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A pale spotted leopard shark swims over a coral reef among a large school of small silver fish — Khao Lak

Khao Lak · Thailand · Wreck

Premchai Wreck

An intact tin dredger with lionfish and scorpionfish on its decks

Area photo: TANAKA Juuyoh (田中十洋) · CC BY 2.0

The Premchai is a Dutch-built tin dredger that worked the tin fields off Phang Nga until a crack in its hull sank it. It lies largely intact on its side a short boat ride from Thap Lamu, a wreck dive in the 15 to 20 m band with plenty of fish tucked around the decks.

Also known as Prem Chai, Preimchai, Thai Muang Wreck.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of Premchai Wreck: typical dive 15–20 m (50–66 ft), deepest point 23 m (75 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit15 m20 m23 m maxtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 40 m (130 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

8.5105° N, 98.2190° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.

The dive

The hull sits on the bottom at 20 m and rises to 15 m. Lionfish and scorpionfish hide all around the decks, and the crack that sank the dredger can still be seen in the hull. Current is mild and depends on the tide.

The wreck

Vessel
Premchai
Type
Tin dredger
Built
1976
Cause
A crack in the hull, still visible on the wreck
Lies
On its side, largely intact, from 15 m on top to 20 m at the bottom

The dredger was built in 1976 in Sliedrecht in the Netherlands and ended its working life in the tin mining industry off the coast of Phang Nga province. A crack in the hull sent it to the bottom, and the crack is still visible on the wreck today.

Marine life and season

The sources we used don't single out particular species here.

Month-by-month season rating for Premchai Wreck
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
PrimePrimePrimePrimeFairOff-seasonOff-seasonOff-seasonOff-seasonFairPrimePrime

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

  • Scorpionfish hide around the decks, and the coral-covered hull has sharp edges.
  • A mass of nets and cables covers the wreck, so penetration is not allowed.

Dive videos

2016 Premchai Wreck · Rumblefish Adventure on YouTube

Sources

  1. Wreck Diving Khao Lak — Sea Dragon Dive Center
  2. Khao Lak Wrecks Diving — Khao Lak Explorer
  3. Khao Lak diving — DiveZone
  4. Scuba diving Khao Lak — Dive The World
  5. OpenStreetMap geocoding — OpenStreetMap

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