Scuba diving holidays to Thailand will never be the same from the end of 2008, that’s the dream anyway. The Thai Dive Association (TDA) is ready to start phase 2 in what has been called project ‘Coral Reef Squadron’  after a bit of a hiccup with phase 1. The company that transported the 10 decommissioned military aircraft, that the TDA had purchased in 2007, has finally received payment and released the aircraft after a 4 month battle. When the aircraft were delivered to Phuket from Lopburi on April 2008 the weather delayed the project but it would seem that the weather was only one part of the delay.

The four Douglas C-47 Dakota Skytrain’s and six Sikorsky S-58T helicopters are to be sunk 1km from Bang Tao bay on the north west shore of Phuket island. The aircraft will be secured to the sandy bottom by large concrete blocks and the aim will be to arrange the aircraft in a circular pattern. At a depth of around 20meters and not far off the shore these artificial coral reefs will be an ideal training ground and a new attraction for the visiting divers. It is hoped that the new dive area will help reduce the number of divers visiting the natural coral reefs in the area and help the natural environment recover from years of diver traffic.

The creation of artificial coral reefs to help protect the natural environment in over dived areas is not a new one. In 2006-2007 an artificial reef was built in Egypt after scientists at the Ben Gurion University, Eilat, reported some 50% reduction in the natural coral reef, caused mainly by diver traffic. Although the damage to natural coral reefs in Thailand are not that sever these new dive sites will most definitely help those that are under some pressure.

The work to get the aircraft in place is due to start on 12 November and be completed early December, just in time for the peak holiday season in Thailand. Obviously divers to the wrecks will not see much coral life, but with open swim-through and crystal clear waters at  20 meters you should get a visually stunning and extremely fun dive anyway. Unfortunately I can’t take anymore holidays to Thailand this year so looks like I won’t be diving these aircraft until early 2009. I just hope they last that long or at least longer than the King Cruiser Wreck. This passanger ferry  sunk only 10 years ago, about 2 hours boat ride from Krabi, but already has deteriorated and collapsed in many places making swim through dangerous.

If anyone gets a chance to dive this ‘Coral Reef Squadron’ could you please contact me with your experiences or leave a comment below about your dives, thanks.

After a long protest and some not so pretty clashes with the police the people of Thailand have what it seems they wanted maybe not in the way they wanted but I’m sure they are just happy that they have won.

Bangkok (The Nation): Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej has lost his post and his cabinet will function as a caretaker cabinet following this afternoon’s Constitution Court verdict that the PM is guilty of violating the nation‘s charter.

Six judges considered Samak to be the “employee” while three others considered him a “business partner” of a TV studio, a constitutional offence in both cases.

The court said evidence presented by Samak that he was only given transport fees for hosting the show “contradicted” payment evidence by the studio, Face Media.

The court went strong on the principles laid down by the Constitution against conflicts of interest. The judges pointed out that Samak’s defense, using definitions of “employ”, “employer” and “employee” from different laws, was not enough to determine whether the will of the Constitution had been violated. (src)

With the world in the grip of a credit crunch that doesn’t seem to be letting up for a while many people are putting off the luxury items, like their holidays. If you look at Thailand as your annual break, like me and my family, you will know that it’s not cheap to get out there and stay for 14 nights in the high season, but there are ways to avoid losing your holidays to Thailand totally.

Unlike the UK many, if not all, hotels in Thailand reduce their rates throughout the year. The period between mid December and the first week in January is the peak season when room rates can double and almost treble in price. You may also find that you’re expected to stump up for a Christmas or New Year gala dinner if your holidays to Thailand coincide with this time of year. In contrast though, if you were to visit the same hotel during the ‘Green Season’ you would be shocked at the discounts that are offered during this period.

What is the green season?
This is the time of year during which Thailand receives most of its rainfall. Traditionally the Songkran water festival is the celebration to start this rainy season but in reality the rains don’t come for a few weeks more. When they do arrive the surrounding landscape becomes very lush and green as the plants and trees begin to grow after the long dry period. It’s the greener of these plants that have given this period it nickname, the ‘Green Season’.

When is the green season?
In general the green season occurs during the UK’s summer time but each region of Thailand will have its own set time for the green season. The majority of holiday destinations in Thailand will reduce their prices between 1st May and the 1st November but there are some exceptions to this.

Koh Samui for example does not share the same weather patterns to Phuket and as such don’t have the same rainy season. The low (green) season on Koh Samui is mid September to mid December, but in Phuket the low season is between the end of May and the end of October.

What will the weather in Thailand be like during the green season?
Depending on where you chose for your holidays to Thailand you will most like see some rain during the green season but how much rain will depend on your location and when you are there. Not so long ago I can remember the dry season lasting well into May and June but those arriving for their holidays in Thailand during November to Ao Nang, Krabi, caught the end of the rainy season. You should always remember that you are dealing with the weather and it is often unpredictable.

How much can I save during the green season?
I’m not getting into the price of flights to Thailand from the UK or which airline is best. If you choose to arrive in Thailand during the green season you will most probably save some money on the cost of your flights. Finding cheap hotels in Thailand during the green season is really easy for most locations but you should know that the savings will not be great from hotels in Bangkok. I will provide the cost of a double room for the 3 seasons that most holiday destinations share, the low, high and peak season.

In Phuket the Deevana Patong Resort & Spa Phuket will cost 2085 baht in the low season 3108 baht in the high season 4274 baht in the peak season.

In Bangkok the Majestic Grande Hotel Bangkok will cost you 3700 baht in the low season and 3800 baht in the high season. Although not a great saving there is also no increase for the peak season. So if you plan to be on holiday in Thailand around the Christmas and New Year time you should consider being in Bangkok around this time. Be warned however it does get busy and rooms book out fast.

In Chaing Mai the Imperial Mae Ping Hotel cost 2200 baht in the low season and 2900 baht in the high season but during the peak season the cost goes up to a whopping 9000 baht! Obviously this includes the compulsory gala dinner dances but from the few I’ve been to you are best to try and organise your own entertainment. I feel I should add another warning here and say that if you do decide to organise your own celebrations while on holiday to Thailand don’t expect too much to be available when you get there. For families it may be best to stick with the hotel organised entertainment, this will save a lot of trouble for you.

The hotels I’ve listed here are for illustrative purposes and if you search around the internet you may find different prices offered. If you look on the right side of this page you should see a search function that allows you to look for all hotels for your holiday to Thailand.

So just to recap! The green season is the wet season and varies across Thailand but in general it’s around the same time as the summer in UK. If you time things right you can save a lot of cash on your hotel booking. Other services will also be reduced during the green season such as tours, car rentals, internal flights etc. If there is no reduction you could always ask for a discount! Everyone is looking for customers during this quite period so why not plan your holidays to Thailand around the green season and save yourself some cash.