We leave the condo at 7am, the bus leaves Bangkok at 8am, the boat leaves the Trat Ferry Pier (Ao Thammachart) at 1pm, we arrive in Ko Chang at 13.30pm. The journey from Bangkok to Koh Chang takes roughly 5 hours 30 minutes and for our journey we travel by minibus leaving the Victory monument terminal near Victory Monument skytrain in Bangkok (300 baht per person). If travelling by public bus from, Bangkok’s Eastern Bus terminal (Ekamai) you can add an hour or so onto this journey. The minibus option is the faster option and even stopping twice en route we were well ahead of the local bus schedule. Another handy perk travelling from Bangkok to Koh Chang by minibus is that drop-off is direct to the pier whereas the local bus goes into Trat’s city centre.
Boat to Koh Chang (Ao Thammachat, Trat)
The boat from Ao Thammachat ferry pier in Trat to Koh Chang costs 80 Baht and the journey takes roughly 30 minutes. Comfortable and quick. Arriving at Koh Chang you’ll find little trouble forwarding to your hotel with songtaew vans waiting at the arrival pier. Drop off will be at your chosen beach or resort. Our hotel is shortly after Lonely Beach near the end of the route and costs 100 baht per person. The main beaches along this route, in order, are White Sands Beach, Klong Prao Beach, Kai Bae Beach, Lonely Beach and finally Bang Bao Pier for travel to the islands.
Travel to the Islands
If planning on travelling to further islands this can be done either from Trat or Koh Chang. Speed boats travel daily leaving Koh Chang’s Bang Bao Pier to the surrounding islands and start around 09.o0am (best to book / confirm once on Koh Chang). The route passes Koh Wai, Koh Kham, Koh Maak (550 Baht) and finally Koh Kood (900 Baht) in that order. Chances are you’ll stop at only the three main islands Koh Wai, Koh Maak and Koh Kood as few travel to Koh Kham (full details here).
Yay thank you, this is great. All the info we have collected in dribs and drabs from word on the street, other tourists and google is all here in one blog with pics! We will be following this same journey from bangkok to Ko Chang in 2 days.
Thanks Emily 🙂 Safe travels
We tried to do the same easy route, caught a minibus at victory monument for Koh Chang, they charged us 320baht instead of the expected 300, then tried to drop us at a taxi outside of trat “100baht each to pier” ~ we said no and the taxi lady went crazy. Ended up being dropped by minivan at a bus station in trat and had to pay 80baht each to get to pier!
I think this was partly miscommunication & also being bundled onto a minivan that was never going to go anywhere near the pier.
So I guess my advice to anyone going this route, be very clear where you are going & where you expect the minivan to drop you off.
There are lots of minivans leaving from around victory monument and this minivan company nabbed us on the main road just before you reach the monument, but I hear we should have caught one from soi 10 around there?