Most of the travelers prefer not to go to any travel agencies and do everything themselves. There is a good reason for this, because the principle that “the tongue will lead you to Kiev” has never been annulled. In addition, the trip in this case becomes akin to adventure, and that is the true, original meaning of travel.
Many people wonder how to get from Bangkok to Ko Chang; there are so many answers to this question that one can get confused. The more so that some of them are contradictory or the only difference is which palm tree to choose as a guide. Today we’re going to try to systematize all the information and bring it to a common denominator.
Since Ko Chang is an island, part of any journey to it will be a ferry crossing. There are several options on how to get there from different points in Thailand. We will consider Bangkok, as the main transfer and logistics center of the country. It is also worth considering that the routes can be only to the pier, where you are free to choose your own boat, and then move around the island as you wish, or by transfers “from door to door” (the so-called combo ticket), the price of which includes everything – a micro or full bus plus a ferry and the subsequent delivery to the desired beach.
An important factor in the trip is the time spent on it. After all, you have to eat, sleep, and do the rest. Since the distance from Bangkok to Ko Chang is approximately three hundred kilometers, you will not set foot on its blessed shore earlier than half a day after landing in Suvarnabhumi.
From Bangkok to Ko Chang by bus
Traveling by bus to the island will hit your pocket the least, but will take a long time – 6 hours on average. Some buses go to the bus terminal in Trat, from which you have to take a minibus to the pier (luckily the distance between these points is not significant), some go straight to the pier, and some go as far as the island’s Lonely Beach (via ferry).
Buy a bus ticket online
The only service on the web where you can do this is the 12Go.asia website. It will also help you travel by land transport throughout Thailand. You can pay for your Bangkok-Ko Chang bus ticket with a card. A PDF voucher for it will be sent to you by mail, you can show it on your smartphone screen at the ticket office (or to the driver) and you will receive a paper travel document. The rules and tips for making a reservation on this site have been described here.
From Sai Tai Mai (Southern Bus Terminal)
Most buses from Bangkok’s Southern Bus Terminal go to Trat, where you transfer to any local bus and drive to the pier. If you are lucky, the bus will stop before Trat at one of the three designated points (Koh Chang Ferry Pier, Center Point Ferry Pier and Laem Ngob Pier), where everyone is transferred to a pickup truck and taken to the ferry. The distance from the former to the island is almost six kilometers, from the latter it is nine, so the travel time from Bangkok to Ko Chang can vary by half an hour to an hour.
From Ekkamai Bus Terminal
The most likely way to get from Bangkok to Ko Chang is from Ekkamai Bus Terminal, the eastern bus terminal. It is a small bus station and the oldest in the Thai capital. Located next to the Bangkok subway station Ekkamai BTS Sky Train. Flights to Trat depart once every half hour, starting from 6am to 11pm. Keep in mind, however, that the comfort of the buses may be below tourist standards. These are regular flights used by local Thais. Tickets start at 250 baht and take about six hours to reach your destination.
From Suvarnabhumi Airport
From Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok at the height of the tourist season, you can get to Ko Chang Island without a transfer. On the first floor of the passenger terminal, near Gate 8, find the counter of a transportation company that provides Bangkok-Ko Chang shuttle service directly to Lonely Beach in minibuses. The price of a one-way ticket is about 600 baht or 800 round trip. A full-size bus (flight #392) of the same company runs once a day, at 7:30 am. A trip to Trat will cost 250 baht, and a combo ticket costs 400.
From Don Muang Airport
There is a Mo Chit Bus Terminal near Don Muang Airport. There are flights to Trat Bus Terminal three times a day. For a ticket in a comfortable air-conditioned bus, you will pay about 270 baht. The price includes a bottle of water and cookies. The travel time is almost 6 hours. As you can see, getting from this Bangkok airport to Ko Chang is quite easy.
Online-transfer-or-local-taxi
You can take a local Bangkok – Ko Chang cab right at Suvarnabhumi. To do this, you need to find the counter of the transport company. Private drivers on the street may refuse to go that far. Transfer price from 3500 baht. You will reach the pier in five hours. You will have to pay extra for the ferry to Ko Chang, so the transfer to the hotel on the island cannot be cheaper than 4500 baht.
Ordering a transfer online
Want to be picked up at the airport like a VIP, have your luggage dropped off and taken to your hotel door on the island? Book your airport transfer with Kiwitaxi.ru (combined service with a ferry included). It will cost you as much as a cab on your own at the airport. So it makes sense to figure out the interface of the site, which was described in this article.
Transfer from Kaosan Road
Kaosan Road is the most popular street in Bangkok among travelers to Thailand. It is also a great reference point for those looking to go to Ko Chang Island. Go to one of the many travel agencies and buy a minibus transfer to the island. They offer tickets only to the pier, as well as combo – plus the ferry. You will have to get to the desired beach or hotel on your own. Depending on the season and the greed of the company managers, the ticket prices range from 400 to 1000 baht. Departure from the doorstep of the company where you bought the ticket. It takes five hours to get from Bangkok to Ko Chang.
Rent-a-car
If you are active and adventurous, rent a car and drive from Bangkok to Ko Chang on your own. It will give you maximum freedom at a relatively low cost. The road network in the country is well developed, as is the roadside service. The quality of coverage is excellent! Such a trip is the best option for those who like to look at every unexplored corner of Thailand on the way. Rentalcars.com you can rent a car both from local companies, most often providing their services at airports, and on the Rentalcars.com website. This site has a database of car rental companies all over the world with the ability to make reservations, very convenient.
Flight from Bangkok
Flight Bangkok to Ko Chang is the fastest way to get there, but also the most expensive. The flight to Trat takes one hour. Flights from Suvarnabhumi are operated by Bangkok Air three times a day. Tickets start at 4000 baht. The exact schedule is available on the official website of the airline. It may vary slightly depending on the season. The locosters of Thailand may also start flying at any time.
There are different ways to get from Trat Airport to the pier and the island. By pickup-songteo only to the pier for 100 baht, then on the island to the hotel by separate transport. By minibus to the beach. For example, the trip to White Sand Beach costs 400 baht. A cab from Trat airport to the hotel costs 2000 baht.
From Trat bus station to pier 
If you’ve chosen to travel by bus, the question, “How long is the drive from Bangkok to Ko Chang”, cannot be answered quite definitively. It all depends on how much time you spend searching for a songteo to the pier, and which one they will take you to. From the one closest to town – Laem Ngob Pier – to the island is about 9 kilometers. And from the far (but close to the airport) – Koh Chang Ferry Pier – about five. The only way to determine whether the ferry or the sunteo is faster is by experience.
Koh Chang Ferry Pier
Ferry to Ko Chang
Since you can only get to Koh Chang Island from Bangkok by ferry, it wouldn’t hurt to know the schedule of them. From Koh Chang Ferry Pier, it takes 30 minutes to reach the island. From Center Point Ferry Pier it is 45 minutes, and the voyage from Lame Ngob Pier takes an hour. The interval between trips is equal to the travel time. The first from all piers departs at 6 a.m. The last one leaves at 7 p.m. One-way ticket costs from 80 baht, and round trip (with open date) costs 160 baht or more.
After ferry to beach
If you don’t have a combo ticket, look out for the string of Taxi pickup trucks lined up on the beach by the pier. The price of the ride depends on the distance. Be sure to try to find company beforehand. This is because the island’s bambiliacs are trying to fill the back of the truck up to the maximum. For singles they charge a special cosmic rate. The cost of services grows as the sun goes down.
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