Any Commericial Divers/ Oil Rig Workers Living In Thailand?

[mtlmuaythai]

Hey Guys,

Is there currently alot of work around Thailand and Southeast Asia for Commercial divers? I'd really like to get my commercial divers certificate and become an underwater welder. My dream would be to live and work out of Thailand. Is there anyone here who has a similar job? Can you tell me if there are a number of job openings around here for work? I wouldn't really only be interested in working on rigs, even inshore work in Thailand I would like to do also.

Thanks in advance,

Nick

[Soutpeel]

Plenty of guys living in Thailand both bubbleheads and guys working rigs

OK...you are not a commerical diver now, are you a qualified welder ?....if answer is no....got lots of years ahead of you before venture out in the big bad world young jedi...start in your own country for a few years...generally at least 5 years..

Specifically Thailand...forget it....there are commerical diving outfits who work offshore Thailand, but competion is fierce even for very experienced people and the jobs that come up are very few and far between, so you will not get a look in.

As regards SEA generally, there is work about, per comments above, but expats are getting fewer of the diving jobs, basically as they are have a reputation of being prima donna's and whinging, moaning all the time and when they do get a job, cant do the job..!, I know I am making a few generalisations, as there are also some very competant expat divers about as well (not trying to offend our resident bubbleheads.... )

There are a couple of excellent diving companies in Singapore, one particular one is Japanese owned, manned by ex-Japanese navy divers, and they are getting the reputation of being the best in SEA and rank very highly in the world for both air and sat commerical diving

[JeffreyMcCollum]

Remember here in Thailand you will be paid Thai wages. Not like back home. is 50 Bt and hour OK for you ?

[sbk]

moving to diving forum

[Soutpeel]

Remember here in Thailand you will be paid Thai wages. Not like back home. is 50 Bt and hour OK for you ?

For "real jobs" in Thailand you would be paid the same as if not more than back home...

[mtlmuaythai]

Remember here in Thailand you will be paid Thai wages. Not like back home. is 50 Bt and hour OK for you ?

For "real jobs" in Thailand you would be paid the same as if not more than back home...

Thank you for the great response Soutpeel. I am not a welder nor a commercial diver yet. I am a young labourer, not scared to get my hands dirty. I can't work in an office environment sitting down all day. I was a master guide for 6 years of my life guiding hunters/fisherman up in northern Canada for big game animals...So i'm a little handy man and dont mind the cold!

I understand some divers dont want anymore competitors because it seems there a too many divers around these days, so i have found alot of guys trying to discourage me from getting into this type of work...I would like become a licensed underwater welder. Basing myself out of Thailand and travel around the world for work. I think it is feasible I just need to get on the right track.

So being a newbie diver with the right qualifications would still be hard to land even a inshore job around here in Thailand? I was hoping to work on some container ships if possible. I heard there is always repairs needed done on the freight ships coming into port?

I think I would go nuts having to stay in Canada for a few years to build experience before i can come out here and land a job. I already have Thailand fever and living anywhere else is hard for me now. My plan was to get my commercials in Australia, and come back to Thailand to study at a few places here for the welding aspect of the work.

thanks again,

Nick

[MEGALITHIC]

If you want something bad enough and are prepared to go about it the right way (re training and getting experience) then there's no reason why you can't get there. Plenty of negatively minded people out there will give you lots of reasons why you can't make it. These guys are usually sitting at bar somewhere in Thailand leaning over an ever growing gut while they get plastered and dispense their all knowing wisdom.

So, if you are a guy with an outdoors background and, as you say, a bit of a handyman there's no reason why you can't achieve what you want. Be warned though it costs money, and lots of it, to do all the training you'll need to do. Forget the idea of wanting to be a welder/diver for a while and take it step by step. The first thing you need to do is a IMCA commercial air diving course to offshore certification level. These courses last 12 weeks and are run at training centers in the U.K., South Africa and Australia. This is just the start. If you want to be competitive as a beginner you will need additional training/certs before you can even think about approaching companies in the asian region. Following the CAD course you will need to do an IMCA Diver Medic Technician (DMT) course. Following that you will have to do a CSWIP 3.1u/3.2u inspection course. Once you've completed that you will then need to do an approved offshore survival training cert at a industry recognised training facility (NUTEC is the best). Before all of this you will need to do a full commercial diving medical and, probably, a basic scuba course (if you don't have that already).

Once you've got all that you can then think about trying to get work. In asia it's more difficult to get a start that's why your best bet is probaly the middle east; Three c's or Algosabi are always looking to take on newbies. Once you start work don't even think about getting into welding until you've done at least five years hard graft as an air diver. This is your apprenticeship as a diver; learning the basics (particularly underwater rigging). When your on you're time off, then go and do some surface welding course.

Good luck and don't listen to negative people.

[mtlmuaythai]

Megalithic, thanks for the informative response. I'm really serious about getting the credentials and experience to succeed in this line of work. I understand that all the courses will run me around 40,000 USD. My only hold back is the lack of jobs people are claiming all over the internet forums. It seems divers are having a hard time to get employed these days.

I'm 25 years old now, Do you feel its too late to start this type of career. I've read that companies look to employ divers between the ages of 25-35. Does that mean when I get around 35 years old..It will be much harder to get employed?

Also I understand you work on rotation sometimes. Generally how does it work? 2 weeks on 2 weeks off? 3 weeks on 1 week off?

Thanks alot,

Nick

[Soutpeel]

Megalithic, thanks for the informative response. I'm really serious about getting the credentials and experience to succeed in this line of work. I understand that all the courses will run me around 40,000 USD. My only hold back is the lack of jobs people are claiming all over the internet forums. It seems divers are having a hard time to get employed these days.

I'm 25 years old now, Do you feel its too late to start this type of career. I've read that companies look to employ divers between the ages of 25-35. Does that mean when I get around 35 years old..It will be much harder to get employed?

Also I understand you work on rotation sometimes. Generally how does it work? 2 weeks on 2 weeks off? 3 weeks on 1 week off?

Thanks alot,

Nick

The US$40k you talk about is the price you are going have to pay if this is what you want to do, ultimately you want to be doing both air and sat.

When you say divers are having a hard time getting work in SEA, assume you are talking about expat divers ?...as pointed out in my first post, certain expat bubbleheads are getting themselves a bad reputation in SEA as they act like prima donna's, whinge and moan and cant do the job properly.

For divers who act professionally and are competatant to do the job, there is work about.

As regards rotations...it depends who you work for...it could be 2/2 right up to 90 days+ on and 30 days off, 2/2 is very rare now in a lot of places, with the exception of rthe north sea, GOM etc...in SEA the best rotation you could hope to get is 28/28, but 90/30 is very common

Why dont you try for a trainee LST's job (life support tech) and get your foot in the door, and the company you get in with may end up sponsoring you for all the other stuff

[Scooby2]

I know from friends there is a lot of work In Vietnam and out of Batam but when they are not on ship they do live in Thailand, my friend took the CD course and is now working on the supervisors course. Stick it out as they are great people, great job prospects but remember that the diving community is very small so falling out with a bubblehead now could mean he is your room mate in a sat chamber for 2 months lol!!!!

Good luck to you!!