Scuba Diving Internships Frequently Asked Questions
What is a PADI 5 Star Instructor Development Center?
PADI Five Star Instructor Development Centers (Five Star IDCs) are dive centers
that meet all PADI Five Star Dive Center standards, plus offer PADI instructor-level
training. Five Star IDCs have at least one PADI Course Director on staff and are
committed to offering instructor development programs and continuing educa-
tion opportunities to dive professionals. By offering PADI instructor-level train-
ing, PADI Five Star IDCs take on the responsibility of developing qualified PADI
Instructors – benefiting PADI Members, dive consumers and the dive industry as
a whole.
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Are there any hidden costs?
No. All of your course fees to PADI, your air fills, daily diving and courses fees within your package are covered. Accommodation is provided for the length of your package and you are provided with a new set of equipment with your package. You have to pay for your day-to-day living, for example water and electric bills in the accommodation, food (although you do get fed lunch on the boat), drinks and other costs outside of your diving life.
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What is the local cost of living?
The average cost of living / month is around $500 US (with your accommodation included). It all depends on how much you are out and about, what activities you are doing etc. You will be studying some of the time and diving a lot of the time but bear in mind what you want to do witht he rest of the time and budget accordingly. A guide to some of the costs is below.
Water & Electric: This generally accounts for from 500 Baht to 1500 Baht / month depending on how much you useelectrial items, air conditioning etc. If you use fans rather than air conditioning you can reduce your electric bill and obvioulsy being prudent with lights etc can also help you.
Food: Phuket has a wide variety of different types of cuisine available and how much you spend depends on where you go and what you want to eat. There are plenty of Thai style noodle shops and street food stalls where you can get noodles, Roti, or barbeque for around 25 to 45 baht per plate. A meal at a simple sit down Thai restaurant is usually about 80 baht including drink. For 100 to 150 baht you can get a great meal at a higher-end Thai restaurant. Most mid-range and high end Thai restaurants also serve western foods for 200 to 300 baht per person but often they don’t quite get it right. Phuket has some excellent foreign restaurants, some at quite reasonable prices. For 400 to 600 baht you can get a good western meal for two and 800 to 1,000 baht gets you a five star western dinner.In addition all of the foreign global chains of Starbucks, McDonalds etc can be found in Patong if you are looking for that type of thing.
Clothes: You do not need to bring a big wardrobe to Thailand. Bear in mind what you will need. You will be in a dive environment most days or a beach resort the rest of the time. You might want a couple of things for going out but it can be better to buy things here in Thailand. (and as a result not have to worry a lot about the excess baggage charges on flights). Clothes can be extremely cheap here with open air markets selling shirts and tops from 100 baht, and jeans for 400 baht. At the more upmarket department stores shirts and T’s are 200 to 500 baht and jeans cost 800 to 1,500 for brand names. All things will be in Thai sizes though so for things you might be unsure of finding your size in it is a good idea to bring them with you.
Drinks: A bottle of local beer (Singha, Chang, Tiger) will set you back about 60 baht in a bar. Foreign beers (except )are more expensive and harder to find. A pint of guinness in the bars that cater this will cost around 300B .Spirits are usually 100 to 150 baht a glass (mixer included) for imports and 60 to 80 baht for the local stuff (all double measures). Local whisky and rum such as Sangsom and Mae Khong are cheaper but might give you more of a headache.
Entertainment and nightlife: Movies cost 80 to 120 baht for a basic seat, VIP seats at the cinema (reclining seat with blanket, drinks and popcorn included) are 500 baht. Bowling is 80 baht per game, shoe rental not included. The only discos that charge a cover are in Patong. The cost is 100 baht and includes a drink.
Getting Around: Phuket is Thailand's biggest island and walking from place to place can take time. A motorbike taxi in town costs about 30 to 50 baht and 100 to 150 to the beach. A tuk-tuk from town to the beach costs 200-300 baht. Taxi prices go up at night. The songthaew mini buses from town to the beach ply a fixed route for 30 baht if you like the slow ride. Metered taxis on the island can bevery reasonable, if you can persuade them to use the meter. The most efficient means of transport is a 125cc motorbike. Motorbike rentals are readily available and cost about 3,000 baht per month, which includes insurance. Honda motorbikes are very reliable and the cost of maintenance is ridiculously low (40 baht to change a tire, 120 baht for a tune-up and oil change). For getting around Thailand there are options like the train, the inter-city buses that run or the low cost airlines such as Air Asia, Nok Air, and Bangkok Airways.
Health: A visit to the doctor will cost around 1,000 baht for a simple check-up or consultation.A trip to the dentist can also be extremely cheap, with a cleaning costing around 800 baht. Hospitals in Phuket are up to international standards, with competent doctors and excellent facilities. It is highly recommended you carry appropriate insurance to cover any medical problems you have that might arise.
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Are flights and transfers included?
No. Flights are not included. We can advise you on who to fly with and agents to use. We can pick up from Phuket International Airport if required.
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What is my PADI Instructor / Divemaster qualification worth after I finish the internship?
PADI diving qualifications are the most widely recognized worldwide and can be used anywhere in the world.
PADI Instructor-
The PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor (OWSI) rating is the first PADI Instructor level attained by dive professionals. During their training (either an Instructor Development Course or OWSI Program), instructor candidates review PADI Standards, procedures, philosophies and teaching methods as well as hone their practical teaching ability, watermanship, and diving knowledge. After successfully completing a PADI Instructor Examination (IE), OWSIs take responsibility for introducing people to scuba diving through various PADI programs and courses. Teaching status PADI Open Water Scuba Instructors may conduct the entire range of PADI programs from Discover Scuba Diving up to Divemaster (except for specialties which require specific Specialty Instructor
ratings).
PADI Divemaster-
The divemaster rating is the first PADI Membership level. PADI Divemasters supervise
diving activities for certified divers, assist instructors with training student divers,
and instruct skin diving and snorkeling. This rating denotes an individual who has
exemplary diving skills and role model behavior, solid rescue skills, professional level
knowledge of dive theory, dive management and supervision abilities, and competence as a certified assistant.
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How can I build up my experience following my internship? Can I stay on for work experience?
We offer a variety of experience packages for new instructors following the successful completion of their Instructor Exam (IE) including the Experienced Instructor program, Master Scuba Diver Trainer, and IDC Staff Instructor program. We encourage you to take advantage of these programs and build up your experience as an instructor before going out and working as one and also to get the opportunity to work with our really experienced instructors and learn from them to help make you a more confident instructor yourself.
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What is the local medical care like (clinics, hospitals, recompression facilities)?
A visit to the doctor will cost around 1,000 baht for a simple check-up or consultation.A trip to the dentist can also be extremely cheap, with a cleaning costing around 800 baht. Hospitals in Phuket are up to international standards (recommended hospitals being Bangkok Phuket Hospital and Phuket International), with competent doctors and excellent facilities. It is highly recommended you carry appropriate travel or medical insurance to cover any medical problems you have that might arise.
All our dive staff are fully trained in First Aid and CPR.
Phuket is one of the world's biggest dive industries and diving safety is taken evry seriously here. Local Recompression facilities include BadelVeda Recompression Unit at Bangkok-Phuket International Hospital in Phuket, so, in the unlikely event of a diving accident, we can provide you with the highest level of medical care.
Others include:
Hyperbaric Services Thailand, tel: 076 342 518
Badalveda Diving Medicine Centre, Bangkok Phuket Hospital, tel: 076 254 425
Hyperbaric Centre, Vachira Hospital, tel: 076 211 114, 076 217 293-8
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What is the banking system like for me to have access to my money?
There are literally hundreds of ATMs around the area with many situated outside the 7-11 convenience stores and local banks having a number of branches in town. Going out the more rural areas of Thailand you should be careful of where the ATMs can be found but in general they are easily found in most urban areas in Thailand. There are also numerous Western Union and MoneyGram facilities where you can have money transferred quickly to you from your home countries.
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How do I make the bank transfer for my internship payment?
Once you have contacted us we will email you a booking form, outlining the internship details and amount due.- This will be in Thai Baht.
From there you need to take the bank details that we provide you with to your own International Bank (HSBC, Citibank, RBS etc.) who deal with your account, to make the transfer of the deposit or the full amount (whatever has been agreed upon- this is up to you if you want to make the payment in one go or pay more to split the payments up. Your internship can start once the full amount has been received).
You will inform the bank that you will be transferring the amount we told you and provide our account details. The bank will tell you how much you need to pay in your own currency for that amount to be transferred to us.
Please make sure that all bank transfer fees are covered so that the correct amount reaches us.
Once completed the bank will issue you with a slip detailing the transaction which you will need to email or fax through to us. Thsi is crucial as we need to track the payment and from then on we can start making the preparations for your internship, and issue the letter for your visa etc.
If you have any questions about making the transaction then please feel free to contact us to make sure it is done correctly.
Another way of doing it is via a Western Union Money Transer. This is very easy and can be done in a matter of minutes. See the Western Union website and Contact Us for transfer details.
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Can I use Western Union for money to be sent to Thailand?
Yes. There are also numerous Western Union and MoneyGram facilities where you can have money transferred quickly to you from your home countries.
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Is my deposit for my internship refundable?
The deposit for the internship training is non refundable. We are completely flexible as to when you start your training and do not have a problem with you delaying your training commencement date. If you have a real problem then it is possible to transfer the deposit to a friend as a credit payment for dive trips, euipment etc. However we have to organise your accomodation and make sure that we have all of the equipment and materials in stock, and instructors scheduled for your course so there is no delay to your training.
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Do I need diving insurance?
Diving insurance can be provided through most travel insurance packages. Check how much you are covered for though. Divers Alert network (DAN) www.daneurope.org can provide dive insurance packages up to professional level, as can Dive Master Insurance and Dog Tag insurance in the UK. PADI Asia Pacific's official insurance broker is Horsell Insurance. It is a good idea to carry insurance in the unliekly event that anything were to happen to you you are definitely covered.
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Is equipment provided?
Equipment is provided with the various internship packages and is high quality Scubapro, Saekodive, Seac-Sub, and Suunto gear.
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Is Thailand safe for women?
Thailand is generally very female friendly. I have travelled in many countries and Thailand is certainly one of the most female friendly countries I have been to. Many of the scuba diving professionals out here are single women and they love it out here. Western women tend to enjoy as much freedom here as the men. On the subject of some of the more 'seedy' aspects of life here in South East Asia it is very easily avoided and does not really affect the farang women. There is so much to do here and so many like-minded people that everyone here feels that they are in a safe environment and finds it hard to leave!
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What is there to do when I’m not diving?
Where do I start? There is absolutely so much that it is not possible to fit it all in! From the sites made famous by James Bond and Leonardo DiCaprio movies at Krabi and Koh Phi Phi, to the nightlife and beach resort of Patong. There are modern shopping facilities and open air markets for shopping, cinemas, go kart tracks, watersports, the list goes on.. For a look at some of the local attractions follow this link.
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Is Thailand a good place to bring families?
Thailand is often referred to as the 'Land of Smiles'. The Thai people are immensely friendly and it is a great environment to bring a family to. I know of guys who have come to Thailand to become diving instructor and brought their recently born baby with them.They often comment what a great place it was to bring their family and how great the Thai people are with children.It is possible to find childcare here and there are also international schools and nurseries.
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How long should I do my training for and why does the full Open Water to Instructor internship last 7 months?
Assuming that you will wantsome time away from diving and a day or two off a week then you need to allow yourself time to fit in all of your courses and get the dives that you need in. The guides provided from each starting level for each internship give a good indication of how much time you will need although in certain cases they can be done quicker.
The full Open Water to Instructor Internship lasts 7 months to allow you time to acclimatise when you arrive and complete your PADI Open Water Diver Course. There must be a break of at least 6 months between the completion of your Open Water course and your PADI IDC/IE so this allows you to meet this requirement if you are starting from the beginning.
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What kind of visa should I get?
Although it is possible for many nationalities to get a 30 day visa on arrival, when you fly into Thailand you will obviously need to get a more long tern visa to allow you to complete your internship. Multi Entry Non Immigrant visas catergory B or ED visas are the best visa to get as they allow you to leave Thailand and re-enter as often as you wish. You will have to make a visa run after 3 months as this is the maximum time you can stay in Thailand in on sitting. This is normally done by going to a neighbouring country, Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia or Singapore. However if you have a multiple entry visa then you can re-enter without having to buy another visa.
We will send you a letter to submit with your visa application stating your purposes in Thailand and asking for a Non-Immigrant Visa. For any more visa information please do not hesitate to contact us.
Contact your local Thailand embassy or consulate for visa information and costs. For a list of Thailand embassies click here.
For those of you in the UK I personally recommend the Thai Consulate at Hull for applications.
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How long can I get a visa for and how do I get a work permit?
A multi-entry visa can last up to one year however it will only allow you to remain in the Kingdom for three months max after which you will have to do a visa run. It is really important therefore, that you check your entry stamp when you arrive in Thailand to check how long you have been given. This is the date on the Thai immigration stamp not that on the visa. Make sure you check this to avoid overstay.
A work permit will require you to have at least a Non-Immigrant visa and will require financial commitments. Contact Us for information on getting a work permit in Thailand.
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When can you start your internship?
You can start your training from any time that we recieve the full payment for your internship into our account. You might want to bear in mind when you want to do your IDC/IE as you will want this to be towards the end of your internship. Click here for the IDC schedule. You can contact us for advice on how long you want your internship to be and recommendations for when to do your IDC.
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What is the local diving like?
The local diving includes some of he best diving in the world. From the local dive sites whcih our dive boats go out to daily to Koh Racha Yai, Koh Phi Phi and the King Cruiser Wreck, to the liveaboard trips which go to the Similans, Richelieu Rock and Koh Bon.
For a full list and descriptions of our dive sites follow this link.
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Is the local diving seasonal?
You can visit all the Phuket dive spots all of the year round, but the best conditions exist from November through to April. The liveaboard season runs from early October through to mid May. There are also a limited number of liveaboard safari cruises to the Phi Phi Islands and Similan Islands all the year round.
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Do the dive centre offer any rewards for working in the internship?
As it would be illegal in Thailand there are not paid assignments when you are on your internship. There are chances to earn more PADI Courses, dive trips and equipment deals.
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Do the dive centre help you look for employment following completion of your Instructor Exam?
Yes, following the successful completion of your PADI IE you are entered into our Diver Job Program when we will provide you with advice, contacts, and CV assistance to help you find your first job as a diving instructor.
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Do I need a medical to dive?
When you arrive here before you start your training you will be asked to fill out the PADI Medical Statement and before the professional courses, you will be taken to get a medical at a local clinic (cost about 500Baht). If you want, you can get the medical before you come. The PADI Medical Statement applies to every course and can be downloaded here. Genuine medical statements not copies have to be submitted to PADI for the IE and Instructor Application. If you do have a condition that you feel might affect your ability to dive then have yourself checked up before coming out.
Download a copy of the PADI medical statement here.
If you are reasonably fit tthen it is fair to assume then you should be able to dive no problems.
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Do I need any inoculations to come to Thailand?
We recommend that you ask your doctor about this before coming. Generally Hepatitis, Typhoid, Polio and Tuberculosis shots are required. Phuket has a wide variety of phamcy shops and hospital facilities including Boots the Chemist in major shopping areas like Patong.
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What is the local communication infrastructure (mobile phones, internet etc) like?
Thailand has a modern up to date communications network. When you get here we will take you to buy a local SIM card for your mobile phone if you wish (this is about 300 Baht) which can go into unlocked mobiles. Mobile phones here are fairly cheap if you do not want to bring your mobile from home and obviously those on International roaming can recieve calls although this is more expensive. If you have a laptop with wireless connectivity then get Skype on it and you can use Skype and a headset to have free/ cheap conversations through the internet in various hotspots.
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How much do I pay for my flight and where do I fly to with which airline?
Flight from the UK and Europe should be around £500 UK but this can vary depending on the time of year and how soon in advance you book it etc. Either go directly to the airlines in the links posted after or sites such as www.travelsupermarket.com or Opodo.
The airport you need to fly to is Phuket International. This means you will have to first fly to Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore or Hong Kong and from there take a direct flight to Phuket International. Some airlines will do a package deal for you flight from Bangkok to Phuket.
From March 2009 Air Asia are starting cheap flights to Kuala Lumpur from London Stansted and from there you need to take a short flight to Phuket International.
Airlines-Thai Airways, British Airways, Qantas Airways, Eva Air, Air Asia, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Lufthansa,Air France/ KLM, Air Berlin, Royal Jordanian Airways, Gulf Air ,Finnair, Cathay Pacific, SIngapore Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Swiss International Airlines, Qatar Airways
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What are the local voltage and pin types?
Thailand's voltage is 220-240AC, 50 Hertz. The plugs in Thailand are not standardised -- there are at least three different types, some two pin, some three, so bring a universal adapter.
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What are the age limits on diving internships?
For the professional dive internships Divemaster and above the minimum age is 18. For the Master Scuba Diver Internship the minimum age is 15 to do the Rescue Course.
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Do I have to spend a long time in the classroom and with independent study?
Not all courses require classroom time but most of them do require a length of time to be spent in the classroom. However we have the lastest interactive traing aids with prescriptive learning guides, DVD players to give you the best possible learning experience.
All courses require some form of independent study. It is not full time study here but make no mistake you do have to do some studying and homework to learn the material and prepare yourself for courses especially the Divemaster Course and the IDC. All courses have some form of independent study mostly in the form of reading and knowledge reviews.
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Why do an internship?
A major bonus too is that you go from course to course with shorter periods in between, therefore the information and skills that you take on are not lost over time and are refreshed and built on at every stage in the path up to instructor.
So what does an internship involve?
leading divers, assisting on courses and of course taking the courses themselves, the dives will clock up pretty fast.
PADI MASTER SCUBA DIVER INTERNSHIP
GO PRO PADI DIVEMASTER INTERNSHIP
So what does the internship involve?
GO PRO PADI OPEN WATER SCUBA INSTRUCTOR INTERNSHIP
So what does the internship involve?
THE NEW INSTRUCTOR EXPERIENCE PROGRAM
Intern Accommodation at the Elephant Guesthouse in Naiharn Beach
Each standard room comes with 
If requested it is possible to upgrade to superior room or a Thai style house onsite for an extra charge. Also for those interns who want to provide their own accommodation then the internship is available at a low rate.
Ocean Geo Divers
TAT License 31-0764