Phuket - Best organisations to dive with?

Hi All,

I am off to Phuket after Xmas. Just wondering which organisations/shops you
can recommend?

Thanks in advance.

"Darth" <darth@home.com> wrote in message
news:41961c36$0$6540$5a62ac22@per-qv1-newsreader-01.iinet.net.au...
> Hi All,
>
> I am off to Phuket after Xmas. Just wondering which organisations/shops
you
> can recommend?
>
> Thanks in advance.

Be aware (and I am sure you are anyway) that southern Thailand, which is
predominantly Muslim, is becoming dangerously active right now. I love
Thailand and was planning on making it a stop during our forthcoming trip to
Wakatobi, but the activity in the south has made me reconsider, since it was
the south I had planned on visiting.

Ramone Cila wrote:
> "Darth" <darth@home.com> wrote in message
> news:41961c36$0$6540$5a62ac22@per-qv1-newsreader-01.iinet.net.au...
>
>>Hi All,
>>
>>I am off to Phuket after Xmas. Just wondering which organisations/shops
>
> you
>
>>can recommend?
>>
>>Thanks in advance.
>
>
> Be aware (and I am sure you are anyway) that southern Thailand, which is
> predominantly Muslim, is becoming dangerously active right now. I love
> Thailand and was planning on making it a stop during our forthcoming trip to
> Wakatobi, but the activity in the south has made me reconsider, since it was
> the south I had planned on visiting.
>
>
Was there a week or two ago, actually during the time the deaths
happened near the borded. Bit of increased airport security and heard
of some "issues" in NW of Phuket. Personally if you are worried then
avoid Patong and maybe even Laguna (that was where the rumour related to
although find it hard to give much credence to really).

Based on what I saw I would not be remotely worried and would happily
return tomorrow (but wouldn't hang out at Bangla Rd/Soi Katoey much).
Would assume if anything is likely to happen it would be based around
westerner hangouts like Sari club in Bali.

I also would avoid walking around much elsewhere late at night - heard
months ago of the odd moped group hassling people on quiet roads. This
is highly unlikely to be an issue, more likely a problem of local living
expats. May also have just been petty theft rather than due to issues
on Thai/Malay border, just be sensible.

"Simon" <sthom@starhub.nospam.net.sg> wrote in message
news:4197ab22$1@news.starhub.net.sg...
> Ramone Cila wrote:
> > "Darth" <darth@home.com> wrote in message
> > news:41961c36$0$6540$5a62ac22@per-qv1-newsreader-01.iinet.net.au...
> >
> >>Hi All,
> >>
> >>I am off to Phuket after Xmas. Just wondering which organisations/shops
> >
> > you
> >
> >>can recommend?
> >>
> >>Thanks in advance.
> >
> >
> > Be aware (and I am sure you are anyway) that southern Thailand, which is
> > predominantly Muslim, is becoming dangerously active right now. I love
> > Thailand and was planning on making it a stop during our forthcoming
trip to
> > Wakatobi, but the activity in the south has made me reconsider, since it
was
> > the south I had planned on visiting.
> >
> >
> Was there a week or two ago, actually during the time the deaths
> happened near the borded. Bit of increased airport security and heard
> of some "issues" in NW of Phuket. Personally if you are worried then
> avoid Patong and maybe even Laguna (that was where the rumour related to
> although find it hard to give much credence to really).
>
> Based on what I saw I would not be remotely worried and would happily
> return tomorrow

You have no more idea what will happen in Thailand than do I. But I know it
has become and area of activity and am able to discern that a higher
probability exists. In southern Thailand both separatists and Islamic
terrorists (sometimes these are the same) have been active. I consider it
wise to relate this info to those traveling there...after all, my level of
risk may not be acceptable to anyone else.

My neighborhood has proven safe right for now, but if bombs were going off
every once in awhile, even though it didn't happen today I believe I could
safely conclude my neighborhood had become dangerous.

On Sat, 13 Nov 2004 22:33:27 +0800, "Darth" <darth@home.com> wrote:

>Hi All,
>
>I am off to Phuket after Xmas. Just wondering which organisations/shops you
>can recommend?
>
>Thanks in advance.
>
West Coast Divers

In article <rKQld.14$NJ1.2969@news.uswest.net>, Ramone Cila
<dontw@nt.spam> wrote:

€ "Simon" <sthom@starhub.nospam.net.sg> wrote in message
€ news:4197ab22$1@news.starhub.net.sg...
€ > Ramone Cila wrote:
€ > > "Darth" <darth@home.com> wrote in message
€ > > news:41961c36$0$6540$5a62ac22@per-qv1-newsreader-01.iinet.net.au...
€ > >
€ > >>Hi All,
€ > >>
€ > >>I am off to Phuket after Xmas. Just wondering which organisations/shops
€ > >
€ > > you
€ > >
€ > >>can recommend?
€ > >>
€ > >>Thanks in advance.
€ > >
€ > >
€ > > Be aware (and I am sure you are anyway) that southern Thailand, which is
€ > > predominantly Muslim, is becoming dangerously active right now. I love
€ > > Thailand and was planning on making it a stop during our forthcoming
€ trip to
€ > > Wakatobi, but the activity in the south has made me reconsider, since it
€ was
€ > > the south I had planned on visiting.
€ > >
€ > >
€ > Was there a week or two ago, actually during the time the deaths
€ > happened near the borded. Bit of increased airport security and heard
€ > of some "issues" in NW of Phuket. Personally if you are worried then
€ > avoid Patong and maybe even Laguna (that was where the rumour related to
€ > although find it hard to give much credence to really).
€ >
€ > Based on what I saw I would not be remotely worried and would happily
€ > return tomorrow
€
€ You have no more idea what will happen in Thailand than do I.

Actually, it sounds like he does. And for that matter, so do I.

If you're going to live your life as a paranoid tourist, then you'd be
better off staying home. Yes, there is Islamic unerest in south
Thailand. It's been going on since before 9/11, and is somewhat
increased at the moment. But it doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure
out where attacks are likely to happen (hint - western hedonism) and
avoiding those areas is very easy. In general, Phuket is probably one
of the safer places to be in south Thailand at the moment. But if
you're really worried, stay out of Patong (which is actually good
advice anyways)

People who don't know much about a country should really keep their
uninformed opinions to themselves.

So tell me, can you recommend a good dive operation based on personal
experience? Even better, can you suggest one to avoid (based on the
same criteria)?

Recommended: Kata Beach Divers. Marina Divers. Scuba Kat.

Not Recommended: See Bees (bad rental equipment, smoke infested dive
boat).

Alan

Ramone Cila wrote:
> "Simon" <sthom@starhub.nospam.net.sg> wrote in message
> news:4197ab22$1@news.starhub.net.sg...
>
>>Ramone Cila wrote:
>>
>>>"Darth" <darth@home.com> wrote in message
>>>news:41961c36$0$6540$5a62ac22@per-qv1-newsreader-01.iinet.net.au...
>>>
>>>
>>>>Hi All,
>>>>
>>>>I am off to Phuket after Xmas. Just wondering which organisations/shops
>>>
>>>you
>>>
>>>
>>>>can recommend?
>>>>
>>>>Thanks in advance.
>>>
>>>
>>>Be aware (and I am sure you are anyway) that southern Thailand, which is
>>>predominantly Muslim, is becoming dangerously active right now. I love
>>>Thailand and was planning on making it a stop during our forthcoming
>
> trip to
>
>>>Wakatobi, but the activity in the south has made me reconsider, since it
>
> was
>
>>>the south I had planned on visiting.
>>>
>>>
>>
>>Was there a week or two ago, actually during the time the deaths
>>happened near the borded. Bit of increased airport security and heard
>>of some "issues" in NW of Phuket. Personally if you are worried then
>>avoid Patong and maybe even Laguna (that was where the rumour related to
>>although find it hard to give much credence to really).
>>
>>Based on what I saw I would not be remotely worried and would happily
>>return tomorrow
>
>
> You have no more idea what will happen in Thailand than do I. But I know it
> has become and area of activity and am able to discern that a higher
> probability exists. In southern Thailand both separatists and Islamic
> terrorists (sometimes these are the same) have been active. I consider it
> wise to relate this info to those traveling there...after all, my level of
> risk may not be acceptable to anyone else.
>
> My neighborhood has proven safe right for now, but if bombs were going off
> every once in awhile, even though it didn't happen today I believe I could
> safely conclude my neighborhood had become dangerous.
>
>
>
Fair enough, but I think my post was of a similar gist. No-one has any
idea when a bomb wll go off other than those who plant them. I live in
Singapore (apparently was a target after 9/11). I have been to Bali
about half a dozen times since the bomb and Phuket many times. I am
also a Brit and was in a high tower at london bridge when the docklands
bomb went off so actually saw it (to those outside the US, most of
western europe has lived with terrorism for a long time let alone those
in Asia, red army, IRA, basque separatists etc). Be careful but if you
worry that much you will never leave home. Have also been to NY since
Bin Laden's effort, suppose I shouldn't have done that either?

Thanks for the recommendations so far.

I will be staying at Patong Beach Resort and will be looking to do day
trips. Similan Islands and Koh Racha Yai. I am a PADI DM but my girlfriend
is OW with only a dozen dives.


"Simon" <sthom@starhub.nospam.net.sg> wrote in message
news:4197a969$1@news.starhub.net.sg...
> Darth wrote:
>> Hi All,
>>
>> I am off to Phuket after Xmas. Just wondering which organisations/shops
>> you can recommend?
>>
>> Thanks in advance.
>>
>>
> Where are you staying. There are a number of good places which you pick
> may depend upon which hotel you are staying at (e.g. near Chalong or
> Phuket Marina - an extra hour and a half is a pain when doing day trips).
>
> If you are doing LOB then of course this doesn't matter much but then get
> down to budget/destination. On day trips also are you wanting to pay a
> premium for a speed boat - prob also smaller no of divers and could go to
> Similans - or good value but still good DMs. Personally I like smaller
> boats mainly as you avoid the tendency to have 20+ divers on the same
> site. Depends though, some boats will split up big groups anyway.
>
> In short Phuket has loads of operators, it is a very mature market with a
> lot of reputable firms and a few new ones of varying standards - the crap
> ones don't last long. Let us know where you are staying and the sort of
> diving you want to do and we can be a bit more specific.
>
> Cheers
>
> Simon

"Simon" <sthom@starhub.nospam.net.sg> wrote in message
news:41983224$1@news.starhub.net.sg...

> Fair enough, but I think my post was of a similar gist. No-one has any
> idea when a bomb wll go off other than those who plant them.

Of course not, but you do have an idea of what areas in what countries have
been active and are likely to remain active. Southern Thailand is definately
one of those places.

> I live in
> Singapore (apparently was a target after 9/11).

Which would be relevant if a terror attack had killed 7 people as late as
Nov. 4, 2004.

> I have been to Bali
> about half a dozen times since the bomb and Phuket many times.

Don't you get it? That doesn't mean anything. I'm heading to Bali for a week
before my Wakatobi trip. I was in Phuket to board Ocean Rover in February of
this year. Big deal. I can't, and shouldn't, tell anyone those places are
absolutely safe just because nothing happened when I was there. I can tell
them southern Thailand, outside of Iraq, has the highest incident of
terror/separatist attacks in 2003/2004 in the world. That's pertinen. And I
can tell them to consider the possibilties. That's humane.

> also a Brit and was in a high tower at london bridge when the docklands
> bomb went off so actually saw it (to those outside the US, most of
> western europe has lived with terrorism for a long time let alone those
> in Asia, red army, IRA, basque separatists etc).

Much of western Europe has not lived with terrorism, some areas of Europe
has. All of Britain hasn't lived with terrorism, only some areas. Same in
the US. We all get to live with the ramifications, but it would be an
abolsute lie for me, a Denver resident, to say I have lived with terrorism
because 9/11 happened in my country.

The notion that all of Europe has experienced terror is as skewed as the
notion that since Europe is old and historical the residents are much wiser
in the ways of the world and war than us in the US. This is particulalry
curious in light of the fact that two World Wars found their allowed genesis
in Europe in the last 90 years.

> Be careful but if you
> worry that much you will never leave home.

Apprently you didn't read my comments. I never suggested not leaving home, I
said be aware of what areas of a country have terrorist activity and give
thought to the possibilities. How you turned that into a suggestion to never
leave home is stupifying.

> Have also been to NY since
> Bin Laden's effort, suppose I shouldn't have done that either?

Well, you'd have been damn thoughtless to visit certain areas of New York
two weeks after 9/11. New York is a large place, I doubt the Bronx was a
target, I suspect Canarsie was safe, Staten Island was unlikely to be hit,
uptown was probably as safe as Humbolt, Nebraska, but I have no doubt Wall
Street was a place one should have considered dangerous immediately after
the towers fell.

"Simon" <sthom@starhub.nospam.net.sg> wrote in message
news:419a1a2f$1@news.starhub.net.sg...

<snip>

> You however don't appear to know anything about the siutation in
> Thailand at all. Yes - avoid the border and in Phuket stay away from
> Bangla Rd if you are worried.

It is not a matter of being "worried". It is a matter of being aware.

As for the rest of your post about "scaremongering" and "not knowing" about
Thailand: it's the same Euro-talk about Americans being unaware of the world
at large. It's a shame some of you are so narrow minded.

You will note that at no time during any of your replies to the OP did you
mention some of the activities Thailand has experienced recently. He was
entitled....not to your opinion of what is or what is not risky, but of the
simple facts of recent violence in Thailand.

So long..........