Phuket diving FAQ

Welcome to the frequently asked questions from Phuket dash Scuba dot Com, divingphuket.eu, your personal divecenter on Phuket Thailand. We have tried to show here the most frequently asked questions. If your question is not mentioned here, don't hesitate and get in touch with us.

Phuket Thailand has an international airport with direct flights from and to Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Hong Kong. Between November and April there are also direct flights from some European countries.
Most of the international flights arrive via Bangkok. Thai Airways offers every day many flights from Bangkok, and there are also direct flights from Koh Samui, Pattaya and Chiang Mai. Bangkok Airways also offers direct flights, as do the budget companies like Nok Air, AirAsia (from Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand), Tiger Airways from Singapore and Australia.

Visitors from most western countries like the EU, USA, Canada and Australia receive on arrival a permit to stay for 30 days (visa exempt entry). Other nationalities may need a tourist visa, which can be obtained at a Thai embassy or consul.

The visa rules for visitors wishing to stay in Thailand longer term are changing frequently. Therefor we advice to contact a Thai embassy or consul for more information on this or check the website of Thai Visa.

Phuket International Airport is located about 45 minutes to one hour North of the most important beaches (Kata, Karon, Patong). From the airport there is a meter taxi service, there are fixed price taxi services available, and there is a shared minibus service and for groups a private minibus service. Some of the travel agents have a transfer service, plus it is possible to arrange an airport transfer through the hotel.

On request we can also arrange transportation to your hotel for 600 Baht (max. 4 persons), or for a group a minibus for 1,000 Baht.

There are many taxis and tuktuks on Phuket, and these can be useful for a short ride between the beaches or to Phuket Town or to for example the shopping center Central. In comparison to other areas in Thailand the taxis and tuktuks on Phuket are quite expensive, but take into account that the local busservice, albeit cheap, is also slow and there is no service between the beaches.

Some people rent after some negotiations a tuktuk or taxi for the whole day to admire several highlights of Phuket. We think renting a car or motorbike/scooter is a better option.

Our divecenter and office is located in Kata Beach, exactly in the middle between the two 'centers' of Kata, Kata Beach and Kata Center. From here it is just a short walk to all possible shops, the beach and a wide choice of hotels, guesthouses and restaurants. Click on the map to enlarge it.

We are open every day between 10.00 till 18.00 hours (10 AM - 6 PM), in highseason normally longer. You can also reach us via skype, telephone, our 24/7 Hotline and email. For these numbers and addresses see the bottom of all pages on this website.

The valuta in Thailand is the Thai Baht. At Phuket Airport and everywhere on Phuket are exchange booths and banks where you can exchange nearly all currencies in Baht. The exchange rate here will be better than back home.
Also at the big hotels you can change money, but these exchange rates are less than those of the regular banks and exchange booths. Take into account that for US$ the smaller dominations will get you a lesser rate than the 50 and 100 Dollar notes.

All over the island including the airport are ATM's. But please remember that here in Thailand you receive the money first, some time after that your card is being returned to you. So don't forget the ATM card after you have received your money (unfortunately it happens quite often that people forget to retrieve their ATM card after they have received their money).

If you are diving during the day, there are many different styles of accommodation to choose from: a basic bungalow or guesthouse with a fan for 300-500 Baht, air conditioned bungalows or guesthouses for 800-1,500 Baht, resort hotels from 3,000 Baht upwards and everything in between.
The prices will vary depending on the season.

Here more information on different overnight options.

From November till May we have here on Phuket our dry season. During that time Phuket dash Scuba dot Com has a complete offer on liveaboards, PADI diving courses and daytrips. You can expect a watertemperature of 29 degrees Centigrade, about 84 degrees Fahrenheit, sunny weather and calm seas.

In the other months we also have a complete offer on PADI diving courses and daytrips (with exception of the Similan Islands), and also liveaboards are possible. During these months we have many sunny days and occasionally also a rainshower. These rainy days normally last two or three days, but even then we rarely have rain for more than a few hours. The temperatures are still very nice, but the sea can be rough on occasion.

Here more information on the weather over the last days, months and years.

You simply have to take the normal precautions, just like on any other (dive)trip. Malaria prophylaxes are not necessary. Phuket has three excellent international hospitals and four recompression chambers in case you do need medical care.

Of course, if you want to go diving during your Thailand vacation, check to make sure your travel and/or health insurance covers diving. With most insurances these days that is the case.
We advice everybody to take out cancellation insurance.

We will take care of the boats, make sure they meet minimum requirements, like the presence of oxygen, a first aid kit and an emergency assistance plan.

On a liveaboard boat (diving safari) you will not need much luggage. Also the cabins are smaller than a hotel room so you don't have much space for all your luggage.
During your liveaboard trip we can take care of all the luggage, suitcases and backbacks plus all valuables you don't want to take with you.
If before or after your liveaboard cruise or daytrip diving you want to go trekking and return to Phuket we can look after your divegear while you're on your trekking.

The prices as mentioned on our boat pages are not all inclusive. If you have any doubts what you are paying for, ask us, so you can be sure there will be no unexpected expenses. Take into account that some of the prices can fluctuate depending on the exchange rates between the Euro, US$ and Thai Baht. The price we will quote to you is the price payable, even if the boat prices are changed later on.

Included is: accommodation on board, hoteltransfers, all meals, snacks and fruits, drinking water, tea, coffee, weights, weight belts, tanks, air fillings, torches for the nightdives (sometimes there is a surcharge for this), diving in small groups with guide. Towels are provided on most liveaboard boats, but not always.

Nearly all our prices for Thailand liveaboards and daytrips are excluding rental of diving equipment, because many divers choose to bring their own divegear.

A complete set diving equipment (almost new, in excellent condition) consisting of BCD, regulator, shorty wetsuit, mask, snorkel and fins (closed heel) you can rent with us in Kata Beach for 600 Baht per day. We also have full length wetsuits and dive computers for rent, for respectively 100 and 250 Baht per day.

If you want to rent divegear, let us know your sizes or, preferably, pass by our divecenter before your trip to try on the gear.

All boats have 12 liter aluminium tanks on board with a yoke connection (international valve, so no DIN-valve). If you bring your own DIN regulator, please also bring an adapter, or you can buy or rent one here.
On request we can on most boats also arrange bigger (15 liter) or smaller (10 liter) tanks.
Nitrox is available on some boats.

The water temperature is year round around 29 degrees Centigrade (84 Fahrenheit). So it is not cold, but on occasion we experience a thermocline, especially at the Similan Islands, bringing the temperature down to about 26 degrees (79 Fahrenheit).
Most divers here dive with a shorty 3 mm wetsuit. But for diving multiple days with multiple dives, like is always the case on a liveaboard diving safari, this can be not enough.

That is why we recommend divers who bring their onw suit to bring a full 3 mm suit. That is just a little bit warmer and also adds extra protection. That is why besides shorties we also rent out full 3 mm wetsuits. For most divers that is sufficient, it is always possible to wear a shorty on top of the full suit if you are still getting cold. Divers who chill easily we recommend to bring a 5 mm suit.

Most of the guides here dive with a 5 mm suit, sometimes even a 7 mm. But there are also those diving with a shorty.

All boats have more than enough electrical outlets (220 Volt) to charge a camera and /or diving torch. Especially on the liveaboard boats this is never a problem.
On most liveaboards a torch is included in the price, but feel free to bring your own.

If you are traveling alone, the prices are based on cabin sharing. If you prefer a private cabin that is possible against a surcharge. The exact price depends on the boat, but is normally not much less than the price for two persons. Ask us if you would like a private cabin. If you are a female traveling alone, take into account that we can not always guarantee you will share the cabin with another female. Of course we will try to arrange this as much as we can.

Two persons traveling together will ons most boats have their own cabin. There are also boats with four-person cabins, if you arrive here with two persons there will probably be two others staying in the same cabin. These are the cheaper cabins.

Some of the live-aboards also have three-person cabins.

Non-divers/snorkelers are very welcome on all liveaboard boats, but: these are diving boats and will not always visit the best snorkeling sites. The charge for a snorkeler is quite often the price for a diver minus 10%, but some of the boats like the Explorer and South Siam 4 offer special rates for snorkelers.

On Oktavia is a snorkel guide on the boat, so this boat is the best option for snorkelers. Also the boats that depart every day like South Siam 3, Scubacat and Seapearl are suitable boats for snorkelers, because they stay in the Similans and snorkelers receive special care. But these are basic boats.

There are many different options for daytrips and adventure tours.
You can do a kayak trip to Phang Nga Bay (James Bond Island), go snorkeling, discover the beautiful views of Phi Phi Islands, go for a bungee jump or carting experience, visit Phuket Town, discover the jungles of Khao Sok, visit the Gibbon Rehabilitation project, do an elephant trekking, take a sauna and /or massage, play golf, rent a motorbike/scooter and discover Phuket island or do some more scuba diving.

Phuket has much to offer, and there is enough to see and do for a second visit!

There are not many places in the world offering the same quality and variety of food as Phuket does. You can choose local Thai restaurants (Phuket is well known for its seafood) and all possible kinds of Western and Eastern restaurants. Whatever you want to eat, you can find it on Phuket.

If you have any diet wishes, like vegetarian food, or if you are allergic to something, please let us know beforehand when you book a diving trip or liveaboard. We will make sure your diet is known on the boat, so you can without any problems enjoy all the lovely food you will find on board.

The Thaise language is not easy to learn, but it is very much appreciated by the Thai people when somebody can speak some basic words/sentences. In the hotels English is spoken. If you do your diving course with us, there will be an instructor for you speaking your own language.

If you have forgotten your diving certification and are a PADI certified diver, we can check your certification online.

If there is something else you would like to know that has not been mentioned here, send us an email and we will answer you very quickly.

WWW.DIVINGPHUKET.EU

Phuket dash Scuba dot Com
53 Katekwan Road, Kata Beach, Phuket 83100
Tel./ Fax. +66 (0)76-284 580
24/7 Hotline +66 (0)80-0408805
skype seabeeskata

info@divingphuket.eu
TAT/OTD-no. 34/00245
PADI 5-star divecenter S-6351



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