Hi there,
I might be lucky enough to relocate in Bangkok, and of course I'm thinking about the diving opportunities over there.
I'm writing to seek for recommendations of the closest dive spots to Bangkok, meaning the ones on which you can go just for a week-end (or even a day trip), without taking a plane (with a plane I definetely know where to go ). I'm wondering whether I could get good 'regular/cheap' diving there.
So I've heard that Pattaya and Koh Samet would be close.
1/ Are there other places you would recommend?
I've also heard that Pattaya/Koh Samet were "not that nice" for diving, and I'd like to understand what it means, what's the quality of the diving there. For me good dive sites are those with lots of fauna (and diversity of fauna), as well as health of reefs.
I imagine that Pattaya/Koh Samet are less good that Phuket, Sipadan & other diving meccas...
2/ but what do you get there? What sort of animals? How does it compare to, let's say, the french/italian Mediterranean cost (for those who have practiced them), or with the Red Sea?
If some of you have pictures/videos taken in Pattaya/Koh Samet I'd be very interested in viewing those.
Thanks in advance for your advise!!
cheers
Nicolas