# Female moving to Thailand to become scuba instructor...



## Wand3rlust

I'm a 24 y/o female who has visited once before and loved the entire experience. Now I want to return to attend scuba school, a seperate dream which will hopefully take me to some neat places in the future. It's rather unfortunate that the best training I have found (via extensive research) seems to be offered @ Mermaids (certifies to National Geographic standards), in the town of Pattaya, which I have heard few good things about. But I have a good attitude and will undeniably make the best of it. The program lasts nearly 7 months and tuition includes housing w/ wifi, one meal a day on the dive boats, dive equiptment, exam costs and all certs etc. Basically all I will be paying for is electric, transportation (I was thinking of just buying a bicycle once I get there) food, other general necessities and w/e other expenses I run into. I can and plan to live very modestly, I honestly don't mind eating rice and fruit all day. So basically what I'm getting at is can anyone extend to me ideas on about how much money I need to save up to get by. I know the more the better, but every time I come up with a figure I question it. Also any general advice is welcome! Thank you all for your time!
Namaste*


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## TM1964

If you live modestly, you can survive on $100-$200/month providing that your accommodation has been taken care of.


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## rucus7

What is your current level of certification? Have you considered continuing some of your training in the USA? I ask because, that is where I did mine. I lived on the coast so it was practical for me. I also really enjoyed diving in California. When I reached assistant instructor, I realized I did not want to teach It took the fun out of diving for me. However,many people love teaching.
I am surprised Pattaya is the best training available. Koh Tao has many instructor programs as well, as does koh Chang. The diving in Pattaya is generally pretty poor. That far up in the gulf of Thailand the visibility does not clear as often as in other dive areas.
As far as the per month cost of living in Thailand. I think 1000 US dollars per month would be comfortable. You would not have to deny yourself things you wanted. Keep in mind that areas dedicated to diving and heavy tourism are more expensive than other areas in Thailand.
Whatever you decide good luck.


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## Wand3rlust

I have lots of hours logged, but only an open water cert. You are right teaching isn't for everyone, but it's definitely in the right direction for me for now. Oh the limitations of Oklahoma... if only I lived on the coast I probably would have been @ least a dive master by now, but yes I have thought of getting some certs while here in the USA, however decided to just commit to the long term program @ Mermaids instead. Ideally I would like to spend as much time in the country as possible before relocating. Ah, my words are a bit misleading, for what I can afford (the program being around $10-$11,000 usd) Pattaya offers the best bang for your buck. Definitely good training no doubt, but poor diving conditions agreed. $1000 budget a month is a stretch for me, I could pull off $500 a month though, @ least I'm getting warmer.


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## rucus7

At the current exchange rate, 500 US Dollars is 535 Thai Baht per day. Certainly many, possibly the majority of Thai people live on less. You could live within your budget if you are willing to forgo some creature comforts. Since you have spent time in Thailand you have an idea of what prices to expect.


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## Song_Si

hi

good luck to you - I hope you keep us posted with progress

just to consider - does the course fee include comprehensive medical insurance? I know next to zero about diving but there must be some risks, though as a cyclist I think that's the most dangerous part of my life

you mentioned paying your own electricity - not uncommon for places to overcharge and make good profits from rooms without individual meters. If you are not running aircon the elec costs for a room would be minimal, ours (small house) never exceeds 500 baht.month. I've read of people with 10,000b charges running a household at 20 degrees, and wonder why they moved here at all!

never been to Pattaya so cannot comment on that; we're further down that coast in the Gulf of Thailand, Chanthanburi, and both keen snorkelers; we've tried many of the coastline/bays from Rayong down to Trat and water quality/clarity varies hugely, esp seasonal variations. We went to our favourite spot today - and just had a quick swim water was very murky - just bad luck re recent rain and currents but next weekend it may well be back to normal. But this can occur anywhere, in our exp the best sea conditions for snorkeling have been on the Andaman coast - west coast of Phuket and north/Khao Lak. Only talking coastal here, no exp of out at sea apart from a few island trips.

15,000 baht a month; well it would be marginal; easy to say many Thais live on less than that but communal living/eating and different lifestyle expectations . . . and if you fancy a coffee and cake with friends at eg Starbucks that's 150b spent. And there will alway be unexpected events. 

again - best wishes! keep us posted.


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## Song_Si

brighten up the page . . . these pics from Racha Yai, Aug 2009, 1hr 40 south of Phuket, I took the trip on a dive boat for some snorkeling/swimming


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## philobert

I got my "advanced open water" cert at mermaids in jomtien a couple of years ago. great bunch of folks and really felt the training to be very thorough and high quality. since then I've dived with them, another dive shop in patters and also with two in phuket. I found that mermaids attention to things like safety, equipment and diving knowledge to be the best. I would give them a very good recommendation. just for the record, I have no affiliation with them. if you want to know about the area, there are a couple of boards that sort of specialize on that area (na kluea/patters/jomtien). I think it is against the rules to post other board names but if you are interested give me a note and I will reply with names and comments on each. 

regards

phil


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## fourgotospain

What Phil said! I also have no affiliation with them, but OH & I and 2 kids spent months living in Pattaya and diving with Mermaids. I have never seen such a professional dive org with such attention to detail. As mentioned above the diving is not the best the world has to offer, and in fact some of the visiblity and currents are very challenging, but at the end of the day who would you like as YOUR dive instructor in the future - someone who has trained in 20m viz and flat calm ocean, or someone who has had to navigate onto the wreck in a screaming current and hold their mask on at the same time?? The best instructors are the ones that nothing phases....it's also useful to remember that when you live in Pattaya! Nothing phases me now! That said my children were 7 and 4 when we moved there, LOVED it and coped just fine.

Jomtien/Pattaya are easy to navigate using baht buses/songthaews, which do a very useful basic route for 10 or 20 baht per journey, or you can private hire them for a special trip somewhere. Street food is cheap and safe for the most part, lots of shops etc, beer =/alcohol will be your biggest expense - diving, esp. the instructing side is very social. 

Hope this helps.


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## Felixtoo2

I would recommend having a closer look at Koh Tao, one of my mates is a dive instructor and has been there for 10 years. It is much more of a dive lifestyle than pattaya and will be a lot easier on the pocket.


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## philobert

Felixtoo2 said:


> I would recommend having a closer look at Koh Tao, one of my mates is a dive instructor and has been there for 10 years. It is much more of a dive lifestyle than pattaya and will be a lot easier on the pocket.


could you give the names of possible places to stay and/or dive shop names you have experience with? any more specific references would be appreciated.

thanks

phil


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## Felixtoo2

She works for Budda View Dive Resort, I stayed at Simple Life Resort which is a really good location on Sairee Beach. It`s a mid priced place so you`ll find plenty of cheaper places if you are on a tight budget.


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## philobert

Felixtoo2 said:


> She works for Budda View Dive Resort, I stayed at Simple Life Resort which is a really good location on Sairee Beach. It`s a mid priced place so you`ll find plenty of cheaper places if you are on a tight budget.


cool. thanks for info.

phil


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## Mweiga

Wand3rlust said:


> I'm a 24 y/o female who has visited once before and loved the entire experience. Now I want to return to attend scuba school, a seperate dream which will hopefully take me to some neat places in the future. It's rather unfortunate that the best training I have found (via extensive research) seems to be offered @ Mermaids (certifies to National Geographic standards), in the town of Pattaya, which I have heard few good things about. But I have a good attitude and will undeniably make the best of it. The program lasts nearly 7 months and tuition includes housing w/ wifi, one meal a day on the dive boats, dive equiptment, exam costs and all certs etc. Basically all I will be paying for is electric, transportation (I was thinking of just buying a bicycle once I get there) food, other general necessities and w/e other expenses I run into. I can and plan to live very modestly, I honestly don't mind eating rice and fruit all day. So basically what I'm getting at is can anyone extend to me ideas on about how much money I need to save up to get by. I know the more the better, but every time I come up with a figure I question it. Also any general advice is welcome! Thank you all for your time!
> Namaste*


Having logged 200 plus dives throughout all Thailand's divesites over the past decade I can offer the following.

Since your course(s) require several months you'll need to be where the diving is decent. Pattaya area and right along the northern shore of the Gulf does not have great diving - I live 20 kms from Pattaya and have dived a fair bit all along this coast as it's conveniently close to home. Apart from other things , the reef has been badly damaged by past dynamite fishing and a previous Thai navy gunnery range whose base is just up the road at Sattahip. In addition there isn't that much fish life around due to the heavy demands of tourist restaurants in Pattaya. Mermaids are pretty good - dived with them several times - but Pattaya would not be my choice to live for any extended period of time unless you're into serious bar culture and general debauchery.

The best diving in Thailand is to be found either around Koh Tao lower down the Gulf or in the Andaman Sea over the other side of the Isthmus of Kra. Koh Tao , really just a diver's island , is a great place although again for several months stay I'd probably find the island too small. Nearby Koh Samui also offers several dive operations , including SIDS who were the major dive business offerring all instructor courses but became rather too big a few years back with loss of the familiar touch. Samui has also got very over tourist developed in the past few years. For my money Phuket would offer you the best options with the largest and best variety of divesites in the Andaman area (Similan islands , Koh Surin marine park , Koh Phi Phi islands and further south to a range of world class sites sich as Hin Daeng / Hin Muang , etc) plus good diving close to Phuket at Racha Yai and Noi. I've dived a few times with Scuba Cat at Patong Beach , Phuket who offer instructor courses and are a very professional outfit with two well equipped livaboards - they have a website. Phuket is also Thailand's largest island and would provide much wider general living options and choices.


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## fourgotospain

> Since your course(s) require several months you'll need to be where the diving is decent


Absolutely not the case. Since your course requires several months you'll need to be where the INSTRUCTION is decent. When qualified you will be responsible for people's lives. At that point how pretty your student days were is irrelevant. 

Thailand is now getting a bad name for instructor training as there are so many tinpot schools doing it. Pick one with a worldwide reputation if you ever hope to work in the industry.

Oh and in all our travels in Thailand, just about EVERYWHERE had a higher cost of living than Pattaya/Jomtien/Naklua. Islands are pricey.


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## Mweiga

fourgotospain said:


> Absolutely not the case. Since your course requires several months you'll need to be where the INSTRUCTION is decent. When qualified you will be responsible for people's lives. At that point how pretty your student days were is irrelevant.
> 
> Thailand is now getting a bad name for instructor training as there are so many tinpot schools doing it. Pick one with a worldwide reputation if you ever hope to work in the industry.
> 
> Oh and in all our travels in Thailand, just about EVERYWHERE had a higher cost of living than Pattaya/Jomtien/Naklua. Islands are pricey.


... of course what I had intended to convey was "diving - and instruction - are decent" - both would be essential for me if I was going to commit 7 months of my life to an instructor's certification venture. Pattaya's dive operations are not the only ones in Thailand offering quality instruction and I would be going spare if I had to live 7 months anywhere in Pattaya , Jomtien , Naklua, Bang Lamung , etc - I have lived the past 5 years just 20 kms up the road and see the real life there beyond what the casual visiting tourist is aware of. And this is before you start talking about the barely mediocre diving around these waters.


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## Jonta

Wand3rlust said:


> I'm a 24 y/o female who has visited once before and loved the entire experience. Now I want to return to attend scuba school, a seperate dream which will hopefully take me to some neat places in the future. It's rather unfortunate that the best training I have found (via extensive research) seems to be offered @ Mermaids (certifies to National Geographic standards), in the town of Pattaya, which I have heard few good things about. But I have a good attitude and will undeniably make the best of it. The program lasts nearly 7 months and tuition includes housing w/ wifi, one meal a day on the dive boats, dive equiptment, exam costs and all certs etc. Basically all I will be paying for is electric, transportation (I was thinking of just buying a bicycle once I get there) food, other general necessities and w/e other expenses I run into. I can and plan to live very modestly, I honestly don't mind eating rice and fruit all day. So basically what I'm getting at is can anyone extend to me ideas on about how much money I need to save up to get by. I know the more the better, but every time I come up with a figure I question it. Also any general advice is welcome! Thank you all for your time!
> Namaste*


I live and work in Bangkok now but I worked as a instructor in Thailand both in Koh Tao and Phuket. I recommend you not to go to Pattaya and take your course, for sure it is not the best dive center in Thailand, which actually doesen't matter but who your instructor is. I assume you will take PADI courses, so you have the greatest chance to get work later on. I would recommend you to go to Phuket where the best diving is, and it is where the similan island is. Go to the schools tell them that you want to go all the way up to instructor and ask them if there is a chance to get a job when you are finished, many dive centers like fresh instructors they have trained themselfs. Also you might get a job as a dive instructor or tour leader to start with, to fill up you log book. 

It was a while ago I worked or even dived down at Phuket but at that time Marina divers had the most qualitive and cheapest courses.. also the biggest boat, this might have changed. The season in Phuket is from Nov to April then you have to move Koh Tao.. at Koh Tao I recommend Big Blue.. I worked for them and the boss there was really nice.

It also helps a lot if you speak a second language

It is a lot of fun.. 

Good luck


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## Mweiga

*Diving courses*



Jonta said:


> I live and work in Bangkok now but I worked as a instructor in Thailand both in Koh Tao and Phuket. I recommend you not to go to Pattaya and take your course, for sure it is not the best dive center in Thailand, which actually doesen't matter but who your instructor is. I assume you will take PADI courses, so you have the greatest chance to get work later on. I would recommend you to go to Phuket where the best diving is, and it is where the similan island is. Go to the schools tell them that you want to go all the way up to instructor and ask them if there is a chance to get a job when you are finished, many dive centers like fresh instructors they have trained themselfs. Also you might get a job as a dive instructor or tour leader to start with, to fill up you log book.
> 
> It was a while ago I worked or even dived down at Phuket but at that time Marina divers had the most qualitive and cheapest courses.. also the biggest boat, this might have changed. The season in Phuket is from Nov to April then you have to move Koh Tao.. at Koh Tao I recommend Big Blue.. I worked for them and the boss there was really nice.
> 
> It also helps a lot if you speak a second language
> 
> It is a lot of fun..
> 
> Good luck


... wholeheartedly agree. Phuket and Koh Tao offer the best possibilities - not that I'm trying to put down Pattaya which is just up the road from me. Dived north Andaman in March (Similans and Koh Surin) from a Phuket based livaboard and it was excellent. A couple of the bigger dive operations with livaboards do operate right through the summer season also , May to Oct , although you take a chance on the conditions and as you say moving over to Koh Tao would be better if logistics allow.


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## wicked-diving

I agree with the above. Pattaya? 

Seriously...before making any decisions, please dive a few other places in Thailand (and also Indo!). With so many other choices out there, Pattaya may not be the greatest choice for living...especially on the cheap. If you do research and see that a town has 4 or 5 dive shops and two of them are zero to hero factories, or an island has 40 dive shops and is famous for being a dive training center. 

"National Geographic Standards" means nothing. There is no such thing. It is a very simple standard to achieve, should one pursue that (Our dive center is actually SSI affiliated, so start the mud slinging). 

For the price you are paying - you could easily do the program in many, many other places. Think Indonesia!


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