With 2170 kilometers of coastline fronting on the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea, Thailand has one of the richest marine faunas in the world. Its tropical climate ensures year-round diving pleasure in pristine waters and varied underwater terrain that host a diversity of marine life, from brilliant colored coral polyps to graceful featherstars and a wide variety of reef fish, shark, marlin, sailfish, and barracuda. In a unique compiliation of facts and photographs, writer Collin Piprell and photographer Ashley J. Boyd take an enticing look at some of Thailand's best dive sites - along with expert advice on travel, preparation, and facilities. Whether it is scuba diving, wreck diving or live-aboard cruises to premier destinations such as the Similans, the Surins, or the fabled Burma Banks, Diving in Thailand opens up an exciting vista of undersea life and diving spots that are among the best in the world. Contents Introduction Weather Conditions Diving Regulations Thailand's Marine Life Dangerous Marine Life Conserving Thailand's Coral Reefs Underwater Photography: Some Basic Tips Using this Guide ANDAMAN SEA Destiation Phuket and Immediate Environs Destination Trang Destination Islands and Banks North and Northwest of Phuket GULF of THAILAND Destination Pattaya/Sattahip/Samae San Destination Chumphon. Destination Koh Samui/Koh Tao Destination Koh Chang Marine National Park A Concluding Note Author Collin Piprell, a Canadian, is a professional writer based in Bangkok. He has had wide experience of sports diving and has collaborated with Ashley J. Boyd on THAILAND'S CORAL REEFS and dozens of articles related to diving and the natural history of coral reefs. About the Photographer: Ashley J. Boyd, an Australian, is a professional still and video photographer based in Bangkok. His photographs have appeared in a wide variety of books, magazines, calendars and posters. His video work has appeared on television and in promotional and educational films. A qualified PADI scuba instructor who specialises in underwater photography courses, Boyd has so far logged over 2,500 dives in tropical Asia.