Rugged Thai island of jungled mountains, west-coast beaches, and quieter fishing villages near Cambodia.
Thailand's second-largest island sits in the Gulf of Thailand near the Cambodian border, about 300 km southeast of Bangkok. Unlike Phuket or Koh Samui, Koh Chang still has a rugged, jungled interior that takes up most of the island — steep mountains, waterfalls, and thick tropical forest. The Mu Ko Chang National Marine Park protects the island and dozens of smaller ones in the surrounding archipelago.
The west coast has the beaches and most of the development. White Sand Beach in the north is the busiest, with restaurants, bars, and dive shops lining the road. Further south, Klong Prao and Kai Bae are quieter, and Lonely Beach — despite the name — has become the backpacker hub. The east coast remains largely untouched, with fishing villages and mangroves.
Koh Chang is a good base for exploring the wider archipelago. Koh Kood and Koh Mak are smaller, quieter islands reachable by speedboat, each worth a day trip or a few nights on their own. The diving and snorkeling around the outer islands is decent, with good visibility from November through May.
The island has changed a lot since its backpacker days. The main road around the west coast is now fully paved, there are ATMs and 7-Elevens in the beach towns, and the old bamboo-hut scene has mostly given way to concrete bungalows and small resorts. But the interior is still wild, and if you rent a scooter and head to the east coast, you will find a much quieter island.
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Beaches
Unlike Phuket or Samui, Koh Chang still has a slightly rougher edge — the interior is mountainous jungle and the roads are steep and winding, and the beaches reflect that range.
The west coast has most of the developed beaches. White Sand Beach (Hat Sai Khao) is the longest and busiest, with the widest range of restaurants and bars. Lonely Beach, further south, draws a younger crowd with cheaper accommodation and a relaxed backpacker scene. Klong Prao, in between, is quieter and good for families, with a long stretch of sand broken by a small estuary.
The east coast and southern tip are far less visited. Wai Check Beach and Long Beach are reachable by boat or a rough trail and reward the effort with near-solitude. Bang Bao, at the southern end, is a fishing village built on stilts over the water — the pier is lined with seafood restaurants and dive shops.
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Getting There
Koh Chang is reached by ferry from the mainland. The usual route is to get to Trat, the nearest town on the coast, and then take a songthaew to one of the ferry piers at Laem Ngop. Ferries run frequently during the day and the crossing takes about 30 minutes.
From Bangkok, air-conditioned buses leave from the Eastern Bus Terminal (Ekamai) on Sukhumvit Road roughly every hour. The ride to Trat takes five to six hours. Minibus services also run from Bangkok and other tourist towns, often with the ferry included in the price. From Trat, it is a short ride to the pier.
There is also a small airport in Trat with flights from Bangkok, which cuts the journey down considerably if you are willing to pay for it.
