Prices for Diving
Diving in Thailand is not a fortune and the cost of hotel rooms and food in the Kingdom is lower than most western countries allowing you to spend the savings on diving. Remember as always you get what you pay for so it is not realistic to expect a top quality liveaboard trip with 5 Star service for a budget price. However you will find some very reasonably priced day trips, liveaboards and courses with excellent levels of service and the diving will not dissapoint you. . .
Please use the Exchange Rate Converter on the left for accurate rates. Stated rates are approximate.
Day Trip Pricing Guide:
Day Trip pricing is based on how far the dive sites are from shore, how many dives are done and whether you need to pay to rent equipment or you bring your own. Tanks and weight belts are always available. It is rare for divers to travel with these. The remaining factors are the number of people on the boat and the number of divers in a group. Some Dive Centers choose to run with more personal trips on smaller boats with a higher ratio of Divemasters and Instructors - this tends to increase the price. Other Dive Centers run larger boats with larger groups. Some dive site destinations also require you to pay a National Marine Park Fee if they lie within a designated conservation area. Although collected by the Dive Centers this goes to Thailands Department of Marine Conservation.
Prices vary from around 2,000 Thai Baht (around 60US$, £35UK, 40€) to 4,000+ Thai Baht (around 120US$, £70UK, 80€) per day trip.
Diving Course Pricing Guide:
Diving course pricing is based on how many dives are required for the course and whether they are conducted from a boat or from the shore. Shore diving is generally cheaper (and may be nececcary sometimes due to weather conditions). Some Dive Centers choose to run with more personal courses - others run to the maximum number in the class allowed by the relevant training agency. This also affects the price. Equipment is the final factor in pricing for the intermediate and more advanced courses as you may have your own and not need to use the dive schools. Note: For Instructor and Divemaster Courses the price can vary greatly depending on how many dives you are required to do to qualify for these levels. It is also dependant on whether you choose an internship option. As always, like most things in life remember you get what you pay for . . .
Open Water Course: 9,000 Thai Baht (around 270US$, £165UK, 180€) to 18,000+ Thai Baht (around 540US$, £330UK, 360€)
Advanced Open Water: 7,000 Thai Baht (around 210US$, £125UK, 140€) to 14,000+ Thai Baht (around 420US$, £250UK, 280€)
Rescue Diver: 7,000 Thai Baht (around 210US$, £125UK, 140€) to 14,000+ Thai Baht (around 420US$, £250UK, 280€)
Specialty Courses: 2,000 Thai Baht (around 60US$, £35UK, 40€) to 6,000+ Thai Baht (around 1800US$, £105UK, 120€)
Divemaster: 26,000 Thai Baht (around 785US$, £475UK, 520€) to 52,000+ Thai Baht (around 1570US$, £950UK, 1040€)
Liveaboard Pricing Guide: Based on a 3 day Trip to the Similan Islands including standard diving equipment rental (no dive computer) and Marine Park fees.
Liveaboard pricing is based on the quality of facilities on the boat, and the distance covered on the trip. If you have a well fitted en-suite cabin with space then in general the boat will be more expensive. If you are happy with bunk beds and dormitory style sleeping arrangements then the boats are usually cheaper. If you take your own equipment then you will normally pay less also. Some Dive Centers choose to run more personal trips with a higher ratio of Divemasters and Instructors - this tends to increase the price. Other Dive Centers run larger boats with larger groups. Some dive site destinations also require you to pay a National Marine Park Fee if they lie within a designated conservation area. Although collected by the Dive Centers this goes to Thailands Department of Marine Conservation.
Budget: Around 12,000 Thai Baht (around 360US$, £220UK, 240€)
Mid Range: Around 24,000 Thai Baht (around 720US$, £440UK, 480€)