PADI Pattaya: Courses, Dive Trips & Costs Guide

Featured image: Slyronit, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

PADI Pattaya: which courses are on offer

PADI-affiliated centers around Pattaya list a full ladder of courses. Beginners can take Discover Scuba Diving or the Open Water Diver course. Certified divers can add Advanced Open Water, Rescue Diver and specialties such as Wreck Diver. Divemaster is the first professional rung for people who want to work in diving. Prices below are operator snapshots, with prices and hours checked November 2026. Treat them as examples rather than market-wide rates, because each center sets its own.

Which PADI course fits you: decision table

Match your experience to the row below. Prices come from two named Pattaya operators, Pattaya Dive Centre and Jomtien Dive Center, and not from PADI itself.

• Mistake to avoid: booking Advanced straight after Open Water without any logged dives. Build comfort first.
• Mistake to avoid: scheduling a course on your last day. Leave buffer days for weather and for the no-flying window.

Open Water vs Advanced in Pattaya

Open Water certifies you to dive to 18 m. Advanced Open Water extends that to 30 m. Advanced has no written exam. You finish the knowledge reviews, then complete 5 adventure dives from a boat. One deep dive and one navigation dive are required, and you choose 3 more. Wreck, night and multilevel dives are common electives. Pattaya's wrecks make the wreck elective a natural pick. Our wreck diving guide covers the individual ships. Each adventure dive credits toward its matching specialty. Specialty courses run 4 dives, so you owe only 3 more. PADI's own page describes the Wreck Diver specialty. Five specialties plus Rescue Diver lead to Master Scuba Diver. Rescue Diver and Divemaster follow for anyone going professional.

Where the dive trips go

Operators group Pattaya diving into three areas. Transit runs from about 50 minutes to 2 hours, depending on where the boat is heading. Boat masters pick that day's sites based on conditions, so you rarely choose in advance. Our Pattaya dive sites guide goes deeper on each location.

• Near islands around Koh Larn: Koh Sak, Koh Khrok and Koh Lan, plus the Kut and Mattaphon wrecks. Best for beginners and short rides.
• Far islands near Koh Rin: Koh Phai, Koh Klung Badan and Koh Rin, plus the Khram wreck. Longer ride, wreck focus.
• Samae San, just under 1 hour down the coast: Koh Chaung, Koh Chan, Koh Ron Kon, SharkFin Rock, Japanese Gardens and Hin Chalarm. Wrecks here are the Hardeep and the T94 and T95 ships.

What you'll see and when conditions are best

Expect warm water. One operator says it rarely drops below 30 °C, even in rain. Visibility varies because the upper Gulf gets limited tidal exchange. On good days one operator reports up to about 20 m. Macro life is the steadier draw, with nudibranchs, seahorses and pipefish. Turtles are possible, but no site guarantees them. For seasonal detail, read our Pattaya water temperature guide. Ask your center for recent visibility before you pay a deposit.

Costs and what's included

Operator prices give a workable range. A 2-dive Pattaya trip costs ฿2,700–฿3,000 at Pattaya Dive Centre. Samae San trips cost ฿2,900–฿3,200. A 10-dive package costs ฿12,000 with rental gear. Advanced Open Water at ฿14,950 includes full equipment, a dive computer and 2 boat trips with lunch. Card payments in store carry a 3% surcharge there, while paying in full online does not. Compare these items between centers:

• Rental gear and dive computer
• Lunch and refreshments
• Transfers or hotel pickup
• Marine park fee at Samae San, which is ฿100 on the snorkel trip
• eLearning and certification fees
• Card surcharge versus cash
• Budget scenario, certified diver: 2 fun dives at ฿2,700–฿3,000, or a 10-dive package at ฿12,000.
• Budget scenario, new diver: Open Water plus Advanced comes to ฿27,950–฿29,940 at these listed prices.

How to choose a PADI dive center

Start with boat size, boat speed and instructor-to-student ratio. Ask about group size, gear condition, insurance and exactly what the price covers. Read recent reviews for safety habits, not just friendliness. Most operators advertise "5 Star". That is a PADI category, not a guarantee of quality, so check the center's current PADI listing. Our Pattaya dive center guide compares options. Pattaya Dive Centre lists a Pattaya Beach base and runs three boats. Jomtien Dive Center operates from Jomtien. SSI also runs a dive center locator if you want a second agency.

Non-divers and snorkelers

Travel companions can snorkel while you dive. Jomtien Dive Center lists a daily snorkel trip from 08:00 to 15:30. It costs ฿1,295 from Pattaya or ฿1,495 from Samae San. That covers equipment, a guide, a Thai lunch, 2 locations and transfers within Pattaya. Samae San's ฿100 park fee is extra. Our Pattaya snorkeling guide has more options. For shorter outings, see snorkeling around Koh Larn.

Booking and logistics

Most operators take a deposit or full payment online. Pattaya Dive Centre asks for a ฿1,000 deposit on Discover Scuba. You pay the balance in store. Because the boat master picks sites on the day, keep your itinerary flexible. Ask whether pickup covers Pattaya Beach or Jomtien hotels. Complete the PADI medical questionnaire honestly, and see a doctor if any answer is yes. Do not fly right after diving. DAN guidance on flying after diving sets the waiting time, so confirm it with your center before booking a flight. Bring a swimsuit, towel, sun protection and your certification card.