Snorkeling and scuba-diving

Snorkeling and scuba-diving are popular in Pattaya, though if you’re got the choice between diving here or off the Andaman coast, go for the latter – the reefs there are a lot more spectacular. The big advantage of Pattaya is that it can be dived your-round, and underwater visibility is consistent. The main destinations for local dive trips are the group of “outer islands” about 25km from shore, which include Koh Rin, Koh Man Wichai and Koh Klung Badaan, where you have a good chance of stingrays, and hawksbill and green turtles. There are also three rewarding wreck dives in the Samae San/Sattahip area: the 21-metre-deep freighter Phetchaburi Bremen, which went down in the 1930s; the 64-metre-long cargo ship Hardeep, which was sunk during World War II and can be navigated along the entire length navy in 2003 to make a new artificial reef. A one-day dive trip with a reputable dive company, including two dives, equipment and lunch, generally costs around B3000, with accompanying snorkelers paying B800. Several companies along Pattaya Beach Road run snorkeling trips to nearby Koh Larn and Bamboo Island (B1500), though mass tourism has taken its toll on these two islands and their coral. Pattaya is also an easy place to learn to dive: with the good dive companies, one-day Discover Scuba Diving courses starts at about B4000, and four-day Open-water course average of B14, 000. Be careful when signing up for a dive course or expedition: unqualified instructors and dodgy equipment are a fact of life in Pattaya, especially at those outfits offering cheap deals, and it’s as well to question other divers about all operators, PADI-certified or not.