Khaolak Underwater Museum
พิพิธภัณฑ์ใต้ทะเลเขาหลัก
Also known as: Tor 13 Artificial Reef, T13 Underwater Museum, Khaolak Underwater Learning Park
The Khaolak Underwater Museum — known to divers as the Tor 13 reef, or simply “the Underwater Museum” — is an artificial reef and dive site lying about six kilometres off the coast of Khao Lak in Phang Nga. It was created in 2014, in honour of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, by the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources together with the Royal Thai Navy, the Khaolak Conservation Foundation and Phang Nga province. The whole “museum” is underwater: there is nothing to see from shore, and you visit it on a scuba dive.
The sculptures and wrecks
Spread across roughly a square kilometre of sandy seabed are the navy patrol boat HTMS Tor 13 — which gives the site its name — around twenty retired army trucks, blocks of open concrete cubes, a turtle sculpture and a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. The mix of military hardware and sculpture is deliberate: the structures double as an artificial reef and as a telling of Phang Nga’s heritage, with further pieces planned over time.
Marine life
In the years since it was sunk, the reef has come alive. More than 150 species now shelter among the trucks and cubes — clownfish, snappers and barracuda among them, along with the nudibranchs that macro photographers come for. The shallow, sheltered setting makes it one of the easier places near Khao Lak to watch an artificial reef maturing into a living one.
Diving the site
The structures rest at about 12 to 17 metres, shallow enough for newly certified and junior divers (12+) while leaving experienced divers long, relaxed bottom times. Trips run as day or half-day outings with Khao Lak dive centres, usually departing from Tub Lamu Pier; there is no shore access. The best months are November to January, when the Andaman is calm and clear — during the monsoon, wind and swell churn up the sand and cut visibility.
Location & Directions
Off the Khao Lak coast, Takua Pa, Phang Nga
Khao Lak, Thailand
Show your taxi or Grab driver
พิพิธภัณฑ์ใต้ทะเลเขาหลัก
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a diving certificate to visit?
Yes. The museum is entirely underwater and reached only by scuba — there is nothing to see from land and no snorkelling it from the beach. It suits all certified divers and junior divers aged 12 and over.
How deep is the dive?
The structures sit on a sandy bottom at roughly 12 to 17 metres, shallow enough for newly certified divers while still giving experienced divers long bottom times.
When is the best time to dive it?
November to January, when the Andaman Sea is calmest and visibility is best. During the monsoon months wind and swell stir up the sand and the water turns murky.
