BB Divers, Local Divers, Koh Chang Divers and Dolphin Divers — the island's real PADI dive centers, with pricing, dive sites and the best time of year to go.
Koh Chang isn't Thailand's biggest dive destination — that's Koh Tao, a few hours south — but it has a genuine, well-established PADI diving scene of its own, built around Bang Bao, the stilted fishing village at the island's southwest tip. Three of the four operators profiled here run out of Bang Bao pier; the fourth, Dolphin Divers, is based in Klong Prao on the west coast for divers who'd rather not travel south. Trips head to Koh Chang's own coral sites, the clearer waters of Koh Rang National Park, and — with some operators — the HTMS Chang wreck. For getting around the island and where to base yourself, see the Koh Chang areas guide and island hopping guide.
Bang Bao — Main office, 16/2 Bang Bao Pier, Koh Chang, Trat 23170 · 2-boat-dive fun dive THB 3,500 · Open Water course THB 15,500-16,500 · Discover Scuba Diving THB 5,000
Koh Chang's longest-established dive operator, running since 2003 and founded by Belgian dive instructor Kristel Golsteyn, now a PADI 5-Star IDC Center with a second base on Koh Kood (since 2011). BB Divers is the island's only PADI Freediving center and runs its own boats out of Bang Bao pier, with daily trips to Koh Chang's local sites and Koh Rang National Park, plus the full range of PADI courses from Discover Scuba Diving through Divemaster and instructor-level training.
Best for: Anyone who wants the island's most established operator, freediving courses, or a second dive base on Koh Kood.
Bang Bao — 2, Moo 1, Bang Bao, Koh Chang, Trat 23170 · Fun dives, PADI courses (Open Water through Divemaster), snorkeling & freediving — contact for current rates
The first Thai locally-owned PADI dive center on Koh Chang, hand-built by founder Tea next to his childhood home in Bang Bao after more than 20 years on the water — starting as a boat boy, then divemaster, then dive instructor with over 18 years and 10,000+ logged dives. The small team also runs a scuba-diving education project with the local Bang Bao school and Trash Hero beach clean-ups, alongside daily fun-dive, snorkeling and freediving trips and the full PADI course ladder.
Best for: Divers who want a genuinely local, Thai-owned operator with deep knowledge of Koh Chang's own dive sites.
Bang Bao — 18/8 Bang Bao Plaza, Bang Bao, Koh Chang, Trat 23170 · Fun dives, DSD, PADI courses — contact for current rates
Formed in early 2017 and run day-to-day by two PADI-instructor partners, with a stated philosophy that 'the theory is important but it's time in the water that makes the diver' — their courses guarantee more in-water time than the PADI minimum. Based in Bang Bao Plaza, they run daily trips to Koh Chang's coral gardens and the HTMS Chang wreck.
Best for: Newer divers who want extra in-water time built into their certification course.
Klong Prao — 38/7 Moo 4, Klong Prao, Koh Chang, Trat 23170 · Fun dives, PADI courses — contact for current rates
A Swiss-operated dive school bringing more than 20 years of Thailand diving experience, with multilingual PADI instructors. Dolphin Divers is based in Klong Prao on the island's west coast rather than Bang Bao, making it the practical pick for anyone staying along the White Sand Beach-Klong Prao-Kai Bae strip who doesn't want to travel south to Bang Bao pier before a dive trip.
Best for: Divers based on the west-coast beaches (White Sand Beach, Klong Prao, Kai Bae) who want a closer pickup point than Bang Bao.
Figures drawn from BB Divers' published Koh Chang price list as one real, sourced example — other operators set their own rates. Confirm current pricing directly with each dive shop before booking.
Three of the island's main PADI dive centers — BB Divers, Local Divers and Koh Chang Divers — are all based in or right next to Bang Bao, the stilted fishing village at Koh Chang's southwest tip, since it's the main jump-off point for boat trips. Dolphin Divers is the exception, based in Klong Prao on the west coast for divers staying along the White Sand Beach-Kai Bae strip.
Most day trips head to Koh Chang's own local dive sites or on to Koh Rang National Park, a marine park with clearer water and healthier coral than the sites right off Koh Chang. BB Divers also runs trips to the HTMS Chang wreck, a sunk Thai naval vessel, as part of afternoon/night dive combos. National park entry adds a separate fee (around THB 400 for foreign divers, THB 200 for snorkelers, per BB Divers' published price list) on top of the dive-trip cost.
Based on BB Divers' published Koh Chang price list, a 2-tank boat dive runs about THB 3,500, a Discover Scuba Diving taster (no certification needed) is about THB 5,000, and a full PADI Open Water certification course runs roughly THB 15,500-16,500 depending on classroom vs. e-learning format. Exact pricing varies by operator and season — confirm directly before booking.
Koh Tao remains Thailand's dive-training capital by volume, with far more operators and lower competitive pricing. Koh Chang is a smaller, quieter alternative — four established PADI centers rather than dozens — that suits people already staying on the island for a beach holiday or long stay who want to add diving without a separate trip to the Gulf's dive islands.
November through April, Koh Chang's dry season, brings the calmest seas and best visibility. The May-October southwest monsoon brings rougher conditions and reduced visibility, and some dive operators cut back trips or temporarily close during the wettest stretch — confirm current schedules directly before planning a dive-focused trip in low season.
Verified against each dive center's own official site. Pricing, schedules and operating status change -- confirm directly with the operator before booking. BAANLYY is a data-and-tools platform, not a dive operator, and takes no paid placement in this content.
Island hopping · Things to do · Koh Chang areas · Beaches · Koh Chang city hub
Find an area near Bang Bao or the west-coast beaches, browse villas and bungalows and run the numbers.
Hero photo by Francesco Ungaro on Pexels. General information, not a diving safety guide -- confirm certification requirements and current operating status directly with each dive shop. Operators, prices and site conditions change; verify before booking or diving.