One of the best-kept secrets about Thailand is the world class dive sites off the West coast of Phuket. Of course, for years people from Southeast Asia and the more adventuresome divers from North America and Europe have known about the undersea wonders that can be found around Phuket. This part of Thailand is blessed with the opportunities created by facing the Andaman Sea, which lies in part of the eastern Indian Ocean.

Those of us who have had the pleasure to dive around Phuket have beheld the stunning riches found here. Added to that, Phuket has a magnificent culture and background, friendly natives who are pleased to assist tourists, lovely national parks, all types of accommodations that can suit all prices ranges, and some of the world’s most exotic and mouth-watering tropical fruits and food.

If you’re considering a diving holiday, you couldn’t find a better destination than Phuket. Here you’ll find pristine white sand beaches, tropical islands that seem heaven-sent, and world-class diving opportunities. The diving environments here are unlike those found anywhere else in the world, due to the water visibility that exceeds 30 meters, typically calm seas, and average ocean water temperature of about 28 degrees C.

Year after year, there is more media coverage of the diverse marine life that dwell in Thailand’s oceans, and as a result, every year there are more visitors signing up for diving courses. The rise in tourism can be attributed to three factors: First, a number of new destinations have opened to visitors, including the Burma Banks, the Andaman Islands in the Andaman Sea and the Megui Archipelago. Second, tremendous improvements have been made to Thailand’s infrastructure, which makes communication much easier with the dive center owners. Finally, the services and amenities offered by the Phuket diving resorts, on the diving boats, and by the diving operations and staff have been upgraded significantly, so that divers of all levels and backgrounds will find comfort and satisfaction.