| The Royal Thai Navy
safeguards the area via regular boat patrols to ensure it stays a safe
haven for marine life in Thailand” said the vice admiral.
The HMS Khram was received from Seattle ,
Washington in the USA under a naval assistance project and arrived in
Thailand September 11, 1962. The vessel is classed as a medium sized
landing vessel; 61.5 meters long, 10.35 meters wide.
The now sunken ship was active in World War II before
arriving in Thailand. The ageing vessel became increasingly un-seaworthy
and the rising cost of constant repair prompted the decision by the
Ministry of Defense to lay the vessel to rest for the benefit of the
environment and shipwreck scuba diving in Pattaya.
The wreck now lies on the seabed, 300 meters off
Bamboo Island at latitude 12 degrees 55 minutes north (of the equator) and
longitude 100 degrees 41 minutes 26 seconds east (of Greenwich).

Computer generated image
courtesy of Mr Alex Beuchel, a student of Mermaids Dive Center.
Above, the computer generated
graphic gives a very good representation of the way the Kram wreck lays at
the bottom of the ocean at 30 meters. The Khram has allowed Pattaya to
remain as the most diverse scuba dive training ground in Thailand. We have
so much diversity of dive sites in Pattaya and now with this shipwreck to
add to the wreck penetration possibilities we are made up. The wreck can
be penetrated in many areas and was made safe for diving activities prior
to the sinking in 2003.
The Kram wreck makes wreck diving in
Pattaya much more interesting but is also the dive site that many dive
interns here learn their wreck and advanced wreck specialties. As it lays
in semi-deep waters it is perfect for cross training such as advanced
wreck diver along with a Nitrox blend for
example. All in all - we are very lucky to have this new and superb dive-able
wreck in Pattaya, Thailand.
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here *** Other Ship wrecks in Thailand *** Click here |