Phuket & Diving

Phuket General Info

Country Kingdom of Thailand - Phuket Province
Airport Phuket International Airport (HKT)
Language Thai (English is commonly spoken at tourist destinations)
Currency Thai Baht (approx. 1 $US = 32 THB / 1 € = 47 THB / 1 SG$ = 22 THB / 1 JPY = 2.9 THB / 1 MR = 9 THB) Currency Converter

There are bank exchange counters at the airport and the rate are same as the ones found at beaches, city & banks.

International ATMs & Western Unions can be fund at major locations.

Major credit cards are accepted at dive centers, up-scale hotels & restaurants (some require up to 5% surcharge)
Time Zone GMT+07:00 (15hrs ahead of US-pacific time / 1hr behind Singapore / 2hr behind Japan)
Visa Tourists from most of Western European and North American countries, ASEAN countries, some Asian countries are allowed 30-60 days without visa.

There are some other long term visas available. Such as Tourist visa (single entry, double & multiple entries), Non Immigrant B (for business), Non Immigrant O (for retirement) etc.

Please check with Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs for details.
Weather (Phuket) February~April: Dry Season
May~October: Wet season (mostly occasional squall but September~October maybe very wet)
November~January: Hot season
Temperature Daytime: 30+ degrees Celsius / 87+ degrees Fahrenheit
Some evenings, night time & early morning can be a bit cooler and make it nice & easy to spend.
Voltage/Socket 220 V / 2 flat hole socket and 2 round hole socket
Communications Cell phone: You can use your phone from home if the band is GSM 900/1800 or buy one in Thailand (basic cell phone price starts from approx. 85 $US)

SIM card with Thai number can be purchased at less than 200 THB (requires your Passport). Top-up (pre-paid) cards are available at many locations (starting from 50 THB, average 300 ~ 600 THB per refill. 500 THB should last one month or more with domestic calls)
Pay phones: Local call can be made from any payphone as low as 2 THB (5~10 THB for Domestic). International phones are available at many locations and accept major credit card and calling card (available at convenience stores & local shops)
Internet: High speed internet cafes offer PC & connection (or connection only) as low as 30 THB / hour. Some hotels & coffee shops are offering wireless connections but could be expensive. For those who with phone connections, many internet providers are offering connection card with internet access & email account. (starter kit : 200 THB ~)
Fax: can be sent & received at some post offices, travel agencies, and stationery stores (domestic & international)
Mail & Parcels Thai postal service are considerably reliable. EMS can be sent from/to Thailand via post offices and is even more reliable. Parcel services such as FEDEX and DHL are also available at higher expenses.
Transportation

Flights: There are quite a number of international scheduled & charter flights directly flying in and out of Phuket from Europe and Asia. Some of the long distance flight may have transit in major Asian cities such as Bangkok, Hong Kong, Japan, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Taipei.

There are more than 10 Thai Airways flights daily from Bangkok (capital city). Some budget airlines such as Air Asia, Bangkok Airways and Nok Air are also flying 1-4 flights daily.

Airport Transfer: There're booking counter for taxi & shared vans at the airport as well as meter taxi stands just outside of airport. We can also arrange an air-con car / van to pick you up.
Long Distance Buses: are coming into Phuket City's bus terminal from Bangkok (12 hours), Koh Samui & Suratthani (5 hours+) and other major cities in Thailand as well as Malaysia and Singapore. These are probably the cheapest way to travel the region.

Trains: There's no direct train line to Phuket. The nearest train station is Suratthani (4~5 hours bus ride). If you have time, overnight train ride from Bangkok, Malaysia and Singapore maybe fun experience and could be money saving, too.

Local Transportation: The island is not too big that you can make a trip around the island easily in a day. Distance between beach to next one is 3~15 km for most beaches and 10~30 km from major beaches to Phuket City. If you are staying within beaches, most things are within walking distance.

Meter Taxi: Not yet too common but can be found/booked mostly at airport and Phuket City.

Sontew (public bus): Connecting major beaches and Phuket city. (except Patong and Karon route) If you know where to get off and where to connect, this is the cheapest option (from 20 THB / one way).

Tuk-Tuk (local taxi): Not always the best option but most convenient. Can be found everywhere and most cases they speak some English and know places. (150 THB within a beach, 200-300 THB between beaches and/or Phuket City)

Motosai (Bike taxi): May not be the safest way but convenient & cheap especially in Patong and Phuket City. (less than 50 THB within the area, 100-300 THB to other beach or to Phuket City)

Bikes & Cars: are available for rent. Bikes from 200 THB / day, 3,000 THB / month, cars from 700 THB / day, 10,000 THB / month. Drivers licenses from some countries are accepted but international drivers license and insurance are highly recommended.
Accommodation Budget: There are enough bungalows & guesthouses are available for backpackers & low budget travelers. (5~15 $US/ night)

Standard: Rooms at comfortable & clean inns are available as low as 15 $US and full equipped resort hotel rooms are around 20 ~ 80 $US.

Luxury: Some international 4-5 star hotels and Thai luxury hotels are available throughout the island. Rates could be as low as 100 $US / night during the slow months and 1,000 $US or more for luxury villas.

Local: Renting a bungalow or house is not hard at all if you plan to be here more than 1 month or longer. Most bungalows/houses are located outside of tourist centers but close enough (within 4km / 1.5 miles). Fully to semi furnished 1~2 bed rooms can be rented approximately 200 US$ to 250 $US / month.
Manners Royal Family: Thai people pay great respect to His Majesty the King and the family. Though you are visiting, please pay appropriate respect to Thai customs.
Land of Smile: is another name of the Kingdom. Almost every single person will smile at you when you see their faces. You do not want to make Thai people lose their faces by insulting them or raising your voice at them even when you are unhappy at some occasions. Things can be easily taken care of if you ask nicely & patiently.
Clothing: Beach wear is commonly accepted at most locations on Phuket. Smart casual maybe suitable for very few places such as up-scale restaurants& stylish clubs. (some clubs in Bangkok require men to wear shoes not sandals to enter but not in Phuket) Please cover your shoulders& legs and wear shoes when entering Royal family related facilities, temples and some government buildings.
Tipping: is not traditional customs in Thailand. However, if some one helps you, some 20 THB or up to 10% of the charge is appropriate at some higher standard services. A 10% service charge & 7% VAT (value added tax) are mandatory at most up-scale restaurants, bars and hotels.
Smoking: is prohibited inside of air-con venue, such as restaurants, some hotel rooms and stores. Is permitted at licensed pubs, bars and clubs though they are air-coned.
Drinking: is widely accepted in the country. However, no sales or serving of alcoholic beverages are allowed on Buddhism holidays & Royal holidays. Sales of alcohol is officially prohibited in late afternoon and early morning at some venues.
Price Level gasoline 1 liter = 30 THB, 4 gallon = 120 THB, average lunch = 50 THB (Thai) / 200 THB (International), average dinner = 80 THB / 350 THB, 500 ml drinking water = 15 THB, can of coke = 13 THB, can of beer = 30 THB, 1 month rent for 2 bed room bungalow = 9,000 THB, 1 month rent for 100cc moped = 3,000 THB, basic cell phone = 4,000 THB, T-shirt = 150 THB, tank top = 100 THB, a pair of flip-flops = 20 THB
Food Thai Food: Healthy & tasty cooking. Natural herbs & spices are commonly used. Some dishes are spicy but most places can modify for visitors. You will find Chinese influence in some dishes.
Western Food: There are many restaurants are owned by Western chefs. Those places serve great Italian, German, Scandinavian and American home made cooking such as Pasta, BBQ Ribs, Tacos, Pizzas & Steaks. Some up-scale restaurants are internationally known and have won awards.
Fast Food: McDonald's, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Starbucks, Pizza Hut, Burger King, franchised ice cream parlors. Franchised convenience stores such as 7-11 can be fond at many locations.
Local Fast Food: many stands & stools can be fund everywhere. Deep-fried chickens, barbecued fish, chicken & pork, som-tam (spicy green papaya salad), fresh fruits, Indian style pancake etc.
Asian & Ethnic: There are plenty of Japanese, Indian, Arabic, Chinese, Vietnamese and even Mexican restaurants on the island and most of them serve fairly good dishes.

Please visit our sister site for Local Info to find more about Special Offers, Accommodation, Airport & local transportation and Land-based tour advises. Also don't hesitate to email us for news & offers from our affiliated dive centers and operators from Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan and USA.

Phuket Diving & Course Info

Boat dives are the most common diving activities in Phuket year around. There are also some fantastic shore dives that can be arranged during the dry season from November to May. Most of the dive boats depart from Chalong Pier. (approximately 20-40 min ride from Kata, Karon & Patong Beaches. Most dive trip fees include return transfer between boat and accommodation in those 3 beaches)

More than 90% of dive boats are equipped with modern navigation & communication tools, first aid kits & oxygen tanks, sundeck & shaded area, western style bathrooms and fresh water showers. Service, safety practice and food on boats are relatively high standard.

Depth 5 m ~ 50+ m / 15 ft ~ 150+ ft
Water temperature 27~31 degrees Celsius / 80~88 degrees Fahrenheit
(2.5mm shorty ~ 5mm long wetsuits are commonly used)
Diving Style Mostly drift dive
(the dive boat or dinghy will come to pick you up at the end of dives)
Certification Level Experience programs, Beginner ~ Advanced, Tec
Marine Life Species indigenous to Indo-Andaman Ocean, common Pacific species, coral mostly in great condition, Leopard sharks, seasonal Whale sharks& Mantas

Scuba Diving Courses
Diving lessons are starting almost everyday year around. We offer courses for kids 8+ years old, Experience Programs and Entry Level Certification Courses for beginners, Advanced and beyond entry level courses for certified divers as well as GoPro programs & non-diving specialties.

Diving Day Trips
A wide range of dive trips are available. Up-scale speedboats, luxurious dive cruisers and Thai style long-tail boat to provide Day Trips to Phuket - Raya Yai & Raya Noi Islands, King Cruiser Wreck, Shark Point Marine Sanctuary, Anemone Reef and Koh Doc Mai, Phi Phi Islands, Similans and Hin Daeng & Hin Muang.

Liveaboard Trips
Phuket is the hub of liveaboard trips to Similans, Koh Bon, Richelieu, Phi Phi Islands, Burma, Hin Daeng & Hin Muang and all around Andaman Sea. Trips to Gulf of Thailand and Indonesia can be arranged & booked, too. Friendly budget boats to 5 star cruisers in as short as 2 day/1 night or as long as 1 week or more are available to accommodate your needs.