Where Is The Best Place To Go Scuba Diving In Thailand.?

After diving and working in Phuket Thailand for a good few years now and reading hundreds of blogs, stories and reports of hundreds of dive sites, resorts and boats I have come to the conclusion that there is not one "best location" for scuba diving Thailand.  They are all good. Ok on some days some locations are better than others but on other days then a different location is better.  So how do we work out which are the best islands in Thailand.

The Similan islands are considered to be the best diving phuket has to offer. However although most of the liveaboards do go to the similan islands but they also go to the Surin islands too. This is another national marine park just to the north of the similans.  The similan liveaboard trips most of the em anyway spend a day diving Richelieu rock. Now this is a great dive site. This is listed by national Geographic as one of the top ten locations in the world. On top of this it was also in Jaques Cousteau's top ten dive sites as well. If anyone should know where the best locations are then it will be him. No one has been to more places, done more for recreational diving or done more to bring the seas and oceans within the reach of all people as Jaques Cousteau.

Still this is not 100% right as every person is different. If you are a person who loves wreck diving then there is not much for you in the  similans. Yes you will have stunning reefs, almost unlimited sea life and a great place to improve your underwater photo collection but there is not much in the way of wrecks.  Again if you are a cave diver then other locations will suit you better. But the similan islands diving does tick all the boxes for most divers.

The boats that you will be on when on a liveaboard similan islands can not be beaten.  There is such a wide choice of boat from the length of the cruise to the standard of boat. There are boats with high class chefs, and stateroom style cabins on some boats to quad bunks on others. This does not matter as the diving is the same for all. Even on the budget boats the food is excellent, the cabins are all air con rooms and the boats all have plenty of room to relax between dives. If you are planing on diving in Thailand then it really is worth looking into a similan liveaboard as the cost for the liveaboard is the same as a couple of day trips plus a cheap guest house. If you then add the price of food plus the fact that you get 4 dives per day on a liveabaord it actually works out cheaper to go to the similans than to stay in Thailand Phuket especially.

So back to the top. Where is the best islands in Thailand when it come to scuba diving has to be Richelieu rock which is part of the Surin islands national park which is done onboard a similan islands diving liveaboard.

You get what you pay for. 

         Here in Phuket we get a lot of people traveling through Thailand and south east Asia. As they go they try new things which is one reason for traveling in the first place. The one that we are most interested in at Thailand Divers is of course diving. Diving in Phuket is an all year round activity. From the Live aboards to the Similan and Surin Islands during the months of November till May and the amazing day trip dive  sites around Phuket all year round.                                                        

         Phuket as a destination has budget hotels right through to amazing five star penthouses. The dive industry as evolved over the years to offer five star service with a three star price. There are boats that can be hired for the day for company excursions that can take 40 plus people and speed boats for four or five. However the standard every day courses and trips are anything but standard. The boats have comfortable saloons for keeping out of the sun or rain in low season. Shaded outside eating and relaxing area along with sun decks for those who wish to bake in the tropical sun. 

         The courses and day trips are run to a similar standard. Small group size 1 - 4  students per instructor or guide. No poor quality beach dives just to get the skills done with no enjoyment factor.  Every dive will be at a good locations that experienced divers go to for their day trips. We want every dive to be fun and for you to be able to see great things underwater.  Having the small group sizes for ALL courses means a 99.9% pass rate. This also means that you will not just pass but pass to a standard far higher than actually required for the certification. As the groups are small the instructors have time to work with everyone to over come and improve anything that needs it. Hence the very high pass rate. 

        Other areas in Thailand like Koh Tao offer cheaper day trips and cheaper courses. This is fine if you are only interested in getting the certification rather than actually enjoying some of the best diving locations on the Planet Earth. Any place on the beach can offer PADI courses by walking into the nearest bit of sea, doing the required skills and walking out again. Or getting on an old fishing boat and chugging to a lump of rock in murky waters. 

       Here in Phuket we have some great dive sites that we the instructor still enjoy after 100s of dives on them. We think this is a far better way to do PADI Discover Scuba Diving or Open Water courses as well as all other courses and fun diving. The boats are modern purpose built dive boats with dining ares, sun decks as well. This is ment to be a relaxing holiday in a tropical paradise as well as just a dive course. You deserve some pampering too. All boat trips include hotel transfers, freshly cooked breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea by a very skilled chef on the boat. There is tea, coffee drinking water and fresh fruit on offer all day. 

    Yes the cost here is slightly higher here in Phuket than those in Koh Tao  and other places but what you get for the money is 100% above and beyond the normal. You only need to glance at trip advisor to see the quality of the service. You only need to look at face book, Google plus or Twitter to see the standard of the dive sites and the standards of the boats. Then just at the click of your mouse you can see the prices on the website are very low compared to other Phuket dive centers. If you still need some questions answered there is a live chat function on the website too.  Compare the prices at Thailand Divers to all the others here on Phuket and you will see the price is the same but the service is well above and beyond. 

 Check out the diving at Koh Tao, The boats and the standard of diver they are producing here on one of their videos. Do you want to be like this ?   On this boat ?   or pay to dive great places on first class boats too.    YOU GET WHAT YOPU PAY FOR.  Your life and that of your buddy depends on your training. 

What is Thai Food ?

       Over the years people comment on the food here in Thailand. People from other countries say " I love Thai food" or "I hate Thai food". This to me is very strange comment to make after all what is Thai food??

Thailand is a large country that runs North to South. The people are so varied too as they as have many nations been mixed with others over the centuries and so the has the food. Thai food ranges from Chinese styles very similar to what we know all around the world. Noodles, fried rice, sweet and sour. 

          We have what westerners think as very spicy is the food from Esan,  Isaan or several other spellings. this is Thailand largest region which is  in the north east on boarder. with Cambodia and Laos. This food is what some people may have tried and said no way. The food is very spicy but with huge amounts of flavor. its not like Indian hot curry which takes away all the other flavors. The Issan food is just large amounts of all flavor. Papaya salad freshly mage on the streets is just one example. When ordering this just say not spicy or even NO spice. 

      Then we come to the foods that have traveled overseas. The Thai green, red, yellow curry. These again vary from one chef to another as they are all made locally by people that were taught by their parents, friends who all make it slightly different. They all will be different from what you get in your local resturant  back home. This is because of the lack of Thai ingredients available. Thai food is always very fresh as nothing lasts long in the heat of the day.  What we get in out local Chinese or Indian takeaway is nothing like the food we will get in China or India. The same goes for Thailand. 

Then we have the Pad Thai. This means fried Thai style. This is a stir fry with various noodle types, shrimps and either Chicken, Beef, Pork or seafood. It takes minutes to make and very good cheap non spicy food. 

Thailand is also big on BBQs. Chicken, Pork, Fish, Prawns. This makes sense as Thailand is more suited to BBQ than most other nations. A fire on the beach to cook the fish, a fire on the farm to cook the Chicken or Pork. The BBQ has been around in Thailand longer than in all western countries. Rice, noodles and salad can go with all Thai food. For big celebrations they do the same as we do and can do a pig roast or even spit roast a cow.

  Then in modern times in most holiday resorts now they have western foods too. Pizza, Pasta, Burgers, Mexican, British resturants along with many fast food places. You can get Sunday roasts and there is even places that do a carvery on sundays.

All dive boats, Live aboards and other tours that involve or include breakfast and lunch will have a selection of western and Thai food modified for westerners.  The dive boats these days are known for excellent food and compete to find the best chefs.  So for people to say they dont like Thai food is crazy. It just means they tried one or two things in a certain area and gave up.  How can people not like BBQs, Chinese, Curries, Fish stir fries, salads and soups. There is a Thai style food that can suit all tastes and it will always will be fresh and full of flavor. Here in Phuket being very central we have the full range of foods from all over Thailand along with being a center for tourists which brings a large selection of western places too. 

Dive Boats in Phuket.

 Dive Boats in Phuket.

        Here in Phuket over the last few years I have had more and more comments on the dive boats  just as much as the dive sites. We all know the diving here in Phuket is some of the best in the world   what with the warm water all year round and so many sheltered spots to dive no matter what the   weather does.  So what is the difference between the multitude of dive companies and dive centers?? 

 The 2 main differences are the dive boats and the instructors. There are many good instructors on the island too who have vast experience and excellent knowledge. However the best ones are the ones are the instructors that still have the passion and want to go diving rather than the ones who see it as another day at work but its still better than an office job.

     The main difference that can make or break a day is the boat.  As I said all dive centers go to the same dive spots but what makes the difference is how you get there and how relaxed you are when you begin your dive. Some companies have smaller, slower boats with wooden benches to sit on.  They are nice and cheap and get you to the dive sites if some what behind everyone else and with a numb bum. There are faster ones which pack everyone and their dog on to cover the cost of the fuel to run at faster speeds. Both have good points and bad ones. 

What I have been repeatedly been told is the best way to dive is on a comfortable boat where the skipper and tour leader use their brains. The best boats have a large saloon that can hold everyone in comfort during the scattered storms of low season. They have a large open shaded area to eat during the heat of summer and a sun deck for those nutters that still feel the need too bake themselves further. The boat must have a chef onboard to cook a good breakfast on the way to the first dive site so everyone has energy for the day. We must have a good selection of both western and Thai food for lunch along with afternoon tea {pancakes with banana, mango, chocolate or maple sauce) just incase you feel a bit peckish  before dinner. 

The tour leader and skipper need to be able to think and if one dive site is busy then move to the next one which is empty then move back to the first one when everyone else has moved on. Tides and currents must be taken into account as they are not the same everyday, so the order of dive sites can not remain the same as the enjoyment of some dive sites can be lost in stronger current where on other sites current can help as it means less finning. 

   Now take all of the above factors into account and you should get a perfect day (weather permitting) as this something we still can not control but with a bit of thought the weather should not impact too much on the day if you have the right boat. Who cares about a bit or rain on the way out if you have sausage, beans, eggs, toast and tea or coffee to get through. A quick lunchtime shower when you have your Spag Bol, Pasta Carbonara, Pad Thai or Thai Green Chicken Curry. Then mix this with an experienced Instructor who is there because he or she wants to be there. Wants to meet new people and most of all wants to make sure you have a good day too. Then just for good measure add the warm water, stunning dive sites

and the huge variety of marine creatures on offer. Then what do you get Diving in Phuket with Thailand Divers. Dont believe us then just check trip advisor. From 1st time diver to people with 1,000s of dives under their belt along with dive professionals from around the world all cant be wrong. Check us out on Facebook, Twitter or talk to us live on tawk.to  to get all the latest from the greatest all year round dive center.