Ko Chang & Around Getting there & around

Getting there & away

Three piers in Laem Ngop serve Ko Chang: the main one, at the end of the road from Trat, is Tha Laem Ngop (also called Tha Krom Luang Chumporn or Naval Battle Monument pier); another 4km northwest of Laem Ngop is Tha Ko Chang Centrepoint; while Tha Thammachat is located at Ao Thammachat, further west of Laem Ngop.

During the high season, Tha Laem Ngop is the main pier to many of the Ko Chang National Marine Park islands. There is a passenger (backpacker) ferry that runs a rusty fishing boat to Ko Chang hourly (100B, one hour), but it’s often overcrowded and not the safest option.

From Tha Ko Chang Centrepoint, there are hourly ferries to and from Ko Chang’s Tha Dan Kao from 6am until 7pm daily (one way/return 80/160B, 45 minutes). This is also a vehicle ferry – cars and motorbikes can ride it free with every paying passenger. This is a faster, cheaper and safer option than the backpacker ferry and will drop you off closer to the main beaches. A sŏrngtăaou from Trat to Tha Ko Chang Centrepoint costs around 60B per person, though be wary of drivers who don’t want to take you straight to the pier. Some will stop and have you buy a ticket at a travel agency, which is slightly more expensive than buying it at the pier.

Another way to get to Ko Chang is via the hourly vehicle ferry from Tha Thammachat. This ferry arrives at Ao Sapparot on Ko Chang (per person/car 60/120B, 30 minutes) and may be the only boat running during rough seas.