Diving the Samui Archipelago

by David Covey

Background.
The author served in Britain's armed forces from 1977-2000. He first visited Thailand in 1998 and returned 2 years later for intensive diver training prior to leaving the army. At the age of 40 he moved to Koh Samui and helps at the Hyperbaric chamber during emergencies. He also acts as a dive course coordinator for MOD resettlement personnel.

KOH SAMUI, KOH PHANGAN AND KOH TAO

Introduction
The Samui archipelago lies approximately 500 kms south of Bangkok in the gulf of Thailand. The biggest island (Koh Samui) is roughly the size of the Isle of Wight. Koh Phangan is slightly smaller and is 10km north of Samui, while Koh Tao can be found 50kms to the Northwest. Together they boast almost 50 dive operators and are second only to the Great Barrier Reef in the amount of Diver qualifications issued each year.

How to get there.
Bangkok is the gateway into SE Asia. I have enjoyed excellent flights on a number of airlines, including British Airways, Quantas, Thai Airways, Malaysia Airways, Eva air and Gouvia, the latter being the national carriers of Taiwan and Indonesia; decent service and usually the cheapest.
A direct flight from London to Bangkok (or Phuket) takes around 12 hours and costs less than £500 return. Cheaper flights are available but include a stop in the Middle East. For an additional £130 visitors can take a domestic return flight to Samui (1 hr 15mins).

Note: Bangkok airways own Samui airport and hold the monopoly on fares and "airport tax". An alternative is to fly to the southern city of Surratthani from Bangkok (on a rival airline), or use public transport.
Buses or Trains are excellent value. Each cost around £10.00 but add a further 12 hrs (inc 1.30 hr ferry crossing) to your journey.

Note: Only use metered taxis in places like Bangkok and don't fall for "your bus/train has been cancelled but I know of another"-THIS WILL RESULT IN A 1000% PRICE INCREASE!


Optimum time
The Diving season lasts from January until October. The Monsoon occurs between mid October and mid December, while the hot season lasts from the end of March until mid May. The best months therefore are: Jan-March, May-Oct.

Note: The Whaleshark migration takes place for several weeks around Easter but extreme heat and the effects of dehydration should not be under-estimated at that time of year.

Accomodation
Accommodation varies considerably. A room with a fan costs less than a fiver while a 5 star hotel exceeds £50 per night for those that aren't worried about budgetary restraints. Most divers prefer cheap rooms near the jetty, thus avoiding up to an hour in a minibus on dive days.

Amenities
In addition to hotels and restaurants the following can be found on Samui:

* Chemists. (Inc Boots in Chaweng).
* McDonalds (Chaweng and Lamai)
* Tesco (Bophut, opens Nov 02)
* Cashpoint Machienes (Everywhere, particularly 7/11 supermarkets)
* Currency exchanges.
* Bowling alley. (Chaweng)
* Shooting Range (Bophut)
* Golf Course (Mai nam and driving range in Bophut)

Note: Despite the influx of tourists the island maintains it's cultural heritage. It is not uncommon to see an elephant or buffalo crossing the road, or a monkey harvesting coconuts for it's owner.

Koh Phangan & Koh Tao have very little infrastructure (the electric is disconnected for several hours each day). I recommend using Samui as a permanent base and reducing time on Koh Phangan or Koh Tao (i.e. for the duration of a course, or an overnight stay before a dawn dive). Non-divers will benefit because there's plenty to do on Samui while their partners are diving.


Medical Facilities

Medical facilities include:

• 3x Hospitals (2x Private and 1x Government) in Chaweng, Bophut and Naton.
• A multi-place Recompression Chamber located near Big Buddha temple. The staff are DDRC trained and there is a Doctor in each hospital trained in hyperbaric medicine at the Royal Hospital, Adelaide.
• An Emergency room (with Oxygen facilities) on Koh Tao. Emergency evacuation to the chamber on Samui takes around 2 hrs by speedboat, crewed by trained staff (Inc Nurse and Dr). In the near future a helicopter will also be available via the Thai authorities.

• An international drivers license costs £4.00 from the AA. (This will help in case of accident with a hire car/motorbike).
• I again stress the need for adequate insurance (inc recompression treatment and motorbike accidents).
• The Tourist authority of Thailand (TAT) realizes the importance of tourism. They have their own police force and are surprisingly efficient if a "felang" becomes a victim of crime. Last year they caught a "Ladyboy" that had stolen a vast sum from a German tourist. They money was recovered and the perpetrator received a "BONEDOME" (a very masculine crewcut) in lieu of charges!!
• Your GP can advise on inoculations. Samui isn't a Malaria zone but Dengue fever and "Delhi belly" strike from time to time.
• Local currency is the Thai Baht. (£1.00 is 60-67 baht). Bankcards can be used in ATM's and sterling/travellers cheques can be changed almost anywhere. Any attempt to pay by credit card results in a hefty surcharge and the recipient reacts like Eric Idle in "Haggle" mode!
• The Foreign Office recently placed southern Thailand on a list of potential danger areas. The danger is no worse than our "home grown" war on terrorism that started 34 years ago.
• Recreational drugs are readily available, especially at the full moon parties on Koh Phangan. THE POLICE WILL ENTRAP (and "MUG") ANYONE DAFT ENOUGH TO PRESENT THEMSELVES AS A TARGET!!
• Other aspects of Thai nightlife are documented elsewhere. (If in doubt wear a "Drysuit"!!)