Koh Chang
Understand
Ko Chang is being heavily developed. It seems like the government is trying to "develop" it from a backpackers' paradise to a top-level destination. Construction work is going on throughout the island, with basic huts torn down to make way for fancy resorts.

Geography
Most accommodation is located on the western side of the island, where the sandy beaches are. On the eastern side of the island there are no sandy beaches and this side is far less touristy. There are some nice waterfalls.

Get in

By plane
Bangkok Airways flies three times a day from Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport (the "new" BKK) to Trat.

Direct door-to-door minibus transfers from Trat airport to Ko Chang resorts cost 280 baht/person including the ferry crossing.

From Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport, take the free express shuttle bus from outside the arrivals concourse to the airport's own bus terminal, and from there the next available bus to either Trat or Chanthaburi, then proceed as described below.

By bus
From Bangkok the easiest, most direct, and most economical way to get to Laem Ngop (where the Ko Chang ferry piers are) is to take a 1st class bus from the Eastern (Ekamai) Bus Terminal direct to the Centrepoint pier. The fare is 232 baht (or 438 baht for a round trip) and takes just over five hours. Departures from Ekamai are at 07:45 & 13:00, and return at 14:00 and 16:00. Subject to seat availability, this bus can also be boarded at Chanthaburi.

Alternatively, there are 1st class (approx. 5 hours) and 2nd class services from both the Eastern Bus Terminal (Ekamai) and Northern Bus Terminal (Moh Chit) direct to Trat, and frequent songthaew services from Trat to Laem Ngop (approx. 30 minutes). Departures from Ekamai are more frequent than from Moh Chit.

If coming by bus from the south, the #511 air-con bus can be used to connect directly between Bangkok's Southern (Sai Tai Mai) and Eastern (Ekamai) bus terminals.

There are direct minibus services to Laem Ngop from Pattaya, Ban Phe, and Bangkok's Khao San Road. It may also be possible to proceed directly to Laem Ngop by minibus or songthaew from the Hat Lek / Koh Kong border crossing with southern Cambodia, depending on the time of year, time of day, phase of the moon, etc - enquire locally.

By boat
Most ferries operate from Laem Ngop, which has three piers, of which two are currently operational. The Laem Ngop (Tha Khrom Luang or Tha Laern Ngop) pier is approximately 700 metres west of Laem Ngop. The Centrepoint (Tha Centre Point) pier is located about 3.5 km north-west of Laem Ngop. These piers serve both vehicle and passenger ferries.

Another vehicle ferry pier is located in Thammachat Bay (Ao Thammachat), around 15 km west of Laem Ngop.

Almost all piers on Ko Chang are situated on the eastern side of the island. The major piers are the two Dan Kao piers, Tha Dan Kao and Tha Ferry Dan Kao, who handles most of the traffic. To take a boat from Laem Ngop to the Dan Kao piers take around 45 minutes. The car ferry from Laem Ngop take around 1 hour and arrives at the Tha Ferry Dan Kao pier, situated 400 minutes southeast of the Tha Dan Kao pier. The car ferry from Thaachat Bay stops at the Ko Chang Ferry Pier (Tha Ferry Ko Chang) in the Sapparot Bay (Ao Sapparot), 3 kilometres northwest fom the Dan Kao piers.

Light meals, fruit, fruits and beverages are available at all the piers and on the car ferries.