Tourism & Scuba Diving returns to Thailand - tsunami 5 years on

Scuba Diving in Thailand has many rewards for Recreational Scuba Divers, and world class dive sites in Phuket and the Similan/Surin islands are recognised for their vibrant marine life, nutrient-rich coral reefs and clear blue, warm water. Adventurous tourists flocked to Thailand in search of palm fringed golden sand beaches, luxurious beachside accommodation, endless watersports and countless family activities, value for money that few tourists to Asia could resist. Late December 2004 saw an event that would scar the lives of so many people and my account of this tragedy is based on what happened on the Andaman Coast of Thailand, though I fully appreciate that other countries and continents were also affected.

In Thailand, more than 8,000 people were killed in the disaster, or have never been reunited with their families. This also included over 2,000 foreign tourists, most of which were taking holidays in and around Phuket. This southern province contributed approximately 40 percent of Thailand's annual tourism income. The Indian Ocean tsunami was triggered by an undersea earthquake off the Indonesian island of Sumatra, and as the huge waves of tumbling water struck the Andaman shores, Phuket and its surrounding regions suffered raw nature at its worst. Phuket Scuba Divers who were actually under water at the time, recall a surge of water that pushed and pulled with all its might. Dive Boats were smashed, snorkelers were dragged along the beaches, and sunbathers were completely overwhelmed by a wall of water crashing overhead.

As you may expect, tourism in this region suffered tremendously, and has not yet fully recovered. Scuba Divers in Thailand are trying other diving destinations and during the last five years,  Scuba Diving in Pattaya  has seen a positive increase in the number of divers making a trip to dive in the Gulf of Thailand. The Pattaya Scuba Diving community are united in their efforts to attract more tourists and also to satisfy its expanding number of residing expats. The islands near to Pattaya offer divers and snorkelers a mixture of shallow calm bays sheltered from the strong currents, to deep dives around World War II US Landing Crafts that have been intentionally sunk by the Thai Navy, creating artificial reefs. Most of the Pattaya Dive Sites can be reached by a dive boat withing two hours and there are many PADI Dive Centers that offer daily Scuba Courses for beginners, Fun Diving Daytrips for certified divers and Snorkeling Tours for a relaxing day out to the Pattaya Islands.

Information, tips and advice for Scuba Diving in Pattaya

Most of the Pattaya dive sites have year-round diving and a good variety of diverse dive sites. From shallow coral dives to wreck diving, deep diving and drift diving, there are numerous scuba activities that can entertain beginners and even the most experienced scuba divers. The Pattaya Near Islands include Koh Sak, Koh Larn and Koh Khrok. Koh Larn means "Coral Island" in Thai, and the Thai's feel that Koh Sak and Koh Khrok resemble a mortar and pestle, so they named them after the kitchen tools that they use to crush peppers. The Pattaya Far Islands include Koh Rin, Koh Man Wichai and Koh Phai. Because these island dive sites are around 15 km from Pattaya, they tend to be less crowded by dive boats and water sport activities. The boat trip takes about 90 minutes to get there, but the clearer visibility and the vibrant marine life makes these Pattaya dive sites worth the trip.

Pattaya 'near' islands;
Koh Sak - A sheltered, shallow bay, which makes this dive site ideal for beginners, novice divers, and snorkeling in Pattaya. The maximium depth is around 11 meters, with lots of hard coral formations providing a home to Rabbitfish, Butterflyfish, Octopus, Morays, Stingrays, Wrasse, Angelfish and Damselfish.
Koh Larn - The Golden Bay on the western side of Koh Larn provides a variety of dive sites for divers of all levels. With hard and soft corals extending to 20 meters, this dive site is best known for spotting Tawny Nurse Sharks and blue spotted Rays.
Koh Khrok - A finger shaped island that is suitable for drift diving. Maximum depth reaches around 12 meters, with an abundance of sea anemones, clown fish, nudibranchs, and turtles.

Pattaya 'far' islands;
Koh Rin - Koh Rin has many diving areas, including two small satelite islands called North Rock and South Rock. With an abundance of hard and soft corals, coral whips and feather stars, divers will not be disappointed with the aquatic creatures on view around these dive sites. The dive needn't be deep here to see nudibranchs, sharks, razorfish, pipefish and morays.
Koh Man Wichai - Dives around this dive site in Pattaya can stretch down to 25 meters. There are two main dive sites, one being the 'Wall Dive' and the other being the 'Fingers'. Both areas provide a variety of corals including staghorn coral table corals, and here's where you're most likely to see larger fish such as Baraccuda, while you're in Pattaya diving.
Koh Phai - The beaches of this island are restricted because it is controlled by the Royal Thai Navy. The south of the island provides the best diving, with the small sheltered bay offering ideal conditions for beginner divers and those refreshing their dive skills. Close to Koh Phai is the wreck of the HTMS Khram, a WW II landing craft that was sunk in 2003 to create an artificial reef and a dive site for wreck diving.

Information about Wreck Diving in Pattaya

HTMS Khram Wreck - Early in 2003, the Thai Navy sank a decommissioned U.S. Warship between Koh Phai and Koh Larn island approx 15 km from Pattaya. The ship lies in 30 meters of water in the Gulf of Thailand, and was intentionally sunk to provide a breeding ground for fish, and a wreck dive for scuba divers. The Thai Navy prepared the ship as a dive site, and it is free from arms, oil and most of the other hazards to divers. The large holes that were made in many areas allow penetration dives through the ships passages whilst remaining in natural daylight. The wreck dive is a scuba diving gift for fish lovers', with Baraccuda, Trevallys, Jacks, Fuseliers, Batfish, Turtles, Stonefish, Porcupinefish, Unicorn fish and Sharks to name just a few.
HTMS Kood Wreck - Thailand dive sites are diving gifts for all divers, but wreck diving in Pattaya is 'nautical' miles ahead ! In September 2006, the Royal Thai Navy sunk the HTMS Kood a short 45 minute boat trip from Pattaya Beach. The Kood World War II US landing craft, became the nearest wreck to Pattaya, available for recreational divers with a diving certification above entry level. A sister ship of the HTMS Khram, the Kood is another fine example of a thriving artificial reef offering another great dive site in Pattaya. Just to the northeast of Koh Sak, the bottom of the wreck lies at 30 meters and the top of the tower at 12m.
Hardeep Wreck - Originally an Indonesian-registered freighter, the Hardeep sank in 1943. More than sixty years of growth has seen the soft coral formations and tube sponge gardens firmly establish themselves, and the wreck provides a safe home for older and larger fish families. The fish life on the Hardeep Wreck includes Baraccuda, Angelfish, Jacks, Trevellys, Batfish and Butterflyfish. Laying on its starboard side in 27 meters of depth, the wreck is only 42 meters in length and contains some very large openings to allow divers a view of the engine room and crankshaft.
Bremen Wreck - The Bremen is an 88 metre long Thai cargo ship that sank in the 1930's following an engine room explosion. The wreck now lies on the sandy bottom in 22 meters between Sattahip and Koh Khram. Though the wreck is badly broken, the bow and stern sections are still relatively intact, but the center part is mostly mangled steel. Wreck Penetration is generally not recommended on this dive. Though the currents can be strong here, if you plan your dive appropriately, the highlight of wreck diving the Bremen, is trying to spot the large Eagle Rays that thrive in these waters. The Bremen Wreck is situated in open water and experiences strong currents for much of the year. The optimum time to dive the Bremen is from December to March.

Pattaya, as a diving destination, cannot realistically compete with the natural underwater beauty of the pristine coral reefs of Phuket, but its aim for the near future is to attract scuba divers by hosting a special wreck diving region, having up to 5 new wrecks in the Pattaya diving area and helping to conserve and improve its marine environment. These artificial reefs provide a home for new coral formations and aquatic life, with the added bonus of being 'off limits' to the local fishermen which encourages larger fish to inhabit the wrecks. As Thailand continues to recover from the tragedy five years on, there's little physical evidence of one of history's worst natural disasters, other than an occasional Tsunami 'Hazard Zone' sign. Phuket remains one of Asia's premier holiday resort islands, and although tourism is down, few people blame the tsunami.

Tourism is down ..... but is it because of the global economy ?

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If you're checking to see if it's legal, and how you plan to punish me, please allow me to explain. I'm a PADI Master Instructor of Scuba Diving, and I spend my working days teaching scuba in Thailand. One of the most rewarding experiences for my diving students' is shooting great photographs of aquatic marine life.

Making underwater photographs in Thailand has many advantages for divers searching for that 'perfect shot';

Clear blue water
Warm water averaging 28 degrees centigrade
Pristine Coral Reef formations
Established Diving Centers and Scuba Equipment Shops

 
The most popular tourist areas for scuba diving in Thailand are Pattaya, Phuket and Koh Samui. These resorts offer great fun and excitement for beginners and certified divers. Whether it's vibrant fish life, colourful corals or sunken ship wrecks, the camera won't stop clicking while you're scuba diving in Thailand. I've captured pictures of Seahorses and giant Gorgonian Sea Fans in Phuket, Black tip reef Sharks in Koh Samui, and World War 11 ship wrecks in Pattaya.

Todays modern camera equipment has changed the way that scuba divers 'shoot' fish underwater. The traditional film camera is still used by many diving professionals, but digital underwater cameras have made underwater photography both accessible and affordable to the majority of scuba divers. Learning to Scuba Dive is not difficult for most people who are comfortable in the water, but snapping great photos under water takes novices some time to learn. One of the most important attributes is good buoyancy control. Apart from all the obvious advantages that neutral, relaxed buoyancy has for scuba diving, if you're trying to compose that image of the tiny yellow blob, commonly known as a Frogfish, being able to hover almost motionless just centimetres away from your subject is what sets you apart from the norm. Also, as recreational scuba divers descend, water absorbs colour. Starting with Red, Orange and then Yellow, and as you dive deeper, you'll lose Green and Blue. Strobe lights help to restore some of the colour that's lost, which is how the professionals obtain fantastic vibrant colours from their images.

I fully appreciate that not every diver has a passion for taking pictures of the new world that they've discovered. Many divers are more fascinated by ship wrecks, perhaps diving deep or making dives using nitrox (an increased amount of oxygen) but most of my scuba buddies have admitted that they are very keen to share the wonders on the underwater world by shooting pictures of fish and other marine life. With modern technology as a friend, it's now possible to store and share underwater images with your family, friends and even the general public via social sites and the internet. The dive may have been the most amazing experience that you've had, but it's so much more powerful to share the adventures with those for whom it may not be possibly to try scuba diving. PADI scuba courses teach student divers how to capture and share underwater photographs, and the Digital Underwater Photography course is now available to all scuba divers from the age of ten.

Private scuba lessons are becoming more popular now, especially in Thailand. Taking a dive course with you own private scuba instructor offers exclusivity, the personal touch, and usually more flexibility. So to enrol in the shooting fish course, otherwise known as the PADI DUP (digital underwater photography) course, you do need to be a certified diver of at least ten years old. But be prepared for some underwater fun that diving in Pattaya has to offer. The coral reefs are shallower here than other dive sites in Thailand, and the other advantage is that scuba diving in Pattaya is available year round because the Gulf of Thailand tends to be sheltered from the southwest monsoons that arrive in Phuket from June until October. Pattaya is not a famous diving destination, but beginners and experienced divers will be rewarded with some of the best wreck diving in Thailand. So, clean up the lens, replace the batteries and make sure that you have a watertight seal, because when you dive in Pattaya the camera never lies. You really can see Turtles, Seahorses and Sharks, and the wreck dives will leave you breathless (pardon the pun) as you drift along US Landing Crafts from the Second World War that were intentionally sunk by the Thai Navy for the local Thai divers and tourists on a scuba diving holiday in Pattaya.

Learn how to Shoot Fish in Thailand the passive and harmless way with a private scuba photography course from a Master Instructor at www.private-scuba.com

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Thailand's popularity as a leading dive destination is given additional credibility by the year round potential of good diving conditions. This situation is created by the Gulf and Andaman bodies of water having opposing seasonal conditions. When waters are murky in Phuket, then Samui is in its peak season and vice versa.

Most divers still head for the Similan Islands' clear blue waters as the true dive experts' number one destination. Live aboards from Phuket cost as little as 18,500 baht for a 4-day trip to the Similan and Surin islands. Phuket Adventure Tours, for instance, offer a price inclusive of onboard aircon accommodation, all meals and soft drinks as well as divemasters' service and shore excursions. There are few dive destinations that offer such value for money.

Koh Lak, being the nearest real jetty point for Similan's trips offers good diving and snorkeling conditions for those not having the time for a full 4 day jaunt. Ko Rang Nok and Koh Phota offer good coral and an abundance of fish near to the mainland. Accommodation at Koh Lak has increased over the last 5 years to be now quite extensive and progressively modern in appearance .This is also the base for the Sea Dragon Dive Company, a European managed operation operating 100 km north of the Phuket competition and perhaps giving better value for money.

The islands further south are still not particularly developed for full diving and places such as Koh Lanta and Turatao still rely on snorkeling as the mainstay for water sports. It would seem though that their days are numbered, especially with the number of new resorts appearing on Lanta Island.

Still on the Andaman side is the up and coming dive destination of Ko Racha Yai where Kiwi Gary Halpin is resident dive expert with island accommodation at Baan Raya to thrill those in search of peace and quiet. Racha Yai is 23 km south of Phuket, just enough to stop the rat race, although a few Patong -based operators appear for daily jaunts. Racha Yai is one of the few places where weather conditions seem to not matter. If the islands windward side has squalls, it's a ten minute walk to the leeward beach for excellent diving. That's for real, as it's also one of the few places where divers simply walk in from the beach! With bungalows starting at bht 1600/nt it's worth the one hour boat trip from Phuket. And, good news- the island now has a telephone box to service its 50 inhabitants.

It's fair to say that most divers would now avoid Phi Phi which has become overrun with day trip snorkellers. However not far away are Krabi's excellent clear waters and there are many, many small islets to choose from for a diver's day outing.

Switching to the Gulf of Thailand, Samui is without doubt the leader of the pack with Ko Tao rapidly becoming the mainstay for serious divers. At last count there were at least 20 dive operators on Ko Tao itself. Although the waters around Samui, Phangan and KoTao are excellent, the big attraction is the Angthong marine Park, a 45 minute boat journey to the North East. With a small reef running from here  past Chumphon and as far north as Bang Saphan, the diving conditions are good and marine life is plentiful. The Sea Canoe and Blue Star Companies out of Chaweng now offer dive/snorkel alternatives for Angthong, some with overnight island camping. Chumphon Cabanas, a delightful mini resort just north of town offers excellent weekend dive trips.

With this reef running that far north excursions from Hua Hin and Bang Saphan are now operating. The northern end of the stretch is not as exciting but it makes a weekend dive trip from Bangkok via Hua Hin an affordable alternative to the eastern Gulf's Koh Chang option, especially when travel time from Bangkok is about the same and no boat crossing is required.

Koh Chang does however have the more longstanding reputation and diving facilities there have been in place for many years. Koh Yuak is the in place for skin diving at the moment. Just remember to go there when Phuket is in low season or you will be disappointed.

At the end of the day if all the above destinations are simply out of reach, one can still fall back on the experts at Larry's Dive, Sukhumvit Soi 22. There starter and refresher courses last 4 days and include pool coaching in Bangkok plus 2 nights in Pattaya with day and night dives - all for a lead in price of bht 12000. If you are an overseas visitor, expect to pay such a fee of under usd 300 for such a course anywhere throughout Thailand. There is the real enticement... value for money diving.

Tom Aikins is a Bangkok-based journalist who runs an Online Marketing Excellence business at http://www.marketingbangkok.com and does IT consulting at http://www.itready.co.th

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/scuba-diving-articles/favorite-thai-diving-spots-1632496.html

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