Asia - Scuba/snorkel in Thailand after the tsunami

Hey,

I'm heading to Thailand in 2 weeks and I'm wondering if anyone has been to either Phuket (HKT) or Koh Samui (USM) after the tsunami, specifically to scuba dive or skin dive (or even snorkle)? Are the reefs and fauna heavily damaged? Are there any dive operators running?

Thanks.

Diving last weekend in Phi Phi was fine, the scenery would have been outright gorgeous if not for mediocre visibility -- caused by heavy rains last week, mind you, not the tsunami. All dive operations are running at full steam.

Koh Samui is on the east coast, so it was never hit by the tsunami in the first place.

I was diving around Phuket in November. We spent two days out around Racha Yai, and three days at the Similans. Both were fine, although in certain areas you could see coral damage, compared to when I was there 2 years ago. It really isn't that bad though. I'd recommend the Similans over any thing else in Thailand. Go for it!

Hi,
I was in Phuket in November/December and spent also a few days on a the Similan islands - not diving because of problems with my ears but snorkelling. Everything was fine althogh the sites were better for scuba than for snorkel. The divers were very pleased. A few spots are quit damaged. From the weather it seems to be a quite unusual season. We had lot's of rain in Nov/Dec and what I heard in the last days is just the same.

I would try to do a 3/4 day trip on a liveaboard from Phuket or Khao Lak to the Similans - I really don't like those daytrips in a speedboat.

Cheers,
MCL