SSI Thailand is very happy to announce that we are now supporting PeunPa Foundation (Thai for friends of the wild) a member of the Wildlife Alliance.

This gives SSI a tremendous opportunity to promote conservation in an arena that affects us all, our oceans.
SSI is confident that our affiliated dive schools and instructors will embrace this partnership and take action where it counts - on a local level.
SSI will be working together with PeunPa to help our dive centers educate and support divers on :

· Responsible and environmentally sound dive practices.
· Responsible and environmentally sound Dive boats.
· Arranging beach and underwater cleanups.
· Whaleshark reporting.
· Coral reef preservation.
· Shark preservation and anti-finning.

To start our collaboration SSI have supported a campaign by PeunPa to warn people of the dangers and consequences of illegal wild life trade.

Keep an eye out for the message displayed at Suvannaphumi airport Bangkok.

So how can YOU get involved ?

1. Report illegal wildlife trade to the following hotline numbers 1136 or 1362

2. Work towards improving your impact on the marine environment

3. Stay informed; Check with SSI Thailand how to become a responsible and environmentally sound dive center.

4. Be responsive to conservation efforts and participate in some way. Check out PeunPa activities at www.wildlife-alliance.org or at www.PeunPa.org which is soon to be on-line.

Koh Tao clean up

On Friday 8th June 2007

SSI Thailand was delighted to see over 60 people from our partner dive schools Big Blue, Simple Life and Scuba Junction,actively take part in clearing both Sairee beach and Sairee dive sites.Master Scuba divers in Mae Haad had a successful clean up the week before covering Mae Haad beach by the Harbour.

On Friday one team spent the day taking advantage of a seasonal low tide to collect any plastics that had embedded in the shore line,taking care not to lift any coral encrusted bottles that may of become ad-hoc homes for the local marine life.

Another team complete with Kayak surface cover combed the local dive site to collect discarded rubbish.Amongst the more unusual finds were a toilet and a fuel tank!!!.

Most rubbish collected consisted of plastics that had drifted in shore from the ocean.

SSI Thailand would like to mention Darren Buckland SSI AOWI instructor who took the initiative to organise the clean up and done a great job at motivating everyone to get stuck in.

Well done to all involved from the team at SSI Thailand.

SSI Regional meeting

SSI regional meeting hosted by Mr Ed Christini from SSI USA in Bangkok.

The meeting was attended by all SSI service centers in the Asia pacific region.

All regions reported a sharp increase in Dive schools crossing over,meaning an even bigger demand fro SSI professionals. In Indonesia,Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Cambodia.

This clearly reflects the efforts made by all attending to set a new level of service within the dive industry,Quite simply we understand the different needs of our dive ctrs over this large region and can react quickly due to localised regional management.

This next year will be very exiting for SSI and our affiliated dive schools we thank you all for your support.