Pattaya and the Surrounding Area
Pattaya, Thailand's first resort built for foreign tourists,
became infamous as a Rest and Recuperation destination for American
soldiers during the American-Vietnamese war. The first dive shop
opened for business during this time and here, many servicemen
and their visiting families became some of the first foreigners
to scuba dive recreationally in Thailand. Of course, many single
men came looking for more numbing ways to forget the horrors of
war, so vast numbers of bars, discotheques, and other types of
watering-holes opened as well. Today, huge high-rise hotels follow
the curve of the bay and Pattaya, while still popular with international
visitors, has become more attractive as a weekend getaway for
residents of Bangkok.
Although Pattaya is far more densely populated than other tourist
areas in Thailand-its appearance is more similar to Australia's
Gold Coast or Hawaii's Waikiki rather than Phuket or Ko Samui-Pattaya
remains popular as this city beside the sea is bustling and energetic.
Even though Pattaya has received considerable negative press over
the past few years-a great deal of it undeserved-it has a certain
character that people return for. Its beaches may not be the finest
in the Gulf, its diving may not be the most extraordinary in Thailand,
and its hustle may not make it the most tranquil and sedate environment
in Southeast Asia. But, with a multitude of sporting activities-including
golf, tennis, water fun-parks, sailing, bowling and car racing
to name a few-an unimaginably unrestrained night life, notable
international and local restaurants, world-class hotels, and diverse
and often low-priced shopping, Pattaya has more to offer than
any other resort in the region. Pattaya is definitely an active
resort and scuba diving enthusiasts will find plenty to keep them
busy.
Since Thailand's recreational diving industry was born in Pattaya,
dive centers there have set valuable examples to other more recently
opened diving businesses in other parts of Southeast Asia. Their
main activities are teaching introductory courses and open water
certification courses to new divers. In addition, they specialize
in advanced training programs for divers, offering scheduling
that is specially suited to residents working in Bangkok-both
foreign and Thai. All dive centers in Pattaya conduct one day
diving trips and some are now starting to delve into the live-aboard
scene, offering longer trips to Ko Chang near the Thai-Cambodian
border.
One problem that shop-owners have faced and become frustrated
with is the lack of clear environmental policy on the part of
the local government. This combined with a solid population growth
over the past ten years or so has caused many of the dive sites
to deteriorate. Finally, on some islands jet ski operators have
made it all but impossible for reputable instructors to offer
safe diving conditions. This does not mean that all sites offer
poor diving or unsafe conditions; it does mean that the operators
have been forced to go further a field to find safe and pleasant
diving environments.
Visitors to the area will be happy to discover that some of the
best wreck diving in Thailand is found here. Although there are
several wrecks scattered around, the two best sites in the area
are the Bremen and the Hardeep.
The Hardeep is considered to the be the best wreck dive
and stores offer one-day and two-day trips to the site. Located
between Ko Samaesan and Ko Chuang, the Hardeep is a 42
meter-long Indonesian freighter that sank in 1942 and now rests
on her side in 21-27 meters of water. As with all wrecks, one
of the main reasons people dive on them is because of the eerie
emotions they experience when the ship first becomes visible through
the gloom. Although I'm a relatively inexperienced wreck diver,
when I do have the opportunity to dive on a ship I am always impressed
by what I imagine were the massive forces that took them down.
And, it is a sobering experience to think about the fate of the
crew and the terror they must have felt while watching their vessel
sink. This aside, the main reason for diving on sunken ships is
that they are a magnet for incredible amounts of marine life.
Today the wreck is still and tranquil-except for the masses of
tropical fish who have made this disaster their home. It is also
home to colonies of fan corals and large barrel sponges. Although
visibility is not dependably clear here-averaging about the same
the in rest of the Gulf of Thailand-the prolific marine life and
the possibility of making a safe penetration into the wreck makes
the dive one of the most inviting around.
The second popular wreck is the Bremen located near the village
of Sattahip South of Pattaya city. Although there has less and
less profile to this 300 foot steel ship every year due to natural
deterioration, the wreck attracts large schools of yellow tail
snappers and barracuda especially during slack tide. An excellent
deep dive for an advanced course, the wreck rests at about 25
meters and visibility ranges from around seven to ten meters.
For those divers interested in more than ship wrecks, coral diving
in Pattaya can be satisfying as well. Often dive centers will
offer a coral dive during their trip to the Hardeep as Ko Chuang
and Ko Samaesan have healthy coral down to as deep as 30 meters.
Although larger animals such as sharks and rays are occasionally
seen, the big attractions here are the abundance of soft and hard
corals and beautiful, colorful anemones.
For a gentle coral dive specially suited to beginners, many operators
offer a one day excursion to the nearby island of Ko Krok. As
it is a private island, no jet-skis are around to bother divers
or snorkellers. Shallow drift dives in the coral gardens of this
island are quite pleasant and the added advantage of a short boat-ride
makes for a popular trip. Interestingly enough, several environmental
groups from the Bangkok area have begun a project to encourage
coral growth in the area. This project is funded by both the government
and private donors and is an encouraging start towards new environmental
policy in the Pattaya area.
Further offshore, the island Ko Rin probably offers Pattaya's
best diving. The underwater profile is more interesting here compared
with other places and water clarity can be excellent, sometimes
exceeding 25 meters. Rocky canyons form swim-throughs which are
not only wonderful for divers but cause currents to wash around
the rocks causing great environmental conditions for the vast
array of marine life that live here. Although the day can be long
due the distances involved in getting to the different sites in
this area, those looking for clearer water will be find the longer
traveling times worthwhile.
Recently there has been much discussion of the diving possibilities
Southeast of Pattaya in the Ko Chang area. As of this writing,
at least three dive centers are speaking seriously about expanding
in the area, and one is talking about offering up to 10-day liveaboard
diving trips there. Opinions vary widely on just how good the
diving is. Some say it is better than the Similans-which is simply
not so-and others say it is terrible-which is also incorrect.
Practically speaking, the area needs further exploration, but
there are definitely possibilities for some great diving.
The area itself is rich in history and culture as it is located
almost right on the border with Cambodia (Kampuchea). With the
recent and ongoing political turmoil in Cambodia, very little
tourist development has occurred here. The hilly, jungle-covered
islands are striking in their beauty and many of the beaches rival
those of our Southern islands. The potential for tourist development
is good and once things settle down politically, the area will
no doubt boom.
What most excites the diving operators who express their opinions
about the diving around Ko Chang are the underwater pinnacles
that are located offshore of Ko Chang and Ko Raet. As with many
of the pinnacles in Thai waters, taking trips here will require
operators to have GPS navigation systems on board their boats.
Otherwise they will be unable to locate them consistently and
dependably.
The best diving spots in both the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of
Thailand are on pinnacles because of the rich conditions there
which create healthy environments for marine life. Not only will
the big animals such as sharks and rays be more common, but the
corals and fish-life on these pinnacles are far more dense. Once
Pattaya's dive operators begin conducting regular liveaboard trips
to the area-which will give them the time to look around more-we
will all be hearing much more about this destination. When the
Ko Chang area is properly explored-with the proper equipment-it
will most likely turn into one of the most popular diving areas
in the Gulf.
As with the island of Ko Samui to the South, Pattaya is probably
not the place for a dedicated diving holiday. But for those divers
looking for an active sporting life-or a busy night-life-as well
as diving-Pattaya might well be the answer. For the student of
scuba, Pattaya offers many opportunities as well. For a week or
a weekend, Pattaya has the potential to keep even the most active
diver happy.
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