Phi Phi & the King Cruiser · Thailand · Wreck
King Cruiser Wreck
An 85 m ferry upright on the sand, captain's cabin at 12 m
Photo: Ralf Schmidt · CC BY-SA 3.0
The 85 m car ferry MS King Cruiser hit a pinnacle at Anemone Reef on 4 May 1997, sank within two and a half hours, and left every one of her 561 passengers alive. She now lies upright on the sand in open water, and the dive is worked entirely from the outside: most of the superstructure has collapsed and penetration is no longer safe.
Where it is and how deep
7.8015° N, 98.6431° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The descent lands on the highest steel, the captain's cabin at around 12 m, with the main deck below it between 14 and 19 m. The hull sits perfectly upright at 32 m and the sand around her runs to 33 m, so the profile is decided in the first minute: stay high over the superstructure for a long dive, or drop down the flank and work back up. Visibility is not always good here, and the current is medium but can run strong.
Most of the dive is spent along the outside of the 85 m hull. She was built with four decks of large walkways and windows, but much of the superstructure has collapsed and penetration is not safe any more, so guides stay outside the wreck and use the open, broken sections for the view in. Scorpionfish sit motionless on the steel, and yellowtail barracuda hang off the flanks in numbers.
Away from the steel the schools do the work: fusiliers, snappers and trevally cover the wreck in numbers that blur her outline on a good day. Plan the ascent early, because the deck is deep enough that bottom time goes quickly, and expect company — the wreck can be crowded during the high season.
The wreck
- Vessel
- MS King Cruiser
- Type
- Car and passenger ferry
- Length
- 85 m (279 ft)
- Built
- 1969
- Sunk
- 1997
- Cause
- Struck submerged pinnacles at Anemone Reef
- Lies
- Upright on a sandy bottom at 33 m, decks from 12 m down
MS King Cruiser was launched on 13 May 1969 and was working as a car and passenger ferry when, on 4 May 1997, she hit a submerged collection of rocky pinnacles at the dive site Anemone Reef, ten miles off Phi Phi Island. She sank within two and a half hours. All 561 passengers on board were rescued, and there were no casualties.
Marine life and season
- Barracuda
- Trevally & jacks
- Reef fish swarms
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime |
Season follows Phi Phi & the King Cruiser: Nov–Apr is the dry season with the calmest, clearest water; the south-west monsoon from May to October brings swell and rain.
Know before you go
- Most of the superstructure has collapsed and penetration is not safe any more; the dive is worked from the outside of the hull.
- Current is usually medium but can run strong over an exposed wreck in open water — descend and ascend on the line.
- The wreck can be crowded during the high season, so keep your group together when visibility is poor.
Dive videos
BEST Scuba Diving Phuket: King Cruiser Wreck Underwater HD ★★★★★ · Real Freedom Productions on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is the King Cruiser wreck?+
The captain's cabin is the shallowest steel at around 12 m and the main deck runs between 14 and 19 m. The hull sits upright at 32 m, with the sand around it at 33 m.
Can you dive inside the King Cruiser?+
No. Most of the superstructure has collapsed and penetration is not safe any more, so dives are run along the outside of the hull and past the open, broken sections.
What certification do you need for the King Cruiser?+
Advanced Open Water or CMAS two-star. The main deck sits at 14-19 m, the sand at 33 m, and the current can run strong, so it is not an open-water-level dive.
Sources
- MS King Cruiser — Wikipedia
- Diving in Thailand — Wikivoyage
- King Cruiser Wreck — Divezone
- King Cruiser Wreck — PADI
Photo credits
- Coral-encrusted railing and deck structure of the King Cruiser wreck with fish schooling above by Ralf Schmidt, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
In The Logbook
- Where to dive in DecemberTrip planning · 10 min read
- Cheapest places to scuba dive, and the catchTrip planning · 15 min read
More dive sites in Phi Phi & the King Cruiser
Pinnacle
The pinnacle the King Cruiser struck, carpeted in anemones
Reef
An easy reef slope and mini wall, also dived from Krabi
Pinnacle
A coral-covered pinnacle east of the Bidas, rarely on the schedule
Swim-throughs behind walls of glassfish, and no current
A wall to 30 m and the soft-coral spur called Finger Reef
Wall
A limestone wall running from the surface to 33 m
Pinnacle
A multi-headed pinnacle off an uninhabited islet, around 15 m
Wall
Underwater cliffs to 21 m, cut by small caverns and swim-throughs
Similar dives elsewhere
Whale sharks around the hull between January and April
Upright navy wreck, superstructure at 18 m, keel at 30 m
A 90 m sugar carrier the coral has not finished claiming
Navy wreck off Koh Phai with lines to 28 m, clearest November-March