New wreck dive in Pattaya, Thailand
Divers to Pattaya have a new wreck to look forward to – the HTMS Kut.
Members of the Royal Thai Navy attended the sinking on 17 September 2006, where the HTMS Kut was filled with sea water by Navy fire fighting vessels before the decent to her final resting place around 300 metres off the North East corner of Koh Sak.
The former USS LSM-333 landing craft is a 56-metre long, 1,000-Tonne ship originally constructed for the US Navy, then purchased by the Royal Thai Navy. After it was decommissioned, Naval officers decided to sink the ship as an artificial reef project after the success of the HTMS Khram sinking in February 2003. The Khram has now been in the water for over three years it has become home to numerous marine creatures, corals and sponges and proved to be a popular dive site.
The Kut now sits upright on the seabed at about 26 metres, just off the island Koh Sak, one of the smaller islands north of Koh Larn commonly known as Coral Island. Before sinking, the ship underwent preparations by the Royal Thai Navy so it could be used as a safe dive site. All ammunitions where removed, along with its engines, oil and other pollutants.
Several large holes have been cut in the deck to allow divers to easily enter the passageways and engine rooms and let in natural light.
Mermaids Dive Centre Pattaya is running dive trips to all the shipwrecks in the Pattaya and Samae San area.
