Getting From Bangkok to Koh Chang by Bus, Ferry, Plane (2025 Guide) — *Welcome to Koh Chang! The third largest island in Thailand full of beautiful beaches and waterfalls!*

Planning a trip from Bangkok to Koh Chang? Located on the far eastern regions of Thailand, near Trat, this lovely island is the third largest in Thailand behind Phuket and Koh Samui and it’s full of quiet beaches, jungle adventures, glorious waterfalls, and of course plenty of delicious seafood.

Getting from Bangkok To Koh Chang is actually quite easy once you know your options. I’ve made this journey a few times myself, and in this blog post, I’ll break down the best ways to travel from Bangkok to Koh Chang by bus, van, private taxi, or a short flight, plus how to catch the ferry from Trat to Koh Chang island.

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How to get from Bangkok to Koh Chang?

Getting From Bangkok to Koh Chang — *Koh Chang is located on the far eastern region of Thailand, pretty far…*

Koh Chang is roughly 350km to the east of Bangkok, just off the coast of the province of Trat on the border between Cambodia. And you might be worried about the recent border conflicts between Thailand and Cambodia but I can assure you that you are far faaaar away from the actual conflict zone, if there even is a conflict.

Anyways, too get from Bangkok to Koh Chang, you’ll need to do the journey in 2 parts:

Bangkok to Trat - Either by car, bus, or plane to the town of Trat
Trat to Koh Chang - Only by ferry to the island

Part 1: Getting From Bangkok to Trat

Getting From Bangkok to Koh Chang to Trat — *The Bangkok Bus Terminal in Ekkamai right under the BTS station*

Getting from Bangkok to Trat is easy, you have 3 primary modes of transportation available to you: Bus, Plane, and car (private car). Unfortunately there are no trains running the route between Bangkok and the town of Trat.

Getting From Bangkok to Trat by Bus

Getting From Bangkok to Koh Chang by bus — *The Transport co 999 bus by the Government*

If you’re traveling from Bangkok to Koh Chang on a budget, the most popular way is by bus from the Ekkamai Bus Terminal in Bangkok. Buses will take approximately 6 hours to get to Trat with some operators stopping 1 or 2 times along the way at gas stations for toilet breaks or to stretch your legs.

Several bus operators, like Kohchangbkk Transport and Cherdchai Tour run daily buses from Bangkok to the Town of Trat. These buses from Bangkok usually arrive at Trat Bus Terminal, and from there you’ll need to take a shared songthaew (pick up truck) taxi to the ferry pier at Ao Thammachat which is a short 20-30 minute ride and costs about 50-80 THB.

But the operator that I recommend the most is the official Government 999 Bus. The 999 bus will bring you past the town of Trat and directly to the Ao Thammachat pier, thus skipping the 20 min songthaew ride. They also give you complimentary snacks and juice to make your 6 hour bus ride a bit more enjoyable.

Getting From Bangkok to Koh Chang bus timetable — *The timetable for the Bangkok Bus Terminal to Trat (sorry if it’s a bit small)*

Tickets for the bus from Bangkok to Trat cost around 250-300 THB depending on the operator and time. You can buy tickets directly at the Ekkamai counter on the day of travel, or you can book a ticket online at the official Bus Ticket Online website, though there is an additional fee for booking online.

As for the time tables, both Cherdchai and Kohchangbkk depart hourly so you have more flexibility in terms of timing but the Government 999 bus departs only at 7:30am and 7:45am.

Booking online can be a bit confusing because buses can drop you off at multiple spots. For example, the 999 Bus states that it’s destination is Laem Ngop Pier while yes that is true, their other drop off points are also includes the previously mentioned Ao Thammachat which is not mentioned on the website.

Just to make sure, when you confirm your drop off point with your bus driver or purchase your tickets in person at the counter.

Getting From Bangkok to Trat by Plane

Getting From Bangkok to Koh Chang by plane — *The plane that will take you from Bangkok to Trat*

If you want the fastest way to travel from Bangkok to Koh Chang, flying is your best option. Bangkok Airways operates daily flights from Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) to Trat Airport (TDX), with a flight time of just about one hour. Tickets usually range between 2,000-4,000 THB depending on the season and how early you book. From Trat Airport, you’ll need take a taxi, minivan, or songthaew to Ao Thammachat to catch the ferry.

However, morning flights usually arrive to Trat around noon, so you’ll be arriving at basically the same time or even later compared to the morning bus. Considering the time it takes you to go to the airport, check in, go through all the boarding and disembarking stuff, the whole flight time will probably be closer to the 6 hour bus trip. So just keep that in mind, especially for your budgeting decisions.

Getting From Bangkok to Trat by Car

Getting From Bangkok to Koh Chang by car — *If you’re bringing a car, you can bring it aboard the ferry*

For flexibility and comfort, driving from Bangkok to Koh Chang by private car is a great option, in terms of ride hailing or taxis, No one is gonna wanna drive 6 hours for you to go to Koh Chang… The journey takes about 5-6 hours depending on traffic, and the route is fairly easy to follow. If you are looking to rent a car in Bangkok you can book a car rental via Klook and pick up the vehicle at Suvarnabhumi Airport when you arrive to Bangkok.

Also, one of the best parts about driving is that you can actually take your car onto the ferry from Trat to Koh Chang. The ferries at Ao Thammachat Pier allow vehicles onboard for an additional fee, which is extremely worth it as it makes getting around the island much easier once you arrive. Having your own car on Koh Chang means you don’t need to rely on unreliable songthaews, and you can explore beaches, landmarks, and viewpoints at your own pace.

Part 2: Getting From Trat to Koh Chang

Alright, once you arrive at the town of Trat, unless you went with the Government 999 Bus you’ll need to take a 30 minute, songthaew pickup truck taxi to Ao Thammachat to hop on the ferry to Koh Chang. Okay here’s the details about the ferries.

Getting From Trat to Koh Chang by Ferry

Getting From Bangkok to Koh Chang by ferry — *The rusty old ferry from Ao Thammachat to Koh Chang Pier*

Do not be confused, there is only one pier that will bring you to Koh Chang, Ao Thammachat Pier (Center Point Pier is no longer operational). The ferries run regularly throughout the day and usually operate from around 6:30 AM - 7:00 PM, departing every 30-45 minutes though the times aren’t strict. Tickets cost about 80-120 THB per person, and if you’re bringing a car onto the ferry, the vehicle fee is around 120-150 THB depending on size.

The ferries themselves are simple but comfortable, with open-air decks, shaded seating, and small kiosks selling drinks and snacks. The crossing takes about 30 minutes, and if you brought your car, you’ll be able to drive straight off the ferry once you reach Koh Chang.

You can book ferry tickets via the widget below

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