Pattaya Local Wreck Diving and Deep Wrecks in Thailand
Exploration Deep Wreck Diving Expeditions in the South of the Gulf pf Thailand
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The Gulf of Thailand, particularly near the malaysian border, is full of World War 2 (WWII) Ship Wrecks, laying in between 60 and 85 metres depth. Most of them are not yet located and have never been explored. TecEvolution organises expeditions on a technical diving dedicated live aboard, all equipped for open circuit scuba tech diving or closed circuit rebreather diving. Trimix continuous flow blending system, full comfort air conditioned cabins, bottom sounder, and precious potential marks, known only from the boat owners Jamie and Stuart, who found the only U.S. Submarine lost in action and found years after, the USS Lagarto submarine. The minimum training to dive these wrecks is DSAT Technical Deep Diver or TDI Advanced Nitrox, TDI Extended Range and TDI Decompression Procedures, or equivalent certification from another organisation. To penetrate these wrecks, or simply dive the deepest ones, a trimix certification is required (click here for more information on nitrox, trimix and heliar blends), check out TecEvolution Courses, Price List and Training packages. We like to finish any of the above courses or internships with at least one of these expeditions.. |
Pattaya Wreck Diving Sites
The Suddhadib (Usually called the Hardeep)
The Ship's History
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The Hardeep is a 72 metres long Indonesian Freighter that was sunken by allies forces in 1942 during second World War (WWII). At that time the ship was controlled by Japanese Forces. It now lies on its starboard side in 26 metres of water near Pattaya, in sameasan. |
The Dive
The Ship wreck lies in an area subject to strong currents. However, divers are protected from the current as soon as they reach the wreck. The big cargo holds present very few entanglement hazards and are not too silted up. She is an easy to penetrate wreck, great for basic wreck penetration dive trainings. The life on it is well developped and the permanent species on the wreck include Angelfish, Blu Spotted String Rays, Box Fshes, Nurse Sharks and many others, as well as a lot of Sea Urchins. |
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The H.T.M.S. Khram
The Ship's History
 Navsource Online |
The Landing Ship H.T.M.S. Khram (Khramto), former USS LSM-469, was built by US Navy during the second World War. In Service until August 1946, it was transferred to Thai Navy in 1962 and renamed HTMS Khram. The detail of its activities in the Thai Navy are unknown. The 60 metres lon Steel Ship was sunken as an artificial reef on the 1st of February 2003 in Pattaya Thailand, near the island of Koh Pai. The life development on the wreck is amazing, with new species of fish appearing regularly. Big Chevron Barracudas, groupers, yellow tail jack fish, sea turtle, box fish, crabs, trevalleys and many other species are now permanent residents of the wreck. |
The Dive
Even if the wreck is totally incrusted, it is still in a perfect estate and penetration is quite easy, especially in the corridors and engine room. Many extra entrances were cut and the inside of the ship was cleaned before the sinking. All rooms and corridors are free of dangling cables and present few entanglement hazards. Some rooms are well silted up though and even if the wreck presents few hazards, proper wreck penetration procedures must be used to enter the ship. |
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Detailed Specification (source of information Navsource Online)
LSM-1 Class Landing Ship Medium:
- Laid down (date unknown) at Brown Shipbuilding Co., Houston, TX.
- Launched (date unknown)
- Commissioned USS LSM-469, 17 March 1945 , LT. Lee S. Barton, USNR in command
- During and after World War II LSM-469 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater
- Decommissioned, 29 August 1946, at Astoria, OR.
- Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, Columbia River Group, Astoria
- Struck from the Naval Register (date unknown)
- Transferred, 25 May 1962, to Thailand, named HTMS Khramto (L-732)
- Decommissioned (date unknown)
- Final Disposition, sunk as an artificial reef, 1 February 2003, at Pattaya, Thailand
Specifications:
Displacement 520 t.(light), 743 t.(landing) 1,095 t.(fully loaded)
Length 203' 6"
Beam 34' 6"
Draft light, 3' 6" forward, 7' 8" aft, fully loaded, 6' 4" forward, 8' 3" aft
Speed 13.2kts, (max.), (928 tons displacement)
Complement 5 officers, 54 enlisted
Armament one single bow mounted 40mm gun, four single 20mm gun mounts
Vehicle/Boat Capacity 5 medium or 3 heavy tanks, or 6 LVT's, or 9 DUKW's
Troop Accommodations 2 officers, 46 enlisted
Armor 10-lb. STS splinter shield to gun mounts, pilot house and conning station
Propulsion two Fairbanks Morse (model 38D81/8X10, reversible with hydraulic clutch) diesels. Direct drive with 1,440 BHP each @ 720rpm, twin screws
Endurance 4,900 miles @ 12kts.(928 tons displacement)
The H.T.M.S. Kut (Kood)
 Navsource Online |
On Sept 16, 2006 Thai authorities sunk the third Pattaya scuba diving shipwreck (this is without counting the Bremen and the ex Vertical Wreck which are respectively fully collapsed / gone and not dived anymore). This new ship is the sister ship of the HTMS Khram Vessel, sunken as an artificial reef in february 2003, and which became Pattaya's most amazing dive site. The ship went down about 350 metres off the northeast tip of Koh Sak and lies in 31 metres of Water, deck at 26 metres and top of the conning tower at 12 metres. This makes a great site for enriched air or rebreather dives as bottom time on air is quite short at these depth. |
The Dive
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Even though it is the sister ship of the HTMS Khram, it is a much more challenging dive site. Less extra holes were cut in the decks and the inside of the ship wasn't cleaned as much as on the Khram. Some more holes were cut under the decks in between the different rooms which make it possible to visit the whole ship without ascending on the deck a single time. This make the wreck the most challenging wreck dive around Pattaya and an ideal training ship for the advanced technical wreck courses. |
The Ship's History
The HTMS Kut started her service as LSM-333 in the U.S. Navy, operating as a World War II U.S. landing ship. She was transferred to the Thai Navy in October 1946 after its decommission from the US Navy and was renamed HTMS Kut, and then used for spare parts by Thai Navy since early 90s until finally designed to be used as an artificial reef and sunken in honour of his Majesty the King. |
 Piture is Courtesy of Laurent Bihler Kut written in Thai |
Detailed Specification (source of information Navsource Online)
LSM-1 Class Landing Ship Medium:
- Laid down, 13 July 1944, at Pullman Standard Car Manufacturing Company, Chicago, IL.
- Launched (date unknown)
- Commissioned USS LSM-333, 25 November 1944, LT. William Russell Schulhof, USNR in command
- During World War II LSM-333 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the:
- Okinawa Gunto operation;
(a) Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 28 April to 18 May 1945
- Okinawa Gunto operation;
- Decommissioned, 28 July 1946
- Struck From the Naval Register (date unknown)
- Transferred in October 1946, to Thailand and named HTMS Kut (LSM-1)
- Decommissioned by Thai Navy, currently moored at the Amphibious Headquarters
- Final Disposition, to be sunk as a target, date unknown struck from the Royal Thai Navy List in 1990, retained for use as spare parts in Royal Thai Navy
- LSM-333 received one battle star for World War II service
Specifications:
Displacement 520 t.(light), 743 t. (landing) 1,095 t.(fully loaded)
Length 203' 6" o. a.
Beam 34' 6"
Draft light, 3' 6" forward, 7' 8" aft, fully loaded, 6' 4" forward, 8' 3" aft
Speed 13.2 kts. (max.), (928 tons displacement)
Complement 5 officers, 54 enlisted
Armament one single bow mounted 40mm gun, four single 20mm gun mounts
Vehicle/Boat Capacity 5 medium or 3 heavy tanks, or 6 LVT's, or 9 DUKW's
Troop Accommodations 2 officers, 46 enlisted
Armor 10-lb. STS splinter shield to gun mounts, pilot house and conning station
Propulsion two General Motors (non-reversible with air flex clutch) diesels. Direct drive with 1,440 BHP each @ 720rpm, twin screws, Endurance, 4,900 miles @ 12kts.(928 tons displacement)
And the other Wrecks you may have heard about
The Bremen
| The "wreck" is spread out over 100 metres, now completely collapsed. If the shipwreck is still diveable as an artificial reef, penetration is not possible anymore and its position far out from the coast makes it an unworthy dive destination compared to the closer dive sites. |
The Pak I (Vertical Wreck)
The well known ex Vertical Wreck (PAK I) used to be the best wreck dive around Pattaya. The tanker sank in 1996 in a strong storm in an almost vertical position, stern on the sand, 55 metres below the surface. Unfortunately it started floating again in February 2001 and started to drift presenting a major navigation hazard. After several attempts, Thai Navy dynamited it and sank it again off the coast of Rayong, but its location, poor visibility, strong currents and estate make her unworthy diving. |
| TecEvolution: Rebreathers and Technical Diving Specialists | ||
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| 22/23 Moo 4, Whitesands Trat 23170, Ko Chang, Thailand | ||
| tel:+66 87 926 4973 | cell:+66 87 926 4973 | eMail: info@tecevolution.com |
