Buddha Rock - Gulf of Thailand
Buddha Rock is a granite pinnacle dive in the Gulf of Thailand, often visited as part of a longer trip. We usually drop onto the main rock formation, then spiral down to around 15 metres, looking for the small crevices and overhangs where we've seen blue-spotted stingrays tucked away. It's a relaxed dive, good for beginners getting comfortable with some mild current, and an easy spot to rack up bottom time. Visibility hovers around 10-15 metres on a good day, so keep your eyes peeled for lionfish and moray eels in the cracks.
- Location
- Gulf of Thailand, Thailand, Southeast Asia
- Coordinates
- 10.060184, 99.827620
- Type
- pinnacle
- Maximum Depth
- 5-25m
Marine Protected Area: Suratthani Environmental Protected Area
Best Time to Dive in Gulf of Thailand
The warmest water temperatures in Gulf of Thailand occur in January, averaging 28.2°C. The coolest conditions are in December at 28.2°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 28.2°C (air: 26.9°C)
- February: 28.2°C (air: 27.3°C)
- March: 28.2°C (air: 28.2°C)
- April: 28.2°C (air: 29.1°C)
- May: 28.2°C (air: 29.1°C)
- June: 28.2°C (air: 28.6°C)
- July: 28.2°C (air: 28.1°C)
- August: 28.2°C (air: 28.2°C)
- September: 28.2°C (air: 27.6°C)
- October: 28.2°C (air: 27.2°C)
- November: 28.2°C (air: 27.0°C)
- December: 28.2°C (air: 26.8°C)
Nearby Dive Sites in Gulf of Thailand
- Ao Cheweng
- Ao Kruad - 10m
- Ao Mook - 15m
- Ao Tien - 14m
- Aow Leuk - 8m
- Aow Lok Gum / อ่าวลกกำ - 9m
- Ban Pla Aow TongTom (Artificial)/ บ้านปลา อ่าวท้องตม - 10m (wreck)
- Bio Rock - 14m (reef)
- Buoyancy World - 14m
- Chalok Bay - 10m (reef)
- Chip Chip Wreck - 29m (wreck)
- Chong Talu - 16m
- Chumphon Pinnacle - 24m (pinnacle)
- Construction Artificial Reef - 18m (reef)
- Coral Reef (reef)
Nearest Dive Centres to Buddha Rock
- Abyssal Deep Dive
- All Scuba
- Asia Blue Scuba - ["PADI"]
- Ban's Diving Resort - PADI
- Blue Horizon Diving and Adventures - SSI, PADI, CMAS
- Buddha View IDC
Marine Life in Gulf of Thailand
Home to 167 recorded species including 126 reef fish, 18 hard corals, 7 sharks & rays, 6 seagrass & algae, 2 sea cucumbers, 2 clams & mussels.
Notable Species
- Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus) - Sharks & Rays
- Rock Cod (Epinephelus fasciatus) - Reef Fish
- Staghorn coral (Acropora nasuta) - Hard Corals
- Blue Spotted Hind (Cephalopholis cyanostigma) - Reef Fish
- Rock Cod (Cephalopholis boenak) - Reef Fish
- Estuary Cod (Epinephelus coioides) - Reef Fish
- Blue-lined Rock Cod (Cephalopholis formosa) - Reef Fish
- Common Coral Trout (Plectropomus leopardus) - Reef Fish
- Redcoat (Sargocentron rubrum) - Reef Fish
- Slender grouper (Anyperodon leucogrammicus) - Reef Fish
- Banded maori wrasse (Cheilinus fasciatus) - Reef Fish
- Telescopefish (Epibulus insidiator) - Reef Fish
- Eight Banded Butterflyfish (Chaetodon octofasciatus) - Reef Fish
- Floral wrasse (Cheilinus chlorourus) - Reef Fish
- Longnose Butterflyfish (Chelmon rostratus) - Reef Fish
- Staghorn coral (Acropora solitaryensis) - Hard Corals
- Long-spined sea urchin (Diadema setosum) - Sea Urchins
- Honeycomb Grouper (Epinephelus quoyanus) - Reef Fish
- Big-eye trevally (Caranx sexfasciatus) - Reef Fish
- Staghorn coral (Acropora millepora) - Hard Corals
Recommended Packing List for Buddha Rock
Based on average water temperature of 28.2°C.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 28°C water needs minimal exposure protection
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins
- BCD - buoyancy compensator
- Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
- Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
- Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
- Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories