HTMS Kut Wreck Pattaya
Thailand dive sites are diving gifts for all divers, but wreck diving in Pattaya is 'nautical' miles ahead!
In September 2006, the Royal Thai Navy sunk the HTMS Kood Ship Wreck a short 45 minute boat trip from Pattaya Beach near to the Pattaya island of Koh Sak.
The Kut World War 11 US landing craft became the nearest shipwreck to Pattaya, and it's regularly dived by recreational divers with a diving certification above entry level.
A sister ship of the HTMS Khram Wreck [pictured], the Koot is among the many fine examples of a thriving Artificial Reef structures offering another great diving site in Pattaya.
Just to the northeast of Koh Sak, the bottom of the wreck lies close to 30 meters and the top of the tower rests about 12 meters below sea level.
HTMS Kut Wreck Diving Facts
Best Dive Months: November to April
Average Depth: 16 meters
Maximum Depth: 28 meters
Visibility: 5 - 10 meters
Currents: Moderate to Strong
Hazards: Nets, Stonefish, Barnacles
Marine Life: Barracuda, Batfish, Rays, Jacks, Fusiliers.
The HTMS Kood Ship Wreck is the nearest sunken wreck to Pattaya and is regularly visited by the local dive shops and their customers. Most of the dive boats leave Bali Hai Pier around 09.00am and divers can be exploring the Kood just forty five minutes later.
Low visibility can be an issue for this dive so it's always advisable to carry a flash light if you have one. The descent on the line can be a little eerie but you should see the structural outline around 15 meters down.
The bow of the ship points generally towards the south and rests in 28 meters of water surrounded by sand.
Many of the ships features are still recognizable and in good condition considering the number of years it's been sunk. I remember diving the Kut just a few days after the Navy sank it and it was an amazing dive.
Not many divers get a chance to dive on a war craft in pristine condition and not one single crustacean, barnacle or piece of coral could be seen.
Nowadays, the wreck has lots of growth and fish living in the nooks and crannies, and it is widely accepted as one of the best dives for wreck divers in Pattaya.
Shipwreck in Pattaya |> HTMS Khram |> HTMS Mataphon |> Bremen Wreck |> Hardeep Shipwreck |
It's proven to be a such a major attraction for holiday divers and wreck diving enthusiasts who visit the resort of Pattaya, that there are concerted efforts to introduce more wreck structures into the eastern seaboard waters in the near future.