No airport, no bridge — every trip on or off Koh Chang starts with the Ao Thammachat car ferry. Here is how the ferry, scooters, 4x4 rental, songthaews and the Bangkok drive actually work, what they cost, and how long journeys really take.
Koh Chang has no airport and no bridge to the mainland — every car, scooter and passenger reaches the island via the Ao Thammachat–Ao Sapparot car ferry, a roughly 30-40 minute crossing from the Trat mainland. The nearest airport, Trat (TDX), is served by Bangkok Airways from Suvarnabhumi. Once you're on-island, a rented scooter is the default way most residents get around, though the steep mountain roads between Klong Son–White Sand Beach and Kai Bae–Bang Bao make Koh Chang one of Thailand's more demanding islands to ride, and many residents prefer a car or SUV instead. Songthaews cover the main beach road cheaply but aren't metered, and boat charters from Bang Bao handle island-hopping rather than beach-to-beach commuting.
Koh Chang has no airport of its own — the nearest is Trat Airport (TDX), served by Bangkok Airways with regular flights from Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport (roughly a one-hour flight). From Trat Airport it's about a 20-30 minute drive to the Ao Thammachat ferry pier area on the mainland, before the car ferry crossing to the island itself.
Every car, scooter and passenger reaches Koh Chang via the car ferry between Ao Thammachat Pier on the Trat mainland (near Laem Ngop) and Ao Sapparot Pier on the island's eastern coast. Ferries run daily, roughly 06:30 to 18:30, departing every 30-60 minutes, with the crossing itself taking about 30-40 minutes. Fares are cheap and paid in cash at the pier — a car costs around 120 baht and each passenger about 80 baht — and there's no advance booking for standard car-ferry tickets.
A rented scooter is how most residents get around day to day. A 115-125cc automatic typically runs 150-250 baht for 24 hours, with some shops charging up to 450 baht depending on the model and which beach you rent from; larger bikes are available from around 500 baht a day at specialist shops near White Sand Beach. Koh Chang's terrain makes this one of the more demanding islands to ride: two mountain passes — between Klong Son and White Sand Beach, and between Kai Bae and Lonely Beach/Bang Bao — have steep gradients, sharp bends and hairpins that get genuinely slippery after rain.
For families, less confident riders, or anyone who'd rather not tackle the mountain roads on two wheels, a car or SUV is the practical choice. Daily rental typically runs 1,000-2,000 baht, with SUV-style vehicles available from around 1,600 baht a day and better rates for weekly or monthly hire. Because of the steep, sometimes muddy hill sections, an SUV or 4WD is the most popular rental choice on the island rather than a standard sedan.
Songthaews — open-sided pickup trucks — are Koh Chang's closest thing to public transport, shuttling along the main beach road between the ferry piers and the island's beaches (White Sand Beach, Klong Prao, Kai Bae, Lonely Beach and on to Bang Bao). They aren't metered: quoted per-person fares (commonly cited around 150 baht for some routes) generally assume at least two passengers sharing, and drivers may charge double if you hail one empty or ride alone — agree the fare before you get in.
From Trat Airport, a private minibus for up to four adults typically costs around 2,300-2,500 baht to the central beaches, with roughly 100 baht per extra passenger; a shared minibus runs about 950 baht per person one-way (ferry ticket included) or around 1,800 baht per person for a round trip. The budget option is a songthaew from the airport to Ao Thammachat pier for about 280 baht per person including the ferry ticket, with roughly 200 baht more for destinations from Lonely Beach down to Bang Bao. Driving directly from Bangkok, budget 4-4.5 hours from Suvarnabhumi Airport (or 5-5.5 hours from central Bangkok) to reach Ao Thammachat pier, plus the 30-40 minute ferry crossing — call it 5-6 hours door to pier in total.
Longtail boats and speedboats are chartered — mainly from Bang Bao, the stilted fishing village at the island's southwest tip — for trips to nearby islands such as Koh Wai, Koh Mak and Koh Kood, plus snorkelling and diving day trips. This isn't a scheduled beach-to-beach taxi service; the coastal road and songthaews already cover getting between White Sand Beach, Klong Prao, Kai Bae, Lonely Beach and Bang Bao by land.
Indicative off-peak times by road and scheduled ferry; high-season car-ferry queues, mountain-road conditions and rainy-season weather can add significant time.
No. Koh Chang has no airport of its own — the nearest is Trat Airport (TDX), served by Bangkok Airways from Suvarnabhumi, about a 20-30 minute drive from the Ao Thammachat ferry pier. There's no bridge either: every vehicle reaches the island via the Ao Thammachat–Ao Sapparot car ferry, a roughly 30-40 minute crossing from the Trat mainland.
The Centrepoint (Cenferry) service has been suspended since mid-2024 and remains out of service as of 2026. All standard car and passenger ferry traffic now runs via the Ao Thammachat–Ao Sapparot route only, so don't plan around Centrepoint without checking current status first.
Yes, for almost everyone. There's no scheduled public transport network beyond songthaews running the main beach road, which are useful but infrequent and unmetered. Most residents rent a scooter (roughly 150-250 baht a day, up to 450 baht for bigger models) or, especially for families and less confident riders, a car or SUV (roughly 1,000-2,000 baht a day) given the island's steep mountain roads.
It has a reputation for it. Koh Chang and Koh Phangan are commonly cited as having among the highest scooter-accident rates of Thailand's islands, with most serious injuries involving inexperienced riders on the steep, hairpin mountain sections between Klong Son and White Sand Beach, and between Kai Bae and Lonely Beach/Bang Bao — conditions that get notably more slippery after rain. A proper motorcycle-endorsed licence, a helmet and real caution matter more here than on flatter islands.
A private minibus for up to four people runs roughly 2,300-2,500 baht to the central beaches; a shared minibus costs about 950 baht per person one-way (ferry ticket included); and the cheapest option is a songthaew to Ao Thammachat pier for around 280 baht per person including the ferry ticket, with an extra 200 baht or so for destinations from Lonely Beach to Bang Bao.
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Find a place near White Sand Beach, Klong Prao or Kai Bae, then plan around the ferry and your everyday transport.
Hero photo by NGUYỄN THÀNH NHƠN on Pexels. General information and indicative pricing only, not travel-safety or financial advice — confirm current ferry schedules, fares and road conditions with official sources before you travel.