HTMS Chang
Position
10 km southwest of Koh Chang / 45 minutes by boat from Bang Bao Pier
depth
average 20 meters, max. 30 meters
difficulty
Advanced
About the wreck
For many of our guests, the HTMS Chang is the highlight of their diving experience with us. It is the largest wreck accessible to recreational divers in Thailand, making it a paradise for wreck enthusiasts. This is due to their favorable berth in rather shallow waters.
The ship first entered service in 1944 during World War II as an American tank landing ship and was named the USS Lincoln County. Further combat missions for the US Navy in the Korean War followed in the early 1950s. On August 31, 1962, she was handed over to the Royal Thai Navy and renamed "HTMS Chang", following the Navy's long-standing tradition of giving its ships the names of the Thai islands.
After her deserved retirement, the Royal Thai Navy sank the HTMS Chang at her current position on November 28, 2012 as part of a project to create an artificial reef. Thanks to its size and location, it forms the backdrop for many different exciting dives.
The HTMS Chang provides an excellent habitat for many different species of marine life and huge schools of trevally, barracuda and other schooling fish are regularly encountered here. Several large giant groupers and batfish also feel particularly at home here. The sheer size of the schools of fish will amaze you when visibility is good. Here, nature impressively shows how quickly it takes over sunken ships and how magnificently life can thrive there.
If you are interested in learning more about wreck diving, such as how to safely dive in and out of a wreck, then sign up for our Wreck Diver Specialty and experience Thailand's largest diveable wreck from a completely new perspective. The prerequisite for this is an age of 15 years and at least an Advanced Open Water certification.
DIVE AND EXPLORE WITH THE SCUBA SQUAD TEAM SCUBA SQUAD TEAM
About the wreck
For many of our guests, the HTMS Chang is the highlight of their diving experience with us. It is the largest wreck accessible to recreational divers in Thailand, making it a paradise for wreck enthusiasts. This is due to their favorable berth in rather shallow waters.
The ship first entered service in 1944 during World War II as an American tank landing ship and was named the USS Lincoln County. Further combat missions for the US Navy in the Korean War followed in the early 1950s. On August 31, 1962, she was handed over to the Royal Thai Navy and renamed "HTMS Chang", following the Navy's long-standing tradition of giving its ships the names of the Thai islands.
After her deserved retirement, the Royal Thai Navy sank the HTMS Chang at her current position on November 28, 2012 as part of a project to create an artificial reef. Thanks to its size and location, it forms the backdrop for many different exciting dives.
The HTMS Chang provides an excellent habitat for many different species of marine life and huge schools of trevally, barracuda and other schooling fish are regularly encountered here. Several large giant groupers and batfish also feel particularly at home here. The sheer size of the schools of fish will amaze you when visibility is good. Here, nature impressively shows how quickly it takes over sunken ships and how magnificently life can thrive there.
If you are interested in learning more about wreck diving, such as how to safely dive in and out of a wreck, then sign up for our Wreck Diver Specialty and experience Thailand's largest diveable wreck from a completely new perspective. The prerequisite for this is an age of 15 years and at least an Advanced Open Water certification.
What is there to discover?
There's a lot to see here, including large batfish, barracuda, squid and lots of other sea creatures that come in large schools here. The Crow's Nest (observation tower) is located at a depth of approximately 5 meters and is equipped with a line, which is helpful in our safety stops, especially when surface currents are present. As with all wreck dives, penetrating the wreck is only possible with appropriate training, which you can acquire from us as part of a Wreck Diver course.
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