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Arrival
information
To travel to Ko Chang, you always arrive at
the Laem Ngop ferry terminals first. In the area
around Laem Ngop there are 5 piers.
The oldest, directly situated at the port of Laem
Ngop, is not in operation at present.
Second, Laem-Ngop-Pier (Tha-Khrom-Luang
or also Tha-Laem-Ngop),
is situated approx. 700 metres west of Laem Ngop.
The ferries will bring you to one of the two Dan-Kao-Piers
(Tha-Dan-Kao or
Tha-Ferry-Dan-Kao) on Ko
Chang.
Third, Center-Point-Pier (Tha-Center-Point)
is about 3.5 kilometres in the northwest, the
ferries will also bring you to one of the two
Dan-Kao-Piers on
Ko Chang.
Two further piers (Koh-Chang-Ferry-Pier (Tha-Koh-Chang-Ferry)
and Ferry-Koh-Chang-Pier (Tha-Ferry-Koh-Chang))
are in the Thammachat Bay (Aow
Thammachat), approximately 15 kilometres
west of Laem Ngop, just a few hundred metres away
from each other. Both ferries stop at the Ko-Chang-Ferry-Pier
(Tha-Ferry-Ko-Chang)
in the Sapparot Bay (Aow
Sapparot), 3 kilometres northwest from
the Dan-Kao-Piers on Ko
Chang.
Laem-Ngop-Pier serves passenger ferries leave,
all piers serve car ferries. Meals, fruit, snacks
and beverages are available at all the piers and
on the car-ferries.
(Specifications: 2006)
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| Taxi station
in Trat |
Center-Point-Pier
in Leam Ngop |
Thammachat-Pier |
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To
the piers in Laem Ngop
From Trat
All public buses arrive at the bus station in
Trat, except the ones from the new route 99. From
Trat to the piers
around Laem Ngop you can
continue the journey by either chartered taxi
or by public pickups (Songthaow).
They will take you in around 20 - 30 minutes to
one of the piers around the remote port Laem
Ngop 17 kilometres away.
The songthaows wait either at the bus station
or at the first intersection directly behind the
market. They leave when 10 - 15 passengers are
collected.
(Click her for a Map
of Trat). |
From Bangkok - by public
transportation
At the new "Suvarnabhumi
Airport" you can charter
private taxis or minibuses. We offer this service
reasonable as well, more information on the hotel
pages.
Or take the free airport-shuttle-bus to the airport-bus-terminal
and take a public bus to Trat. From Trat to the
piers as described above.
In Bangkok
many travel agencies offer comprehensive tickets,
including mini bus or full size bus and ferry
fees to Ko Chang.
Departure times are in the morning between 7.00
am and 8.00 am, arrival at the jetty between 1.30
pm and 3.00 pm, so that the island
can be reached on the same day.
From the eastern bus terminal Ekamai
in the Sukhumvit Road,
Soi 40, A/C buses and Non A/C buses leave hourly
between 6.00 am - 10.00 pm and at 11.30 pm. The
province capital Trat,
around 300 kilometres away from Bangkok, is the
starting point to Ko
Chang, Ko Mak, Ko Kood, the other islands and to Cambodia.
The travel time may take between 4 and 6 hours
depending on the departure time.
The new bus route 999 leaves Ekamai
at 7.30 am and 9.30 am, then passes the airport
and brings you directly to the Center Point Ferry
pier in Laem
Ngop.
From the northern bus terminal Morchit
there are A/C buses to Trat
starting at 8.30 am and 5.30 pm, they also take
about 4 to 6 hours.
From Trat to
the piers as described above.
From Bangkok
- by plane
Bangkok Air operates the new airport
in Trat, about 20 km north
of the Thammachat ferry point. They fly 3 times
daily within about an hour from Bangkok
to Trat and back. At the
airport mini bus tickets can be bought, the buses
wait outside and will bring you directly to your
resort on Ko
Chang. Even if you take the
afternoon flight, you will reach Ko
Chang at the same evening
if you take one of the buses.
You can book flights on the internet-page of Bangkok
Air (Email: reservation@bangkokair.co.th).
| Route |
Departure |
| Bangkok
– Trat |
Low-Season: 08:00 (PG 301),
16:50 (PG 307)
High-Season: 09:00 (PG 301), 14:45 (PG 305),
17:30 (PG 307)
Peak-Season: 09:00 (PG 301), 11:00 (PG 303),
14:45 (PG 305), 17:30 (PG 307) |
| Trat
- Bangkok |
Low-Season: 09:35 (PG 302),
18:25 (PG 308)
High-Season: 10:35 (PG 302), 16:20 (PG 306),
19:05 (PG 308)
Peak-Season: 10:35 (PG 302), 12:35 (PG 304),
16:20 (PG 306), 19:05 (PG 308) |
As we don't know the exact dates of high and low
season, you should better have a look at the internet-page
of Bangkok
Air!
From Bangkok
- with private vehicle
There are 2 main driving routes from Bangkok
to the ferry ports around Laem
Ngop, both approximately
300 - 320 km long:
The first one is the Highway 3. At the bypass
at Chonburi
you have to turn off onto Highway 344. Follow
it and when you reach the crossroads at Klaeng
you have to turn back onto Highway 3 that leads
you to Trat and
Laem Ngop.
If you want to avoid Trat and take the shorter
way to the ferry points, you have to turn right
off Highway 3, directly after the police checkpoint,
a few kilometres before Trat
onto the road that directs to Laem
Ngop and to Trat
airport (Highway 3156). Then
just follow the signs to the ferry points.
The second possibility is the motorway, a continuation
of the Rama IX road, which goes onwards and meets
Highway 344. Then continue as described above.
(Click here for a Map
to Trat). |
From Pattaya
or Ko Samet -
by public transportation
From Pattaya
there are daily mini buses to Ko
Chang, they leave at around
8 am and bring you within 4 hours to the ferry
piers.
From Baan Pae (ferry
port for Ko Samet)
at 9 am and 11.30 am, the journey takes around
3 hours.
However one can take the A/C and Non A/C buses
to Chantaburi,
step out at the bus station and travel from there
with a different bus further on to Trat.
From Trat to the piers as described above.
From Pattaya
or Koh Samet
- with private vehicle
From Pattaya
onto the Highway 36 that meets Highway 3 after
Rayong.
Then continue as described above.
From Baan Pae
(harbour town for Ko
Samet) take Highway 3 to
the piers as described above.
(Click her for a Map
to Trat).
(Specifications: 2006) |
| On request we can organize a
private aircon minibus from the airport or your
hotel in Bangkok directly to your resort
on Ko Chang and/or back.
More information at the bottom of the Hotel-Reservation
form: click
here! |
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From
Laem Ngop to Ko Chang
To the west coast
of Ko Chang:
Ko Chang has various piers, which are almost all
situated on the eastern side of the island. The
majority of traffic is handled at the two Dan-Kao-Piers
and at the Ko-Chang-Ferry-Pier.
The ferries to the two Dan-Kao-Piers take about
40 - 50 minutes to cross.
The ferries from Thammachat Bay stops at the Ko-Chang-Ferry-Pier
(Tha-Ferry-Ko-Chang)
in the Sapparot Bay (Aow
Sapparot), 3 kilometres northwest from
the Dan-Kao-Piers and needs about 20 - 25 Minutes
for the crossing.
These ferries should be used if you want to go
the beaches
at the westcoast where allmost all hotels
and bungalow resorts are
located!
The ferries from Laem
Ngop to Ko
Chang start during high season
(November to April/May) and at the long weekends
daily from 6 am / 6.30 am until 9 pm, mostly all
30 - 45 minutes. The departure times of the ferries
do not apply to the rainy season between May/June
and October. But also at this time of the year
there are daily ferries, they only do not cross
so often. Due to the weather condition it may
happen that some ferries can't leave to Ko
Chang. |
To the east coast
of Ko Chang:
The easiest way to Salak Phet and the eastern
side of Ko Chang
is a direct service found in 2006. The taxis start
at the department store (opposite of the market
hall) in Trat
at 10 am, 12 am and 3 pm and bring you directly
to the boats for Salak Phet Bay.
There are speedboats leaving from Laem-Ngop-Pier
to Dan-Mai-Pier (Tha-Dan-Mai)
at the east coast of Ko Chang. They start twice
a day at 10 am and 4 pm during high season. After
the stop at Dan-Mai-Pier they leave to Ko Wai
and Ko Mak.
There are also boats from Laem-Ngop-Pier to Salak-Khok-Pier
(Tha-Salak-Khok),
Salak-Phet-Pier (Tha-Salak-Phet),
Than-Mayom-Pier (Tha-Than-Mayom)
and Bang-Bao-Pier (Tha-Bang-Bao).
But because the time schedule changes quite often,
try to get exact information directly at the pier.
(Specifications: 2006) |
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To
the beaches,
bays and villages on Ko Chang and
to the other islands
At Dan-Kao-Pier and Ko-Chang-Ferry-Pier, public
pickup taxis are waiting to take you to the locations
on Ko Chang.
They leave when there are enough passengers (usually
it's very tight inside). Out of the main travelling
times it may happen that you have to wait quite
a while until they leave. But in any case you
can always charter a whole pickup taxi and start
immediately.
At Dan-Kao-Ferry-Pier sometimes there may be no
taxis available. Everybody who arrives without
his own vehicle may have to walk the 400 metres
to Dan-Kao-Pier.
The bungalow
resorts and villages at the
east coast of Ko
Chang are difficult to reach
from these piers as there is no regular taxi service.
With a little luck there will be more passengers,
otherwise you have to charter an own pickup taxi.
These locations, same as Baan
Salak Phet in the south east of the island,
can otherwise only be reached by pickup taxi from
Dan-Mai- or Than-Mayom-Pier.
Those who booked their hotelroom or bungalow in
advance should tell the taxi driver the name of
the hotel or bungalow resort. However, the taxis stop at the respective
beaches at least once. And you can also get the
driver to stop anywhere you want by knocking on
the car-body. |
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From
Ko Chang to Laem Ngop
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Inquiries on the taxi departure
times can be made at the hotels or resorts of the
individual beaches. Throughout the season
you usually only have to wait a few minutes
at the road until a Songthaow
will come along.
If you leave by plane you can book an airport-shuttle
in many of the travel agencies located on Ko Chang.
Then you will be picked up at your hotel
or bungalow resort and brought directly
to the airport in Trat.
If you leave by minibus you will either
be picked up at your resort or you have
to make it to the appropriate pier in Laem
Ngop on your own. |
| Dan-Kao-Pier
(Tha-Dan-Kao) on Ko Chang (2001). |
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The main ferries from Ko
Chang to the mainland start
during high season (November to April/May) and
at the long weekends also daily from 6 am / 6.30
am until 9 pm, mostly all 30 - 45 minutes. During
outseason also several times a day, only not so
often.
If you arrive after 6 pm at the piers in Laem
Ngop it may happen that there are no more taxis
waiting!
(Specifications: 2006) |
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Travel
from Laem Ngop and Trat
From Laem Ngop to Bangkok,
Koh Samet or Pattaya
To leave from Laem
Ngop to Bangkok
(Khao Sarn Road), Baan Pae
(port for Koh
Samet) or Pattaya,
it is easiest to buy combination tickets for the
ferry and mini buses in advance on Ko
Chang. Meanwhile you can
also travel to Bangkok
by more comfortable aircon buses (Route 999) three
times a day at 1:30 pm, 4 pm and 6 pm directly
from Center-Point-Pier via the airport to the
Eastern bus terminal Ekamai
(about 4 to 5 hours). Or at 11 am from Thammachat-Pier
either to Ekamai or
Khao Sarn Road.
By plane toBangkok
Departure times and more informations see above
"To the piers in Laem
Ngop". |
From Laem Ngop to Trat
From the piers in Laem Ngop with the public pickup
taxis in approximately 20 - 30 minutes to Trat. |
From Trat to Bangkok
The bus station in Trat
is located approximately 1 kilometre outside the
center of Trat
behind the junction direction Khlong
Yai and Hat Lek (border crossing
to Cambodia).
2 travel companies offer A/C buses to
Bangkok.
To Ekamai: hourly
from 7.00 am - 4.00 pm, then at 6.00 pm, 11.00
pm and 11.30 pm (Cherdchai). Also at 8.30 am,
10.30 am, 12.00 am, 2.30 pm, 5.00 pm and 11.00
pm (Suparat).
To the Northern bus terminal Morchit:
7.30 am, 8.30 am, 9.30 am, 12.30 am, 2.30 pm,
4.00 pm and 11.30 pm. |
From Trat to Pattaya
There is only one direct Non A/C bus daily at
7.30 am to Pattaya.
However one can take the A/C- and Non A/C buses
to Bangkok,
step out at the bus station in Chantaburi
and travel from there further on to Pattaya. |
From Trat to Cambodia
To the cambodian border at Baan
Hat Lek there are mini buses every 45 minutes
(see map: Ko
Kood Special, The
exact location in the Gulf of Thailand).
Travel duration is approximately 1,5 hour, departure
at the bus terminal.
To the border crossing Poi
Pet (for visiting Siam
Reap and Angkor Wat)
first by A/C bus in around 1.5 hours to Chantaburi.
From there by Non A/C bus in approximately 3.5
hours to Aranya
Prathet and then by Tuk-Tuk
in about 10 minutes to the border. (Information
and pictures from Angkor
Wat and Cambodia: Angkor
Wat / Cambodia-Special.)
You can also book Angkor Wat and/or Cambodia tours
directly here! Click for more information: Cambodia
Tours .
(Specifications: 2006) |
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