From left, Royal Thai Navy Captain Chettha Jaipium, Dhorn Dhamrongsawasdi, advisor to the director of the Marine and Coastline Resources Department, Hans Ulrich, PADI Thailand Regional Manager, Niti Kongkrut, director of Tourism Authority of Thailand’s Pattaya office, Pattaya Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome, Serm Phenjati, consultant for DusitD2 Baraquda Pattaya and Mikamin Charujinda, director of the Marine and Coastline Resources Department.

Pattaya city officials, the Royal Thai Navy and the Tourism Authority of Thailand have joined forces to market Pattaya as a premier wreck-diving destination and with the formation of a new dive operator club and the sinking of another shipwreck within two years.

Tentatively called the Pattaya Dive Club, the association will promote all the city’s dive companies through a joint Internet website that will be advertised worldwide with funds from both the city and the dive operators.

At a Nov. 28 seminar at the DusitD2 Hotel in Pattaya, Pattaya Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome, TAT Pattaya office Director Niti Kongkrut, PADI Thailand Regional Director Hans Ulrich, Navy Capt. Chettha Jaipium and Dhorn Dhamrongsawasdi, advisor to the director of the Marine and Coastline Resources Department discussed ways to development a tourism plan to bring divers to Pattaya. (more…)

Encouraging news today for those living or traveling in Southeast Asia. Both Thai Airways International and Bangkok Airways have launched an assault on low-cost carriers such as Air Asia, offering discounts of 20 percent on individual journeys and booklets of tickets good for a year in and around Thailand. (more…)

How heavy is your diving gear bag?

We all buy that great tec gear so we’re kitted and fitted the way we want. But traveling with it is not only a pain, it’s become frighteningly expensive.

The U.S. PADI America’s Instructor News Blog today has a guide to weight allowances for major U.S. carriers, which they promise to keep current.  For those with travel to Thailand in the cards, the chart does show international weight limits as well.

Weights of about 22 kg / 50 pounds are pretty common. Some have more, some have less. But one thing remains true: Go over the limits and you’ll pay dearly.

Maybe it’s time to start a Diver Airlines?