all they want to do is teach NOW. However in Thailand its not as simple as that. You need to get a work visa (non B) and a work permit. The 2 most common ways of obtaining a work permit are 1. setting up your own company which is very easy to do. There are many accountants who can do this for you. it takes anything from 6 weeks to two months to do everything. It does cost money but then you know you are safe and legal. The other way is many accountants have set up companies that can have many overseas staff. Again you still need your non B visa and the accountant will need time to get a work permit for you. In the long run both ways are ok. To set up your own company may be a bit more expensive for the first 2 years as the set up costs are more. But once you are up and running the second year is cheaper as you only have to renew your visa and work permit. Your monthly fees and tax are cheaper. To Work on an Accountants Company is Cheaper to Start with As no SET up costs just Getting a Work Permit and visa, but the Monthly fees and Tax is normally Higher. So if your Plan is a year or Two then ITS better to Work under an. . . accountants company but if you wish to stay longer then its best to get your own company. 

           OK thats the Boring Stuff out the Way. As a Phuket diving instructor from the End of November till Mid March if not Longer You Can Work with no Day off diving Everyday. As all Dive Instructors are freelance they Can Work for many different companies. Once. . . . you have your work permit all you do is give your number to all the dive centers you can find and when they have a customer come in they will call you. You get paid per job not as a fixed salary. After a while you will find you do a few jobs for a dive center and they will call you again and again until you are whats known as fixed freelance. You are freelance but one Company Books You Everyday. The good thing As an instructor one Day You Can have a Discover Scuba diving course and the Day after a Dive Master course then off to do a Live aboard for a week or Two. All the Live. . . Need Aboards Instructors and ITS Too Easy to Get You Call one up for 3 days guiding and Staying You End up for Two or More weeks. As long As You Treat it As the Work and Holiday Work Will not Come Thick and a paid. fast. Word gets round fast if there is a good instructor New About the Same goes but the Other Way. Upset one company and the word will go round before you get back to shore that evening. The full time dive community is very close knit as we all know and work together everyday. People come for high season and move on but the ones who are here all year and they must number in the 100 or more are very close. 

       Season Comes then low. For your First Season ITS low long term Instructors Get Tough As the First Called. However if You have all been Loyal High Season and then got in with one Company Will You be fine. If you have been working all over the place then it will be tougher as every dive center has two or three fixed freelance instructors they will call first. Your Goal in the First High Season is to Get to be a fixed freelance for one Dive Center. Ok Spend the First 2 Months going on Live Aboards and checking Everywhere out but Come End of Feb TRY to Get in with one Dive school / Center to. . . Secure Work for low Season. In low Can You Go Three Season Four or Five days with no Work. Thats normal. You just need to be careful in your first high season when money is plentiful to put some away for low season. So many instructors think all is great and then low season can come with no waning. Busy week one next week then 4 days off. If You are not prepared for this then Find out As many Come June or July they are Finished. 

      Scuba diving instructor in being a Phuket Thailand is a Dream Job for many, it Really is. Blue sky, warm clear seas and living on a tropical island. Whats there not to like ?? Being paid to Go Scuba diving in Phuket . It dies not get much better than that. Just remember there are millions of others who also have the same dream too. Being a Phuket Scuba diving instructor Can be achieved if You Want it. This is long Can Dream Job As You Want to be your diving with Whale sharks or include your Manta. 
Rays on a coral reef under blue skies and dont mind living on a tropical island in the Andaman Ocean.