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HTMS Kood Wreck Pattaya Sank 2006

On the 17th of September 2006, the Thai Navy sank a decommissioned U.S. Warship a few hundred metres north of Koh Sak Island, which is about nine (9) kilometres west of Pattaya Beach.

The deliberate sinking created the HTMS Kut dive site. It's since become a popular diving destination for qualified scuba divers and a man made nursery for some fish families.

Tips for Scuba Diving HTMS Kut Shipwreck

The boat trip from Pattaya Port to HTMS Khood shipwreck in the Gulf of Thailand takes around forty (40) minutes.

Other than the sandy bay at Koh Sak Island, there is little shelter from strong winds and the prevailing currents.

Despite being one of the popular wreck dives in Pattaya, the entry from the dive boat - and the exit out of the water - can be a challenge.

So, besides using the descent line attached to the top of the tower, it's best not to wait too long on the surface.

This is particularly important if the current is strong. Thus, begin your descent down the line as soon as it is safe to do so.

Before the sinking, the American WW11 vessel was fifty six (56) metres long. Many years later, this sister ship of the HTMS Khram wreck rests vertically on the seabed in twenty eight (28) metres of water and the bow generally points towards the south.

Descending onto the Khood

The descent may feel somewhat unnerving if it will be your first time scuba diving on a sunken shipwreck. Even so, you can use the mooring line for control and the schools of fishes for a visual reference.

You should see the main outline of the US Landing Craft around twelve (12) metres below the surface. Most divers spend the first five or ten minutes following the general layout inside the belly of the wreck.

Navigating HTMS Kut Wreck

If you're in the first dive group down, you're likely to see a resident turtle. Still, any kind of "excessive fin kicking" is going to ruin the visibility for any divers following behind.

Look out for shoals of blackfin barracuda (Sphyraena qenie) near the outside of the wreck at a depth of 15 to 20 metres.

Plus, you should also see jacks and yellowtail fusiliers swarming around the wreck as they wait for an opportune moment to feed on small fish.

A few words of caution...

When conditions are optimum, the wreck can be penetrated as part of the Wreck Diver Specialty course. But, you should never go inside the wreck without wreck diving equipment and the proper training for using it.

Your first dive on the Khood shipwreck is likely to be short on bottom time - due to an increase in air consumption at depth. Hence, most divers will start the ascent after twenty (20) minutes or so.

It's always better to make your way back to the tower and use the ascent line. You can circle the tower for a few minutes as you slowly ascend on the mooring rope. This is a good way to off-gas nitrogen and get a chance to see some macro marine life in the crevices and barnacle formations.

Put another way:

I always like to make a 'deep stop' as an added precaution. So, I'll generally decompress on the ascent line around twelve (12) metres for one or two minutes, before making the customary safety stop at five (5) metres for at least three (3) minutes.

A big 'OK' Hand Sign as you reach the surface signals that you are in good shape and ready to get back on board the dive boat.

Marine Life at HTMS Kut Wreck

After many years of metal decay, the corroded remnants have seen soft coral formations and tube sponge gardens firmly establish themselves.

It's also created a mini ecosystem and safe habitats for some of the large fish families and vertebrates, including:

The Royal Thai Navy prepared the ship as an artificial diving reef, so it's free from arms, oil, and most of the other hazards to divers. But, there are some large holes and passageways that remain in natural daylight.

The best months to scuba dive HTM Kut shipwreck in Pattaya are from November to the beginning of April. Often, the underwater visibility can be as little as five (5) metres. Thus, it's always advisable to carry the brightest dive torch that you can handle for the dive.

Pro Tip: It's proven to be such a major attraction for divers and wreck diving enthusiasts who visit the holiday resort Pattaya, that there are further plans to scuttle more shipwrecks into the eastern seaboard waters.

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