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HTMS Mataphon Wreck Pattaya Sank 2012
On the 20th of October in 2012, the Thai Navy sank a decommissioned U.S. Warship a few hundred metres east of Koh Larn Island and around seven (7) kilometres west of Bali Hai Pier.
The sinking was done on purpose to create the HTMS Mataphon dive site. Over the years, it has turned into a rusty habitat for marine life and a popular diving destination for local wreck divers.
Tips for Scuba Diving Mataphon Shipwreck
The small vessel was lowered slowly by floating crane to the bottom of Pattaya's seabed on the morning of the 20th of October (2012) by the Thai Navy.
The sunken shipwreck is smaller than the other artificial reefs nearby:
- HTMS Kut Wreck (an American WW11 vessel)
- HTMS Khram Wreck (a USS LSM-469 (Landing Ship Medium) warship)
They chose an ideal location for the dive site, close to Had Nuan Beach at Koh Larn (known locally as "coral island").
The Royal Thai Navy scuttled the mataphon, a former World War II-era Landing Craft Tank (LCT Mk6), to create an accessible shipwreck for scuba divers to explore.
HTMS Mataphon Wreck Dive Profile
The vessel rests upright on the seabed around twenty three (23) metres below the surface (75 feet). Thus, divers with a certification limit of 18 metres (e.g. Open Water Divers) can still dive around the Mataphon wreck.
In fact, the top of the structure (the main deck and the spinning gunner turrets) are less than fifteen (15) metres down.
Here's the thing:
The Mataphon is one of the smallest wreck dives in Pattaya, measuring about thirty (30) metres long. This means divers can expect to get at least forty (40) minutes of bottom time - enough to investigate the complete layout of the diving spot.
Apart from the open passageways, some of the key points of interest to explore and photograph include:
- Thai and western style toilets
- Large ammunition boxes (surrounding the gunner turrets)
- The confined engine compartment
On a good day, you should experience between five (5) and fifteen (15) metres of underwater visibility. During the optimum months for scuba diving in Pattaya (i.e. November to April) you should also enjoy calm seas, sunny skies, and almost zero rainfall.
Nonetheless, the prevailing water currents in the Gulf of Thailand can be quite strong during the monsoon months (May until the end of October).
Pro Tip: Scuba instructors often use the HTMS Mataphon wreck as a place to conduct "advanced dive training" for students who are preparing to dive around the deep shipwrecks in Pattaya, such as HTMS Khood.
Marine Life at HTMS Mataphon 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:
- Barracuda
Batfish- Fusilier fish (Caesionidae)
- Jacks (family Carangidae)
- Moray eels (Muraenidae)
- Nudibranchs (e.g. Hypselodoris bullockii)
- Rays (Myliobatiformes)
- Seahorses (genus Hippocampus)
- Sea turtles
- Stonefishes (Order: Scorpaeniformes)
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.
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.