The numbers to save before you ever need them β police, ambulance, fire, the island's own Koh Chang Rescue and the English-speaking Tourist Police β plus where to go for emergency care and exactly what to do in a medical emergency, a road accident, a national park incident or a lost passport.
Thailand doesn't use one all-purpose emergency number, so put these in your phone today: 191 for police, 1669 for a medical emergency or ambulance, and 199 for fire and rescue. If your Thai is limited, the number that matters most is 1155, the Tourist Police, staffed 24/7 in English. Koh Chang has more on-island emergency infrastructure than most of Thailand's smaller resort islands: its own police station at Dan Mai, a Tourist Police box in Klong Prao, a volunteer ambulance service (Koh Chang Rescue) and a 24-hour private hospital at White Sand Beach. What it doesn't have is an airport or a full tertiary hospital, so anything serious escalates to Bangkok Hospital Trat on the mainland and, if needed, on to Bangkok β worth building into your plan, especially given the ferry crossing. For hospital detail and insurance, pair this with the Koh Chang healthcare guide; to avoid trouble in the first place, see the Koh Chang safety guide.
National lines are toll-free and answered around the clock; Koh Chang also has several genuinely local numbers worth saving separately.
| Service | Number | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Police (general emergency) | 191 | The universal national police line. For foreigners, the Tourist Police (1155) is usually the better first call β English-speaking and used to visitor situations. |
| Koh Chang Police Station (Dan Mai) | 039 586 191 / 039 586 120 | The island's own police station, on the east coast near the government hospital. Direct line if 191 is slow to connect or you need the local station specifically. |
| Tourist Police (English-speaking) | 1155 | The single most useful number for foreigners on Koh Chang β 24/7 English-language support for theft, scams, accidents and general trouble. The island's own Tourist Police box sits in Klong Prao, near Wat Klong Prao (tel. 039 557 382). |
| Medical emergency / ambulance | 1669 | The national 24-hour emergency medical hotline, free to call. Also reaches Koh Chang Hospital's own ambulance dispatch (039 586 131/160) and Koh Chang Rescue, the island's volunteer emergency responders. |
| Koh Chang Rescue (volunteer ambulance, Chai Chet Beach) | 088 525 1100 / 039 613 908 | The island's own volunteer rescue and ambulance service, first responders for road accidents and medical calls on Koh Chang's beach road. |
| Fire & rescue | 199 | National fire and rescue line. Koh Chang Fire Service can also be reached directly on 039 586 199. |
| Mu Ko Chang National Park rangers (Than Mayom) | 039 555 080 / 039 555 084 | For incidents inside the national park β waterfall trekking accidents, getting lost on trails, wildlife encounters. Covers most of Koh Chang's mountainous interior. |
| Tourist assistance / TAT | 1672 | Tourism Authority of Thailand call centre β general help and guidance, not for life-threatening emergencies. The regional TAT office in Laem Ngop (mainland) is on 039 597 259/60. |
| Highway / traffic police | 1193 | For accidents on the mainland approach roads to the Trat ferry piers. |
| Immigration Bureau hotline | 1178 | For visa, overstay and immigration questions β not an emergency line. See the Koh Chang immigration office guide for the on-island reporting office. |
Koh Chang International Hospital, run by the Bangkok Hospital Group at the southern end of White Sand Beach, is open 24/7 with emergency care, inpatient rooms, lab and imaging. Koh Chang Hospital, the government facility at Dan Mai on the east coast, is cheaper and more basic, with village clinics at Klong Prao, Bang Bao, Klong Son and Salak Phet for everyday problems. Anything beyond what the island can handle is transferred β by ambulance and medical boat β to Bangkok Hospital Trat on the mainland, and on to Bangkok for specialist or complex cases. See the Koh Chang healthcare guide for costs, insurance and facility detail.
For a life-threatening situation, call 1669 or Koh Chang Rescue (088 525 1100), the island's volunteer ambulance and first-responder service based at Chai Chet Beach. Since most of Koh Chang doesn't use conventional street addressing, state your location as a beach name plus the nearest resort, temple or landmark β that's far more useful to a dispatcher than trying to describe an address. If you can't get through in English, ask hotel or resort staff to call for you. Carry your passport and insurance details, and phone your travel or health insurer's 24-hour assistance line early if you have one β many will guarantee payment directly to the hospital.
For any crime, accident or dispute, call the Tourist Police on 1155 (or their Klong Prao box direct on 039 557 382) β English-speaking and used to visitor situations. For a general police response, dial 191 or Koh Chang's own station at Dan Mai (039 586 191). Scooter accidents are common on Koh Chang's hilly, winding beach road β after any road accident, get anyone injured help first, then wait for police before moving vehicles, photograph the scene, and never admit fault on the spot. See the Koh Chang safety guide for the fuller local picture, including monsoon-season and low-season considerations.
A large majority of Koh Chang's interior sits inside Mu Ko Chang National Park, and waterfall or trekking accidents on trails like Klong Plu and Than Mayom are the most common way visitors and residents end up needing help off the main beach road. Call the ranger station at Than Mayom (039 555 080 / 039 555 084) or 1669 for anything medical β interior rescues generally take longer than a roadside call-out, so stick to marked trails, avoid hiking alone where possible, and tell someone your plan before you set off.
Work through it in order. One: file a police report at the Dan Mai station or the Klong Prao Tourist Police box (or call 1155) β you'll need it for both a replacement and immigration. Two: contact your embassy to apply for an emergency travel document or a new passport. Three: report to Koh Chang's own immigration sub-office at Klong Prao so your visa details are transferred to the new document before you travel. Keep a photo or photocopy of your passport photo page and visa stamp stored separately β do this before anything goes wrong. See the Koh Chang immigration office guide for full detail.
There's no single all-purpose number β Thailand runs separate national lines, and Koh Chang uses the same ones as everywhere else: 191 for police, 1669 for a medical emergency or ambulance, and 199 for fire and rescue. As a foreigner, call 1155 (Tourist Police) first β it's staffed 24/7 in English, and the island has its own Tourist Police box in Klong Prao (039 557 382) as well as a dedicated police station at Dan Mai (039 586 191).
Dial 1669, the free national emergency medical hotline, which also reaches Koh Chang Hospital's own dispatch. The island additionally has Koh Chang Rescue, a volunteer ambulance and first-responder service based at Chai Chet Beach (088 525 1100), which is often the fastest option for a beach-road accident. State your location as precisely as you can β a beach name plus the nearest resort or landmark works better than a street address, since most of Koh Chang doesn't have conventional addressing.
Koh Chang has its own police station at Dan Mai on the east coast (039 586 191 / 039 586 120), plus smaller police boxes at White Sand Beach, Chai Chet, Bailan Beach and Kai Bae. You don't need to reach the mainland for routine police matters. For English-language support specifically, the Tourist Police (1155, with a substation in Klong Prao) is the better first call.
Most of Koh Chang's interior is protected national park, and hiking or waterfall accidents happen most often on the Klong Plu and Than Mayom trails. Call the park ranger station at Than Mayom (039 555 080 / 039 555 084) or 1669 for a medical emergency β rescues from the interior can take longer than a beach-road incident, so stick to marked trails, hike with someone else where possible, and tell your accommodation your plan before you set off.
Koh Chang International Hospital (Bangkok Hospital Group), open 24/7 at the southern end of White Sand Beach, handles most emergencies with full inpatient, lab and imaging facilities. Koh Chang Hospital, the government facility at Dan Mai, is cheaper but more basic. Anything beyond either facility's scope is transferred β by the hospital's own ambulance and boat network β to Bangkok Hospital Trat on the mainland, then on to Bangkok if needed. See the Koh Chang healthcare guide for full detail.
First, file a police report β visit the Dan Mai police station or Klong Prao Tourist Police box, or call 1155 β you'll need the report for both a replacement and immigration. Then contact your embassy for an emergency travel document or new passport. Finally, since your passport carries your visa and entry stamp, report to Koh Chang's immigration sub-office at Klong Prao (or Trat/Laem Ngop) to have your visa details transferred to the new document before you travel.
This guide is general information for relocation planning, not medical, safety or legal advice. Phone numbers, stations and clinic details change β confirm current contacts with local authorities, your embassy and the Tourist Police, and in any real emergency call the official lines above.
Primary and official sources are cited above. Government rules, fees and procedures in Thailand change over time and vary by office; always confirm current requirements with the relevant authority before relying on them. BAANLYY never takes paid placement in editorial content.
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