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Ko Maak, late September, ferry ? Bus to pier
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Blobby
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Hello,
is anyone knowing, or how could I find out, if the slow ferry is running from Laem Ngop Pier to Ko Maak on September 23rd ? The travelfish suggests that it might not run in the low season, which I guess would be late September. And there is a direct bus (Express 99) from Ekkamai to Laem Ngop at 7:30 which would arrive in time for the ferry at 15:00. Is it sufficient to just go to the station half an hour before the bus leaves or should we buy the tickets the evening before ?
Thank you !
#1 Posted: 7/9/2010 - 16:53
Blobby
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Update:
After some more research it turns out, that this low season there is only a slow boat running every second day at 11:00. No speedboats at all.
So it would be impossible to get there from Bangkok by bus in one day ?
#2 Posted: 9/9/2010 - 16:47
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Tilapia
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No, it's not impossible. In fact, a bus that leaves Bangkok at 7:30 am and goes straight to Laem Ngop from Ekamai would probably get you to the pier almost 2 hours early.
Many times I've left Bangkok for Koh Mak and never missed the slow boat. I have always taken the bus to Trat , then taken a songthaew from Trat to Laem Ngop. Songthaews leave from the market. I think that there is also direct transport from the Trat bus station.
As long as you don't get the bus that goes through Chonburi, you should be able to get to Trat in about 5-6 hours. You might have to change buses in Chanthaburi.
And even if you do get there too late for the ferry, Trat is a great little place to spend a night in. Super night market, and lots of nice and inexpensive guest houses.
Enjoy. You will probably have most of the island to yourself.
#3 Posted: 9/9/2010 - 19:45
Blobby
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I really hope it will be calm and quite as we are there just to relax, swim a bit, maybe for a kayak tour or even a bike tour, enjoy Thai food, relax even more....
Sources in the internet vary quite a bit regarding the time the ferry is running. More recent websites suggest it may just run every second day in the morning (11am) in the 2010 low season. So this would definitely mean a night in Trat.
We will see (due to the weather it may even be another island).
#4 Posted: 9/9/2010 - 23:34
exacto
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Hey Blob,
When we were there in December of last year, the slow ferry boat was running only every other day. There were several different speed boats options each day, but that was the high season of course.
Like Tilapia says, if you do wind up spending the night in Trat, it is a great little town with a lively night market, lots of fun restaurant choices, and good options for sleeping. We had some great massages there in December too. If you do wind up on Ko Maak, check out Buri Hut. They have free-use kayaks available to all guests. Have fun. Cheers.
#5 Posted: 10/9/2010 - 00:24
lathdas
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We are intending to spend 10 days on Koh Maak and surrounding islands from 1Aug to 11 August. It is monsoon season so we are worried about the weather om Maak and if difficulties with ferries from the mainland. Could somebody give us as much info on above as can?
Appreciate it
Dean
#6 Posted: 2/5/2011 - 15:13
tezza
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Yeah, August is wet season in the Maak area.
I've seen lots of wet season posts from the Trat islands saying people still had a good holiday - looks like the normal monsoon situation of enough sunshine for a good hol still applies but when it rains it really rains if you look at travelfish's climatic stats for Trat.
About two thirds of the slow boat route to Maak is down the sheltered from the wet season westerlies (lee) east coast of big Chang so in one of those blowy periods of the monsoon season things should be pretty calm on that stretch. I once went back from Maak in November into a north-east gale which had things rocking and rolling in the slow boat.
#7 Posted: 2/5/2011 - 18:18
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Lots of beaches and islands info - http://tezza-thailandbeachesandislands.blogspot.com/