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  1. #51
    Thailand Expat terry57's Avatar
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    ^

    Don't bother, the diving out of Samui is shit. The best Dive is Hin-Bai and that's a friggin trek to get there, get dodgy weather and the whole Gulf is fuked.

    Go straight to Tao but if you are experienced and want quality diving its go to the Andaman side and jump a live aboard.

    Theres some nice diving to be had on the gulf side but the visibility is on and off.

    Amazes me how it can change so quickly.

    Tao is a beginners paradise though, cant beat it on a good day. The students love it.

  2. #52
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    Cheers Terry we are novices so that why I asked Sileakhunt for his mates details, but judging from his previous posts on Teakdoor he's a bit of a BS.

  3. #53
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    Quote Originally Posted by FullEnglish View Post
    Cheers Terry we are novices so that why I asked Sileakhunt for his mates details, but judging from his previous posts on Teakdoor he's a bit of a BS.
    As Terry says you are better off heading straight out to Tao to dive.Diving out of Samui means a 2-2&1/2 hour boat ride to your dive site,even more if you are going out to Chumphon as you usually drop off the DS divers first.

    If you are set on Samui,you could give The Dive Academy a try.They have a shop at the north end of Chaweng,opposite the KC Resort, and another shop in Fishermans Village.I found their prices and service to be of a pretty good standard.
    You're fat,Ill fro you in the river

  4. #54
    Thailand Expat terry57's Avatar
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    As far as diving in the Gulf of Thailand goes there is only one spot to go and that's Tao.

    Even Hin Bai is dodgy as one is dodging lures being trolled by Thai fisherman. Bloody dangerous practice. Place is only good when the weather is on which is a hit and miss at hit affair at any time.

    Samui's shit, Koh Phan-Gan is shit and Tao is very nice on a good day.

    End of really.

  5. #55
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    You are no different than a thousand other foreigners that think they can start a business in Thailand on a shoestring and a prayer. I do not know of many places on this planet that would allow a foreigner to walk into their country with little or no money and start a business.

    Thailand is all about payoffs and connections. Without that, your chances are pretty much nil. I hate to be so negative, but I don't think anyone wants to give you a false impression here and set you up to fail.

    I would forget the dive career in Thailand and come for a stay when you have plenty of cash in your pocket that you want to piss away. Good fun, but not really a business plan.

  6. #56
    Thailand Expat terry57's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by rickschoppers View Post

    Thailand is all about payoffs and connections. Without that, your chances are pretty much nil. I hate to be so negative, but I don't think anyone wants to give you a false impression here and set you up to fail.

    Totally true, The only reason myself and my Canadian partner started our business on Tao was because we had a local Thai partner who paved the way for us to operate over there with no working permit or fok all.

    We ran the business and he handled the officials.

    There was not even a police station. In 89 the officials in Surattani decided it was time to build a police station, the three shops operating at that time where visited by the top Police and asked to make a donation to build the Police station and also purchase a picture of the King and Queen.

    I shit myself as we had no work permit so it was a quick call to the Thai partner on the islands one telephone, he advised us how much to give them and all was sweet.

    Anyway, of course they new we where operating under the protection of the Thai partner. Cannot be a farang and remain anonymous, every local was talking about the new farangs and the diving business.

    Also we made sure part of our profits returned back to the locals in the way of providing bungalow accommodation, food ETC.

    Without the Thai Partner we never could have started that Business.

    Impossible.

  7. #57
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    Quote Originally Posted by terry57 View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by rickschoppers View Post

    Thailand is all about payoffs and connections. Without that, your chances are pretty much nil. I hate to be so negative, but I don't think anyone wants to give you a false impression here and set you up to fail.

    Totally true, The only reason myself and my Canadian partner started our business on Tao was because we had a local Thai partner who paved the way for us to operate over there with no working permit or fok all.

    We ran the business and he handled the officials.

    There was not even a police station. In 89 the officials in Surattani decided it was time to build a police station, the three shops operating at that time where visited by the top Police and asked to make a donation to build the Police station and also purchase a picture of the King and Queen.

    I shit myself as we had no work permit so it was a quick call to the Thai partner on the islands one telephone, he advised us how much to give them and all was sweet.

    Anyway, of course they new we where operating under the protection of the Thai partner. Cannot be a farang and remain anonymous, every local was talking about the new farangs and the diving business.

    Also we made sure part of our profits returned back to the locals in the way of providing bungalow accommodation, food ETC.

    Without the Thai Partner we never could have started that Business.

    Impossible.
    Most sensible post I seen on any Thai Forum... people take note. I'm bringing Oil and Gas guys into Thailand via my agency but its all being handled by my Thai Partner.

  8. #58
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    From what I saw on Koh Tao, the best way to get into a diving career is to be a hot girl and start loving on the diving instructors. They will keep you around (as long as you keep them happy) long enough to get all your credentials and also teach you the "ins and outs" (pun) of the business.

    Good luck.

    RickThai

    PS You also really have to love diving and be ready to give up drinking (can't dive with a hangover).

  9. #59
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    You do Realise that not all drinking leads to a hang over...

  10. #60
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    Quote Originally Posted by Davis Knowlton View Post
    I am a PADI Master Scuba Diver and before that was also qualified as an Army diver. I have been diving for decades. I never even considered teaching or running a dive shop. Huge hassles, lots and lots of competition, the problems of insurance and licensing in foreign countries, and not that big a return for small operators. You also need a LOT of front money. It's not like walking into McDonalds with your English for Dummies textbook.
    You mean English for American's text book.

  11. #61
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    WRD, If you are American, you will get no help here. If you really want to know, then ask an Englishman.

  12. #62
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    Quote Originally Posted by geoff View Post
    WRD, If you are American, you will get no help here. If you really want to know, then ask an Englishman.
    Haven't noticed anything helpful from you, geoff. Please feel free to share your Manchester dive tales.

  13. #63
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    Just took a look at your home, geoff. Googled dive centers.....zero. Googled dive shops....zero. Appears to have been significant in the Industrial Revolution - around 200 years ago - and then deteriorated into a dismal, dreary city known for football hooligans, kebab shops, and unemployed louts. Have you ever actually done a dive? Or been to Asia? Or do you just spout crap to your betters while hiding behind your keyboard in your totally insignificant tiny country?

  14. #64
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    Nonsense DK. ...there is world class diving in the Manchester ship canal. If you really want to know about diving, (or anything else) ask a guy from Manchester...

    PS I thought you were a bit harsh on the rest of the UK though....it's not that insignificant...

  15. #65
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    Quote Originally Posted by koman View Post
    Nonsense DK. ...there is world class diving in the Manchester ship canal. If you really want to know about diving, (or anything else) ask a guy from Manchester...

    PS I thought you were a bit harsh on the rest of the UK though....it's not that insignificant...
    Apologies to the rest of your lovely country.

  16. #66
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    A great way to get fucked but good in Thailand is to put too much faith and trust into your Thai partner- yeah, it often helps to have one and they can be very useful, but when there's stuff going on to which you aren't privy, when you can't understand the language to the point where you can get involved in meetings, and when you have to sign paperwork you can't read, don't assume someone is looking out for your best interest, no matter how much you think you can trust them.

    I've been doing OK in Thailand for a long time with my businesses, but one of the rookie mistakes I made (that could have ruined me) was thinking my Thai partner was working for 'us'.
    There he goes. One of God's own prototypes. A high-powered mutant of some kind never even considered for mass production. Too weird to live, and too rare to die.
    HST

  17. #67
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    Smile Diving as a career

    Back in the 70's I was a qualified licensed diver in the north sea oil fields.With specialist training for under water medicine in case of emergencies. In those days there was very little competition from 'third world' countries in this field, today compared with what we used to earn the money is not good when set against the length of training and certification which is long and complicated and has to be updated on an annual basis. Also it is a young mans game if you wish to become a professional deep sea working diver if you are over 25 for get it. You will probably also be tested on your maths, communication skills and basic engineering skills before acceptance onto any form of profession diving course (it is not like the movies). Having said all that if you wish to take diving up as a non profession 'sport' it is a really great experience so long as you are fit and healthy. But beware of these diving schools in Thailand most are unqualified, unregulated and insufficiently experienced to teach even the basic skills and as an ex professional diver I would be very wary about the standard of equipment a lot of them use and also what medically qualified back up is available if things go wrong and believe me they can. I would love to take up diving again but although I am, as far as I know, 100% fit at 75 I would not even entertain it.

  18. #68
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    ^^
    All good points Failsafe about Thai partners. It is unfortunate that you need one to do business, but very difficult without one IMO.

  19. #69
    Excitable Boy
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    Of course- a Thai partner can be very useful- they tend to dominate the 'official' side of the business, though, and they generally deal with most of the other Thais that you're associated with- if you're at the point where there are certain aspects of the business that you know very little about but you feel that it's being well-handled on your behalf (or you're dependent on them in a legal sense, for example no WP), that's when you're usually getting screwed somehow.

    It's possible for a foreigner go do well in LOS, but, damn, we're playing against a seriously stacked deck, and those we often have to be most leery of are supposed to be on our side.

    I don't like painting everyone with the same brush and there are certainly people you can trust, but the safest thing you can do is assume what you're being told is complete BS until it's proven otherwise (not that you should call anyone out, but rather just be skeptical of everything).

  20. #70
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    If I remember correctly there was a horror story about an Aussie (I think) who wanted to live the dream and opened up a dive shop in Thailand. After investing all of his capital, the bloke came down with some disease and wound up in a Thai hospital, owing more money than the dive shop was worth.

    As I recall, at the time, the guy was trying to raise enough money to get out of the hospital and beat feet back to Oz.

    Not that this story is typical, but I was reminded of it by this thread.

    RickThai

  21. #71
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    He could have just walked out of the hospital like they do in the US, unless he was tied down.

  22. #72
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    Dive business is soooooo hard...! Ran one in Phuket, had all the money, all the contacts, but the hazards - price undercutting, too many operators, dysing corals,seasonal traffic (low season you lie low and twidle your thumbs), jealous locals, etc,etc. - makes it a very trying business.....thus, i gave up and am now very happy - muff-diving!

  23. #73
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    Diver Down!!

  24. #74
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    Quote Originally Posted by rickschoppers View Post
    ^
    He could have just walked out of the hospital like they do in the US, unless he was tied down.
    It is not always that easy. There are tons of horror stories of westerners who get sick in Thai hospitals and aren't allowed to leave until they settle their bill.

    RickThai

  25. #75
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    Quote Originally Posted by muffdiver View Post
    Dive business is soooooo hard...! Ran one in Phuket, had all the money, all the contacts, but the hazards - price undercutting, too many operators, dysing corals,seasonal traffic (low season you lie low and twidle your thumbs), jealous locals, etc,etc. - makes it a very trying business.....thus, i gave up and am now very happy - muff-diving!
    Of the two, I think I'd rather take my chances with the bull sharks in the Andaman, rather than the beautiful girls of Phuket!

    RickThai

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