Dive regulations published

PHUKET CITY: The Phuket provincial authorities have today released details of the new dive industry regulations that came into effect on Friday, when they were signed by Governor Udomsak Uswarangkura.

The new regulations, which underwent a legal review before being signed by the Governor, consist of three parts.

The first is the announcement ordering dive operators to comply with the new regulations and citing the laws to back the regulations. It also stipulates that organizers of “boat races and speedboat races” must obtain permission.

The second part sets out the procedure dive operators must follow in order to register, while the third is the registration form itself.

As announced previously, dive operators must present, along with the registration form, the company’s registration documents and tax information, the work permits of foreign staff, all boat registration documents including the names of captains and crew members, records of salaries and wages, and details of any related website, the company’s payment systems, diving courses and students.

Dive businesses that are granted permission to operate from the province will also have to submit monthly reports giving details of income, current staff and dive trips made.

Businesses that fail to submit reports, or that are deemed to have submitted inadequate reports, will risk having their permission to operate withdrawn.

One major addition to earlier versions of the regulations is that dive operators must also state officially which dive sites they use, and update this information whenever there are changes.

All dive operators are required to register at the Phuket Marine Office by September 30 this year.

To download copies of the new regulations and related documents, click on the following links:

Announcement: Page 1. Page 2.

Procedure: Page 1. Page 2. Page 3.

Registration Form: Page 1. Page 2.