There is so much Wreck Diving Thailand has to offer a lot of which, are world famous wreck dives. Thousands of scuba divers flock to Phuket every year to visit The King Cruiser Wreck (an old ferry boat), the war birds (Plane and helicopter wrecks) or The Tin mining Barge which like so many of Thailand wreck diving are now full of marine life that has now colonised the vessels.  Pattaya maybe less known by comparison however the quantity and diversity of shipwreck diving here is above it all.

Pattaya wreck diving starts just 40 min’s from Pattaya’s shore and there lays HTMS Kut, originally a World War II U.S. landing ship is closest wreck available for recreational divers. The deepest point of this wreck dive is approx 31m on high tide, 22-25m on upper and lower decks and the tip of the conning tower at approx 12m. Due to the depth, to dive this vessel you need to be Advanced level upwards or openwater certified divers can make it an Adventure Dive with an instructor.

The ship has been well prepared by the Thai Navy for wreck diving, it is free from most hazards to divers such as armaments, oil not mention large holes have been cut in many areas to provide access for penetration dives.

Dive Specs

• Wreck Site Access – Ascent/descent Lines connected to the ships bow, stern and mast
• Max Depth – 30m – 31m
• Wreck Site Length – 56m
• No Deco Limits (Dive Tables) Normal Air – 20mins / EANx up to 35mins
• Multi Level computer Dive – Extends bottom time extensively
• Safety Stop Procedures Mandatory 3min stop at 5m required
• Common Aquatic Life Sting Rays, Scorpion Fish, Barracuda, Giant Puffers

PDC TV VIDEO SHOWING HTMS KUT SINKING AND HOW IT LOOKS NOW AS AN ARTIFICIAL REEF FOR THAILAND’S SCUBA DIVING EXPLORERS!

This is fantastic for training wreck divers. Its is possible to swim through the engine slips and room which are wide and spacious with open access to introduce you slowly after which you my find navigating the ship’s passageways the next challenge, they rarely take your diving plan out of natural light but serve as a good challenge in buoyancy and hazard awareness. Deep rooms and routes are possible to fully qualified and confident wreck specialty divers although care should be taken with a few of the rooms, Depth combined with silt can see your viz blacked out in a instance as well as big steel watertight doors are still fitted and may be locked easily with the unsuspected diver still inside. Our local instructors have tons of dives on the wrecks to serve as guides to avoid such hazards

To mark His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn’s 50th birthday, the Thai navy sank a decommissioned warship off Koh Phai to form an artificial reef and eden for marine life. The deepest point of this wreck dive is approx 28m, 21-24m on upper and lower decks and the tip of the conning tower at approx 12m. Due to the depth, to dive this vessel you need to be Advanced level upwards or openwater certified divers can make it an Adventure Dive with an instructor.

The ship was well prepped by the Thai Navy for wreck diving, like the HTMS Kut you have no concerns for hazards such as armaments or oil and a different configuration of large holes have been cut in many areas to provide access for penetration dives very different to the Kut.

This is a fantastic wreck dive since it attracts some very interesting life as well as great swim through features of the engine slips and the bow doors ‘black hole’. You can find sting rays, blue spotted rays all along the sands around the wrecks along with at fish, grouper, scorpion fish and the occasional hawksbill turtle as you explore the massive deck areas. Pattaya Dive centre instructors have thousands of dives on the wrecks between them so serve perfectly as professional guides to show you around including the shark hole where bamboo sharks regularly lay if you know and have the experience to find them!.

Dive Specs

• Wreck Site Access – Ascent/descent Lines connected to the ships Bow,stern and mast
• Max Depth – 28m
• Wreck Site Length – 56m
• No Deco Limits (Dive Tables) Normal Air – 20mins / EANx up to 40mins
• Multi Level computer Dive – Extends bottom time extensively
• Safety Stop Procedures Mandatory 3min stop at 5m required
• Common Aquatic Life Sting Rays, Bat Fish, Scorpion Fish, Sweet Lips

HTMS Mataphon is a Mark VI Landing Craft Tank and is situated 45mins from Pattaya Beach outside the island bay of Hard Nuan, south of Koh Larn island. The deepest point of this wreck dive is approx 23m, 18-19m on upper and lower decks and the tip of the conning tower at approx 12m. Due to the depth, to dive this vessel you need to be reasonably experienced from openwater certified upwards alternatively you can make it an Adventure Dive with an instructor.

The ship was well prepped by the Thai Navy for wreck diving, like the rest so you have no concerns for hazards, The gunning mounts were left in place although the arms themselves were removed.This is a ideal wreck dive for people wanting a little more bottom time on the wreck without using EANx.

The craft is already teeming with life from Nudibranch and dresser crabs to some larger residents such as Grouper and Blues Spot Sting Ray, the occasional school of Bat fish hang around and play with the divers also.

Dive Specs

• Wreck Site Access – Ascent/descent Lines not currently connected
• Max Depth – 23m
• Wreck Site Length – 36m
• No Deco Limits (Dive Tables) Normal Air – 29mins / EANx up to 45mins
• Multi Level computer Dive – Extends bottom time extensively
• Safety Stop Procedures Mandatory 3min stop at 5m required
• Common Aquatic Life Sting Rays, Bat Fish, Nudibranch, Grouper

The Hardeep ship originally known as the SS Suddhadib was attacked and sunk by British Allied bombers in the latter part of World War II. Originally, she had a long service history before the war as both a passenger and cargo-ship before she was commandeered by the Japanese army to run supplies to Thailand where they were building the railway linking the country to Burma. The shipwreck is located just off Samae san, and is 64-metres long and lies on her starboard side literally only a few hundred metres from Koh Chuang

Her hull is largely intact and there is access to the engine room where you can see the huge crankshaft you can also swim though the cargo hold which is known as the Cathedral because of the shafts of light that pour through the vast interior of this area.

Time has taken it’s toll on the superstructure and penetration is becoming risky, but it is possible to swim along the deck, through the remains of the superstructure from end to end, this makes a great dive.To the trained eye its still possible to identify the remains of the funnel and also the foremast. A short swim, following the line of the funnel, will bring you to an none detonated 1000lb bomb sitting upright in the sand. There’s certainly a lot to be explored just inside. It seems to me that every time I dive this wreck there’s more to see. Certainly a must for any shipwreck enthusiast. After nearly 60 years nature has worked her magic on the ship wreck and it is home to angelfish, batfish, groupers, stingrays, barracuda, wrasse, butterfly fish, crabs, and nudibranchs.

Dive Specs

• Wreck Site Access – Ascent/descent Line connected to the ships stern
• Max Depth – 28m
• Wreck Site Length – 70m
• No Deco Limits (Dive Tables) Normal Air – 20mins / EANx up to 40mins
• Multi Level computer Dive – Extends bottom time extensively
• Safety Stop Procedures Mandatory 3min stop at 5m required
• Common Aquatic Life Nudibranch, Sting Rays, Parrot Fish , Scorpion Fish, Tusk Fish