Koh Chang to get first shipwreck

PATTAYA:--

Koh Chang scuba divers will get their first intentionally-sunk shipwreck when the Royal Thai Navy sinks the HTMS Chang off the Trat Province island next month.

The tank landing ship, also intended to be an artificial reef to help restore the island’s marine ecosystem, will be sunk Aug. 16 to honor HM the Queen on her 80th birthday. Until Aug. 14, the ship is open to the public at a naval dock near the Ao Sapporot Pier.

The ship was originally slated to be sunk off Pattaya. Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome announced two years ago that Pattaya could get five shipwrecks over the next five years, but despite the formation of a coalition of area dive centers to push the initiative, a lack of follow-up by both city hall and the Tourism Authority of Thailand resulted in the ships being sunk off Koh Tao last year and Koh Chang this year.

The Chang will be sunk a few kilometers off the southwest coast of Koh Chang. The depth at which it will lie is still unknown, but is assumed to be within the range of recreational divers at less than 40 meters.

Capt. Nariaphikhak Saengsanit of the Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Association, said Koh Chang’s marine environment has been damaged over the years and the 100-meter-long former U.S. Navy ship will help to bring fish and other sea life back to the area.

Full story:http://www.pattayamail.com/localnews/koh-chang-to-get-first-shipwreck-14969

-- Pattaya Mail 2012-07-28

Ahhhhhh Koh Chang.....my favorite spot in Thailand

Excellent news. Wrecks attract a huge amount of marine life. Hope City Hall gets it together and secures a few more wrecks for Pattaya.

I'm looking forward to diving on it already. Great news.

Excellent news. Wrecks attract a huge amount of marine life. Hope City Hall gets it together and secures a few more wrecks for Pattaya.

I see plenty of wreaks in Pattaya, far too many to be sure, they all seem to have 2 legs

I'm looking forward to diving on it already. Great news.

I wonder if they have stripped everything out of it...ie wiring, asbestos, tanks etc etc...and its a "clean" hull

Reason I say that, sinking it next month and it appears they havent started decommisionning/stripping and cleaning and typically this excercise takes months of work

Edited July 31, 201213 yr by Soutpeel

I'm looking forward to diving on it already. Great news.

I wonder if they have stripped everything out of it...ie wiring, asbestos, tanks etc etc...and its a "clean" hull

Reason I say that, sinking it next month and it appears they havent started decommisionning/stripping and cleaning and typically this excercise takes months of work

Do not know, probably another toxic time bomb.

I remember diving the Kut a few weeks after they sank her and remember seeing walls of pressure gagges, I bet they have now all gone.

I'm looking forward to diving on it already. Great news.

I wonder if they have stripped everything out of it...ie wiring, asbestos, tanks etc etc...and its a "clean" hull

Reason I say that, sinking it next month and it appears they havent started decommisionning/stripping and cleaning and typically this excercise takes months of work

Do not know, probably another toxic time bomb.

I remember diving the Kut a few weeks after they sank her and remember seeing walls of pressure gagges, I bet they have now all gone.

Reason I made that comment, remember a program on discovery a few years ago and somewhere in the US, think it was off California and they were doing the same thing with a vessel of similar size and I didnt realise how much work there was in getting the vessel ready to sink...ie they were stripping all the wire out, asbestos etc etc....big job

In reading the article, they have done similar before with another vessel and had oil leaking out of it..!!!...so kinda indicates how much preparation work they do, do...

Edited August 1, 201213 yr by Soutpeel

I've worked in Ship yards many times and with a large crew of contractors in dry dock, it wouldn't take more then 2 weeks to strip it and they will have the Navy crews on it I would imagine.

Either that or just put it in dry dock and put a big sign saying "FREE EVERYTHING. TAKE WHAT YOU WANT" in Thai and it would be stripped within 24 hours. lol

I've worked in Ship yards many times and with a large crew of contractors in dry dock, it wouldn't take more then 2 weeks to strip it and they will have the Navy crews on it I would imagine.

Either that or just put it in dry dock and put a big sign saying "FREE EVERYTHING. TAKE WHAT YOU WANT" in Thai and it would be stripped within 24 hours. lol

Ok...but there was oil leaking out of the last one they did according to the article...two weeks is still a long time and a lot of work for something you are going to sink...LOL