How Do I find a DM-job in Thailand coming winter?

[chielemans]

Hi guys,

I got my DM last year in Taganga, Colombia. I do have quite some experience; also dived at Great Barrier reef, Red Sea, Bay islands and Corn Islands. Now its time again to get diving, it's been more than a year.

I'd like to be DM for this winter in Thailand for like 4 months orso. So maybe the year after i could be ready to go for the IDC.

Any suggestions on how to find a job there, from home(Amsterdam)?

Or you think other places, in stead of Thailand would be better for me?

Thanks for your thoughts/advice!

Michiel

 

[stevenl]

First of all, as a DM you will not get a workpermit. So all work you might do will be illegal.
Secondly, in many places in Thailand there will be fierce competition for you from people doing their DM course or IDC as an internship, so basically are working for free.
Thirdly, for any divecenter the value of a DM is far, far less than that of an instructor, so most DC's will prefer to hire instructors over DM's.

This means your options are very, very small. Your best bet might be a liveaboard boat, so you're out of the eye for any workpermit checks. The season for these boats is about to start at the Andaman coast, so all DC's should have their staff set now. There will always pop up opportunities, but personally I would have my doubts with any DC taking on illegal staff.

Sorry for not being very optimistic about your chances here, but that is the way I see things at the moment.

 

[ScubaStan81]

I agree with competition and I'd say most DM's do it coz they love it and less for the money. However all are studying to become Instructors sooner or later. Your chances are as good as anyone else's.
One word of advice I can give u is that Thailand is very touristy and tourists want someone to speak their language when they do discover scuba or OW. So if u speak another language u may try another avenue.
Few guys doing their OW with me were doing it in different languages.
Perhaps u should call few Padi centers and speak to them before u make a move.

 

[stevenl]

Your chances are as good as anyone else's.

Are you talking about working as a DM here? If so, agree with you, just as everybody else's his chances are very, very small.

 

[ScubaStan81]

I can message a mate in Samui that works at easy divers as an instructor to see how easy it is. I'm sure there would be 10000's of ppl doing a lifestyle change and working for peanuts.

 

[Quero]

No need to go to the trouble, SS81 because there are many of us regular members here in the forum who have been working as instructors in Thailand for years. We see this every day, and we know what the situation is.

For the OP, there are several considerations:
1) To get work for such a short period as you're looking at (you said a few months, right?), you have to think about the value you would bring to a business from the perspective of a potential employer.
• Foreign dive pros who rotate through a destination for just a few months are not likely to go to the effort and expense of getting a work permit on their own in order to work legally, pay taxes, etc.
• Hiring foreign dive pros and providing them with work permits is expensive, and nobody will want to do it for somebody who isn't committed to staying for the long term.
• Short-term DMs who have just arrived don't know the dive sites and will really only be hitting their stride after a few months (when they're ready to move on).
• Local Thai DMs don't need work permits and are more likely to stick around and become valuable employees, and after years in the area, (often having grown up nearby and working their way up from boat boy to DM), they know the local waters like the backs of their hands.

2) Foreigners who are instructors have a much better chance of getting work, especially if they speak two or more languages represented by the nationalities that visit Thailand (Scandinavian languages, German, French, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Russian, etc.). This is because visitors like to take their courses in their native language, and there are not many Thais who speak these languages fluently enough to teach in them.

3) Many people do work illegally as dive pros in Thailand. But it's wrong--not only in legal terms but also in moral terms. Anyone who does so or encourages the practice is a disgrace to the industry.

 

[lord khram]

I know of people who actually paid one shop in Pattaya to work as Divemasters.
If people are prepared to do that in an area where the quality of diving is so poor, I would say the chance of securing a few months paid employment is pretty slim.

 

[Sam_The_Submersible]

Koh Tao has so many schools it would be good bet for employment, there is quite a steady turnover of people coming and going making for job possibilities.

However what others have said about schools favoring their students and DMT's etc, is true. It's only natural that a school who already has a working relationship with someone will give them a job over an 'unknown'.

You should consider coming here and doing your IDC as a sidestep into a job. That way you could get they lay of land regarding Visa's, Immigration, and potential employer's.

To answer your original question, the odds of getting a job while still in Amsterdam are not so good. Coming here and doing an IDC coupled with speaking Dutch and English will improve your chances.

 

[limbo]

Being Dutch myself, the ability of speaking Dutch is not as advantageous as being able to speak German or french for instance.

 

[ozzydamo]

Hi guys,

I got my DM last year in Taganga, Colombia. I do have quite some experience; also dived at Great Barrier reef, Red Sea, Bay islands and Corn Islands. Now its time again to get diving, it's been more than a year.

I'd like to be DM for this winter in Thailand for like 4 months orso. So maybe the year after i could be ready to go for the IDC.

Any suggestions on how to find a job there, from home(Amsterdam)?

Or you think other places, in stead of Thailand would be better for me?

Thanks for your thoughts/advice!

Michiel

Lets get this right....your a DM with less then 100 dives, but you do have quite some experience! lol hhahaa

I know instructors on 30,000baht/month (I earn that in less then 2 days work here as a carpenter)- better off working at home and do your 3/4 months off saving, ask for a bulk rate for your stay to dive anytime you like, even "lead" other tourists if you like that kinda thing.... watch out what u eat man!