Thailand Internship ~ Divemaster

diverdad

Hi,

My daughter is planning to go to Thailand next summer and do an internship for PADI DM. She is already AOW (hence my username), and a very capable, graceful diver. Better, more natural diver than me tbh
This will, for her, be as much about travelling and living abroad as it is about diving. She is already squirreling her money away in preparation for next summer! (Oh to be young, indestructable and have a plan.:p )
She has a good number of dives here in cold murky Ireland, as well as the Med and Canary Isles. So her experience is pretty good. :cool:

The centres she is looking at are linked below -

http://www.learn-in-asia.com/

http://www.mermaiddive.com/scuba_diving_internship_instructor_training_thailand.html


Has anybody else been on one of these internships/courses?
What are the pitfalls?
Is this place on the level?
Are these courses worth the money?
Am I losing a daughter to the Eastern sex slave market? :eek:

Any advice/information that could be passed on would be welcome

Gav104

Are you sure your daughter wants to go to Pattaya ? I'd say she would be the only young white female there.

lazarus

Was in Patong with scubacats doing IDC course Jan-Mar 11. PM if you want any info

listermint

Koh Tao / Koh Samui I have found to be more cleaner place. The schools there have a good community. Ive very little experience in Pattaya but it wouldnt have been my first port of call if im honest due to the environment, its very built up and pretty seedy.

locum-motion

Fair play to her, but would she not be better (other plans like school or college permitting, of course!) to spend the next year doing a DM internship here in Ireland, and then she might be able to get a job there and make some money rather than just spending it?
I'm sure she'd still have just as much craic in the evenings either way, or maybe even more as she might have a cupla extra bob in her pocket.

BigDuffman

I met a few people in Koh Tao doing an internship and they loved it!! I was a few heart beats away from doing it myself as a result! Koh Tao is great safe island with a fantastic diving comunity.

diverdad

Gav104 wrote: »

Are you sure your daughter wants to go to Pattaya ? I'd say she would be the only young white female there.

Thanks Gav104; way to set my mind at ease!! :rolleyes:
But seriously I have information that a lot of females opt for this training; in the sunshine, with great vis, along with good food, followed by cheap beers............ not so stupid an idea

lazarus wrote: »

Was in Patong with scubacats doing IDC course Jan-Mar 11. PM if you want any info

I'll do that a little local knowledge sort of stuff they don't put in the manuals.......

listermint wrote: »

Koh Tao / Koh Samui I have found to be more cleaner place. The schools there have a good community. Ive very little experience in Pattaya but it wouldnt have been my first port of call if im honest due to the environment, its very built up and pretty seedy.

Built up and seedy....... not liking the sound of that. Course I'm in work so I can't google 'built and seedy Thailand'

locum-motion wrote: »

Fair play to her, but would she not be better (other plans like school or college permitting, of course!) to spend the next year doing a DM internship here in Ireland, and then she might be able to get a job there and make some money rather than just spending it?

locum-motion wrote: »

I'm sure she'd still have just as much craic in the evenings either way, or maybe even more as she might have a cupla extra bob in her pocket.

She is going to college and working full time this summer. If she were to do DM internship in Ireland I'd be expected to foot the bill for that one. But traveling abroad does the educational, recreational, holiday, travel, mind-broadening thing all in one go. She is willing to pay for that one herself.

BigDuffman wrote: »

I met a few people in Koh Tao doing an internship and they loved it!! I was a few heart beats away from doing it myself as a result! Koh Tao is great safe island with a fantastic diving comunity.

It does look massive. I asked her about 'mature divers' doing the course and I was told straight out that I was to keep out of the East while she was there because she didn't want to be embarassed by me.:D
Honestly, half a planet is out of bounds :eek:

Gav104

Yes ,while quite a few young women do DM courses in Thailand .Im not disputing that its just the majority would do it in Koh Tao or Phi Phi perhaps. She would be in a similar age group and interests but in Pattaya as I said she would be a little out of place. Tends to be more the older "gentlemen" who enjoys Pattayas nightlife .

If she intends to go to Thailand anyways,why not wait and travel to places like I mentioned and then she can find a place and group of instructors that she gets on with .