My girlfriend and I have just finished a dive course at Ban's. We had a great time but I can understand some of the reviews about big courses. We arrived just after the full moon and it was really busy but a friend of ours told us that you don't actually have to go in a big group. All you... more

I would like to start on a positive, the accommodation is set out very well. Thats the positive done with lets now focus on the bans "DIVING" experience. As an experienced diver going along with my family on their padi open water course, i would have expected this to have been an enjoyable experience. Well used to getting up early... more

I stayed there with several girlfriends over the summer on our tour of Asia. They wanted to dive but I didn't which meant we got a really good deal. we decided we wanted to stay in a nice room near the reception. Our room was newly renovated with a lovely bathroom, tv in the room with loads of american channels,... more

I'm surprised with all the negative reviews of Ban's. My experience with Bans was similar to all my other experiences in the south of Thailand. The people there are tired of tourists and they are rude and disinterested. Ban's is no exception - and no worse than anywhere else I stayed. While at Ban's, I stayed in a budget room... more

Overall Koh Tau is a wonderful place but choose where to stay and/or dive very carefully. I stayed at Ban's for 2 months to complete a Divemaster course & I found the staff here to be extremely obnoxious, arrogant & very, very rude, both the Thais and the western diving instructors. Ban's completely ruined my experience of Koh Tau to... more

The diving at this place is top quality. I learnt there in 1995 and went back just recently to do some more diving. It is much expanded now and we booked to stay in one of their suite rooms whilst using their diving facilties. The rooms themselves are fine, hot water, air con, balcony, etc. The only problem was that... more

I can only recommend staying here if you are doing a diving course. First, because the rooms are half the cost with a course, and the discount only applies to days when you are actually doing a course. Second, because there's not much to do unless you are diving (although it seems the same goes for most of Koh Tao)!... more

Do not stay or dive here unless…. you are a non-discerning teenage partygoer, preferably one who smokes and has multiple tattoos and piercings, who is content with diving/learning to dive with a mediocre dive facility during the day and then partying into the wee hours of the night. If not particular about lodging or one who takes diving or safety... more

We decided to stay here because it looked very good at first sight. Unfortunately, there turned out to be many drawbacks: - Dirty bed : we took the better roomtype of 2000 baht (got it for 1800 because i did a couple of dives). Paying 1800 baht makes you expect clean beds, but ours was full of stains (the cotton... more