Pattaya & the Sattahip Wrecks · Thailand · Wreck
HTMS Khram
Navy wreck off Koh Phai with lines to 28 m, clearest November-March
Area photo: Maturos thiangtong · CC BY-SA 4.0
A Royal Thai Navy vessel sunk next to Koh Phai, out in the far islands, with ascent and descent lines rigged to the ship and 28 m under her. Conditions turn favourable between November and March, when visibility lifts from 8 m to as much as 30 m. Stingrays, batfish, sweetlips and big schools of barracuda work the wreck.
Where it is and how deep
12.9341° N, 100.6889° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The wreck lies next to Koh Phai in the far islands, and the dive is run on fixed lines: down the line to the ship, along her, and back up the same way. Maximum depth is 28 m, so it is a single-level profile with the clock running from the moment you leave the surface. Time it for the November-to-March window if the trip allows, because that is when the site's conditions are described as very favourable.
Visibility is the difference between two different dives. At 8 m you work close to the steel and read the wreck section by section; in the good months it opens to 30 m and you can take her in whole from above. Stingrays lie on the sand, batfish hang off the structure, scorpionfish and sweetlips hold station on it, and big schools of barracuda pass over. Hawksbill turtles turn up occasionally.
The wreck
- Vessel
- HTMS Khram
- Type
- Royal Thai Navy vessel
- Cause
- No published account of how or when she was sunk
- Lies
- Next to Koh Phai, with a maximum depth of 28 m
Marine life and season
- Stingrays
- Sea turtles
- Barracuda
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Fair | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Prime | Fair | Good | Fair |
Season follows Pattaya & the Sattahip Wrecks: Gulf diving is best May-September and runs year-round; the wrecks are clearest November-March, though site charts drop to 1-2 m visibility in February, August, November and December.
Know before you go
- At 28 m the no-stop time is short; the fixed lines make the ascent straightforward but they do not extend the bottom time.
- Scorpionfish rest camouflaged on the wreck - keep hands and knees off the structure.
Questions divers ask
When is HTMS Khram at its best?+
Between November and March, when the site's conditions are described as very favourable and visibility rises from 8 m to as much as 30 m.
Sources
- HTMS Khram dive site — Scubago
- Pattaya — Wikivoyage
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