Where would you go in SE. Asia if you had 2-4months (june to september) to spend getting your divemaster certificate and working in a dive shop? where would you choose to do it?<BR><BR>i'm leaning heavily towards veitnam... with rainbow divers. they've been very friendly and very helpful, and from what i can tell have a very good reputaion. <BR><BR>i have also talked to http://www.phangandivers.com/ and i'm looking into Budda View however i don't know too much about either of them. <BR><BR>i want to live and work for a few months while doing the course and i'm really just looking for any kind of advice or suggestions! i'm not set on either of these and would consider other options... (ie. bali or the philippines)<BR><BR>also does anyone have experience working while doing one of these courses? i'm looking for some way to help subsidise the cost. ideally by working for the dive company in their shop, but if thats not possible then by working as well. has anyone done this? advice? <BR><BR>thanks!<BR><BR>

You will need a work permit to work legally in any of the countries you have mentioned. You would need to be sponsored by your employer or be willing to invest substantial money in your own business to obtain a work permit on your own. Is Rainbow Divers willing to sponsor you for a work permit? It is almost impossible for a westerner to work in Vietnam without one, as you really can't work &quot;illegally&quot; (without a permit) because you are so obviously not Vietnamese. This would be the first question to ask if you haven't asked already.<BR><BR>Bali would be a good choice, and it is a bit easer to work there without a work permit mostly because the authorities are not as inquisitive as they are in Vietnam. Same with the Philippines. However, I think tourism is way down in both places so if you don't have a job lined up now, you may have a hard time finding one once you get there. Bali is relatively cheap, so you could live for quite a while without a job. I prefer the culture and people of Bali to Vietnam. The lifestyle is also more laid back.<BR><BR>I assume you are from the US, but if you are from Canada, then Australia would be easy work-permit wise. You can also work in Australia fairly easily as an illegal if you are Caucasian.<BR><BR>You might consider Guam, which is a US possession, and you should be able to work there. <BR><BR>I assume you have already checked out all the diving websites, but if not, give them a try as well to ask the same questions.<BR>

i'm less conserned about working as i am about diving. i was really just hoping to find a place that would let me help out around the dive shop in exchange for training. so not really &quot;working&quot; persay. i don't really NEED to work... but would just be nice to help off set the costs. if its not possible thats fine. <BR><BR>as i said i'm really mostly looking for suggestions on where to do my divemasters course for a few months. i'd like to be in se. asia so australia and guam aren't really what i'm looking for. <BR><BR>thanks anyway.<BR><BR>

Take care, standing behind a counter, picking up a pen, absolutely anything is considored 'working', I kid you not. You even need a permit to work in a charity place. The laws are strict and although some easily get away with it if you get caught it is not pleasant.

hi guys.. thanks for trying to be helpful i'm really not that concerned about working while i'm there. if i can't...i can't no problem..... i'm mostly just interested in places to do my DIVEMASTER'S INTERNSHIP.<BR><BR>if anyone has any suggestions or opinions of vietnam vs. thailand in regards to spending 2-3 months diving that would be great.<BR><BR>thanks<BR><BR>

OK, so we have scared you off from working. I am a diver and I lived in Hong Kong and Singapore for a total of 10 years; so if I were doing a dive master course and had 2-4 months, my preferences would be as follows:<BR><BR>Bali - lots of different dive sites (caves, walls, wrecks), warm water, cheap accommodations, western-friendly, laid-back immigration (at least before the Kuta bombings). I think Bali is the most culturally interesting place with the most friendly people. You can automatically get a 2-month visa on arrival (webiste says these are non-extendable; in practice you can always fly or take a boat to another country if your visa runs out, and just come right back in.) To do in the right way, you can apply now for a 4-month visa.<BR><BR><BR>Thailand - all of the above, except I don't think it is quite as cheap as Bali to live in the good diving areas (Phuket, Koh Samui). You get a 30-day visa on arrival, it seems that a 60-day tourist visa would also be obtainable easily; longer stays require a visa in advance (or go out to a neighbouring country and come back in).<BR><BR>Malaysia - all of the above, getting a long-term visa might be a little more difficult (only 30 days to start with, need onward ticket), not as westernised in the good diving areas on the east coast. Sipidan is fantastic diving, but a bit unsafe at this point.<BR><BR>Vietnam - webiste says tourists can get a 6-month visa, unclear if this is on arrival or must be obtained in advance. Water is not as warm during parts of the year. I don't think the quality and quantity of the diving would be as good here as any of the countries mentioned above. We never considered diving in Vietnam as there are many better sites to choose from.<BR><BR>Philippines: the diving is as good or better than Bali, Thailand or Malaysia. I just don't think this is a particularly safe place to visit now. Definitely not southern Philippines, Boracay (Palawan and other islands) in the northeast would probably be OK. Looks like you can get a 60-day visa easily, then maybe go out and back in.<BR><BR>You should check all visa requirements yourself. A good place to start is http://travel.state.gov/foreignentryreqs.html - US State Dept info for entry requirements to many countries, with links to the embassies.<BR><BR>Also, contact the US embassy or consulate in each country you are considering to ask if they have negative reports or experience with the various dive companies you are considering. All US embassies and consulates have websites, the main website for the US State Dept is http://travel.state.gov/links.html<BR>

Koh Tao Island in Thailand, check it out.

thanks nancy!!! thats exactly what i was looking for. you've been a big help! i'm canadian so not sure if visa requirements are any different. will look into that!<BR><BR>thanks again! <BR><BR>if anyone else has any thing more to add i'd still love to hear it! especially on recomended dive companies and choosing a good one is very important!<BR><BR>