Gettting To Koh Chang : Koh Chang Resorts, Trat, Eastern Thailand

Getting to Koh Chang
To reach the KOH CHANG MARINE NATIONAL PARK you need to travel eastbound to Trat, the easternmost province in the Gulf of Thailand that borders Cambodian.. This is the jumping-off point to the islands.

Bus
Both air-conditioned and non-air-conditioned buses depart from 2 terminal stations in Bangkok.
1. The Ekamai Bus Terminal located at the Ekamai section of Sukhumvit Road is easily accessible by the BTS Skytrain. Air-conditioned and ordinary buses depart almost every hour as shown in the timetable. The trip is about 5 hours.
2. The Northern Bus Terminal (New Morchid) is the other route. It is located at New Morchid of Kampaeng Petch Road. Air-conditioned buses depart as shown in the timetable. The trip is also about 5 hours.

Having been at Trat, you have to hire a taxi to go to the ferry piers. The cost is around 50-100 Baht per person (join-trip) based on your chosen pier.

Van
There are many vans plying between Bangkok and Laem Ngob. They are found on Khao San Road near the Vieng Tai Hotel, departing at 8:00 a.m. daily and leaving Laem Ngob at 11:00 a.m. daily. The one-way fare is 500 Baht / person depending on the season.

Car
There are two ways to travel by car to Trat. One is through Bangna-Trat highway no.3, passing Chonburi, Rayong and Chantaburi. Distance is 385 kms. Or via Bangna-Chonburi-Klaeng-Chantaburi on highway no.344. The distance is 315 kms. From Pattaya, simply get on Highway no.3 (Sukhumvit Rd.) and head in the direction of Rayong. From Rayong, highway 3 leads on to Klaeng, Chantaburi and Trat, as described above. Driving time to the ferry pier is approximately three to three and a half hours.

Air
The Trat Airport is operated by Bangkok Airways located on highway 3156 (Sahn Tung), about 10 kms from the piers and 25 kms from Trat town. It occupies an area of 480 acres with a 2,100 meters runway. There are three flights daily. The flight time is 50 minutes. An airport-hotel transfer to Koh Chang is available at around 200 to 250 Baht per person per trip depending on the hotel you stay. For reservations call 02-265-5678.

Ferry

There are 3 piers on Trat mainland servicing to Koh Chang. All of them are located in Laem Ngob district. To go to these piers, if you do not drive your own car, you can hire a Songthaew taxi at Trat terminal station to the piers.

Ferry Koh Chang Pier and Koh Chang Ferry Pier: Located at Ao Thammachat, the ferries depart daily every 30 minutes to Ao Supparod pier on Koh Chang from 6.30 hrs. to 19.00 hrs. Traveling time is 30 minute. The round-trip fare is 120 Baht for a passenger and 200 Baht for a 4-wheel vehicle. Tel.039-597-143, 039-528-288.

Center Point Pier: Hourly service starts from 6.00 hrs. till 19.00 hrs. But the ferries land at Dan Kao Pier. Traveling time is 45 minutes. The round-trip fare is 140 Baht for a passenger and free of charge for a 4-wheel vehicle. The ferries here are the newest. Tel. 039-538-196.

Laem Ngob Pier: The ferries depart every hour during high season (November-April) and long weekend starting from 7.30 hrs. till 17.00 hrs. The frequency is less during other times of the year depending on the crowd, and the weather. However, you can expect a ferry to depart at least every 2 hours. Traveling time is about 30-45 minutes and the cost is 60 Baht for each return ticket and 150 Baht per vehicle inclusive of a driver. Having arrived at any piers on Koh Chang, you will see Songthaew taxis waiting to take you to any place you want.