Whether deliberately sunk as an artificial reef or as the result of an accident, wrecks open fascinating windows to the past. Most divers find wrecked ships, airplanes and even automobiles nearly irresistible because they’re intriguing to explore, exciting avenues of discovery, and usually teeming with aquatic life.
Krabi's' most famous wreck, the 85 meter long King Cruiser, was joined in May 2013 by three new local wrecks sunk off the coast of Ao Nang, with a large new Phi Phi wreck close to Krabi's Phi Phi Island scheduled for sinking soon after.
All of the new wrecks are accessible most of the year round, and as they are in relatively shallow water, they are accessible even by relatively inexperienced divers. To get the most out of the sites we highly recommend Aqua Visions Wreck Diver Specialty Course!
The PADI Wreck Diver course teaches you the ins and outs of rewarding, responsible wreck diving, The fun part of the PADI Wreck Diver course is visiting wrecks, unlocking mysteries and starting to gain the knowledge and experience that allows you to see things that others overlook. Sometimes, only the trained, experienced eye recognizes that a small hole or open door likely caused the vessel’s demise.
For more information on wreck diving or wreck diving courses, please contact us
The King Cruiser WreckShark Point Marine Sanctuary
Built in in 1969 at the Nippon Kokan K. K. Tsurumi Shipyard in Yokohama the ship served as a ferry in Japan for 21 years under the name MV Rokko Maru before being purchased by Songserm. Co in Bangkok in 1990 and renamed The MV King Cruiser.
For the next seven years she made the same daily journey between Phuket and Phi Phi until 4th May 1997 when she strayed off course and struck the well charted pinnacle Anemone Reef and sank.
HTMS Kledkaeo Wreck / AKS-861Phi Phi Marine National Park
The Supply ship HTMS Kledkaeo enetered service in the Royal Thai Navy in 1956 as an auxilliary vessel servicing the needs of other naval vessels through almost 60 years, until being decommissioned and sunk as an artificial reef close to Krabis Phi Phi Island on 19th March 2014.
HTMS Ravi Wreck / LCT 762Ao Nang Local Islands
One of six LCT-Mk6 class tank landing craft transferred from US Navy to the Royal Thai Navy after WW II. Originally the USS.LCT-800, she was launched on the 14th of June 1944 and began service two days later on the 16th June.
Service: LCT-800 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater LCT Flotilla 27, Group 81 (LT. W.B. Hazeltine) and participated in the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Luzon operation Lingayen Gulf landings, 9 to 18 January 1945. The LCT-800 earned one battle star for World War II service.
After the war ended, the ship was transferred to the Royal Thai Navy and commissioned in 1948, renamed HTMS Ravi after an island in the Andaman Sea. The ship was decommissioned and eventually scuttled as an artificial reef on the 20th of April 2013.
HTMS Talibong Wreck / LCT 766Ao Nang Local Islands
One of six LCT-Mk6 class tank landing craft transferred from US Navy to the Royal Thai Navy after WW II. Originally the USS.LCT-753, she was launched on the 10th of May 1944 and delivered for service on 10th May 1944.
HTMS Kolum Wreck / LCT 765Ao Nang Local Islands
Service: During World War II LCT-904 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater LCT Flotilla 27, Group 80 and participated in the: Leyte operation Leyte landings, January 1945. Transferred, to Thailand, and commissioned into the Royal Thai Navy as HTMS Kolam (765)
LCT-904 earned one battle star for World War II service
