ABOUT OUR HST PARTNER CHAMBERS
Hyperbaric Services of Thailand Ltd (HST), is a member of the Subaquatic Safety Services (SSS) Recompression Chamber Network, the world’s largest private hyperbaric network. This organization began with its first hyperbaric facility in Cozumel, Mexico in 1987 and since then has expanded to 11 hyperbaric chamber facilities in 7 different countries (spread through 4 continents). Our treatment data collected is distributed worldwide for further research in diving diseases by various agencies, such as The Diving Diseases Research Centre (DDRC) in the UK, The Diving Emergency Services (DES) in Australia and The International Divers Alert Network (IDAN, multi-region). As a global international network, SSS members have successfully treated in excess of 2,800 divers to date.

HST originated with the Phuket facility in 1996. It was the first hyperbaric chamber for dive related injuries and traumas in the southern part of Thailand. It serviced both the east and west coasts of Thailand and from the Burmese border in the north, to the Malaysian Border in the south.

With the increased amount of diving and popularity of the islands in the Gulf of Thailand, a second hyperbaric chamber was placed on Koh Samui. This facility opened in April of 2000 with the main goals of promoting dive safety at a local level and to also provide a higher level of diver care and service to the area by shortening the time and distance from point of accident to point of competent medical care. This was demonstrated by a facility which had the technical and medical capabilities to assess and treat divers with decompression illness rather than evacuating them to Phuket. The facility in Samui is in its purpose-built premises, and strategically located on the North shore close to the docks that launch dive trips, and 3 Kms from the International airport.

As Koh Tao became “the” diving destination of the Gulf, it was becoming more apparent that an outpost on the island was needed, and it opened in March of 2003. This facility would be the local center for all dive safety training and awareness and would also become an assistance to any evacuation that was needed from the island, day or night. It served as a vital link for relaying all pertinent information between the HST Dive Medical Technicians (DMT’S) in Koh Tao and the Samui hyperbaric facility. It would also serve as a crucial link between the Dive Medial Officer, the physician in charge and the injured diver. The outpost has gained the utmost respect from the local dive professionals and operators for it's knowledge, efficiency and professionalism.

The development in the Gulf of Thailand was followed quickly by a similar phenomenon in the Andaman region, particularly the Ao Nang area of Krabi province. As it was becoming the gateway to the islands of Phi Phi, Koh Lanta and recently Koh Mook. This would be a pivotal location to establish a second outpost. In December 2003, the Ao Nang Evacuation Center opened its doors in conjunction with the partnership of the Phuket International Hospital (PIH), to the local dive community. Its objectives were parallel to those of the evacuation center on Koh Tao: To serve as a place to attain dive safety education, voice questions about diving medicine, and ultimately to assist with the logistics and be the initial center for all dive related evacuations to our Phuket facility at the Phuket International Hospital. This facility has been well received by the local community and will only continue to grow as awareness about its presence increases.

The latest infrastructure step for HST was the establishment of it's third outpost. The site chosen was Khao Lak, strategically positioned to service the Surin and Similin islands' marine parks. Unfortunately the opening date was the week before the disastrous tsunami. Today however with the return in tourism to the area we have on-site personnel throughout the diving season in this area as well as providing assistance to divers in the Khao Sok area for diver assistance and evacuations to our Phuket facility