HTMS Chang

The HTMS Chang Wreck is the largest shipwreck in Thailand and likely one of the best wreck dives in South East Asia. (100 metres long 15 metres wide).

Commissioned as the “USS Lincoln County 898” in 1944, it was used as a tank landing craft at the end of World War II. It was donated to the Thai Navy in 1962 and renamed.  It was intentionally sunk at 10.30am on 22 November 2012 to create an artificial reef.  Twelve divers, one of whom was the founder of this company (not sure if any of the other 11 are still on the island), were diving on it as soon as it was sunk. 

There are now very few places in the world where you will see so many fish in the same place, huge schools of Fusiliers which are so dense you can swim through them without seeing the wreck, but you know it is there because that is why they are there!  So if you want to see something small, like Banded Boxer Shrimp right through to the occasional Whaleshark, this is the place to be preferably as a PADI Advance Open Water or equivalent.

Great Barracuda, Trevally (including Giant Trevally), Snappers, big and small and many others abound. Stealing a line from ABBA 'Super Groupers will astound you'.

Sitting at 30 metres on the seabed and the main deck at 24 metres, the wreck is a haven for Advanced divers, Wreck Speciality divers and Tech Divers.  There is still plenty to see for those divers who are only Open Water certified if the conditions allow.

Mistakes have been made in the past placing mooring lines on more fragile parts of the ship, so there is now one line amidships.  There is now a small, non-mooring line attached to the tower which serves as an ideal place to do a safety stop especially when there are currents.  Whatever the experience divers have, if they have not dives for a while, it is probably the safest option to do a shallower dive first (reverse profile) before going on the wreck.  A good chance to get back in the water, check equipment and weighting.

• Level: Moderate/Advanced/Challenging

• Snorkeling: Not good unless on avery rare occasion you can see the wreck from the surface..