Diving
- Things To Do
8 Most famous diving spots in Thailand
The islands of Thailand are possibly the most iconic in the world. And so is its ocean. It’s easy to see why most people feature diving on their Thailand bucket lists – the country has colourful coral reefs and diverse marine life. Regardless if you end up on the Andaman Seaside or the Gulf of Thailand side of the country,…
- Tourism News
Thailand’s Similan Islands to close next month
Thailand’s Similan Islands were bustling with tourists during the Songkran holidays but will soon be much quieter when the archipelago closes for a period of environmental restoration on May 19. The marine park will be closed off to tourists during the monsoon season and will reopen again on October 15, 2023, after nature has had a chance to recover from…
- Thailand News
Koh Chang Karp emerges as southern Thailand’s stunning new diving spot
Koh Chang Karp has recently emerged as the most stunning scuba diving destination in Trang, in the southern part of Thailand. Local tour boats hailed the island as the most beautiful scuba diving site in the province. Koh Chang Karp, also known as Koh Reur Rop (battleship island), is a hidden gem located between two popular attractions in Trang: Koh…
- Thailand News
Young Englishwoman needs surgery after hit-and-run on Thai island
A 20 year old Englishwoman is seriously injured and awaiting surgery after she was struck and abandoned after a hit-and-run crash on Koh Phi Phi island in southern Thailand last week. Ruby Spry, from Penzance in Cornwall, was driving a motorbike through the small island last Wednesday when a motorbike coming the other way drove on the wrong side of…
- Thailand News
‘Tame’ whale shark swims with tourists for 5 hours in eastern Thailand
A “tame” whale shark swam with tourists for five hours off the coast of Rayong province in eastern Thailand yesterday. Diving instructor Kru Off, from the Toy Boat Tour group, revealed that he took tourists out to Hin Pleng, a popular dive site about 13 nautical miles off the coast. As the tourists were swimming and looking at the coral,…
- Crime News
British diver dies in mysterious circumstances on Thailand’s Koh Tao
A British man was found dead on Thailand‘s notorious Koh Tao – also known as Death Island – on Wednesday. The circumstances around his death are a mystery. The body of 48 year old diving instructor Neil Giblin, from Birmingham, UK, was found dead in his rented bungalow on the island after he failed to turn up to a diving…
- Phuket News
Romanian diver missing at sea in Phuket, Thailand
The search continues today for a Romanian man who went missing while diving in the waters of Phuket in southern Thailand yesterday. At 12.40pm, officers at Chalong Police Station were informed that a Romanian diver went missing off the coast of Promthep Cape. At 9am, 46 year old Sebastian Emil Somesan, 47 year old Alexandru Florin Miron – both of Romanian…
- Phuket News
Foreign diving instructor rescued off Phuket
A foreign diving instructor has been rescued near an island off Phuket’s town of Chalong after he suffered from decompression sickness. The 53 year old man told emergency responders that he had just recovered and started diving again after having a heart operation. The rescuers took the driving instructor back to Chalong and headed to a nearby hospital, The Phuket Express…
- Pattaya News
New rules drafted for Pattaya’s sea-walking tourists
Pattaya has drafted some new rules this week for ‘sea-walker’ tourists, a.k.a divers to protect its coral reefs. If the rules take effect, there will be codified underwater zones where divers can walk. These zones should have no coral, if possible. If it’s not possible to create entire zones with no coral, then divers won’t be allowed to come within…
- Thailand News
Underwater utopia being created out of decommissioned oil rigs
An Aquaman-type underwater utopia is being developed near Koh Pha Ngan island in Surat Thani province, out of redundant oil and gas rigs. Thailand’s Natural Resources and Environment department revealed plans are well underway to utilise decommissioned oil rigs to develop a new diving destination for tourists located around 7.5 nautical miles north east of Koh Pha Ngan island. The…
- Tourism News
New rules for scuba diving boats in Thailand to increase safety
Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Warawut Silpa-archa has introduced new safety measures that ban large commercial scuba diving boats from getting too close to dive sites. The rule would apply to national parks only so far and would require big boats to stay 100 to 200 metres from dives sites. Scuba companies that offer diving by taking many customers…
- Phuket News
Phuket company plans to pitch “Diving Sandbox” for liveaboard trips
A local diving company is working on a project to offer liveaboard dive excursions to travellers entering Thailand through the “Phuket Sandbox” travel scheme. Under the plan in the works by Seafarer Divers, travellers would get picked up directly from the airport after arriving in Thailand and be transferred to a dive tour boat. While on board the boat, the…
- Thailand News
Man dies searching for shells while another dies in marathon
A man has died while searching for shells off Jomtien Beach, just south of Pattaya, after running out of oxygen. The man reportedly ran out of oxygen 9 metres underwater, when using scuba diving gear in deep waters. Rescue divers arrived at the scene and found 10 fishing boats about 1 kilometre away from the beach where local fishermen were…
- Environment News
Koh Phi Phi marine park dive site closed off for the next 2 years after karst island collapse
A popular dive site in the Koh Phi Phi National Park will be closed off for the next 2 years after 30,000 tonnes of rock broke off of a karst island, falling into sea and onto a coral reef. Koh Mae Urai is a karst formation between Koh Phi Phi and the Krabi mainland. A large chunk of the rock…
- Thailand News
Immigration to deport men after alleged eco-vandalism in Koh Phangan
Immigration officials say they will deport the Hungarian and the Dutch man who were photographed handing sea creatures whilst diving in Gulf of Thailand off Koh Phangan. The men were arrested earlier this week and charged with “intruding in an area designated for environmental protection.” Attila Ott and Francesco Simonetti have been so-called “long-stayers” in Koh Phangan. Ott is a…
- Pattaya News
Crew rescued as dive boat catches fire off Pattaya – VIDEO
A boat has caught fire near Koh Larn, off the coast of Pattaya, with the captain and crew rescued by nearby boats and jet skis. A report in The Pattaya News says the fire appears to have broken out on the upper level of the “Rung Arun”, which has sustained extensive damage in the blaze. The yellow dive boat was…
- Tourism News
Doing Myanmar’s Mergui Archipelago in style
Burma Boating is set to launch monthly cruises around the Mergui Archipelago in southern Myanmar, combining two of the most sought-after activities in these pristine waters – yachting and scuba diving. The SY Dallinghoo, a 30 meter classic gaff-rigged schooner crafted by renowned US yacht designer Dudley Dix, will cast off from the port of Kawthaung in southern Myanmar once…
- Tourism News
Wreck of the Lady D could be a new recreational diving attraction off Koh Racha Yai, Phuket – PHOTOS
by Guy (Charlie) Lidureau Officials, unable to get water to the ‘Lady D’ as it burnt out of control on Wednesday morning, were forced to tow it away from the Ao Po Grand Marina. The burning superyacht was cut adrift and towed offshore to Koh Thanan, near Ao Po. Unfortunately, the damage done by the fire on Wednesday morning, is completely…
- Phuket News
Court rules that National Park can limit numbers to Similan Islands
The Similan Islands national park will now be able to limit the number of visitors as a means to prevent ongoing environmental damage. This decision from the Supreme Administrative Court this week, overturning an earlier ruling from the Phuket Administrative Court. The Similan Islands are a popular diving spot in the Andaman Sea off the coast of Khao Lak. The…
- Phuket News
Whale shark sighted off Phang Nga – VIDEO
SCREENSHOT: Mu Koh Similan National Park Facebook / Sor Somboon 3 boat Another mighty whale shark has been sighted of Phang Nga yesterday, the latest in a recent series of positive sightings. Mu Koh Similan Nation Park officials confirmed that a whale shark was sighted at a deep diving point at Koh Tachai in Phang Nga yesterday at 4.30pm . The…
- Phuket News
Chinese tourist rescued after a diving incident at Koh Racha
PHOTOS: Go-Eco Phuket A male Chinese tourist is currently in a satisfactory condition in hospital after a diving accident off Koh Racha Yai, south west of Phuket, yesterday. Go-Eco Phuket, a local conversational group, reported that they were notified of the incident at about noon. “The male Chinese tourist bought a diving course from a diving operator on the island.…
