About Us

Palm Beach Divers, the Padi dive center is owned and managed by Lars & Lisa, a Danish and Dutch couple. They have more than 7 years experience as dive shop managers, also working as diving instructors and dive masters.

Having worked and dived in many diving destinations around the world, we have decided to settle in Koh Lanta as we enjoy the diving here the most.

We can offer you Padi Dive Courses in English, German, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian,

French, Spanish, Malay, Thai and Japanese.

When you learn to dive, there are many essential safety and practical skills to learn. We feel it is important that you learn to dive in a language you feel confident communicating in, so that you have the best chance to enjoy and pass the diving course.

Video about our Dive Center, Palm Beach Divers

Palm Beach Divers is a Go Eco Operator and Green Fins Member and therefore does multiple clean ups per year, has a mooring program, a local training program for Thai people, separate garbage and offer Shark AWAREness Dive & Snorkeling Distinct Specialty Programs.

Every certification for any Padi Course or AWARE course will receive a Shark on their certification card, which means that 10 US Dollars per course (for every student) will go to the AWARE project against shark finning and to protect and research sharks in Asia Pacific Area.

Help us to keep Koh Lanta clean by supporting the no-plastic bag action and help us to keep our sharks, by supporting the Year of the Shark 2009. Join our Shark Diver and Snorkeling Courses and fun & adventure !

In 2006 and 2008 Palm Beach Divers received the Environmental Achievement Award from Project AWARE. We are proud that project AWARE recognizes the efforts we put into preserving our environment and hope to make our business even more environmental friendly and less wasteful in the future.

Professional outlet of Aqualung, by Aqua Master and Aqualung together and became one of the outlets for Aqua Master in Thailand.

Through this we are able to deliver a greater customer service to you, by having newer equipment in the shop, by having better trained staff by better informing you about technical and promotional details for Aqualung Equipment and by offering better prices and packages.

In April 2009 Lisa received from Padi Asia Pacific the Silver status as a Padi Course Director, because she trained more then 35 Padi Professional Certifications and having a continuing education ratio of more then 60% in 2008.

Enjoy your diving with us !

Allow us to show you the difference a nice and relaxed dive trip with experienced guides can make to your holiday.

We are proud to have our experienced diving staff working with us again this season. They are all PADI Professionals, fully trained in First Aid procedures and know the diving area extremely well. We are always keen to keep diving group sizes small and diving tuition personal, so you get the best possible service. Our Padi Dive Instructors and Divemasters are insured and have work permits.

Our “wild life”:

Our shop cats: Huffel, Lady, Sikao (missing in this picture), Keiko & Tomy.

Their favorite place: the couch.

Their favorite food: catfood

Their favorite hobby’s: sleeping, attention and eating.

Don’t worry, they mostly live outside (if you are allergic) and they are definitely child proof ! Lady is the grand mother and mother of most cats on the island. Keiko (Levke’s cat) & Tomy are brothers and are named after our Japanese Divemaster and Instructor. Huffel is the most clever cat, he things he is a dog and can follow, sit and kill and attack.Sikao (name means white) is completely white and therefore deaf and half blind. He only likes to be next to white things.

Some of our staff:

Lisa Bier is the Silver Padi Course Director and one of the owners of Palm Beach Divers. Originally from Holland, Lisa teaches in Dutch, English & German.

Favorite diving: wreck , shark and deep diving.

Favorite teaching: people who are scared, help them to overcome fear.

Working in diving since: 2001.

Diving Experiences in: Thailand, Holland, Australia, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Cuba, California (USA), Bonaire, Saba, Gozo, Malta, France, Malaysia and St Maarten. Prefers warm water diving and nice fish.

Lars Thomsen is one of the owners of Palm Beach Divers, a dive instructor and technician. Right now Lars is building a new boat (name boat: Lila). Lars is Danish and teaches in Danish, Swedish, Norwegian & English.

Favorite diving: under water videografy & deep dives.

Favorite teaching: Advanced Courses & children.

Working in diving since: 2001.

Diving Experiences in: Thailand, Australia, Honduras, Saba, Gozo, Malta, France, Malaysia and St. Maarten.

Lee Johnson is Shop Manager, Emergency First Response Instructor and Divemaster for Palm Beach Divers. If you need any information about diving, snorkeling, courses, parties or where to find what on the island, please check it with him. Lee is from England and did all his Padi Courses with Palm Beach Divers.

Favorite diving:Deep diving on Hin Daeng and Hin Muang.

Favorite teaching: Scuba Reviews and Refreshers.

Working in diving since: 2005.

Diving Experiences in: Thailand & Bali (Indonesia).

Claus Wolfert is a PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer and has several Padi Specialties, he can teach. He originates from Germany and speaks German, English and Thai. Claus has lived on Koh Lanta for the past 10 years and feels really at home here.

Favorite diving: Tropical oceans, could be a lake as well.

Favorite teaching: PADI Rescue Diver Course, is a lot of fun and you learn a lot about yourself !

Working in diving since: 1997.

Diving Experiences in: Cuba, Venezuela, Dom. Rep., Curacao, Spain, Crete, Egypt, Sri Lanka, Bali, Philippines, Austria, Germany and Thailand.

A is the nickname of Thawatchai Janpeng, who is originally from Surattani in Thailand. A is our most experienced Divemaster (we have customers coming back for him) and under water videografer (see video’s on the index page). A has been working with us since 2005 and has been diving in this area for about 6 years.

Favorite diving: Looking for ghost pipe fish or whale sharks on Hin Daeng or recovery diving. Finding macro life for divers on Koh Ha.

Favorite teaching: Under water videografy.

Working in diving since: 2003.

Diving Experiences in: Thailand (Similan Islands, Koh Phi Phi area, Koh Lanta & Koh Chang).

Dear is a Padi Master Scuba Diver Trainer and doing his IDC Staff Instructors Course with Palm Beach Divers. Dear’s real name is Uthen Junoi and no he is not Japanese, he is from Bangkok in Thailand. Dear studied Marine Science at the Bangkok University.

Favorite diving: underwater Navigation, sharks (prefer whale shark), AWARE and clean up projects and anything to promote diving more for Thai people.

Favorite teaching: not possible yet, but to teach Korean women to dive (Dear does not speak Korean yet).

Working in diving since: 2004.

Diving Experiences in: Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Pan, real name: Noppanat Adsen, is a Padi Instructor for Palm Beach Divers and he holds instructor specialties in Nitrox and Emergency Oxygen Use Provider. Pan is originally from Petchaburi in Thailand, close to Bangkok. He studied Marine Science at Bangkok’s University.Pan can do strange things with his hands (they are made for Thai dancing we think) and he has made it his life calling to make people happy!

Favorite diving: sharks, impossible to find micro life, AWARE and clean up projects.

Favorite teaching: Under water Naturalist or Fish Identification and anything with fish.

Working in diving since: 2008.

Diving Experiences in: Thailand.

Iep, real name: Suratchai Kaowchuew is from Koh Lanta and is Padi Dive Master with Palm Beach Divers. Iep is an expert at finding whale sharks (even when divers are not paying attention) and is very good at snorkeling and doing water things with children. He and his wife (Ja) have 2 children themselves (see next picture): Hiseesun and Haseesun . He is also an excellent carpenter.

Favorite diving: Koh Ha Cavern, sharks, manta’s, sea horse and whale sharks.

Favorite teaching: children and water.

Working in diving since: 2005.

Diving Experiences in: Thailand (this area).

Ja, real name: Benjawan Sengsawan, is Iep’s wife and she cleans with Palm Beach Divers, she does shopping, goes to Social Security and tax offices, helps with unloading and is very sweet anyways. She recently passed her Open Water Diver Course. She is the girl sitting with the little child on the picture (Christmas Eve).

Captain Bang Nui, is our oldest boat captain and technician. The discussion is whether he is 74 or 84 years old (we know he was fighting in both wars), because his identification card says “-” where the birthday needs to be. For sure he is the most experienced boat captain in this area of Thailand, he has been sailing all his life. Unfortunately Bang Nui ‘s health is not allowing him to learn to dive, but he seems to be oke with snorkeling, swimming and kayaking… ! Bang Nui likes to talk to all the fishing man on the radio and keeps us posted on whale shark sitings. There is a Lanta tail that Bang Nui hasglue under his feet, like the gecko’s have, when they walk on the ceiling, because he has the biggest feet of any Thai person and never falls of the boat ! His favorite trip of the year: is with Children of the Forest (the Myamar Children, that come here once a year). Favorite hobby: throwing banana’s at Paul (English not Scottish Paul).

Captain Tee, real name: Supachai Melam . He is our boat captain and technician and make sure out boats are oke, in good state,clean and properly maintained. He also knows some dive locations by feeling (these are not dive sites, but fishing sites) and by staring into the open ocean. Watch out: his English is improving a lot !

Favorite Music selection: at this point (after we put Madonna “music” and Abba to rest…): Scorpions.Captain Tee is also a Padi Open Water Diver and we are doing his Advanced Open Water Course now (he is not too happy about the deep dive yet or sharks or manta’s for that matter, so we have to work a bit on that). Life would be perfect if the fish would dive with Captain Tee first and then jump out of the water into his curry (unfortunately life can not always be perfect, Captain Tee…)

Supachai Maneewong is actually his real name: Supachai is from Isan in Thailand (close to the Laos border) en is Padi Dive Master, snorkel master and boat boy with Palm Beach Divers. Supachai is very good with children and has a smile for everyone and great stories. He speaks some Japanese.

Favorite diving: Leopard sharks.

Favorite teaching: children and water.

Working in diving since: 2006.

Diving Experiences in: Thailand (this area).

NongTee, real name: Pornsak Panpun is from Petchaburi in Thailand. Nongtee is married to Kei and has a just born daughter. NongTee is our technician, glass fiber expert (boat builder) and boat boy. He helps all the divers and sometimes even goes snorkeling with some people. He can fix anything and is really handy on boats.

Favorite diving: not yet. Kei already started with her Padi Open Water Course, but NongTee still is starting with theory.

Working in diving since: 2005 and working on boats even long before this time.

All our diving equipment is still new and is maintained and serviced yearly. Our air is tested one time per half year and we have a new compressor: a Coltri Sub (bought in 2007). Our diving tanks are visual inspected 1 time per year and are pressure tested one time after each 5 years.

We have Aqualung BCD’s, Regulators and Masks, Cressi Fins, US Divers fins, PSI Wetsuits and Tribord Wetsuits for our customers to use when diving. We also have a large retail selection from many well-known diving brands if you are interested in buying your own diving equipment. Both our diving boats are well maintained and fully equipped with GPS, Radio and Medical Station.

We have a special offer if you would like to buy your own gear with your diving course. Normally all our divers get a 10% discount on small items (mask, fins, snorkel, slates ed) and a 5% discount on big items (bcd, computer, regulator, wetsuit ed). If you buy all your own gear and use them during your Padi Course with Palm Beach Divers, you will get a package equipment price, which is a 15% discount on the retail price!!!

We have special women packages and children packages.

ORDER YOUR EQUIPMENT PACKAGE, BY CLICKING ON THIS LINK AND SENDING THE EMAIL TO US.