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Scuba Diving Holidays In ThailandChoose between the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand for an unforgettable diving experience.Country Description Of course, everyone knows Thailand for its temples and old wooden stilted houses that sit among glass and metal skyscrapers. And it is pretty well known for the scam artists and sex trade. But Thailand offers far more than just this. It's a spectacularly beautiful place with the warm and friendly people everywhere. The southern part of the country combines lush forests with sandy beaches and limestone cliffs and mountains. The beach resorts are pretty commercialised, however, the further south you go the better chance you have of finding quieter beaches. Diving Description Most of the diving, which occurs along the leg of Thailand, is incredibly weather dependent. However, as a rule, when one side of the country is experiencing bad weather, the other will be enjoying good. The best time to visit the Westside facing the Andaman Sea is between October and May, while the Gulf of Thailand on the east is best visited from May to October. Dive Sites East coast Patay and Ko Chang offer reasonable diving, but better by far can be had off the island of Koh Samui that lies further south. Here, for example you can experience the delights of Hin Bai (or Salt Rock), which is a pinnacle that rises from 28m to the surface. The diving tends to be a boat ride away in the area near to Thong Marine Park off Koh Phangan. Andaman Islands On the West Coast, the Andamans (that actually belong to India) are an archipelago, which is a marine park with numerous excellent dive sites boasting breathtaking reefs and large pelagics. With over 500 islands in the chain, and only 25 inhabited, they offer the best diving that can be reached from Thailand. The Burma Banks Reachable on the longer trips out of Phuket, this west coast destination is actually a part of Myanmar (formerly Burma) so dive boats have to obtain special permission to access these waters. Although the region promises excellent, deep blue' diving, the truth is that the Burmese have not protected their waters from illegal shark fishing and so on. So the numbers of shark sightings aren't as high as you might hope. But there are still a great number around, and the reefs are truly wonderful. The Similans Easily reached by boat from Phuket, this West Coast destination boast warm water, drift dives, many good reefs and an abundance of fish. However, as they are popular, the dive sites do tend to be crowded, which is a definite down point. Heading north from the Similans, however, you eventually reach Richelieu Rock, which is one of the world's most famous sites. This location has it all, from giant whalesharks to yellow seahorses. Something for everyone in fact. The south The small town of Krabi, just a couple of hours drive from Phuket, is developing a dive industry that promises some enjoyable sites. Koh Phi Phi out of Phuket on the other hand, offers day diving but to get to the better areas it is necessary to sail for a few hours. Other info You will need to get inoculations for Hepatitis A, tetanus, typhoid, polio and anti-malarial tablets. If you intend to stay for longer than fifteen days you will need a visa.
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