stevenl

How about Cafe Bagel in Kata, on Thaina Road?

One of my co-workers here is planning a trip to LOS and wants to do some diving.

He got a quote from some agency in Bkk, offering accommodations at 1,500 baht per night and 800 baht per dive. I take it that this is a packaged deal.

Not sure exactly where this is supposed to be though (i.e. Phuket/Pattaya/Samui). I know I could find cheaper accommodations (in Pattaya), but I don't know what the cost of the diving would be. I've never taken a course or done any diving, so I have no idea of the costs.

Would 800 baht per dive be inclusive of the boat rental, equipment rental and what ever else would be required ? Is that an average price ?

Thanks for the assistance eh !

The best diving is on the Andaman side, where the diving will be a bit more expensive, from about 1,000 Baht per dive excluding equipment rental.

I have a diving centre in Kata.

Flying from Malaysia 2 weeks ago, they were not going to let me check in.

Which airline was this?

Totally agree with the previous poster, except for the time of the trip: I normally do this at night, drive fast with nearly no breaks, and it takes me about 10 hours. So during daytime or if you're a slower driver, count on about 12 hours.

I know of just one place: Beach Boy on the main road from Chalong to Kata, at the beginning of Kata.

I would personally always prefer Nai Harn and Rawai over Chalong.

Have not seen or experienced any violence, and have been living in Rawai now for 4 years.

lol

I drove past the accident site yesterday, there was a crowd of people looking/taking photos. That stretch of road is quite nasty and it was only a matter of time before it claimed a life. My condolences to the girls family.

You must be talking about Dive Master as they are the only ones that go to Layang2 and Labuan.

Yes, sorry, idiot is not the correct wording, ignorant and paranoid would be a lot better.

A young guy gets shot by the police, and after that of course a lot of people are not happy. Since it appears that he was a muslim, there are muslim demonstrators, along with buddhists.

And what happens on this forum: people see again a chance to ventilate their paranoia against muslims and make Phuket a major risk for a muslim insurgency.

If I were a muslim, I would consider starting one, just to get rid of all these ignorant and IMO even stupid idiots.

Being married to a Thai entitles the farang to 50% (or thereabouts) of what she owns and she is entitled to 50% of what the farang owns. This includes the value of the land, so if the land is all there is then she is required to pay the farang 50% of it's value should they be divorced.

Perhaps they were unaware that she had a Farang husband

As far as I know, the only requirement is that the buyer declares that she bought it with her own money. This requirement stays, married or not.

Exactly a foreigner married to a Thai has to sign a document stating they lay no claim whatsoever to the land when the wife buys it.

The quikest way to good diving is to fly down to Surat Thani from BKK then either taxi to Chumphon and dive there or catch the ferry to Koh Tao.

For wreck diving though Pattaya is an excellent choice.

thats a good price, where abouts in Rawai is that ?

If they did not point it out to you, you're probably in your right.

So all you have to do is get your money from them

Can't you get some of your guests to join you?

Also on the road from Rawai to Chalong you will find some places selling them, as you will in Chalong.

Pretty sure farang cannot have m/v finance in their own name.(but stand correcting)

Have to go to Bangkok for the interview (have done it before), have to endure to see how my wife is degraded by the official who thinks that all Thai women are prostitutes

Well, I am lucky, a visum for a legally married wife is free of costs

I noticed these changes last time I went to Holland with my wife.

Really depends what you are looking for. I pay 6,000 Baht for a place in Rawai with lots of space around the house, 2 bathrooms, 2 bedrooms, kitchen, dining room and seating area. Unfurnished though.

If you look for more 'farang oriented' places, prices will at least double.

Has been postponed, they were afraid of panic.

From my own experience, some time ago: here on Phuket they will simply refuse to extend the visa, and say: pay the fine on departure.

There have been a few people saying this will be disastrous to the diving industry, no more tourists and no more instructors.

I run a dive business on Phuket, and on Phuket you will find nearly no farang dive instructors without a workpermit. I expect the situation to be different on e.g. Koh Tao though.

Regarding the tourists: most tourists really don't stay longer than 90 days in any country, so I don't think this will have much impact on the dive industry as a whole.