Thailand Islands

Ko Chang

Is in Trat Province, in Eastern Thailand, about 330 kilometers from Bangkok. It is Thailand’s third largest island, and the biggest in Ko Chang National Park.

With about 5000 permanent residents the island is not heavily populated, but tourism (and development) has increased dramatically over the last few years.

Getting There

By plane

Bangkok Airways flies three times a day from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport (the “new” BKK) to Trat.
Directdoor-to-door minibus transfers from Trat airport to Ko Chang resortscost 280 baht/person including the ferrycrossing.

From Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, take the free expressshuttle bus from outside the arrivals concourse to the airport’s ownbus terminal, and from there the next available bus to either Trat orChanthaburi, then proceed as described next.

By Bus

From Bangkok the easiest, most direct, and most economicalway to get to Laem Ngop (where the Ko Chang ferry piers are) is to takea 1st class bus from the Eastern (Ekamai) Bus Terminal direct to theCentrepoint pier.

The fare is 232 baht (or 438 baht for a round trip)and takes just over five hours. Departures from Ekamai are at 07:45& 13:00, and return at 14:00 and 16:00. Subject to seatavailability, this bus can also be boarded at Chanthaburi.
Alternatively,there are 1st class (approx. 5 hours) and 2nd class services from boththe Eastern Bus Terminal (Ekamai) and Northern Bus Terminal (Moh Chit)direct to Trat, and frequent songthaew services from Trat to Laem Ngop(approx. 30 minutes). Departures from Ekamai are more frequent thanfrom Moh Chit.
If coming by bus from the south, the #511 air-con buscan be used to connect directly betweenBangkok’s Southern (Sai Tai Mai)and Eastern (Ekamai) bus terminals.
There are direct minibusservices to Laem Ngop from Pattaya, Ban Phe, and Bangkok’s Khao SanRoad. It may also be possible to proceed directly to Laem Ngop by minibus or songthaew from the Hat Lek / Koh Kong border crossing withsouthern Cambodia, depending on the time of year, time of day, phase ofthe moon, etc – enquire locally.

By Boat

Most ferries operate from Laem Ngop Laem, which has three piers, of which two are currently operational. The Laem Ngop (Tha Khrom Luang or Tha Laern Ngop) pier is approximatly 700 meters west of Laem Ngop.

The Centrepoint (Tha Centre Point) pier is located about 3.5 km north-west of Laem Ngop. These piers serve both vehicle and passenger ferries.
Another vehicle ferry pier is located in Thammachat Bay (Ao Thammachat), around 15 km west of Laem Ngop.
Almost all piers on Ko Chang are situated on the eastern side of the island. The major piers are the two Dan Kao piers, Tha Dan Kao and Tha Ferry Dan Kao, who handles most of the traffic. To take a boat from Laem Ngop to the Dan Kao piers take around 45 minutes.
The car ferry from Laem Ngop takes around 1 hour and arrives at the Tha Ferry Dan Kao pier, situated 400 minutes southeast of theTha Dan Kao pier. The car ferry from Thaachat Bay stops at the Ko Chang Ferry Pier (Tha Ferry Ko Chang) in the Sapparot Bay (Ao Sapparot), 3 kilometres northwest from the Dan Kao piers.

Light meals, fruit, fruits and beverages are available at all the piers and on the car ferries.

See

The Mu Ko Chang National Park

AMarine National Park that comprises of Ko Chang and 46 other islands.

Do
Elephant rides
Package tours for snorkeling, diving, elephant riding etc. are widely available.

Thaifun

Day cruise to southern islands. Relaxing and snorkeling. Very nice crew on board.

Buy

Market stands along the main road. Pretty much the same pirate-products in every stand. Lots of salesmen on the beaches, especially White Sands Beach. ATMs and 7-Eleven convenience stores can be found alongside the main western coastline road.

Food

Similar to the rest of Thailand, including the prices. There are many restaurants at the beach open both daytime and evening.

Sleep

Most of the hotels are located on the west side of the island.
Sai Khao Beach (White Sands Beach)

Located in the north west, in a section called Hat Sai Khao. This area is being developed quite rapidly, so prices are going up. However, you can still find bungalows for 400 baht/night.

Bang Bao Bay

Bang Bao is on the south side of the island. It’s little more than a long stretch of wooden deck that takes probably 5 minutes to walk from end to end, with dive shops, seafood restaurants, local housing, and a few places that provide accommodation for visitors.

See

Also of interest is the large cave known as Tham Saowapha which is said toextend over a kilometer into the limestone interior of the island. Another cave, the chimney-like Tham Chaprakong gives access to the view from the top of the hill.

Other caves on the island are home to meditating hermits, so visitors should take care not to cause any disturbance. Also on the island is San Jao Phaw Khao Yai, a venerable multi-level Chinese temple high on a cliff with a spectacular view back toward the mainland.

Geting There

Situated in the Gulf of Thailand 12 km off shore from Si Racha, its proximity to the shipping lanes has made it a convenient anchorage for dozens of barges which transship their cargoes to lighter boats for the trip up the Chao Phraya to Bangkok. Boats to Ko Si Chang leave hourly from the pier in Si Racha, taking about 40 minutes to make the trip.

Getting around

Motorcycle buffs will be intrigued by the strange motorcycle samlors peculiar to Ko Si Chang, three wheeled motorized rickshaws with outrageously powerful automobile or Harley Davidson engines. These once roamed the streets ofBangkok but were banished to Si Racha years ago. They can be hired for about 60 baht an hour to take visitors on a tour of the island.

Getting Around

In the daytime, you can catch a songthaew on its route around the main road. These taxis are also waiting at the Dan Kao Pier. At the Dan Kao Ferry-Pier there may be no taxis available. If you arrive without a vehicle you may have to walk the 400 meters to Dan Kao Pier.
Small motorcycles can be hired for 150-250B. The main road almost circles the island and there are plans to complete the circuit in the near future. Cars are also available for rental; most hotels can help with it. 4×4 car recommended, since some roads might be in bad condition, especially near Lonely Beach.

Food

Pan and David’s is must-go on the island. The menu offers a good mix of Western food (for those who are already feeling nostalgic) and delicious and authentic Thai food. The green curry is simply just heavenly. If you have room for dessert, the homemade ice cream and smoothie, though not very Thai, would keep you coming back for more.

The eatery at the beach is also very good as well with reasonable prices. Don’t be afraid to be adventurous with what you order, because you may just discover many nice culinary surprises without spending a fortune on this little island.