Need recommandation for dive operator Koh Lanta. And anyone dived in Burma?

Hello everyone!

Im an advanced Padi diver going to Asia this month. Im travelling with a friend who wants to take his diving lisence, and hopefully he will do this while on Koh Lanta, Thailand.

So can anyone in here recommend a good dive operator on Koh Lanta?
As I dont remember much, how long time will the theoretical reading part for the "open water" take? can he do the whole open water course in 4 days?

And last: anyone with experience from diving in Burma? is it good? safe? (equipment-wise, staff etc.)
if yes, what operator did you use there?

thanks in advance! :)

At Lanta, I send my customers to ScubaFish. Their OW course takes 4 days, which in my opinion is the least one should do it in. And yes, I've dived Burma. There are good and bad things about it. The best thing about it is that there are almost no dive boats around, and the worst thing is that they still engage in dynamite fishing there, so there are tons of bombed out reefs. In regard to safety, it's remote, so if you have an accident or an injury, it's very far to go back to Thailand for a recompression chamber or good hospital care.

Besides ScubaFish, which I also would recommend, I can also recommend Blue Planet on Koh Lanta.
Scubafish is in Ban Kantiang in the Southern part of the island and Blue Planet is in Saladan, in the North of the island.

Both run the same PADI Open Water courses.