Scuba Diving in Koh Chang

If you’re looking for a location in Thailand specifically for diving, you should probably head down to Koh Tao or Phuket but if you’re visiting to Koh Chang it’s definitely worth checking out.

Things to see

There’s definitely luck involved in seeing something special, but over the past few years I’ve seen several whale sharks, white tip sharks, turtles and lots of squid, barracudas, shrimp, blue spotted rays etc.

In Koh Chang you’re rewarded with warm water between 29 and 32 degrees, beautiful corals, schools of fish and hopefully some good visibility.

Dive Sites

Koh Chang has a ton of sites you should check out, all of them 30 minutes to 90 minutes from the island by a large wooden boat.

Wrecks

• HTMS Chang
• T11 Gunboat

Both wrecks listed here were purposely sunk and of the two, the HTMS Chang is a clear winner. Chang Diving describes it as 100m long, on a sandy bottom at 30m, and it is home to a variety of species. Don’t miss this dive if it suits your training and the conditions.

Local Sites

• Hin Raab North
• Hin Sam Sao
• Hin Luck Bat
• Blueberry Hill
• Secret Reef
• Hin Raab South
• Hin Rua Tek

Marine Park

• Koh Rang Pinacle
• Koh Tien
• Koh Yak
• Koh Loan
• 3 Finger Reef

Ask your operator which park entrance or scuba-diving fees apply to your planned sites, whether they are included in your quote, and how to pay. BB Divers, for example, lists park charges separately from its trip prices; confirm the applicable total before booking.

All of the sites can provide a nice dive, especially in the high season when visibility is often around 30m, but my recommendation is to first dive the HTMS Chang, followed by a close-by local site such as Hin Luk Bat (we often see turtles here), Hin Raab or Blueberry Hill. If the weather is particularly good and you have an extra day, consider a day diving in the national park, it’s stunning. The high season (dry season) in Koh Chang runs from 1st October to mid June. The rainy season runs from mid June to mid Sept).

Location

Bang Bao – There are dive shops scattered all around the island, but their boats are situated at Bang Bao pier. If you’re staying in Lonely Beach, Bang Bao or Bailan Bay then this is convenient.

Klong Prao – If like us, you’re staying on the Northern or Eastern part of the island, we recommend Scandinavian Chang Dive Center, they’ve become good friends of ours over the past two years and their shop and boat is located in Klong Prao.

Prices

Prices are mostly consistent across the island, with some companies aggressively undercutting others. A DSD (discover scuba diving) course will cost approximately 3,500 baht, PADI Open Water course 13,000 baht and two fun dives around 3,000 baht.

Experienced divers

For beginners and experienced divers alike, DAN advises diving within your training and experience. Ask your operator which sites, depths and conditions suit you. Night diving on a coral reef or a wreck can add some adventure, but check what is actually offered. A wreck specialty card alone is not a go-ahead to enter either wreck: DAN warns that entering a wreck needs specialist training and equipment. Discuss the specific wreck and route with a qualified local instructor.

Gallery

Here are some of my favourite shots.