Thailand Diving Packages

How to Get There

Thailand, and Bangkok in particular, is one of the major hubs for travel in South East Asia. There are flights from most countries in Asia, Europe and the Middle East, as well as Australia. There are also a few airlines that fly into the smaller provincial international airports of Thailand, such as Phuket, Koh Samui and Krabi. Other convenient flight options to consider include the frequent and reliable connections into Thailand from Malaysia, Singapore and Bali.
As with all vacations, it is highly advisable that you take out insurance to cover diving trips and travel activities, including trip cancellation. See our insurance programme for a competitive price:

Tourist Visas

Visitors from most Asian and western countries including Europe, North America, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa are granted a visa waiver on arrival. This is a 30-day permit to stay when arriving by air, or a 15 day permit-to-stay when arriving by land or sea. It can be extended by another 7-days at an immigration office for a fee. Some other nationals are required to obtain a tourist visa before arrival and you should contact a local Thai embassy or consulate for details.
Visit the Thailand Immigration Bureau's website for more details.

Choose Your Own Accommodation

All these destinations have an incredible choice of accommodation, with everything from 5-star resorts to bamboo beach huts. If you plan on staying in Thailand either before or after your resort diving vacation, you can find a wide range of options at hotelscombined, our affiliated hotel reservation specialists:

Every booking is backed up by their 'Low Price Guarantee' to ensure you get top-dollar value for money from your holiday.

Thailand Visitor Health

Many remoter areas of Thailand are malarial but most urban and tourist areas are malaria-free. If you are planning to travel to more remote areas or hike into the jungle you should consult with your doctor as to whether it is worth taking malaria precautions before you go.
Dengue fever is more prevalent. It is also a mosquito borne disease. Dengue fever will give you a stunning headache and fever that will have you in bed for a week. Dengue is not that common but unfortunately there are currently no inoculations. The best defence is a good mosquito repellent.
Rabies is also not common but it is present in Thailand. You just cannot take a risk with any animal bite. If you are bitten you need to get rabies jabs. Rabies can be treated if you get the jabs soon after you are bitten. If you wait until the symptoms show, it is too late and at that stage rabies is always fatal.
More common health concerns are contaminated food, water and ice that can lead to diarrhoea, dehydration and hepatitis A or E. Make sure you drink only bottled drinking water. Fungal infections are also very common. Wear loose clothes, wash frequently, and dry yourself carefully.
Self-diagnosis and treatment of any medical problem can be risky, so you should always seek medical help.

Tourist Security and Safety

Thailand welcomes millions of visitors every year and most have a fantastic and safe visit. That is not to say that bad things never happen but Thailand has established itself a reputation as a safe dive holiday destination. Tourism is a major contributor to the Thai economy and the authorities are keen to maintain that reputation.
Thailand has an established tourist industry infrastructure and a reputation for safe travel, even for single females. It is one of the most popular backpacking destinations in the world. There is a national network of tourist police whose job it is to protect tourists from crime. They speak English and are trained to assist foreigners who run into problems during their stay.
The Thai government is seen as one of the most pro-active in the prevention of terrorism and most visitors encounter no problems whatsoever. Furthermore, their intelligence network has ensnared operatives from illegal organisations who had wrongly considered the country to be a safe place from which to conduct their affairs.
There is a national network of tourist police whose job it is to prevent any potential problems by ridding areas of known troublemakers as well as being your first port of call should anything go wrong. This and the heightened level of security in recent times means that it has never been safer to travel here.
Crimes of violence against tourists are rare but Thailand certainly does have a reputation for scams. Thais are more likely to try to part you from your money with a smile than a threat. There may be times when you need to be a little smart. Do not trust strangers who approach you with fantastic sounding deals. Do not believe that you can buy jewellery for bargain prices or whatever other great deal they may have conjured up.
The Thai government has been pro-active in the prevention of terrorism. There is an independence movement in the 3 southern provinces of the country and there have been many bombs and shootings in recent years in that area. However, the troubles have never spread to the rest of country and the rest of Thailand has remained free from terrorist activities. We advise you to stay away from the 3 troubled provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat. There have not as yet been any cases of tourists being directly targeted but bombs are indiscriminate weapons.
Dive the World has extensively travelled all the dive resort areas of Thailand described in this section and has never experienced any threats or security concerns. The usual travel advice should be heeded however, but as long as you avoid entering into any bogus jewellery deals, purchasing time shares or falling in love with a seemingly lovely local that you barely know, you should be fine. The general sense that tourists get from visiting the country is one of warmth and hospitality.
We must also strongly advise you to avoid any dealings with drugs. The penalties in Thailand for selling drugs are very harsh and even getting arrested for possession of drugs is not going to be a pleasant experience. Involve yourself in drugs at your peril!

Time Zones

There is only 1 time zone in Thailand: +7 hrs GMT, or +12 hrs EST.

Business Hours in Thailand

Banking hours are 08:30 am until 3:30 pm, Monday to Friday. Many shop stores are open 12 hours a day, every day.

Electricity

The mains electricity in Thailand is 220 volts AC at 50 cycles. The standard plugs and sockets are 2-pin flat or round. Most international plug adaptors should work or adaptors can be bought locally. There are occasional blackouts and power variations, especially during rainy season.

Communications

WiFi hotspots are common in tourist locations in Thailand particularly in restaurants, bars and hotels.
The international direct dialling code from Thailand is 001 + country code + area code + phone number. The country code for Thailand is +66. Mobile roaming services are available and it is also easy and inexpensive to buy a prepaid sim card in Thailand.
Post offices are open from 09:00 until 15:30 hrs. Thai postal services are unreliable and any valuable or important item should be sent by registered mail. Private air couriers like UPS and DHL are also available in Thailand.

Codes of Behaviour

Thais are a generally tolerant bunch and they know that many foreigners do not know their code of behaviour. Mostly they are too polite to complain about transgressions. You can still make a good impression by understanding and respecting some of the values of their culture. It is very important to show respect for the monarchy. Thai people love and are very loyal to their king and queen and the whole royal family.
Most Thais are Buddhist and their religion should be respected as well. You should act with respect at temples and Buddha statues. Monks are figures of respect and it is not allowed for a woman to touch a monk. Buddhist and Chinese shrines are open to foreigners but you should dress appropriately when visiting. Shorts and sleeveless shirts are discouraged. A non-Muslim should not enter a mosque during prayer time.
Thais regard the feet to be the lowest part of the body, literally and spiritually. It is rude to point your feet at people or objects of respect. You should not step over people or point the soles of your feet towards people. You should sit cross-legged or with the soles of your feet down. Remove your shoes before entering a Thai temple or house. Similarly, the head is the highest spiritual part of the body and you should not touch people on the head.

Tipping and bargaining

Tipping is not a normal Thai tradition but it has become more prevalent in recent years. It is a nice gesture to leave a small amount if you receive good service, particularly as salaries are low.
You cannot haggle prices at the main supermarkets, department stores, restaurants, bars, large hotels, pharmacies, public transport, etc. On the other hand, nearly any independent small business is willing, and indeed many expect to bargain for prices.
You should always bargain in a light-hearted non-confrontational manner, preferably with a smile. Bargaining is part of the shopping experience in Thailand and Thais will normally drop their original asking price to a lower price very quickly but will not drop below their minimum price. If you feel that you are not getting a good deal, walk away and they may call you back with a better offer.
As in other countries, knowing the rudiments of negotiation ("How much?", "Too expensive", "Can you come down?" and numbers) in the Thai language will certainly afford you a better price.

Clothing

Thailand is a hot country so light, loose cotton clothing is recommended. You can wear tight dresses, short shorts or miniskirts when you go out. If you are not at the beach or a pool you should always wear a shirt. Naked sunbathing in public is illegal.

Criminality in Thailand

Thailand is one of the friendliest and safest travel destinations in the world. Your personal safety is well taken care of in the main tourist destinations and the tourist police demonstrate a polite and competent attitude all round.
However, like anywhere, there is crime. If you are aware and show the proper caution, you should enjoy a safe stay. Crimes of violence against tourists are rare but there are occasional bag snatchings, so try to carry your bag securely and keep your valuables in a safe place. Pickpockets may operate in crowded areas such as markets and public transport.
If you do experience any crime it is more likely to be petty pilfering. Keep your valuables in a safe place, hotel staff have been known to steal from guests rooms, though it is fairly unusual and staff are likely to be unexpectedly honest.

Officials

You should always be calm and polite when dealing with Thai officials. They will not respond well to insults, loud or aggressive speech. If you are involved in an incident then respect for the police is a must. They will usually try to be fair but any expression of anger and you will very quickly lose their cooperation.
Thai police officers have much greater powers of action than their European counterparts and will not accept disrespectful behaviour. Traffic offences such as not having a driving license or not wearing a helmet will get you a small on the spot fine. Parking on the wrong side of the road will get your bike or car chained up and another fine. The trick is to know which side of the road to park on. Just look to see where everyone else has parked and park on that side of the road.
The Thai Police are not well paid and corruption is widespread. Many consider receiving bribes to be a perk of the job and buying off offences is common. You may find this convenient if you find yourself in trouble but if you are in a dispute remember that the other party may be willing to pay more. Don't expect justice to take place naturally. If you feel that you're being treated unfairly then stand your ground, remain cool at all times, make a show of recording the officer's registration number, and insist on seeing a superior officer.