Getting to Koh Chang — and around it

Getting there

From Bangkok you have two routes. The quick way is to fly to Trat, the small mainland airport nearest the island, then transfer by minibus to the pier. The overland way — by car, minivan or bus — is a few hours' drive east of Bangkok along good highways, and it's how most visitors arrive; combined transfer tickets from Bangkok through to your Koh Chang resort are easy to arrange.

Either way, you'll end up at the ferry piers in the Laem Ngop area on the mainland — Ao Thammachat and Centrepoint — where car ferries make the short, pretty crossing to the island's north coast. Ferries run through the day, more frequently in high season; you buy a ticket, roll on (vehicles and all), and watch Koh Chang's jungle-covered ridgeline grow larger for half an hour or so. From the island pier near Khlong Son, songthaews and transfers run down the west coast to the beaches.

Songthaews — the island's shared taxis

Koh Chang's everyday transport is the songthaew: a pick-up truck converted with two bench seats and a roof, running up and down the main west-coast road. There are no fixed stops — stand by the roadside, flag one down, tell the driver where you're headed, and hop in the back. They're cheap, breezy and sociable, shuttling between the piers and the beaches all day, becoming scarcer in the evening and in low season. For a night out without your own wheels, arrange your ride back in advance — drivers are happy to agree a pickup, and taxi contacts live in the app.

Scooter hire

A scooter is the classic way round the island, and rental shops are everywhere along the west coast. It's also the part of the trip that deserves real respect. Legally you need a motorcycle licence plus an International Driving Permit; without one, your travel insurance almost certainly won't pay out after an accident. Always wear the helmet, photograph the bike before you ride off, and check the brakes.

Then there's the road itself: the west-coast route crosses a series of genuinely steep hills between the beaches, with sharp hairpin bends — beautiful to ride, unforgiving of overconfidence. Take the hills slowly in low gear, be extra careful in the wet, don't ride at night on unfamiliar stretches, and never, ever ride after drinking. Most scooter accidents on the island are avoidable ones. If you're not a confident rider, this is not the place to learn on the hills — hire a driver instead.

Cars & private taxis

If two wheels aren't for you, rental cars and jeeps are available on the island, and the ferries carry vehicles, so some visitors simply drive from Bangkok and bring the car across. Private taxis and drivers can be hired for airport and pier transfers, day-long island tours, or a safe ride home after dinner — useful with children, luggage or a group. The app keeps live contacts for island taxi drivers, which beats hoping a songthaew passes at midnight.

The island loop

One main road serves the island, running from the pier area near Khlong Son down the developed west coast — White Sand Beach, Klong Prao, Kai Bae, Lonely Beach — to Bang Bao in the south, and separately down the quiet east side through Dan Mai and the mangrove bays of Salak Kok and Salak Phet. Note that it isn't a complete loop: the far south-east remains remote, and the two coasts don't connect around the bottom of the island by ordinary road. Exploring the east coast is a wonderful, near-empty ride — just plan it as an out-and-back.

Walking & distances

The single most common miscalculation on Koh Chang: the beaches look adjacent on a map but are separated by those steep jungle headlands, often several kilometres of climbing road apart. Within one beach village everything is pleasantly walkable — along the sand, to dinner, to the shops. Between beaches, don't plan to walk: it's hot, hilly and without footpaths for long stretches. Base yourself where you want to spend your evenings (our where-to-stay guide helps), and use songthaews or a scooter for everything else. Then see what the island holds in our guides to the beaches, things to do and eating well.

Frequently asked questions