GETTING TO KOH CHANG
Ko Chang is 315 kilometres away from Bangkok in the province of
Trat. There are several ways of getting there: by air, air-conditioned
bus, taxi, hire car or motorcyle.
By air
Bangkok Airways flies from Bangkok, Phuket and Ko Samui to a new
airport at Trat. There are flights out of Bangkok day which takes
about 45 minutes. Onward flights leave at 8:30 (PG310) and 16:10
(PG316) and return at 9:40 (PG311) and 17:20 (PG317), costing around
4,000 baht for the return journey. For reservations, call the Bangkok
office on +66 (0) 2265 5555 and Trat +66 (0) 3952 5299-300. For
more information and bookings, see Bangkok Air.
By air-conditioned bus
First/second-class and VIP air-con buses leave from the Eastern
Bus Terminal at Ekkamai, on Sukhumvit Road, which is conveniently
serviced by the BTS Skytrain. The return fare to Trat — the stopping
off point for Ko Chang — ranges from 147 baht for second-class coaches
to 420 baht for the VIP coach. From the Trat bus terminal, take
a cab or minibus to the ferry at Laem Ngop, which should cost you
around 200 baht.
By taxi
Getting out of Bangkok is always going to be troublesome unless
you leave very late at night or early in the morning. But one of
the most painless ways to travel is order a taxi that will take
you all the way to the ferry port at Ko Chang. If you're a good
negotiator, you can pay as little as 2,500 baht one way.
By private car or motorbike
By hiring a private car or motorbike, you make the decisions as
to how and when to travel. However, do make sure you bring an International
Driving Permit with you or any hassles you encounter are entirely
of your own making. Simply, the best way out of Bangkok is to take
Highway 3 on the Bangna-Trat road until you reach the Chonburi bypass.
Continue along this road, or take the elevated tollway, then take
the exit for Klaeng on Highway 344. When you reach Klaeng, get back
on to Highway 3 again (Highway 3 goes via Pattaya and Rayong, which
you don't want). Continue on through Khlung and, from here, about
half-way to Trat, turn off on to Highway 3156, the Laem Ngop-Saen
Tung road, which will take you along the coast to the ferry ports.
Ferry services and times
Ferries leave from one of three piers every 30 minutes from 7am
to 7pm. Probably the most popular is the Centrepoint Pier. A motorcycle
or car are free while foot passengers are charged Bt30. Once on
the other side, sawngthaews are available during the day, the fare
ranging from around 20 to 70 baht depending on the distance.
The Island Hopper
The only regular ferry service to the other islands is the Island
Hopper (see website for more details). It's a 65ft sleek, comfortable,
quiet and fast beautiful boat and has an English-speaking crew.
They run a daily ferry service and have many 'mini hopper packages'
to choose from, enabling you to stay on the islands for a few days.
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