Scuba Diving in Pattaya, Thailand

The picturesque seaside city of Pattaya can be found just to the east of Bangkok and is a popular destination for those who want to take a break from Thailand's capital for a few days. While Pattaya is perhaps best known for its slightly sleazy nightlife scene, the waters here are cool, clear and teeming with a wide range of colourful marine life, making scuba diving Pattaya an excellent option.

A whole host of exciting scuba diving Pattaya sites can be reached in a mere matter of minutes from the mainland and the closest are the so-called Near Islands, which consists of the enchanting islands of Koh Krak and Koh Sak. Slightly further away but still within easy reach for those who embark on day diving trips are the Far Islands. The waters here are also full of a wide range of marine life and among the many tiny islands that make up this collection are Koh Rin, Koh Hua Chang, Koh Badan and Koh Man Wichai.

One of the best things about diving Pattaya is that even first time divers are welcome to join in the fun. All of the instructors that can be found in Pattaya are fully PADI certified and speak a good level of English. Those who are new to the wonderful world of diving Thailand will receive a training session before getting wet and most companies also show divers videos of what can be found in the watery underworld before they set out.

Most of the key diving sites around Pattaya can be found around 20-30 kilometres from the mainland and are controlled by the Royal Thai Navy. One of the most popular sites is the recently sunk HTMS Khram shipwreck, which is home to a large collection of marine life. Also of interest is the old freighter known as the Petchburi Bremen.

Those who have a love for marine life will really be in their element here, as visitors will have plenty of chances to spot colourful fish and other creatures as they explore. Schools of fish such as grouper, barracuda and jacks can be found swimming in and around major wreck sites, while enormous blue spotted stingray and porcupine puffer fish are also waiting to be spotted.

When its time to come up for air for a while, visitors to Pattaya will find plenty of other interesting things to do here. Accommodation comes in all shapes and sizes, to modestly priced guesthouses to world-class hotels, while the range of Western restaurants and bars that can be found close to Pattaya Beach is simply staggering.

If you would like to discover more about Diving Pattaya, then visit http://www.seafari.co.th, the leading SSI and PADI dive school in Pattaya.

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Thailand Scuba Diving - When And Where To Go

Thailand is famous for its scuba diving, where warm, calm waters and an abundance of incredible marine life makes for spectacular dives. Thailand's diving is also very cheap compared to diving in Europe and the Caribbean, although for safety's sake care must be taken to use a reputable dive operator.

To get the most out of diving in Thailand, you need to know when and where to go. Not all of Thailand's dive sites are available all year round, so it pays to do a bit of planning.

Similan Islands

The Similan Islands are widely regarded as one of the Top 10 Dive Destinations. They are a small group of uninhabited islands in the Andaman Sea, just off the western Thai coast. The Similans are usually visited by liveaboard boats from Phuket and Khao Lak, where divers eat sleep and dive on the boat for several days. Usually the liveaboard lasts 4 days / 4 nights and lets the divers get 14 dives.

The Similans are an ideal place to learn to dive, as taking a liveaboard trip will let a new diver be able to have lots of practice by doing so many dives. It's important to be taught by a reputable liveaboard operator with full PADI certification and experienced instructors. Be sure to ask your operator about the newness of their scuba equipment and their staff qualifications.

The Similan Islands are only open to divers from October to May each year. The monsoon season arrives during June to September and makes the seas too rough for safe diving.

Hin Daeng / Koh Bida / Phi Phi / Koh Ha

This is a group of dive sites further south in the Andaman Sea from the Similan Islands and accessible from Phuket, Krabi, Koh Phi Phi and Koh Lanta. They are usually visited on daytrips from these destinations, although there a couple of liveaboards who visit them. Koh Lanta in particular is a beautiful Thai island that is not as busy or expensive as Koh Phi Phi.

Hin Daeng and Koh Ha are also only open from October to May each year. Koh Bida and Phi Phi have a few reefs that are open all year round if you are visiting Koh Phi Phi.

Koh Tao

Koh Tao is a tiny island on the other, eastern coast of Thailand, above Koh Phangan, home of the Full Moon Parties. Koh Tao is a four hour ferry ride from Surat Thani on the mainland. Koh Tao is a burgeoning island for divers and also for chilled out escape - while popular, Koh Tao remains quite uncrowded.

There are lots of dive shops here that offer diving daytrips - there are very few scheduled liveaboards, although they do occasionally happen. The diving around Koh Tao is not considered as good as the Similans or Hin Daeng, but on its day it can be fantastic.

Koh Tao is also the most popular place to learn to dive in all of Asia Pacific, except for Cairns in Australia. If you want to learn to dive but don't want to commit to doing a liveaboard, Koh Tao is a great place to learn and also enjoy the laid back party scene as well.

Koh Tao's monsoon season lasts from September to December - it's still possible to dive during this time but the weather can be pretty rough.

Best Times Of The Year To Dive Thailand 

• Similan Islands and Hin Daeng / Koh Ha -- October to May
• Koh Tao - January to September

Planning Your Thailand Diving Trip

When choosing your Thailand diving trip, think about what time of year you can go and then decide if you want to do a liveaboard trip or if you'd prefer to do daytrips and return to a hotel each evening. Then ask Thailand dive operators about what trips and dive packages are available - sometimes you can get real bargains. The dive operator can also give you the best advice of how to get from Bangkok to your preferred dive destination.

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