Ko Chang
Discover Ko Chang
Ko Chang (เกาะช้าง) is an island in Trat Province, Eastern Thailand. It is the third biggest island in Thailand (after Phuket and Ko Samui) Ko Chang is the biggest island in eastern Thailand. With about 5,000 permanent residents the island is not heavily populated, but there is a lot of tourism (and development).
What to Experience in Ko Chang
Taste of Ko Chang...
Menus are similar to the rest of Thailand, but the high island prices are due not so much to higher transportation costs, but because of high demand. There are many restaurants on any given beach open both daytime and evening with a strong concentration of tourist venues on White Sand Beach. The beaches of Ko Chang are all dotted with restaurants dishing up some delicious seafood as well as offering romantic evening views. Sunsets can be watched in style from the terrace at the Top Resort on south White Sand Beach from the vantage of a cliff top. Bring an appetite and your camera, no reservations needed. Chang beer is common, as is the slightly more expensive Tiger beer. Try Ko Chang's own fruit wine which comes in a variety of flavours including mangosteen and pineapple. Prices start at 200 baht in shops. There are some quiet beach bars dotted around White Sand Beach with amazing sunset views. Lonely Beach's nightlife and bar scene is gaining a reputation among the backpacker community. It is the place to be for "full moon" imitations, bucket parties, and dance till you pass out disco bars. The rubbish left over from the parties are barely cleaned up, so the next day you can see exactly where the party took place from the main road. The party location generally rotates among several different bars depending on the day of the week, and is usually heavily advertised which bar is "the spot" for each night.
A Rich Past
Explore the historical roots that shaped Ko Chang into what it is today.
Prior to World War II, Ko Chang was a little-known backwater. During this period, the few families there made a living growing coconuts and fruit on the mainland. In January 1941, during the Japanese occupation, the Thai Navy fought the French in a battle in the waters to the southeast of Ko Chang. Ko Chang remained quiet until the first backpacker foreigners started arriving on the back of local fishing boats in the mid-1970s. In 1982, Ko Chang along with surrounding area became part of the protected Mu Ko Chang National Marine Park. Ko Chang is a major tourist destination for both foreign and local tourists. This sudden tourism boom however, has been fraught with controversy concerning land encroachment. The government is trying to transform it from a backpackers' paradise to a high-end destination. Construction is happening everywhere, with basic huts torn down to make way for fancy resorts. Ko Chang is the largest island in the Ko Chang Archipelago. The name means 'Elephant Island', named for the elephant shape of its headland, although elephants are not indigenous to the island. Ko Chang has an area of approximately 429 km². The topography contains high mountains and complex stone cliffs. The highest peak is Khao Salak Phet which is 744 m high, rich in fertile evergreen forest which is the main water source. There are many waterfalls, beaches and splendid reefs in the west of the island. Most accommodation is on the west side of the island, where the sandy beaches are....
Location & Landscape
Ko Chang is the largest island in the Ko Chang Archipelago. The name means 'Elephant Island', named for the elephant shape of its headland, although elephants are not indigenous to the island. Ko Chang has an area of approximately 429 km². The topography contains high mountains and complex stone cliffs. The highest peak is Khao Salak Phet which is 744 m high, rich in fertile evergreen forest which is the main water source. There are many waterfalls, beaches and splendid reefs in the west of the island. Most accommodation is on the west side of the island, where the sandy beaches are. On the east side there are no sandy beaches and it is far less touristy. There are some nice waterfalls though. Seventy percent of the island is rain forest, steep hills, cliffs, waterfalls, and wildlife, fine beaches, coral reefs and an abundance of marine life. The island also has tall mountains and rock cliffs. Ko Chang has the same seasons as Bangkok.
Climate
Ko Chang has the same seasons as Bangkok. The best season to go is the (comparatively) cool season between Nov-Feb. Mar-May are roasting hot and between Jun-Oct it rains, and a lot at that: 4,000 mm in an average year. Many guesthouses close during this season, so accommodation is limited. If you don't mind the rain, traveling during the rainy season can be enjoyable nevertheless, and prices for accommodation are low. Bangkok Airways flies three times a day from Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) to Trat Airport. The flights depart at 08:30, 12:40 and 16:50, and takes 1 hour. Fares are between 1,800-3,300 baht. Direct door-to-door minibus transfers from Trat Airport to Ko Chang resorts cost 500 baht/person one way and 900 baht/person return including the ferry crossing.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsBangkok Airways flies three times a day from Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) to Trat Airport. The flights depart at 08:30, 12:40 and 16:50, and takes 1 hour. Fares are between 1,800-3,300 baht. Direct door-to-door minibus transfers from Trat Airport to Ko Chang resorts cost 500 baht/person one way and 900 baht/person return including the ferry crossing. From Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport, take the free express shuttle bus from outside the arrivals concourse to the airport's own bus terminal, and from there the next available bus to either Trat or Chanthaburi, then proceed as described below. While flying might sound better than the 5-hour trip in the government bus, keep in mind that with travel to BKK Airport, check-in, waiting, etc., there is only a minimal time save. Transport from Trat Airport to the island by minibus costs more than the whole bus trip from Bangkok would cost, and you still have to depend on dangerous minibus drivers for the most dangerous part of the road....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
The only form of public transportation on Ko Chang is the songtaew. There are about 90 licenced songtaews whose drivers form a co-op. They have a rostering system that ensures equal access to the pier so all drivers receive a fair share of the lucrative fares from piers to accommodation. This means that shorter fares along the west coast are more expensive per kilometre than fares from the pier. Official prices are listed here. In the daytime, you can catch a songthaew on its route around the main road for 50-200 baht/person (Nov 2022), depending on distance. The rates are generally much higher than in other places, but the vehicles are almost new and in excellent condition. Starting from 17:00, many of them start to ask "taxi" price, telling you that they operate as a public transport only until that time, and may quote prices as high as say 500 baht from Lonely Beach to the Dan Kao pier.
Where to Stay
Most hotels are on the west side of the island, with many resorts and guest houses all along the road that leads down the coast. Generally speaking, prices drop off the further away from the port you get. Supply far out-strips demand, so finding a place to stay should never be hard, though the best or cheapest places may fill up at weekends. Following a great deal of development, the name "Lonely Beach" has become something of a misnomer. Lonely Beach is the party capital of the island and each guesthouse on Lonely Beach takes it in turns to hold "party night," during which the partying and attendant thumping music goes on until about 05:00 and all the revellers on the island come to your guesthouse. If you want to sleep then Lonely Beach is not the place for you. Most guesthouses giving "Lonely Beach" as an address are not located along the actual beach, but about 500 m down the road. From the village access to the sea is not possible as the coast is rocky.
Money & Budget
Menus are similar to the rest of Thailand, but the high island prices are due not so much to higher transportation costs, but because of high demand. There are many restaurants on any given beach open both daytime and evening with a strong concentration of tourist venues on White Sand Beach. The beaches of Ko Chang are all dotted with restaurants dishing up some delicious seafood as well as offering romantic evening views. Sunsets can be watched in style from the terrace at the Top Resort on south White Sand Beach from the vantage of a cliff top. Bring an appetite and your camera, no reservations needed. Chang beer is common, as is the slightly more expensive Tiger beer. Try Ko Chang's own fruit wine which comes in a variety of flavours including mangosteen and pineapple.
Safety Information
Glimpses of Ko Chang
Island hopping in Koh Chang, Thailand
person holding sparkler in time lapse photography
Sunset on Koh Chang, Thailand
The Kai Bae viewpoint on Koh Chang is a must see on the island. I mean, look at this. You can even cross over the shallow parts to the tiny island below. Feels a little like the movie The Beach with DiCaprio, don’t you think? Would you dare to go explore the tiny island?
white clouds over the city
View point in Thai
black and white checkered textile
a view of the ocean from the top of a hill
a small island in the middle of a body of water
man in black wet suit on body of water during sunset
Island hopping in Koh Chang, Thailand
person holding sparkler in time lapse photography
Sunset on Koh Chang, Thailand