More calls are being made for Thais to be trained as Divemasters and Instructors and play a more significant role in Thailand's burgeoning scuba industry.
From the Bangkok Post 27.07.06:
Phuket - The government should support the training of Thai dive masters to regulate an activity dominated by foreigners, say diving business operators in Phuket. It should help financially-disadvantaged Thais to train for the trade by extending long-term loans, said Pranompol Thammachartniyom, the chairman of Phuket's professional tour guide association. Currently, most dive masters are foreign.
He was speaking at a meeting of tourism industry operators and regulators called by Phuket governor Udomsak Assawarangkoon to discuss regulation and a proposal to ban businesses which damage the island's natural resources and environment.
Mr Pranompol welcomed plans to regulate the diving industry, where 100 operators vie for business. A course for a professional dive master costs as much as 100,000 baht per person, he said.
Sunthorn Thong-aram, a diving course operator, said many Thais had been deterred by the cost and support from the government would help.
Mr Udomsak said Thai and foreign operators agreed on the need for regulation, which had been in the pipeline for about 10 years.
Once the rules were laid down provincial authorities would not interfere as they were aware that diving required specialist skills, he said.
Phuket has only 10 diving instructors who can teach and take tourists out.
Some foreign dive masters were operating without work permits and evading taxes during the high season, the meeting was told.
This is a continuation of a debate started a few month ago about regulating the Thailand dive industry. It's certainly true that there are not that many Thais working as Divemasters and Instructors in Thailand - particularly compared to neighbouring Malaysia where there are plenty of indigenous dive staff.
Beyond the arguing about taxes is also the important point that more Thai divers will mean more evangelists for looking after Thailand's amazing reefs and coast line.
The Eco Tourism Training Centre in Khao Lak is already doing a lot of good by funding and training Thai DMs - although I'm not sure where the Post got that figure of 100,000 Thai Baht to do a DM course. That's about four times the average cost! Even so, 25,000 Baht (just over $650 US) is still six months' salary for many Thais, and so a real barrier to entry into the field.
Let's hope the Thai Government helps bring more Thais into the dive community without causing huge headaches for the foreign dive operators, many of whom pioneered Thailand's dive industry and started businesses from nothing which now support many people, Thai and foreigner alike. I'm all for foreign companies paying their fair share of taxes provided they don't get hounded into the ground because of it.
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