The
Petchburi Bremen wreck
Rating:
3 Star Depth: 25m Visibility: 5-10m
The Petchburi Bremen, is a 110-metre, freighter severely damaged by a fire and an explosion in her engine room in the mid-1930s.
Some of the cargo was salvaged and the ship was then scuttled. She rests upright on a sandy bottom, her centre section twisted and broken up, not only by the explosion, but also by demolition practice carried out by the Royal Thai Navy. (The wreck is no longer used for this purpose.)
The Bremen is in three main parts. The forward and stern sections are relatively intact, but the centre part is a tangle of steelwork.
But it's still an interesting wreck to dive. Part of the superstructure has been separated from the rest of the wreck and lies nearby. The skipper's private bathroom – complete with bath, lavatory and very attractive ceramic floor tiles, can be explored by experienced divers.
Penetrating the main hull sections is not advised due to the man-made damage and the deterioration of the steel over the years.
Nature has claimed the Bremen and many types of coral and sea whips grow on the sides and decks of the ship. Blue-ringed and six-banded angelfish, batfish, moray eels, rays, barracuda, and numerous smaller reef fish inhabit the wreck.
There is also a giant, but shy, grouper, reported to be the size of a pick-up truck who has made his home on the Bremen, so bring your camera or video with you.
Because of her position between two islands, strong currents can be encountered on the Bremen as well as sizeable waves at certain times of the year. This dive is not for novices.
