Koh Chang's Water Transportation
The island resort of Koh Chang is a great place for a vacation. It is located in Thailand's Trat province, not far from Cambodia and Bangkok. Koh Chang has wonderful beaches with white sand and turquoise sea water. But the highlight is that the resort is only accessible by ferry.
There is no airport on the island: the nearest is in Trat province. You can get here from the mainland by ferry. Note that water transportation to Koh Chang departs from Laem Ngop: this is 20km from the airport.
On the "big land," there are 2 piers from which you can get to where you want to go:
Ao Thammachat. From Ao Thammachat, you will swim to Ferry Pier or Ao Sapparot Pier. Travel time is only about 25 minutes. There are also frequent buses from other resorts in Thailand - Bangkok, Suvarnabhumi, Pattaya.
Centre Point. It takes twice as long to sail from the pier to Chang - a full 40 minutes.
Departure Time and Price
Officially, the ferry transportation departs every hour, and from October to April, it departs every half hour. However, based on the observations of tourists, we can say the following: the ferries depart when all the seats are occupied.
Operation Schedule: They start working from 6:30 until 19:00. The pier is closed at night.
The Cost of the crossing per adult is 80 THB, and children under 4 years old are free.
Koh Chang's Land-Based Public Transportation
The road surface on the island is not good everywhere. For example, the central road only reaches the village of Bang Bao. Be warned - be prepared for a serpentine ride, which alternates with quiet and smooth sections.
Important! Keep in mind that air-conditioned cabs and motorcycle cabs are simply not available on the island.
Songteo Cabs on the Island
Songteo is the most popular public transportation in the resort. If it has a yellow sticker in the upper left corner, the cab already has a set price list. Prepare for a long and uncomfortable ride: asphalt is replaced by rocky dirt roads and vice versa.
Trip Prices
The fare from the pier to the various hotels and towns is as follows:
To White Sand Beach is 50 THB. Travel time is 10-15 minutes.
To Bang Bao Village - 120 THB. Travel time is 35 minutes.
To Lonli Beach - 100 THB. Travel time is 30 minutes.
To Kai Bei, Klong Prao - 80 TNV. Travel time is 25 minutes.
To Chai Chet - 60 TNV. Travel time is 20 to 25 minutes.
Tuk-Tuk Cabs on Koh Chang
Moving from one beach to another on foot is not very convenient. You will have to pay a lot of money for a local cab. Therefore, it's better to travel in companies. There are tuk-tuk stops on all beaches.
Price
There are no fixed prices for cabs, you'll have to haggle. They start from 20 THB. The fare from one locality to another starts at 40 THB. And from White Sand beach to Bang Bao village from 100 THB.
Microbus
If you are travelingfrom a tour operator, the price of the trip already includes airport transfers by air-conditioned minibus. In the case where the hotel is a bit off the Main Road, you'll need to shell out an extra 20-40 THB to have a songteo take you right to the hotel door.
Bike Rental in Chang
On the internet, you can sometimes find advertisements offering bicycle rentals. However, such recommendations are rather dubious: there are almost no two-wheeled rental shops, and pedaling off-road in the heat is dangerous to your health.
Despite the lack of perfect asphalt roads, there is enough transportation to get around the island comfortably. Learn to maximize your enjoyment of the views, sea bathing, and warm sunshine.
Renting a Motorcycle on Koh Chang
To get around on your own, you can rent a motorcycle. There are many rental centers in Koh Chang that offer this mode of transportation. However, the best one is located on Klong Prao Beach.
Renting a motorcycle is a great and affordable idea for exploring the island. For a relatively small amount of money, you can spend the whole day traveling the beaches, visit all the secret corners of Koh Chang, which are not reachable by the songteo.
Rental Price
You'll have to shell out 150-250 THB per day to rent a motorcycle, depending on the tourist season. The monthly transportation fee will cost 3000-35000 THB.
Don't forget to wear a helmet to avoid fines from the local police.
