Msg for Steven1, Durian, Dorsetboy + others

[kywash]

Sorry about the title guys but thought it might get your attention and would be quicker than PMing you.



I've read with interest some of your other posts, and inparticular your views on the "instructor in asia" thread and wondered if you could all help me out a bit.

My hubby and I are currently travelling around the world. We are both qualified rescue divers and have been diving our way around trying to obtain as much, and diverse, diving as possible before we move on to do our dm and idc course.

Initially we were looking to do this when we reach Oz but have now amended our plans and have decided to spend longer in Thailand and do the courses there and, who knows, we may end up staying and never get to Oz.

After researching a number of ops we have decided on Dive Asia in Phuket. Do any of you have any experience of them? If so, I would be grateful for your opinions - good and bad as ultimately they will all be useful to us.

In the other post there were discussions over spending more time on dives at the dive ops cost. One of the reasons we have chosen Dive Asia is that we may use as many tanks as we like and spend as much of our own time as we like in the water until we feel we are proficient. This is extremely important to us though I have to say, even if I had to pay for the tanks this is something I would do to ensure my comfort and skill.

Now, what is the diving like in Phuket and Thailand as a whole? We've been out of the water for 3 weeks and I'm getting dry feet - now I really realise how much I miss, and love, the ocean.

Also, we're wanting to do some fun diving before we arrive in Phuket to start our DM. We're hoping to hit Thailand in about 3-4 weeks - should we head East and check out the diving there first? Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Any other tips, opinions on diving as a career will also be very welcome, and I apologise in advance if this means repeating yourselves. I only get to log on infrequently so if you've responded to something similar before please just point me in the direction of the previous post.

Many thanks in advance, and apologies again for singling you out with what, when I read it back, sounds like quite a mundane post!

 

[stevenl]

No apologies necessary.

I will send you a PM, since I'm just about to leave for a day's diving, it will be tomorrow before I can get back to you.

 

[DORSETBOY]

You'll love the diving in thailand. deff a great idea to do lots of fun diving yourselves too.. a great way to build up your experience and improve skills. When did my dmt I actually did 300+ dives rather than the norm 60 dives which some op's will let people do. Try and get as much experience as poss with leads.

If you're on the west coast it's easy to get out on a liveaboard to the similans which shouldn't be missed - best diving if seen yet! I dived with Kingfisher for the similan islands - very knowlegeable staff and very friendly too, Im not sure of any other operators but Im pretty sure the standard generally in phuket of liveaboards is very high.

Going across to the east coast for fun diving as well is a great idea, Ive dived only koh tao on that side but my understanding is that the vis is better there than on either Samui or Phang Ngan. If you go that way I can recommend asia divers on koh tao, you can email them through asiadivers@samart.co.th the manager of the centre is Guy Corsellis who is also a course director. their boat is smaller than some of the larger boats used on the island so entry / exit from water is less crowded. An interesting dive site here is chumpon pinnacle, lots of sharks and big pelagic fish to be seen here, if you dive there ask the dm to guide you to barracuda rock - the best point on chumpon pinnacle dive site to see BIG fish! Cheap but good accomodation on KT can be found at either diving village or JP resort in an area called chalok ban kao which is 5 mins by taxi / motorbike from the main harbour at mae hadd.

Big point to bare in mind though, on the east coast you can very often get away without having a working visa, on the west coast you will have to have a working visa or you will be deported working without one - Ive seen it happen! Besides which it's not that expensive to get and I think it's reasonable to put something back by way of taxes into the thai economy while you work there. If you go to the west coast ask the shop you're looking at to help you with the visa. When you get to thailand you can get a month visa free of charge, commonly on the east coast island people extend this visa by sending it via a travel agency to the thai border to be stamped for another month (I dont know if they do this on the west coast).. ask in the dive shop which agency to use though as some agencies have been known to use fake visa stamps again which can get you into trouble or alternatively you can go to the border yourself.

message me if you need anything further and have a great time.

Greg Jenkins.

 

[DORSETBOY]

oh forgot to mention weather wise, the couple of months I believe the weather is better on the east coast - this does vary though but Im sure the guys on here who are still out there can confirm if this is the case.

 

[stevenl]

In addition to Dorsetboy: a lot of the instructors here on the westcoast work without workpermit. They are difficult to get. Now and then there are checks by immigration though.

Bare in mind, that giving your passport to somebody to get a new entry is illegal here in Thailand, you have to do it yourself. It is quite often done by agencies, if there is a check though, like happened last year, you're in big trouble.

 

[kywash]

Dorsetboy/Stevenl - Thank you both so much for taking the time to respond to me. We now have lots to consider and are on the research case - we've even whisked off a few emails to get some additional info from firms in the Phuket region.

Just found out that if we get our gear fedexed to Phuket we're likely to pay 70% of the cost of the gear in tax so are now looking to get that sent to Malaysia where we'll pick it up on the way through. So many things we never thought about before.

Once again thanks so much for the responses. Stevenl, we'll look you up when we arrive.

Cheers guys

Kywash

 

[stevenl]

Would be nice to see you here, you're more than welcome.

I hope sending the gear to Malaysia works better than to Thailand, because, as I told you, I had the same, expensive, problem.

Good luck.

 

[DORSETBOY]

Kywash, I dont think you will need to pay tax - I took my gear into the country no probs but I took it as luggage on the plane. My understanding of the tax situation is that it only applies to goods being resold in thailand.

 

[stevenl]

Correct, take all your equipment with you and there is no problem.

But if you send it separetely, you'll have a hard time making clear to the customs that this is your personal luggage.
I had the same experience myself, and in the end ended up paying.

 

[Freesub]

Hello!!!
Happened to read the thread and got confused about the issue of visa in Thailand. Would you be kind enough to make it clearer as I believe it is much nicer to know no immigration hassles are around the corner while working somewhere!

Stevenl: Do you mean that it is a big trouble if they bust you giving your passport to somebody to get a new visa or if they bust you working without one?

Is it that difficult to get a working visa? Can you get it for more than a month? What are the conditions to get a working visa?
Do you guys know where I can get more info on the net?

Thanks for your time.
Ciao