Free long-stay visas for Thailand until 2010

Get a fee-free Thailand visa until 2010

In an effort to help encourage Thailand’s travel and tourism industry, the Royal Thai Government has agreed to extend the exemption of the Thailand visa fee for tourist visa applications until 4 March 2010.

The exemption will apply to all applicants for a Thailand visa on arrival at all international airports in Thailand as well as those applying at Thai embassies and consulates abroad for stays longer than the period for which they are normally eligible.

Thailand currently gives a Visa on Arrival for citizens of 20 countries for a stay not exceeding 15 days. Citizens of another 42 countries are allowed a visa-free stay in Thailand not over 30 days.

Visitors who wish to stay longer than those periods have to apply for Thailand visas at the Thai embassies or diplomatic missions abroad before their arrival in the country.

The extension is one of several measures taken by the Thailand tourism industry to invigorate itself after a number of global and local events that have led to a temporary drop in visitor arrivals.

TAT Chairman, Mr. Weerasak Kowsurat says, “As a result of the global economic downturn, the worldwide travel and tourism sector has declined as people have become more cautious about spending on leisure and business travel. Hence, the government has implemented many measures to enhance Thailand’s competitive advantage and strengthen our country’s unique qualities.”

This offers a great opportunity to sign up for a 60 or 90 day visa. Stay in Thailand longer, do a Similan Liveaboard or even consider doing your Instructor Training!

-Khao Lak Diving

Learn to Dive - for Free!

Learn to Dive - for Free!

Learning to dive is just so much easier and simpler now. These days the academic portion of your Open Water course can be done online. Save your vacation time for the water, the sun and the beaches!

This gives you time to do the academic portion at your pace and at your preferred location (the sofa? in bed? at work?). Start when you want - and pause for a day or two. It's really that simple.

But unlike some systems - you can actually do all this for free! You don't need to pay hundreds of Dollars/Euros before you even start! With our system - you simply click on the link above - and that's it. By the time your plane lands and you settle in over sunset drinks - you'll have already completed 25% of your Open Water Training!

For free!

When you arrive - we will check on your progress, double check your work and then we are off to the water to start practicing under the sea! If you feel like you need more questions answered - we are happy to cover any sections you feel you need more work on and to demonstrate any thing that wasn't clear in the online videos and presentations.

How much does it cost? Free!!! No obligations!

For more information - contact us. Or simply click on the image to the left and start...right now!

Once you have completed the online training - we still give you great options for your continued training. Why not join our liveaboard to complete your course - cruising through the Similan Islands doing 9 dives and really enjoying the uninhabited Similan Islands. We also allow you the chance to stay in your resort on the mainland and head out on our speedboat each day to the Similan Islands. Sunset drinks at your bungalow?
-Khao Lak Diving

Learn to Dive on a Similan Islands Liveaboard!

There are many different ways to learn to scuba dive. AN instructor teaches someone in a pool. Others jump off a speedboat and some are lucky enough to do their course on a liveaboard. In Thailand the best bang for you Baht is on a liveaboard - more dives and more experience while cruising through paradise.

The Similan Islands are home to Thailand's most famous dive sites and are often listed as among the 10 best dive sites in the world. Conveniently located to Khao Lak and the nearby Phuket airport - the diving is very accessible. With the option of Speedboats or liveaboards - many beginning divers chose to do their Similan Liveaboard Open Water course on a 3 day journey through the uninhabited islands. These trips offer the guests their own cabins, meals and many different dive sites.

The calm clear waters, the relaxed atmosphere and the skilled instructors will all contribute to the success of the experience. This is important as SCUBA diving is a lifetime passion - not just a whim.

The courses are easy to take and only require a bit of your time. Much of the academic work can now be completed online (and for free) before you even arrive in Thailand. You can spend your vacation time in the water or on the beaches - no the classroom.

The first day is spent in the pool or on the beach simply getting used to the new equipment and incredible sensation of floating weightless! It's fun and thrilling to realize that gravity no longer exists - it also takes a bit of practice. Diving also requires a few new skills that you are unlikely to have learned before. Your Instructor will go through all the basic skills that will be demonstrated and practiced in the pool. Then you have the opportunity to practice them too!

In the pool or off the beach - the instructor will settle down in front of the student so that they can see all that she is demonstrating. After some breathing exercises and regulator recovery at the surface the instructor will get all the divers to kneel on the bottom of the pool breathing and getting used to being underwater. The instructor, followed by the student will complete each of the skills. The students need to complete mask clearing, regulator recovery and some basic buoyancy control skills. These basic skills are required to ensure the safety of the divers, as well as giving them confidence to truly enjoy the open water. The instructor and student will then swim around at the bottom of the pool getting comfortable with the equipment and used to the feeling of weightlessness and breathing underwater.

Once these basic skills are done and everyone feels comfortable - it's time to head off on an amazing journey through the Similan Islands. The student has the opportunity to do 9 dives with their instructor - gaining more confidence and feeling more and more at ease under the sea.

After the first couple of dives the underwater world will really open up. Passing turtles make the reefs an incredible opportunity to slow down and enjoy the marine life. That shadow over the students head? A Manta Ray - something that brings chills to even the most experienced diver. The chance to glide over the rainbow colored corals and the hundreds of species of reef fish make this a memory of a lifetime.

After the student has completed their first open water scuba dive - they surface with big smiles on their faces. The instructor will debrief them and explain how they may improve their diving knowledge and skills by doing a full certification open water scuba diver course. Only 8 more dives to go!

This is by far the best way to learn to scuba dive.

If you would like to make this story come true...simply join our Similan Liveaboard Open Water course

Learning to dive: Choose dive center with small groups...

The maximum group size for a diving course.

When you are looking for diving courses around Thailand, you see that prices differ from place to place and sometimes even in the same place. This has to do with many factors, travel time to the dive sites, quality of equipment, service, safety equipment, park fees, operation costs, quality of staff etc. One of the most important factors in this is the group size of the course. Why waste your vacation to Similan Islands diving in the middle of a huge crowd?

There are places in Thailand where you can get a very good deal on courses, but you might end up in a big group of students, spending most of the time watching your buddies doing skills under water. The maximum number of students per instructor that the dive organizations allow during underwater training is 8. It is possible to increase that number to 10 or even 12 when 1 or 2 divemasters assist on the course. Big groups of course means low prices, but these "factory dive schools" often pump out as many students as possible in a very short time. This has a few disadvantages:
First of all, when you take a dive course, you want plenty of time to practice new exercises until you are comfortable with them. In big groups, you often end up doing an exercise once and that's it. As there are 7 more people to do the skill there is no time for repetition. In the worst case, the instructor might even skip certain skills to speed up the course. This is completely against the standards set by the diving industry.
Second, you wont get too much attention from your instructor, as he/she is not an octopus and has to keep an eye on a lot of people. This is fine if you don't have any problems, but it can get a bit messy, or even unsafe, if you and some other people need help from the instructor.
Also, with big groups you often end up spending a lot of time on the skill part of the dive, which leaves only a bit of time left for the actual dive. And that's actually the best part of the course!
With big groups, there is not much time to spend with students who take a bit longer or need a bit more time to get comfortable under water. This leads to people being stressed. They might even drop out of the course, when with a bit more time and a calmer pace, they might have been able to get more comfortable and finish the course.

All in all at Wicked Diving we think that the maximum group size for a course is 4 people. This way the students get plenty of attention from the instructor and a lot of time under water to enjoy the beauty of the Similan Islands. We like a relaxed pace and if we need to spend some more time in the pool, classroom or in the sea, we just schedule an session. This leaves the instructors in control and guarantees a safe and relaxed course in which you will have plenty of time to ask questions, repeat and practice your skills and get maximum time diving some the best dive sites in Thailand.

Similan Diving

Similan Scuba Diving - Thailand's premier diving

Thailand has one of the world’s most diverse marine habitats, with more than 300 major reef groups covering an area of over 4,500 square miles. From pinnacles and submerged rocks, through to stunning coral gardens and sheer walls, the scuba diving in Thailand has something to offer scuba divers of all levels of experience. It is this diversity in marine habitats and diving environments which attracts so many divers to the waters around Thailand every year, and today the region is one of the world’s most popular scuba diving destinations.

There are a number of major diving destinations in Thailand, all offering a wide selection of diverse dive sites. Throughout all of these major destinations is a network of well equipped, knowledgeable and experienced dive centers, offering a range of diving from leisure dives through to a selection of scuba diving courses.

It would be impossible to discuss Thailand, without looking at the scuba diving in Khao Lak and the nearby Khao Lak with the surrounding areas. Without doubt, the diving from Khao Lak is of the highest standard, and the surrounding dive sites host a plethora of great diving. Similan Islands Scuba Diving is frequently listed as one of the ten best diving opportunities on earth. The are also underwater treasures that lie slightly further afield. Dive sites such as the Burma Banks, The Surin Islands and the Mergui Archipelago are often found high on the wish list of many discerning scuba diver and offer some of South East Asia’s finest dive sites.

The scuba diving on the Western Gulf of Thailand sees a different emphasis, and the small islands found here have become one of the world’s most popular areas to learn to scuba dive. In fact, the island of Koh Tao has developed a complete tourist industry from introducing people to scuba diving, and today large numbers of would be scuba divers travel too Koh Tao every day to begin their diving education. Other islands within the Western Gulf of Thailand are also home to developed scuba diving industries, and destinations such as Koh Samui and Ko Pha-Ngan are both home to a large number of dive centers and divers. However the dive sites are very overwhelmed and the diving here is often referred to as "champagne diving" - all bubbles.

Throughout Thailand there are a number of exceptional dive sites, and sites such as the Richelieu Rock and Shark fin Reef are widely acknowledged as being world class dive sites. However it is the sheer volume of excellent dive sites that makes Thailand such a popular destination. Destinations such as Koh Lipe Krabi, Phi Phi and the Surin Islands are all home to a number of exceptional dive sites and dive centers. For a good reference try the Best Dive Sites in Thailand.

Today, Thailand is one of the world’s most popular scuba diving destinations, and large numbers of scuba divers travel long distances to dive in the waters surrounding this stunning country. The sheer diversity of the diving on offer here ensures that there is something to cater for all tastes and levels of experience. From vertical wrecks, through to submerged pinnacles, from the largest sharks, through to the smallest nudibranches, the diving in Thailand has something for everyone.

How to enjoy thailand - top tips

Thailand is Amazing, but These Tips Can Help You Enjoy it Even More
Thailand is a fascinating country, full of amazing things to do and see. But, if you want to have the best vacation possible, there are things you can do to make sure that happens. I’ve been living in Thailand for 4 years and have come up with a list of, what I think are the Top 10 things
to do to make sure your holiday is perfect. Diving in Khao Lak is a great option too

1.Get a tourist visa at your local Thai embassy or consulate. Until last year, it was easy to come to Thailand as a tourist and, by doing visa runs every month (going over the border into Cambodia or Laos then coming right back to Thailand again), you could stay here as long as you wanted.The Thai government have now clamped down on too many visa runs, so it’s best to get a 60-day tourist visa at a Thai embassy in your own country. This can then be extended for an additional 30 days at an Immigration office in Thailand, giving you 90 days before you have to leave the country.

2. Learn a little Thai before you get here. Thai is a language that really nobody else speaks except the Thais, and there are only 60 million of them. So if you come to Thailand and can speak some Thai, you will find your experience is even more enjoyable, as the locals love anyone who even attempts to speak their language. “Sawatdee kha” Hello and Goodbye, (or Sawatdee krap, if you’re a man), “Kop Khun kha/krap” Thank you, “Tow rai kha/krap?” How much is that? – all will get you a smile and a nod and usually a cheaper price!

For those of you who are even more adventurous, sign up for a Thai language class at a local Thai temple in your country before you come, or check out Learning Thai for more in-depth Thai language lessons online for free!

3.Don’t bring much cash with you. Not only is it safer to not carry around huge wads of cash (although I’ve never had a problem with pickpockets in Thailand), you will also find you’ll get a better exchange rate if you pull money through to Thailand from your bank account with your ATM card. All the money changers and the banks charge a fee and give you a lower exchange rate. Most banks in the US and Europe have low fees or no fees for withdrawing money via an ATM.

4. Bring lightweight clothing. Thailand is one of the hottest countries in the world. It is hot all year-round. Light-weight pants, long shorts, skirts, t shirts and cotton tops are preferable in this climate. Bring one dressier outfit for if you go to a more expensive restaurant or nightclub, but any other clothing you might need can be purchased here for as little as $2. The quality is great too.

5. If you’re coming to Bangkok, don’t stay on Khao San Road. Khao San Road is the backpacker area of Bangkok. It’s full of flea-ridden guest houses and dodgy Westerners. The Thais look down on people who stay on Khao San Road and, honestly, with good reason sometimes. Pay a few extra dollars and stay at a guest house off Sukhumvit or in northern Bangkok near the sky train. They’ll be cleaner, better taken care of, and you won’t have to experience the 24-hour noise of Khao San Road or the disdain of the Thais. Better yet, pay a bit more and stay in a nice hotel. Still cheap by Western standards and with very good accommodation and customer service.

6. Take advantage of all modes of transportation in Thailand. In Bangkok, we have the sky train, the underground train, taxis, tuk-tuks, a great bus system, boats going up and down the Chao Praya river, and even motorcycle taxis. Try to experience all of them while you’re here, as they’re all part of Thai life. They’re all also reliable and inexpensive.

My favorite is the boat system on the canals and on the Chao Praya River. You really get to experience the local culture when you’re crammed on a boat with 200 other people, and you see parts of Bangkok you would never see otherwise.

7. Speak to the Thais. Thais love to talk to foreigners, yet I see many foreign tourists here who make little or no effort to speak to them. Most people will know a few words of English and, even if they don’t, they will smile and try to speak to you with sign language. Funnily enough, it’s easily understandable and will really make your holiday. I’ve never understood those people who go back home saying “We had a great holiday in Thailand”, yet they barely interacted with any Thai people while they were here.

8.Eat local food at the food stalls. Some of the best food in Thailand is at the food stalls. It’s cooked fresh while you watch, the variety of food is endless, and it’s cheap. You will also experience the ‘real Thai culture’ as you sit at the side of the road and watch the traffic and people walk by. In certain areas of Thailand, you’ll also even see the elephants walking by!

If you’re not sure what to eat, check out my article on Street Stall Food in Thailand. I guarantee, if you try the food you will love it.

9. Get out of Bangkok and hit the beaches, the mountains or the jungle. Thailand has some of the best beaches in the world. Cities like Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Kanchanaburi and Ayutthaya also have mountains, jungle, historical temples, traditional Thai cultural events, night markets and more.

The best way to travel to most of Thailand is by bus or train. Public transportation here is very reliable and very cheap. A bus ride to Hua Hin, 3 hours outside Bangkok, is around $5. Taking the train to Kanchanaburi, an hour away and home of the Bridge over the River Kwai, is just over $1. Most of them are air-conditioned, and many of the buses will also come with a bottle of water, a snack and a movie for the price of the bus ticket!

10. Don’t be afraid to try something new. Thailand has things you will never experience at home. Fried bugs, beautiful golden temples, saffron robed monks, tuk-tuks, elephants and monkeys. It also has some of the nicest people in the world, the vast majority of whom would never do you harm.

I have lived here for more than 4 years. I have never had my wallet stolen, I have never felt threatened, I have never been in danger. I’m a single woman who often walks home alone at night without any problems. A feat I wouldn’t consider attempting in my old hometown of Los Angeles.

Try anything and everything that is offered to you. From weird food and drink and strangers suddenly holding your hand to help you cross the street, to a quick ride on a motorcycle taxi zipping through traffic on a Bangkok street – it’s all exotic and interesting. You’ll discover that Thais are wonderful, that eating a fried bamboo worm isn’t going to kill you, you won’t die from 10 minutes in a tuk-tuk on a polluted Bangkok street, and you’ll go home having had the best holiday of your life.

Follow the tips I’ve laid out for you and, I’ll guarantee, when you get home, you’ll already be thinking about booking your next trip to Thailand.

-Khao Lak Diving