Khao Lak · Thailand · Wreck
Boonsung Wreck
A tin dredger broken into four sections by the 2004 tsunami
Area photo: TANAKA Juuyoh (田中十洋) · CC BY 2.0
The Boonsung is an old tin mining dredger lying on flat sand just off Bangsak beach, the oldest wreck dive on the Khao Lak coast. The 2004 tsunami broke it into four main sections, and the scattered hull now gives a wide, fish-filled wreck site within reach of Open Water divers.
Also known as Bangsak Wreck, Bunsoong Wreck, Bonsung.
Where it is and how deep
8.7515° N, 98.1840° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The dredger rests on flat sand at 18 to 20 m, split into four main sections spread over a wide area. The two main sections enclose a flat sandy patch between them, where Kuhl's stingrays usually lie and pharaoh cuttlefish hover. Current runs from mild to moderate.
The wreck
- Vessel
- Boonsung
- Type
- Tin mining dredger
- Sunk
- 1984
- Cause
- Sank in a storm in 1984; the Thai Navy later bombed the hull, whose top stood close to the surface and endangered fishing boats
- Lies
- In four main sections on flat sand at 18 to 20 m, just off Bangsak beach
The dredger sank in a storm in 1984 just off Bangsak beach. Its size left the top of the wreck close to the surface, a hazard to local fishing vessels, so the Thai Navy was called in to bomb it, which created the first wreck dive on the Khao Lak coast. In 2004 the tsunami passed over the site and split the wreck into four main sections, spreading it across a far larger patch of seabed.
Marine life and season
- Stingrays
- Octopus & cuttlefish
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Fair | Off-season | Off-season | Off-season | Off-season | Fair | Prime | Prime |
Season follows Khao Lak: Wreck day trips run 15 October to 15 May; the dry northeast monsoon from November to April gives the best conditions.
Know before you go
- Current over the wreck can reach moderate strength, so the dive is not always a calm one.
Dive videos
Boonsung Wreck Dive Site (Khao Lak) with Khao Lak Explore Dive Center · Khao Lak Explorer Diving Center: Similan Islands Liveaboard & Day Trips Richeli… on YouTube
Sources
- Wreck Diving Khao Lak — Sea Dragon Dive Center
- Khao Lak Wrecks Diving — Khao Lak Explorer
- Scuba diving Khao Lak — Dive The World
- Boonsung (Wreck) — ScubaGo
- Diving in Khao Lak — DiveZone
More dive sites in Khao Lak
Artificial reef
About twenty sunken army trucks, a patrol boat and a turtle statue
Reef
A quiet shallow reef where nudibranchs and octopus hide
Wreck
An intact tin dredger with lionfish and scorpionfish on its decks
Wreck
An intact cargo ship with its load still aboard, on its side
Similar dives elsewhere
An 88.5 m German-built hull in a channel that runs very strong
The 27 m liveaboard Atlantis X, bow at 16 m
Wreck
Fisherman Wreck
Tenggol Island · Malaysia
A 20 m fishing boat sitting upright in 18 m, sized for a first wreck
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44.9 m navy attack craft, mast at 13 m, seabed at 23 m