Other than the dive internship fee what else should you budget for?
How much spending money will I need?
Not much! Your main expense will be food and drinks, which are exceptionally cheap in Thailand.

A decent meal costs between 40 - 200 baht depending on whether you want Thai or Western food. A beer cost 50 - 70 baht. As a rough guide I tend to average about 400 - 500 baht per day (about 10 USD).

If you're determined, you can live for a lot less than this, but this amount is comfortable! I would also recommend keeping a few hundred USD in reserve.


What Do I Need to Bring with me to Thailand?

Everything in Thailand is cheap, and you can get everything you need.

Keep it minimal. Clothes, camera, sunglasses, flip flops - what more do you need?

Remember, at the end of the scuba diving internship you'll have a bag full of scuba diving equipment & diving manuals to take back.


I'm already a certified Diver - can I get some discount on my Gap Year Dive Internship Fee?

Yes. Contact us and we can discuss exactly what you've done then come to some arrangement.

Either we can reduce the overall cost of your dive internship OR give you a great deal if you swap courses you've already completed for alternate dive courses offered by DJL Diving Koh Tao.

I'm on a Summer Break & don't have a full two months available
- what can I do?

The courses can be completed faster, so if you had say only 10 weeks we can still get you through the internship to PADI Divemaster.

This is easily do-able - you won't be 'flat out' but you'll have to keep moving along at a steady pace.

The best thing to do is contact us and we can discuss your individual case.

If you're concerned about having too much to do out here [and want to take it easy] you could complete some of the theory work whilst you're still at home. We can mail some of your diving manuals to you - this allows you to maximize your time in the water here on Koh Tao Thailand.

I already own some of scuba diving equipment.
How will this affect the overall dive internship fee?

Contact us and we can discuss exactly what you've got and how that affects things.

Either we can reduce the overall cost of your dive internship OR give you a great deal if you swap courses you've already completed for alternate dive courses offered by DJL Diving Koh Tao


Is Thailand friendly towards lone female travelers?

Very. Koh Tao has an enormous volume of travelers, so there is no problem.

In terms of people taking diving internships here in Thailand we tend to get a fairly even male/female mix.

Also there are many girls living and working on Koh Tao, Thailand so you won't feel left out!


What is the quality of the diving equipment that we receive & is it really all mine to keep at the end of the internship?

It is all brand new and from reputable equipment manufacturers e.g. Scubapro, Mares.
And yes - once you finish your gap year / scuba diving internship it's yours to keep.



Do I have to undertake a medical examination? How fit do I need to be for the gap year / scuba diving internship?

At the end of your courses, to be signed off as a PADI Divemaster you do need a dive medical.

But don't worry it's quick and easy [costs only around 150 baht]. You can do it here on Koh Tao.

You need to have basic general fitness to enjoy the internship, but don't need to be an athelete. Obviously you can't take part if you have any serious medical conditions e.g. bronchitis, lung disease, pneumothorax, drug abuse heart disease etc. If your not sure, check with your doctor.

What vaccinations do I need? Is there a risk of malaria on Koh Tao?

Again, best to get in touch with your doctor. There's not really anything exotic here so you just need the typical vaccinations for travelling.

There is no malaria here so there's no need to take malaria tablets.

What is banking like on Koh Tao - are there ATMs?
What's the best way to bring money?

There are lots of ATMs and a few bank plus money exchanges on Koh Tao, so access to money isn't a problem.

Check out what charges you'll incur with your bank - I'd either use the ATM or travellers cheques.

For large payments [i.e. the internship fee] it's probably most economical to make a direct transfer.


What if for some reason I'm unable to complete the diving internship?

We'll work out the percentage of the internship that you've done and recaculate your bill based on that.

Everything is straightforward, plus we have experienced, competent instructors so are confident that you'll have no problem proceeding through the diving courses.


What are the opportunities for paid work once I qualify as a PADI Divemaster at the end of the internship?

Koh Tao is a very busy diving resort, so there are always lots of employment opportunities - you just need to apply yourself.

You won't get rich working as a Divemaster, but if you work full time should be able to afford basic living expenses [and will have a great time].

Another option is to check out our Underwater Videography Internship Add On - this is a paid scuba diving internship - you get 500 baht for each DVD that you produce & sell. Again, if you apply yourself you can do well from this.


Do I need to arrange travel insurance?
Does DJL Diving have a policy to cover scuba diving?

DJL has a policy with a company based in Thailand [called Hyperbaric Services of Thailand].

If you do injure yourself diving and can be sorted out on Koh Tao, there is no charge. If you suffer a serious injury which requires recompression treatment [extremely unlikely], you'll be evacuated to Koh Samui. For this a percentage of your treatment is covered by the shop - you or your own insurance has to pay the remainder.

It's prudent to get normal travel insurance [i.e. for personal belonging, sickness etc]. Try to get one which covers normal scuba diving to 18 or 30 metres.

If there's something you think we missed out or have any further questions contact us.

For people who are coming to undertake internships with us there are a there are two main places we use to put people in if we arrange your accommodation, however you do also have to option to arrange your own accommodation.

CJ's Guesthouse "The Tree House"

This is the closest of the three to the dive school and is less than 5mins walk away.  Here you will have your own room with fan, TV, fridge and shared bathroom facilities and there is also a balcony which overlooks the street. Below is a convenience store where you can get almost anything from a curry to a mo-ped!

P'Deang's Guesthouse

P'Deang's is about 10mins walk away from the dive school and here again you will have your own bedroom with fan, you will have a shared living room with cable TV, shared bathroom and kitchen with 2 -3 other people..