Where am I again?
Region: Eastern Thailand> Province: Trat> Location: Ko Chang
Getting There and Away
Air
Bangkok Airways has daily flights connecting the thai capital to Trat. See their website for detailed fare and scheduling information.
Bus
Getting to Ko Chang is easy by bus from Bangkok. As well as private bus companies that leve from tourist haunts such as Khao San Rd and Suhumvit, there are regular government buses departing from both the Eastern (Ekamai) bus terminal and the North-Eastern (Mor Chit) bus terminal. The trip takes about 5 hours and can cost anywhere from 180B to 250B depending on the route taken and the class of bus. There are also regular private mini-bus services and government buses from Pattaya and Ban Pae, the mainland springboad for the nearby island of Ko Samet. Governement buses stop in Trat town, and from there it's a short songthaew ride to the pier.
Boat
Regular ferry servies connect Ko Chang with the village of Laem Ngop, close to Trat. The first boat leaves Laem Ngop at 05:30 and continue till 17:30. The journey takes around 50 minutes and costs 80B one way and 120B return. Boats leaving from Ko Chang start at around 07:00 with the last boat at around 17:00.
Larger car ferries leave from Laem Ngop and the nearby piers of Centerpoint, Koh Chang Ferry and Ferry Koh Chang. Boats are less frequent and don't follow the schedule during low season.
Getting Around
Songtheaws
An 80km ring-road, often called Moo 4 in the north and Moo 1 in the south, runs almost the entire way around Ko Chang. A further 10kms of road is being built to link up the southern communities of Bang Bao and Salak Phet, which are currently blocked by a mountain. White songthaews drive regularly up and down the west side of the island and are by far the easiest and cheapest way of getting around. Prices for a short hop between two beaches start at around 30B. You can try to negotiate the price with the drivers before you hop in but they often drive a hard bargain.
Motorbikes and jeeps
Motorbikes and jeeps can be rented readily on the island. Road conditions are generally good, though be careful on the windy hills that connect the beaches and always wear a helmet if you're on a bike, as there are a growing number of fatal accidents involving tourists. Motorbikes on Ko Chang start at around 200B per day, and jeeps can cost upto 2,000B per day.