Ko Chang is one of the most favorite vacation spots of people around the world. The island is located in the southeast of Thailand, near the border with Cambodia. There are a huge number of hotels of different classes and many entertainment complexes. But going there on vacation, you need to think in advance about the way from the nearest international airport to Ko Chang.
Koh Chang on the map of Thailand
According to statistics, the majority of citizens of our country prefer to spend their vacations at the seaside under the scorching rays of the sun. And although Russia has major resort cities, many Russians still prefer to vacation abroad. One of the most popular foreign resorts is Thailand.
But going on holiday, you need to carefully read the features of a particular location, find out about the availability of entertainment centers and, most importantly, clearly think through the route to your destination.
From Bangkok to Ko Chang
Unfortunately, there are no airports on the island. The nearest airport where foreign tourists can fly in is Bangkok.
To get to the place of rest, tourists have to travel nearly 350 kilometers. But don’t be intimidated by such big numbers. Local enterprising citizens solved this problem long ago, and offer a choice of several ways to get to the island comfortably.
By plane
Since there are no air terminals in the resort, you have to combine your route somewhat. The nearest air harbor is in the provincial capital, Trat. From the capital of Thailand you can get here by plane of the local airline. She makes several flights every day. The travel time is about an hour.
Ticket prices range from $100 to $120. But the first few tickets are sold at a 30% discount. Therefore, immediately after passing through customs, you need to hurry to have time to buy the lucky ticket.
Then there are several transfer options from Trat Airport to Ko Chang. The first and cheapest is by bus. Private 50-seat buses are waiting for tourists at the main entrance to the airport terminal. They will take you to the ferry that takes you directly to the island itself. The cost of such a trip will be 100 baht (THB).
The mini-bus ride is a little more expensive. These are small vans, designed for 15 people. The cost will be 400 THB. The advantage of this trip is that you will be taken directly to the beach that you need.
And the last, most comfortable and expensive way is a cab. Private carriers take up to 4 people in the car. It costs from 2 to 5 thousand baht, depending on how comfortable the car is. But the driver will take you to any area of the resort.
By bus.
The bus is the best mode of transportation for tourists on a tight budget. Unfortunately, there are no direct connections between the capital and Ko Chang. Therefore, tourists have to get first to Trat, and then by any other means of transport (bus, mini-bus, cab) to the ferry.
To travel by bus, you first need to go to the bus station. There are two places in Bangkok where buses depart for Trat: the North and East Bus Terminal or Nothern and Eastern Bus Terminal, respectively. Buses leave from these stations almost every hour. In total, there are up to 25 flights daily. Departure time begins at 5:30 and ends at 11:30. When choosing between the two bus stations, experienced travelers recommend using the services of the Eastern, as from the Northern there are only 7 departures per day. The total travel time is 5-6 hours. The cost of the bus trip, depending on the carrier, is 265-275 baht.
Some carriers drop off passengers at the ferry to Ko Chang before pulling into Trat Bus Station. Therefore, before taking a ticket, it is better to clarify the availability of such services at the ticket office.
Mini-bass
Another popular form of transportation is the mini-bus. There are so many of them in Thailand that it seems that soon there won’t be any legal places to board and disembark passengers.
Unlike buses, mini-buses are owned by both large carriers and private individuals. They are all scattered around a large metropolis. But the most popular landing place for passengers is Coasan Road. From here you can leave in any direction.
Choosing between a private and a company, you must decide how you want to get to Trat: with comfort or cheaper. As soon as a tourist approaches the callers, they all quote the same price – 500 baht. But if it’s a representative of a carrier company, the driver begins to impose additional services: wi-fi, e-guide, meals. In the end, the trip costs 1,000 THB.
The opposite is true with privateers: you can haggle and reduce the price to 400-350 baht. For this money you will not be taken to the ferry, but to a specific place on the island.
Other Ways
In addition to the above methods, there are two more, the most expensive: cab and car rental.
Cabs can be found in every corner of the metropolis. If you do not see a car with yellow checkers in your field of vision, you can call a car with a special service. But keep in mind that on the phone you will be told a fixed price, and haggling will be inappropriate. With private drivers the situation is different: initially the driver for a trip to Ko Chang voiced cosmic figure of 5-6 thousand baht. But you can always bargain and cut the price by about half. In the end, you can get to the ferry in Trat for 3,000 THB, and the price may be 1,000 baht more to the doorstep of the hotel.
You can also rent a car. The cost of such a trip will be from 1000 baht per day. You will have to fill the car yourself. Fuel is sold here both at gas stations and simply from dealers in 0.7-liter glass bottles.
How to get there from Suvarnabhumi Airport
Suvarnabhumi is a modern airport in Bangkok that opened in 2006. Total annual passenger traffic is steadily increasing and has already reached the 50 million mark.
There is a bus number 392 directly from the terminal to Ko Chang. The only “minus” is that it leaves only once a day at 7 am. Obviously, not every visitor to Thailand will be able to catch this flight.
If you do not intend to spend a lot of money on vacation, you can use the free shuttle that will take you to the East Bus Station. From there you can take the ferry to the island. The ticket price is 275 baht.
There are also mini-bass owners on duty 24 hours a day in the parking lot near the air harbor. The price of such a trip is about 600 THB, and you will spend 6-7 hours on the road, depending on the time of day and weather conditions.
What mode of transportation should I choose?
When choosing a vehicle, you need to consider your own financial capabilities. If you are a budget tourist, it is best to take the bus. You will spend a little more time on the trip, but you will save a lot of money.
If you are not used to saving money on your own comfort, and your financial capabilities are somewhat larger than the budget tourist, we would recommend a combined trip: one way to get on a plane, and back – by ground transport. Thus, you will enjoy the beautiful nature of Thailand twice as much: from the ground and from the air.
How to get from Pattaya to Ko Chang?
Pattaya is a major resort city by the sea. Unlike Bangkok, it is much closer to Ko Chang. The distance between the city and the island is 250 kilometers. However, getting from Pattaya to Ko Chang is much more difficult than from Bangkok.
By bus.
There is no direct connection between the island and the resort town. There is no bus station in Pattaya. So if you want to save money, you have to get out on the highway and catch the passing buses from Bangkok.
There is only one “but”: there is no clear bus schedule. Tourists can spend hours under the scorching sun before the first bus arrives on the horizon.
The bus fare is not expensive – 200 baht.
By minibus and cab
There are more expensive ways to get to the ferry in Trat or to the right place on the island itself – mini-basses and cabs. There is no permanent seating for passengers in minivans in Pattaya. This type of transport should be booked in advance at outdoor tourist tents. The cost of the trip depends on the final destination. On average, the price of a trip to the ferry is 350-400 baht, and to the hotel – from 550 baht.
The only mode of transportation in abundance in Pattaya is cabs. Auto can be called by phone, or just “catch” on the street. The cost of a ride in comfort will start at $100.
How do I get to Ko Chang Island from Kaosan Road?
If you choose to stay in Bangkok Koasan Road, you should not waste time on pointless travel from one bus station to another to find transportation to Ko Chang. Just order a mini-bass from one of the tourist tents that dot this area of Bangkok.
The ticket will cost between 400 and 700 baht, depending on the additional conditions of the trip.
Ko Chang Island: How to get there from Phuket?
Phuket is another popular resort in Thailand. It is located west of Ko Chang. There is no regular bus service between them. If you want to change the place of rest, will have to spend a lot of time and money. The first difficulty is distance. Between Phuket and Ko Chang is about 1,200 kilometers (if you get there by land transport). To cover this distance, you will need to rent a car. Rental costs start at 1,000 baht (fuel is not included in this price), and it takes approximately 20 hours to get there.
The second option is to rent a boat and swim to the sea. You have to travel quite a distance on the water, and not every boatman will agree to go on such a long trip.
The fastest option is to fly to Ko Chang by plane. There are regular flights between Phuket and Trat by local airlines. A one-way ticket costs about 3,000-3,500 THB. But in 50 minutes you will be on the outskirts of Ko Chang. It remains to get to the ferry, cross the bay, and you’re on the island.
How to get from Koh Chang to Cambodia?
As mentioned above, Ko Chang is next to Cambodia. To get to this country, tourists need to apply for a visa. It costs $25, plus 100 baht for online processing. Next, take a ferry to Trat, where there are regular bus services to the Cambodian border.
After passing through border and customs control, tourists get to the site, from where the buses depart to the different ends of Cambodia. The locals initially greatly inflate the prices of the fare. You have to walk from bus to bus for a while and try to get the price down.
