An update on the coup and visa crackdown in Thailand.

[CarcharodonCarcharias]

There were many arrests of Taxi drivers last month by the army (more than 100) who were alleged to be in taxi mafia, including high up officials, they are due in court next month so we are waiting on news of this, but things are getting better. At the moment it is still fixed price for taxis from one area to another but there is a campaign to introduce metered taxi's throughout the island.
The problems with only being able to use the taxi outside the hotel have been removed by these illegal taxi stands being taken down by the army.
Things will take time to be fixed completely but it is moving in the right direction.

Good to know. Tks for the 411. This will definitely make me consider visiting Phuket again.

 

[jdkerner]

When is the best time to go, for both SCUBA and topside activities?

 

[Scuba Cat Diving]

For Phuket diving is year round, but our high season is Nov to May, this is when all the dive sites are open and you can do both daytrips and liveaboards.
In the green season June to October there are less tourists around so prices for hotels are cheaper, but expect to get some rain as it is our monsoon season (Sept is generally the worst month for this), temperature is still warm though. You can dive the daytrip sites at this time of year but the Marine parks of Similan, Surin and Koh Haa are closed for diving.
For topside activities they are open all year, but in the green season you can also do surfing which is not possible in high season due to the change of wind direction.

 

[lord khram]

Was in BKK over the wknd. Business as usual and the tourism business is still humming. No sign of military presence in the major tourist areas and to be honest, no one can tell the difference between before and after the coup.

That will be the case everywhere for tourists. All the locals around Pattaya that I have spoken to all seem very positive about what the military have done and are proposing to do since the coup.