Guide to Dive Sites, PADI Courses, Diving Trips and Prices
Koh Chang is one of Thailand’s best-kept secrets when it comes to diving. The warm, clear waters around the island are home to an impressive variety of coral and marine life, and the dive sites are quiet compared to more famous destinations like Koh Tao or Phuket. Whether you’re taking your first breaths underwater or logging your hundredth dive, the island has plenty to offer. From shallow coral gardens to deep wrecks and dramatic rock pinnacles.
Most dive sites are found to the south and west of Koh Chang, within an hour’s boat ride from Bang Bao pier. The calm conditions and generally good visibility make the area perfect for beginners, but there’s still enough variety to keep experienced divers entertained.
The Dive Sites
There are around 30 dive sites scattered through the Koh Chang Archipelago Marine Park, offering a mix of reefs, rocks, and wrecks.
The most famous is the HTMS Chang, Thailand’s largest shipwreck and one of the highlights of the Gulf of Thailand. The 100-metre long ex-US Navy transport ship was sunk in 2012 to create an artificial reef and is now home to huge schools of barracuda, trevally, snapper and the occasional whale shark. It’s suitable for Advanced Open Water divers and above, with the deck sitting around 25 metres.
Most beginners start in the Koh Rang National Marine Park, a cluster of small islands south of Koh Chang. Here, sites such as Hin Luk Bat, Hin Raab South, and Koh Yak feature colourful coral, clownfish, angelfish, butterflyfish and blue-spotted rays. Maximum depths are 10-16 metres, so it’s ideal for training dives or relaxed fun dives.
Other lesser-known but worthwhile spots include Hin Rua Tek, Hin Sam Sao and Secret Reef, all within reach of Bang Bao. These rocky outcrops and coral patches are great for spotting moray eels, scorpionfish, and the occasional turtle.
Visibility averages 10-15 metres during the main season, with the best conditions usually from November to April. Water temperature stays around 28-30°C all year.
Hin Luk Bat
‘Hin’ is the Thai word for a big lump of stone and Hin Luk Bat is a very large rock pinnacle. It’s located 30 minutes boat journey southwest of Bangbao pier on Koh Chang. Due to it’s convenient location it is also one of the more popular dive sites. The pinnacle drops down to over 20 metres and an hour can easily be spent underwater circumnavigating the pinnacle at differing depths. You are almost certain to encounter large schools of fish, these range from barracuda and grouper to butterfly and angel fish.
Hin Rap
This site is a couple of kilometres further south of Hin Luk Bat. Another rock pinnacle where Staghorn corals and an abundance of smaller reef fish are the main attractions. This isn’t an area for deep water diving as the southern side drops to a maximum of 16 metres.
Koh Wai
The main reason Koh Wai is included as a dive site is that this area offers the best chance of seeing reef sharks basking on the seabed. Leopard sharks have also been sighted here as have rays. But overall it’s a location for snorkellers as there is a coral reef, in shallow water, just off the beach. This makes it an ideal spot for kids to learn to snorkel. ( More on Koh Chang snorkelling trips )
Koh Kra
This island of the north coast of Koh Rang provides a gently sloping reef upon which gardens of staghorn coral and the usual wide variety of lively reef fish are seen. The coral lies less than five metres from the surface. This makes it an ideal fun, shallow dive for anyone beginning their life as a scuba diver. Rays are also often seen on the seafloor.
Koh Rang
The small islands and rock pinnacles surrounding Koh Rang offer a good variety of diving & snorkelling. Many snorkelling trips make a beeline for this area as well. The depth of most dives in the Koh Rang area is between 10 and 15 meters. Well known dive/snorkelling sites in the Koh Rang area include:-
What underwater life will I see?
The Koh Chang Nature site contains a good section with photos and info on fish and marine life that snorkelers and divers can spot. Including Whalesharks, which can often be spotted around the wreck of the HTMS Chang from January – April. You may also be able to spot sea turtles, colourful nudibranchs plus larger fish such as Moray Eels, Trigger fish and Barracuda. This in addition to the multitude of common reef fish.
Koh Thian
A small island off the north east coast of Koh Rang. Although the coral reef isn’t as good as it once was – due to this locations popularity with snorkellers as well as divers. There is some great underwater scenery and are guaranteed plenty of opportunities for underwater photography in the shallow waters surrounding the island.
Koh Yak
‘Yak’ means ‘giant’ in Thai, but giant is the one word that doesn’t come to mind when you first see this small rocky outcrop of an island. However, size isn’t everything and this is a great shallow dive. The sea floor lies under less than 10 metres of water around the island. A wide variety of corals are found here as are many colourful anemones and the clownfish that lurk within them. Stingrays and Moray eels can be found hiding under rocks and in cavities.
Hin Kaduang
These two rock pinnacles drop down to almost 30 metres making this one of the deepest dives in the area. Turtles are relatively common here and even reef sharks are occasionally seen. However, rather than keeping an eye out for rare creatures, divers should simply enjoy the wide variety of both hard and soft corals and profusion of marine life.
Wreck of the ‘T11’
The HTMS Chang wreck drew a lot of good publicity to the island and so the Navy decided to scupper a second vessel close by. A type of tug they found they had no use for. The T11 was formerly the USS PGM-71. It is now a 30 metre long home for fish that sits in 16 metres of water close to Hin Rap. The smaller size and much shallower depth make it a great dive for first time wreck divers.
Wreck of the ‘Thonburi’
The Thonburi was sunk by the French in 1941 in shallow waters close to the southeastern tip of Koh Chang. What’s left of the wreck now serves as an artificial reef, that is if you can see it. As the visibility is next to zero here due to the amount of silt. If your swimming along 20 metres down and smack your head on something metallic, you’ve found it. No dive companies run trips to this wreck – as there’s no point.
Wreck of the ‘Chang’
The HTMS Chang was sunk by the Thai Navy in November 2012 to act as an artificial reef. It lies in 30 metre deep water although the captain’s cabin and mast are around 12 metres deep. The ship is 117m long, one of the largest shipwrecks in Thailand. You can expect to see a wide diversity of marine life with everything from Barracuda, Grouper, Squid and Octopus to a multitude of reef fish which have now made the wreck their home.
And if you have good luck you’ll see a whale shark. They often visit the wreck during High Season. This 60 second video shows what it is like to swim with one of these 6 metre long fish.
When to Dive
You can dive on Koh Chang year-round, although conditions are best from November to May, when the seas are calm and visibility is at its clearest. During this period, dive boats head out daily and most operators run full schedules of courses and fun dives.
Between June and October, the monsoon brings wind, waves and lower visibility, especially around Koh Rang. Diving is still possible, in fact, plankton blooms attract plenty of fish, but trips will depend on weather and fewer companies operate daily. The advantage is that sites are quieter and prices are often lower.
Whale shark sightings are most likely between January and April, usually around the HTMS Chang wreck.
Learning to Dive
Koh Chang is one of the most relaxed places in Thailand to learn scuba diving. Warm, calm water and gentle conditions mean students can focus on the fun rather than fighting currents or crowds.
The most popular certification is the PADI Open Water Diver course, a three- or four-day program that includes classroom theory, pool training and four open-water dives. Courses can be completed entirely on the island, or you can start the theory online before you arrive.
For those short on time, the PADI Discover Scuba Diving experience lets you try diving in a day without needing a full certification. It includes basic skills and two dives from the boat under close supervision of an instructor.
Experienced divers can continue with the PADI Advanced Open Water course, adding dives such as deep, wreck or navigation, or even go further with Rescue, Divemaster or Instructor-level training. A couple of Koh Chang’s dive schools are PADI 5-Star IDC Centres, meaning you can complete the full path from beginner to professional right here on the island.
Freediving has also become popular in recent years, with BB Divers offering PADI Freediver courses. Ideal if you’d rather hold your breath than carry a tank.
If you are travelling with a partner or your family who prefer to just snorkel it’s worth noting that most operators will allow snorkellers on the same boat. You can enjoy a day out together. The main dive sites around Koh Rang are also very good snorkel sites.
Conversely, if you want to avoid snorkellers, look for a company that specializes in small groups of divers only, such as Koh Chang Divers.
Dive Operators on Koh Chang
Koh Chang has a good selection of professional, safety-focused dive shops. Most are based in Bang Bao, where dive boats depart each morning, but several have booking offices on the west coast beaches. Prices are similar.
But it is worth shopping around in order to find the dive company that offers the best service when it comes to meeting your specific requirements and answering any questions you may have.
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- BB Divers – Established in 2003 and the longest running and largest of the dive companies on Koh Chang. Offices on Koh Chang, Koh Mak and Koh Kood. An ideal choice for both beginners and experienced divers. bbdivers.com
- Koh Chang Divers – Long-established British-run PADI 5-Star IDC. Their focus on small groups and personal instruction aboard their own boat earns great reviews from clients. Based in Bang Bao. kohchangdivers.com
- Local Divers – The island’s first locally Thai-owned dive centre, based in Bangbao, where the owner ‘Tea’ grew up. PADI-certified instructors, small groups and a warm local welcome. localdivers-koh-chang.com
- Chang Diving Center – PADI 5-Star Dive Resort offering recreational and technical (TDI/SDI) training, Nitrox, and wreck diving. Well-equipped and experienced, with smaller groups and multilingual instructors. changdiving.com
- Thai Ocean Academy – Offers SSI and RAID certifications as well as PADI training. Operates from Bang Bao Plaza and also runs courses from Bangkok. thaioceanacademy.com
- Scuba Squad – A German-led PADI 5-Star IDC dive centre known for its German-speaking instructors and guides. But their international team also works in English. scubadivingsquad.com
BB Divers – Koh Chang’s Oldest Dive Centre
Founded in 2003, BB Divers is the island’s longest-established dive operator and remains one of the most respected in Thailand. Run by a friendly international team led by Kristel the Belgian owner, they operate from offices on White Sand Beach and Bang Bao, and also have branches on Koh Kood and Koh Mak.
They offer all PADI courses, daily fun dives and snorkeling in a relaxed atmosphere and with a personal approach. Prices all include full insurance, free pick-up island wide, food, coffee, tea and soft drinks, use of all equipment, licensed dive guide for fun dives, licensed instructor for courses plus PADI certification and manual on courses. In short, there are no hidden extras.
Whilst is isn’t 100% necessary to book a dive course in advance, it does make planning your holiday easier if you know when your course will start and end. Arriving on the island and then rushing around contacting tour agents and dive schools and trying to get something sorted out isn’t a good way to start a holiday. Far better to plan in advance, take your time to ask all the questions you want and then book your course with a dive operator you already know.
The BB Divers Team
Instructors are PADI licensed, and most speak multiple languages. Every instructor or dive master works at BB Divers out of passion for diving, not just as a job. Most ‘BB-ers’ are travelers who started their dive training with BB Divers and found their place on Koh Chang. It became their second home, and every year more and more familiar faces return. The boat staff are local Thais and they will take care of your safety on the boat.
Current Prices (2025-26)
| Activity | Price (THB) | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Fun Dive Trip (2 dives) | 3,500 | Includes equipment, guide, lunch, and Marine Park visit |
| Discover Scuba Diving (2 dives) | 5,000 | 1-day intro course |
| PADI Open Water Course | 15,500 | 3 or 4 days, 4 dives |
| PADI Advanced Open Water Course | 14,500 | 2 days, 5 training dives |
All prices include full gear, instructor, and certification fees. This just a brief sample of the courses and dive trips on offer.
BB Divers also offers regular beach clean-ups and participates in Project AWARE reef monitoring programs. They are one of the few centres operating year-round, weather permitting.
How to Book with BB Divers
For more details of PADI courses or to book a dive or snorkelling day trip, contact Kristel at BB Divers using the form below.
Website: bbdivers.com
