Koh Chang

Koh Chang
Diving Type Boat Diving
Level All levels (except the wreck which require an experienced diver)
Depth 5 - 25 meters
Visibility 2 - 20 meters
Current None - Moderate
Water Temp 26 - 31  C
Season October - April
Highlight Coral reefs here are quite healthy with high diversity from hard corals to soft corals and sea anemones. Reef fishes and pelagic fishes are quite abundant. Sea turtles can be seen easily. Once in a while, a whale shark shows up.

General Info

Koh Chang is a national park in the Gulf of Thailand, consisting of many small islands and many interesting dive spots, which are suitable for both scuba diving and snorkeling. There are several resorts on the island.

Dive Site (Detail)

West and South Pinnacles

Cubic Rock : Considered one of the most beautiful spots in the area. Maximum depth is 22 meters.  There is a large rock on the west side that looks like a big wall, while in the shallow water you may find squids and needlefish. This rock is small enough to dive around.

Blueberry Hill: It’s another popular diving spot with two large underwater rocks surrounded by coral reefs. You can find redcoat squirrelfish, ghost pipefish, squids, etc.

Hin Sam Sao: This name means Three Rocks, which is exactly seen from the surface. The maximum depth is 20 meters. There are hard corals, soft corals, whip corals, and sea fans. Ghost pipefish and rays can be seen.

Hin Raab Nuea: It is a pile of two rocks. The eastern one has shallow coral reefs that go down to 6-7 meters. Blacktip reef sharks are quite common. At the base of the rock on the southern side, there is a  cavern that many animals live in. The western rock is deeper, between the two rocks there is a long canyon with the depth of 4-5 meters appropriated for safety stops.

Hin Raab Tai: It’s a rock that is surrounded by colorful coral reefs. There are various  fishes around. Whale sharks can be seen.

Hin Ruea Taek: This submerged rock extends underwater to a depth of 17 meters. There is a long north-south coral reef full of hard corals. Lionfish and sea turtles can be found along the way. On the sandy area you may find stingrays buried in the sand. Some parts are shallow enough for snorkeling.

Wreck

HTMS Chang: It’s the largest wreck in Thailand with 100 meters long and 15 meters high. It was built during World War II and was sunk to be an artificial reef in 2012 by the Thai Royal Navy. Now it sits at a depth of 30 meters.

T. 11 Wreck: A small wreck with a length of 30.3 meters and a width of 6.4 meters. The maximum depth is 17 meters. It is a decommissioned coastal patrol ship that was sunk to be an artificial reef in 2013. Bamboo sharks and nurse sharks can be seen.

Rang Archipelago (Koh Rang National Park)

Hin Kradueang : A beautiful dive site with stunning rock formations and diverse kinds of marine life.

Koh Thian - Koh Kra - Koh Thonglang : These are small islands on the northeastern side of Koh Rang with colorful coral reefs.

Horseshoe Rock (Three Finger Rock): There is a wall diving on the southside with high diversity of life, for example, bamboo sharks, blue-spotted stingrays, eels, angelfish, sea slugs, etc.

Koh Yak Yai - Koh Yak Lek: These two islands are located next to each other. You can dive around the islands among healthy coral reefs and fields of sea anemones.

Koh Mak - Koh Kood

These two islands are not far from Koh Chang with an equally abundance of marine life. You can stay overnight on these islands as there are many resorts to choose from, as well as many dive shops.

Koh Mak: There are many small islets around that are good spots for diving, such as Koh Phi, Koh Rayang, etc. Koh Mak itself is also a good snorkeling spot.

Koh Kood: There are many interesting diving spots such as Ao Phak Waen, Koh Mai Chee, Koh Rad, Aow Khlong Chao, Hin Loi, Aow Tum, Aow Salad, Banana Bay, Aow Karang, etc.

Go There

There are 3 main piers to Koh Chang as follow:

  • Center Point Pier (Laem Ngop Pier): There is a boat to Koh Chang every 1 hour.
  • Aow Thammachat Pier (Koh Chang Ferry Pier): Boats leave every 45 minutes.
  • Mai Pier (Krom Luang Pier): Boats leave every 1 hour.

There are also many ways to reach Trat Province by public transportation as follow:

  • Minibus: Get off at Trat bus station and take a local car called Song Thaw to the pier.
  • Plane: There is only one airline from Bangkok to Trat: Bangkok Airways. From the Trat Airport, there are vans to the city, priced around 300-700 baht.

How to Go toKoh Chang

Emergency

Nearest Recompression Chamber Facility

Koh Chang Hospital: Tel 039 521-657 or 039 586-131