HTMS Kut Wreck | Former USS LSM-333 Wreck Diving Thailand

Pattaya's Closest WWII LST Shipwreck!

Many of you, my fellow divers have visited Thailand for scuba diving, (if you haven’t, then you really should) and some of you will have come to a place just outside of Bangkok called Pattaya. It’s Thailand’s closest dive destination to Bangkok, located just 2 hours from downtown Bangkok and only 1 hr from BKK Airport using the new smooth toll highway. You can zip down the coast of the Gulf of Thailand and be in Pattaya (The Shipwreck Captial of Thailand) in a jiffy! Where you can find an array of shipwrecks covered head to toe in thick lush coral growth and abundant aquatic life. Scattered around along the East coast of the Thai Gulf – this place is a haven for adventure travellers and wreck divers alike.

I have enjoyed diving Pattaya for the last ten years working as a dive instructor and underwater photographer. It’s a perfect place to learn scuba diving; having an archipelago of 20+ coral fringed islands with an abundance of marine life, starting just 40 minutes by boat from Pattaya Beach. An already very cool dive destination has just got better and better as more and more wrecks have been created here over the years!, One such wreck dive, is HTMS Kut.

Into The Past - History

The HTMS Kut was Former USS LSM-333 and was Transferred in October 1946 and renamed HTMS KUT by the Thai navy. The ship once dilapidated beyond repair after more than 60 years use,. Was sank slightly North of Koh Sak Island in 30 meters of water in September 2006 in honor of the King of Thailand’s 60th year on the throne. She now serve the sea as a vibrant Artificial Reef Wreck dive site.

A Long Service

The Kut Still Serves

On November 22, 2012, LSM-333 was a Medium landing ship originally Commissioned USS LSM-333 on 11th November 1944 with LT. William Russell Schulhof USNR in command. Following World War II USS LSM-333 was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East from 17 September 1945 to 17 July 1946 before being Decommissioned, 28th July 1946. USS LSM-333 earned one battle star for World War II service. Although no longer in Navel Service, The Kut Wreck still serves as an vibrant artificial reef habitat.

A Diverse Wreck Dive

This ship was prepared by the Thai Navy as a dive site, this means is was sank free from armaments, oil and most hazards to divers. Large holes were strategically cut in many areas and penetration dives through the ships passageways rarely takes the diver out of the natural light zone. Like with all wreck dives, a level of care should be taken with a few of the corridors now in a state of collapse and a couple of rooms with big steel watertight doors are still fitted and may be locked easily with the unsuspected diver still inside.

Kut Conning Tower

The bridge mast reaches up to 13m depth although sadly these days it has collapsed leaving the windows space remaining, also the portholes have gone too, sigh! No great loss though as the telegraph, steering mechanism, and any bits that may be used as spare parts were removed before sinking. Entry into the lower bridge area of the conning tower is fairly simple and safe but there is a lot of growth over and around the doors these days so its best left alone.

Kut Wreck Deck Area and passageways

The ship was made for carrying tanks, troops and equipment to a beach head, so the center of the boat is a large flat open deck area with vertical sides which offer perfect protection from currents. There are many points of entry into the side corridors running parallel along the deck however only a few are used for wreck diver training nowadays due to questionable structure stability and the silt in them which can result in complete silt out if kicked up.

Kut Wreck Engine room

Located aft, This is a cool area to explore as the engine room has a large access hole in the middle of the load deck offering great natural light however both main engines have been removed. This is a great wreck diving classroom, with pipes gauges and dials everywhere, though who knows how long they’ll stay. Again, careful with silt in this are, as it’s possible to get trapped under overhanging ledges going far under the deck.

The dive site is currently marked by a buoy connected with a rope leading to the wreck although this line, as with many others will succumb to having it buoy cut and stolen like so many before it. I really wish Thailand would activity protect and police its dive sites against line theft and illegal fishing practices as this is a fantastic dive site and amazing asset to Thailand's scuba diving and tourism industry.

HTMS KutWreck - Overview

TYPE

Landing Ship Medium (LSM)

CONSTRUCTION

13/07/1944 –Build @ Pullman Standard Car Co. (Chicago)

NAME

USS LSM 333 (LSM 333)

PURPOSE

Warcraft built for efforts during WWII

FEATURES

x1 twin bow mounted 40mm gun

FEATURES

x4 single 20mm gun mounts

STATUS

Recreation dive site / artificial reef

REPUTATION

Pattaya Closest Wreck Diving Site

POSITION & DEPTH

The wreck is sitting perfect on her hull upright 30m (100ft) deep

DIVER CERTIFICATION

Advanced Certified / Advanced / Wreck Training Level

What Can I see Diving on The HTMS Kut Shipwreck?

HTMS Kut is accessible by Advanced level divers or Open Water Divers taking a Deep diving Training Session. This shipwreck has many forms of aquatic life thriving here after more than a decade under the sea. Large schools of Barracuda, rabbit fish and Big eyed yellow snapper can be seen swarming around everywhere like fish soup! Larger fish like giant starry puffers or Giant Grouper can be found here regularly.

As you inspect the deck floor and the sides of the tower walls you will discover an array of macro life such as shrimp and crab and nudibranch. If you get to peep inside the engine room or any doors or portholes you never know what you will see hiding inside. Dropping down at the bow or stern end allows you to look under the wreck where its rises from the sands and you can expect to find Blue spotted stingrays, Moray eels and occasionally bamboo sharks lurking below. Visibility isn't generally spectacular at this dive site and ranges from 5m to 18m but take a good flashlight and go slowly and you will be rewards to a very cool wreck diving experience.