The Gulf of Thailand

by: Debbie Salcedo

The raging social scene of the big resort areas on the gulf coast often makes more news, but there are still dive highlights here, especially for those prepared to go a little further.

Thanks to the huge influx of general tourism, the Gulf of Thailand provides a good standard of infrastructure within easy access of areas of diving interest. In its eastern half, there is the famously bawdy resort area of Pattaya, along with the much slower-paced, but rapidly changing, Koh Chang. In the west, there is Koh Samui and the islands grouped around it, plus various smaller places on the mainland like Chumphon.

All these are of varying quality. No one can claim the gulf to be one of nature’s pristine experiences, but there are particular hotspots of marine life activity, and even a couple of sites that are among the best Thailand has to offer.

Pattaya’s big dive scene is concentrated very much on dive training. Its proximity to Bangkok makes it a popular place to learn to dive both with those based in the city and others from abroad. Its rampant development means it isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but bar-hoppers will find the ranging nightlife caters for every proclivity.

Pattaya is also the place to come in the gulf to dive wrecks, with several to choose from. The (once) vertical wreck is legendary, while the Petchburi Bremen and Hardeep are also often mentioned. Both are around the 25m mark.
 

The island of Koh Chang sits inside a national park of the same name, and it and its neighbors offer some lovely scenic land/seascapes. The proximity to Cambodia adds a special flavor and it is great change of pace after Pattaya. It has come under a lot of pressure from developers in recent years through and many fear it is going the way of other overbuilt areas of Thailand. The diving here is a mix of shallow sites off the islands and seamounts further out.

Koh Sami is the center for many people’s experience of the gulf. Travelers congregate here and on Koh Phangan slightly further out to chill and/or rage at the full moon. Divers too can find plenty to occupy them, though the shallow waters around the islands themselves mean relatively few fish, so most diving is accessed by speedboat, with the furthest sites being around 2hrs away.

Move out into the gulf a little more and you come to Koh Tao. The feel is different here: the ‘scene’ is pre-dominantly based on diving and this has allowed a more sensitive pace of development than in the islands to the south that cater for the full moon party crowd.  Sairee Beach, on the West Coast, is the center of the action with dive shops and parties left and right, but there are still quieter areas if solitude is more your thing. The dive sites are often just minutes away. Making them more accessible than the sites off Samui.

Finally with the crowds flocking to Koh Samui and Koh Tao, consider a liveaboard excursion to Koh Kra or Koh Losin further south which are almost entirely overlooked.

Must-do-dives

Sali Rock (Hin Bai)
5-35m Koh Tao

Halfway between Koh Phangan and Koh Tao, this is a steeply sloping wall, covered in tube corals and surrounded by deeper water. On the northeastern side is a wide chimney starting around 6m and dropping to a window at 18m. Angelfish and parrotfish are common and some really big barracuda are seen about too, along with trevally, groupers and more. There’s constant traffic in from the blue so this is a more reliable site than Chumphon, though not always as spectacular. If you are in the area, you should certainly try to check out both.


Chumphon Pinnacles
15-45m Koh Tao

Since this is a very popular site choose your time carefully. With the pinnacles drawing in a host of pelagics—barracuda and tuna typically and even whale sharks on occasion. Don’t miss the larger resident grouper either, often found on a ledge beyond the small canyon. Better suited to more experienced divers as it is easy to sink lower while finning about, only to find yourself beyond your planned depth.

The (once) Vertical Wreck
35m Pattaya

Originally a Japanese ship later rechristened the Pak 1, this is a wreck that refused to lie down. Its tanks full of LPG kept it stood on end for years – stern down in the mud at 62m, bow just 5m down – making it easily the most celebrated site around Pattaya. Finally, the gas started to leak out, but rather than being the end of the ship., this actually pulled her stern out of the mud and set her floating about still on end.

The Thai Navy was called in to tow her way as she was now creating a hazzard, but even then the ship refused to go down easily. The first charges set failed to go off, so a second set were attached. Only one of these exploded and the ship then promptly rose still higher in the water. Eventually though she was laid to rest in 42m of water, about 50km from the shore.

Visibility is around 5m down on the main structure, but the bridge rises strikingly into clear water above the 30m thermocline.


Koh Kra
10-30m Southern gulf
a collection of a small islands dot the sea here, each sheltering its share of reef fish and hard corals. Sea whips and sponges are common too. Snapper often school in large numbers, plus there are sharks and other big pelagics to gawk at. Along with Koh Losin, this site is not straightforward to access as it doesn’t lie close to the major resort areas--- check with liveaboard operators to find out if a visit is possible.

Koh Losin
12-30m southern gulf

This often has the clearest waters in the gulf. Couple that with the lack of a crowd and you have one of the best chances on this side of the peninsula to catch sight of mantas that come in over the extensive hard coral reef here. The shark family are well represented, ranging all the way up to whale sharks which are regular visitors.

Ahe Thong Marine Park
5-25m Koh Samui

The park encompasses a group of around 40 islands, each encircled by cliffs and hung with forest. It’s perfect for explorations by kayak and divers and snorkellers enjoy the shallow, current free waters that harbor lots of sea life. Sea snakes, turtles, morays and nudibranchs are among the profusion of life, and there have been sightings of dwarf minke whales even. There are more soft corals here than in most other gulf sites and there are also shallow caves to explore for more delights.