Hin Muang

Hin Muang, or Purple Rock, is an advanced dive site in the Andaman Sea that holds the distinction of being Thailand's deepest wall dive, plunging dramatically into the abyss from a shallow reef pinnacle. Located in open water south of Koh Lanta, this submerged reef system and its sister site Hin Daeng form one of the most spectacular diving experiences in Southeast Asia, attracting experienced divers from around the world with the promise of manta rays, whale sharks, and some of the most vibrant marine growth in Thai waters. The site takes its name from the stunning purple soft corals that coat the rock surfaces, creating an underwater landscape of extraordinary color intensity. These soft corals, along with sea fans of enormous size, drape every available surface in shades of purple, pink, red, and orange. The visual impact as you descend onto the reef is genuinely breathtaking, and underwater photographers consider Hin Muang one of the most colorful dive sites in the entire Indian Ocean. The wall at Hin Muang drops vertically into water exceeding seventy meters depth, creating a dramatic sense of scale that adds adrenaline to every moment of the dive. Swimming along this wall, with the coral-covered cliff face on one side and bottomless blue on the other, is one of diving's great thrills. The depth and current exposure are what make this an advanced site, as nitrogen management and buoyancy control must be impeccable when the wall tempts you ever deeper. Pelagic encounters at Hin Muang are the stuff of diving legend. Manta rays are seen with remarkable frequency, their enormous wingspans creating silhouettes that are burned into the memory of every diver fortunate enough to witness them gliding past. Whale sharks visit during plankton-rich periods, and the possibility of an encounter adds electric anticipation to every dive. Grey reef sharks, silver-tip sharks, and eagle rays are also regularly spotted cruising the deeper sections of the wall. The reef itself hosts an extraordinarily dense fish community. Massive schools of trevally create spiraling columns in the water column, while barracuda form hunting packs at the reef's edge. Unicornfish, surgeonfish, and groupers populate the reef in impressive numbers, and the overall biomass of fish at Hin Muang ranks among the highest of any Thai dive site. Hin Muang is typically visited on day trips from Koh Lanta or as part of liveaboard itineraries that combine it with nearby Hin Daeng. The open-water location means conditions can be variable, and cancellations due to weather are not uncommon. When conditions align, however, diving Hin Muang delivers an experience that justifies its reputation as one of the top dive sites not just in Thailand but in all of Southeast Asia. Hin Muang represents Andaman Sea diving at its most spectacular. The combination of Thailand's deepest wall, vivid purple coral gardens, and regular manta ray encounters creates a dive that belongs on every serious diver's bucket list.