As the Thailand expert, I want to get something off my chest right now.

I LIVE ON KOH TAO, I WORK HERE, I LOVE IT.

And I don’t want to get into any of this forum led east coast / west coast bashing….ever.

East or west coast both have their merits and reasons to visit and its worth bearing in mind that if your holidays are particular to a certain time of year then you may not actually have a choice. The west coast :- Phuket, Phi Phi, Koh Lanta, Khao Lak, Similans and Surins, all enjoy the best dive conditions between November and March whilst the east coast is the complete opposite, seeing the best conditions between March and October.

That said, if you are not held to a particular time of year then your decision centres around who you are travelling with, your budget and what you want to do during you stay.

Koh Tao is certainly the budget choice; it’s one of the cheapest places in the world to learn to dive and offers a great range of budget accommodation too. With over 40 dive centres, it’s a fabulous place to learn anything scuba related in any language you choose. I would be so bold as to say that if you want to learn it and it can be taught then you will find it on Koh Tao. From entry level through to professional level and every speciality imaginable, compressor maintenance and gas blending and equipment courses for those mechanically minded, photography and videography from published image makers and technical tuition for those deep water explorers too.

Koh Tao certifies a significant percentage of Asia Pacifics total certifications yearly which means it’s busy with new divers. This in turn makes it a fabulous place to train for a professional rating too as would-be divemasters and instructors have endless opportunities to learn by observing many full classes. Koh Tao is home to some of the largest and busiest dive centres in the world and your professional training here will certainly prepare you well for the logistical side of any diving organisation.

That said, for simple fun diving experienced divers might not find it to their liking. Choose wisely though as there are a handful of operators who make sure their boats do not adhere to the same time table as the rest, meaning quiet dive sites and an altogether different experience.

If you are travelling with non divers then I suggest you choose somewhere that doesn’t revolve just around diving. Phuket is more package resort based and has a great range of activities and accommodations to choose from. It’s probably one of the most developed areas in Thailand and although there are quieter areas it’s probably not the best choice for peace and tranquillity.

Travelling with kids in your crew then my choice would certainly be Koh Lanta, its peaceful, has a range of accommodation and lots of long sandy beaches. The diving is fab too and many of the sites are closer to Koh Lanta than to Koh Phi Phi. This makes the diving a little cheaper too on the comparable sites. Phi Phi is a very small island, gets crowded and on the whole is more expensive than Koh Lanta which is only a short distance away.

If leaving land behind for longer than a few hours is more what you need then there are plenty of liveaboards to choose from. Almost without exception they cover west coast dive sites. The closest jump off point to the Similans and Surins is Khao Lak which means your cruising times and sometimes costs are less than those liveaboards leaving from Phuket. Certain operators run day trips to the closer Similans sites from Khao Lak too.There are a growing number of liveaboards that cover the southern sites of the west coast too leaving from Phuket and Lanta. Whatever you choose the sites that the west coast liveaboards visit are stunning where Mantas are the highlights and the lucky will be graced by the sight of the magnificent whaleshark.

No matter where you choose, Thailand will surprise and thrill you and not just under the waves. Non divers will have plenty of culture to soak up . The food is a treat too and on the whole very easy on the purse. If you have never been before, give it a try, there’s really nothing to be scared about. It’s a very easy place to travel, the people are lovely too and the warm clear blue waters of whichever coast you choose are very inviting.

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