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A Guide for Shipwreck Divers

Wreck diving is one of the fun activities that most recreational scuba divers will try after certification. It's the ideal opportunity for certified divers to explore sunken ships and aircrafts.

Thailand is a famous destination for diving shipwrecks. This segment lists the best wreck dives in Koh Tao, Phuket, and Pattaya.

List of the Best Shipwreck Dives in Thailand

In many cases, wreck dive sites are created by the intentional scuttling of a vessel or plane.

Besides the creation of man-made coral reefs, the fascination of diving shipwrecks also includes:

Pro Tip: Some of the biggest and best shipwreck diving presents unique skill challenges for certified scuba divers (e.g. Open Water Diver). The Wreck Diver Specialty course is the ideal way for beginners to learn how to scuba dive wrecks in a safe manner.

Wreck Dives in Thailand

It's fair to say Southeast Asia has some of the best shipwreck dives, especially in Bali (Indonesia), The Philippines, and several locations throughout the Kingdom of Thailand.

Scuba diving wrecks is a popular activity for divers in Phuket and many of the Thai islands in the Andaman Sea (e.g. Koh Lak), around the islands of koh Tao and Ko Samui, and off the coast of Pattaya (e.g. the north eastern Gulf of Thailand).

So why has wreck diving in Thailand become such a popular adventure for scuba divers with a certification beyond entry level (e.g. Advanced Open Water Diver)?

Here's the thing:

The main reason is the easy access to World War II wreck diving. You can dive around passenger ferries, airplanes, sunken jet-skis, and small wooden fishing boats.

Phuket Wreck Diving

King Cruiser Wreck Thailand

The King Cruiser car ferry is one of the best shipwrecks to dive near Phuket. On the fourth of May in 1997 this 85-metre vessel wandered off course and hit Anemone Reef dive site at the famous Phi Phi Islands.

King Cruiser Wreck near Phuket, ThailandDespite having one of the twin hulls of the catamaran ripped wide open, there was no loss of life. In fact, the King Cruiser sank within an hour of the accident.

Over the years, it has become one of several artificial reef examples that met their demise in the clear blue waters of the Andaman Sea.

Diving depths on the King Cruiser shipwreck range between twelve (12) and thirty (30) metres.

The best part?

There are decks to explore with large open passages and stairways. As a consequence, it has become the "must-do" shipwreck dive in Thailand for adventurous scuba divers.

Wreck Diving Koh Tao

Over the years, the Royal Thai Navy has donated decommissioned and inoperative vessels for intentional scuttling to create artificial underwater reef systems.

Another segment has interesting and helpful information for scuba divers heading to HTMS Sattakut WWII wreck situated around two kilometres off the west coast of Koh Tao.

Big Blue Wreck Koh Samui

In April 2009 a wooden overnight ferry used to transport passengers and goods from Koh Tao Island to Chumphon City sank in rough waves and strong wind. The boat sank slowly - meaning there was enough time to rescue all the occupants.

There is limited information on the actual name of this vessel. So, we named the large blue nightboat simply the "Big Blue Wreck".

Pro Tip: When there is more information available, and a survey conducted to confirm its safety, the wreck might be opened up to Tech customers at Big Blue Diving.

Wreck Diving Pattaya

The vertical shipwreck could be Pattaya's most famous dive site. It has attracted thousands of keen wreck divers from around the world to experience the wonder of swimming around this unique upended underwater structure.

Prior to the sinking on 25th August 1996, the ship (originally built in Japan and called the "Koho Maru 5") led a most unremarkable life carrying LPG from to selected destinations.

List of Pattaya Wreck Diving Sites

Pro Tip: Another section contains more information about the best wreck diving at some of the most untravelled destinations for scuba divers who are willing to travel around the world.

Advanced Scuba Wreck Diving

By and large, wreck dives can be sectioned into three main categories. Each ascending level may involve more risk and therefore greater levels of training, experience, and specialised wreck diving equipment.

Non Penetration Wreck Dive

The least hazardous kind of wreck diving is "non-penetration". Generally, a casual swim over the wreck would not create too much trouble for divers. Hence, it's often chosen as one of the elected dives for Advanced Open Water Diver certification.

Even so, wreck ruins can also be popular fishing sites. So, divers should still be aware of the risks of entanglement from fishing nets and fishing lines.

Limited Penetration Dive

Penetration of a wreck means diving within the normal light zone. Nonetheless, it still presents the possibility of increased hazards due to (both):

But, these hazards are usually more manageable because of the visible exit point and a certain amount of external light.

Because of the risk of entanglement and silt out inside the wreck, along with the added consideration of having to surface in the event of an emergency, partial penetration diving is often conducted as part of the scuba training in the PADI® Wreck Diver Specialty Course.

Wreck Penetration Diving

Penetrating a wreck involves the greatest level of risks to scuba divers because you will be going beyond the light zone often into confined spaces. Moreover, it can also include the risk of becoming lost within the structure.

The additional risks of complete darkness, and the inability to make an unassisted escape in the unlikely event of an air supply problem, means full penetration wreck diving is an "optional" dive during the PADI Wreck Penetration Diver.

Related Information and Help Guides

Pro Tip: The main section is a wreck diving guide for beginners with detailed information about some of the best wreck dives in the world.

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