Htms Khram Shipwreck

The HTMS Khram Shipwreck sits just off the shores of Pattaya, in the Gulf of Thailand. The vessel was originally a former U.S. Navy ship that later served with the Royal Thai Navy before being deliberately sunk in 2003 to create an artificial reef. Over the years, nearly every surface has been colonised by hard and soft corals, tube sponges, and tunicates, transforming cold steel into a functioning reef ecosystem.

The wreck sits between 12 and 30 metres, making it accessible to open water certified divers as well as advanced wreck divers. The structure offers varied terrain across multiple depth bands: upper deck areas and radar tower sit in shallower midwater zones around 14–22 metres, while the deeper sections of the hull reach the 30-metre maximum. Vertical features including masts, decks, and antenna arms provide relief, and shaded inner compartments offer shelter for more cryptic species.

Marine life at the site spans a wide range of species. Batfish are consistently present throughout the year, hovering in small groups near the upper deck and midwater structures. Schools of fusiliers, trevally, barracuda, and jacks are regularly encountered, while groupers occupy shadowed areas of the wreck. Moray eels and scorpionfish shelter in the inner compartments. Reef sharks and turtles are also sighted, as are reef grazers such as rabbitfish, parrotfish, and sweetlips. Macro subjects including nudibranchs and shrimps are found among the sponges and coral growth.