Found this old conversation I had with another Instructor when I was an instructor there and it sheds a little light of the work situation and the way you as a new Scuba Instructor has to be a bit versatile to take whatever job you get offered initially to get your name well known.
Instructor 1: Checked out the pics but none of our IDC. Probably a good thing. I am still in Koh Samet and will probably be here until the end of June / beginning July as I found there wasn’t much work going in Phuket and everyone wanted a work permit to give me a trial. Have team taught a 3 person OW course and also taught my own Rescue Course (just one person). Have got another OW course coming up in about a week. How are things going for you down there? Any interesting goings on with your dive courses?
Instructor 2: Koh Samet ? I had to look up that place as have never heard of it Glad you are getting on and teaching now, If you were like me its all a bit confusing doing your first course, I don’t think the IDC really prepares you for anything more than being good at presentations and skills, I think being left alone to do your own open water course is a challenge you can only prepare by actually doing it! I also think you need a lot more to get an Open water course done correctly in 4 days especially when you are a new / inexperienced Instructor.
Have been on my first visa run to KL and now back in Dive centre in Phuket, slowly been having more courses / and doing more website work (I now do a PADI Course Director’s website updates and marketing for him, didnt imagine I would need to be so versatile to make a living out here)
Had to bribe the police the other day to ensure I could work while my idiot lawyer gets my work permit application finalised ( you can now do this yourself in Phuket, but as doing it with Dive Centre’s Lawyer has taken 5 weeks now ! ) The police were trying to get tough with me and asking for 55,000 baht I refused and was reluctant to give them anything but the lawyer said that they will put me in prison if I dont pay so I coughed up reluctantly.
Money is tight here so hoping for some business to come this week. Have a good one mate.
Instructor 1: Koh Samet is definitely not on the diving hotlist. At this time of year I think the visibility seems to ma out at 5m and depth maximum about 8m! I know all about the Thai Police taking ‘commission’ aka bribes, its just a way in which the Thais just trying making a little extra money. It is in a large hotel and just a little sideline to keep the guests entertained and milk them for some more cash.
I am shocked, no amazed that our favourite Course Director has allowed you to tamper with his website and marketing. I would have thought that that would have been the Mr.
‘marketing genius’ own little baby, seeing as he puts so much effort into it. He must actually like you. Maybe he even respects you. He’s ok really, I think that I would probably recommend him actually.
Glad that you didn’t give them all the money as it sounds like they were just trying it on. How did they catch you? You should have just lied and said that you hadn’t started work there yet. Maybe you could have tried bribing them with a free PADI Discover Scuba Course instead. Anyway, things are a bit quiet here as it is raining almost everyday.
Thought I had an open water course starting yesterday but it starts on the 17th June instead.
What is the diving like in Mexico? I will probably leave Thailand at the end June or the beginning July and am thinking about looking for work in the Caribbean / Central America. Thinking about Mexico but not sure how much diving there is and whether it is any good.
Instructor 2: Hello mate, hope all is well with you, Mexico and Cozumel very good diving, I done my DM course with a dive centre there they are in Cancun but wouldnt really recommend them apart from their Cave Diving instructor they are a bit slack and the owners are idiots. There are some very big company in Cancun that I have seen advertising for jobs look on the PADI Pros website. The diving is good and varied but Cozumel has the world class diving (you can either stay there or go from Cancun as a daytrip)
I was caught by the police teaching in kata big rock,(they had videod me ! ) I had the dive centre truck and their equipment and had paid the student fees with the pool for dive centre so there was little hope in denying it 🙁
Can you remember if I sold you my eRDP ? I cant find it anywhere so Im hoping /; guessing I sold it to you
Instructor 1: Cheers for the advice mate, I will check it out. It seems you have been the victim of a sting operation. All the police seem to do in Phuket is harass the tourists. You think that they would be glad to have us there, making them money. You did sell me you ERDP and I sold it to Edward from the Phillipines.
Have had an offer from a dive shop that is linked to a backpackers at a lake at altitude in Guatemala. Might give it a go but going to try and have more of a look first. Mexico is my best shot because of all the great diving I keep hearing about.