TL;DR: The cheapest way from Bangkok to Koh Chang is the government 999 bus from Ekkamai (Eastern) terminal to Trat for ฿260-290 (about US$8-9), then a songthaew and the ฿80 (about US$2.50) Ao Thammachat ferry, totalling roughly 6-7 hours door to door. A combined bus-and-ferry ticket from a Khao San Road operator such as Boonsiri costs ฿900-1,100 (about US$27-33) and covers the same journey on one ticket, departing at 6:00am or 8:00am. Flying is fastest: Bangkok Airways covers Bangkok to Trat Airport (TDX) in 40-60 minutes for ฿1,200-4,000+ (about US$36-121+) depending on season, followed by a ฿280-800 (about US$8.50-24) transfer and ferry to the island. A private door-to-door transfer runs ฿3,500-6,200 (about US$106-188) per vehicle and takes 5-6 hours including the ferry. The only mainland ferry pier operating in 2026 is Ao Thammachat, since the older Centrepoint (Trat) Ferry has been suspended since mid-2024 with no announced restart, and the last sailing either direction is 18:30. All prices ฿33 = US$1 (July 2026).
Getting from Bangkok to Koh Chang means picking between a cheap overland bus-and-ferry combo, a fast but pricier flight to Trat, or a private transfer that skips the terminal-hopping altogether. This guide breaks down each route specifically for travellers starting in Bangkok, with exact departure points, current fares, and the practical detail that catches people out: the last ferry back to the mainland leaves earlier than most expect. For a broader look at getting to Koh Chang from anywhere and getting around once you’re there, see outthailand.com’s getting to Koh Chang pillar guide; this piece focuses specifically on the Bangkok-departure legs. All figures below are checked against current 2026 operator pages, timetables and transfer sites, listed in Sources.
Bangkok to Koh Chang route comparison at a glance
| Route | Mode | Duration | Price (one-way) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ekkamai to Trat, then pier and ferry (DIY) | Government 999 bus + songthaew + ferry | ~6-7 hrs total | ฿260-290 bus + |
| Bangkok (Khao San Rd) to Koh Chang | Combined bus + ferry ticket (e.g. Boonsiri) | ~6-7 hrs door to door | ฿900-1,100 (~$27-33) |
| Bangkok to Trat Airport (TDX) | Bangkok Airways flight | ~40-60 min flight | ฿1,200-4,000+ (~$36-121+) |
| Trat Airport to pier/island | Shared minibus or public taxi + ferry | ~50 min total | ฿280-800 per person |
| Bangkok to Koh Chang, door to door | Private car/van transfer | ~5-6 hrs | ฿3,500-6,200 per vehicle (~$106-188) |
| Ao Thammachat to Ao Sapparot | Ferry crossing alone | ~30-45 min | ฿80 per adult, ฿120 per car |
Fares compiled from bus operator, ferry and transfer sites current as of 2026; see Sources. Prices at ฿33 = US$1 (July 2026).
How the DIY bus-and-ferry route works
The government 999 bus from Ekkamai to Trat is the cheapest way to Koh Chang, but you’ll be stitching together three separate legs yourself. Buses run from Bangkok’s Ekkamai (Eastern) Bus Terminal several times a day, with departures spread from early morning through midnight on some schedules, and the one-way fare runs ฿260-290 (about US$8-9). The ride itself takes roughly 5-7 hours depending on traffic and how many stops the driver makes. Private operators such as Cherdchai Tour and Kohchangbkk Transport run similar routes from the same terminal for a comparable ฿270-290.
Once you’re in Trat, you’re not at the island yet. From central Trat, a shared songthaew covers the roughly 30-minute run out to Ao Thammachat pier for about ฿60, and then you’ll queue for the ferry itself (details below). Some 999 services drop passengers directly at Laem Ngop or the pier rather than central Trat, which saves the songthaew leg, so it’s worth checking the specific route when booking. Doing it this way, all-in cost lands around ฿400-430 (about US$12-13), but you’re managing three separate connections with no guarantee one waits for the other if something runs late.
Is the combined bus-and-ferry ticket worth it?
Yes, for most travellers, since it removes the connection risk for only a modest premium. Combined tickets from Khao San Road operators, Boonsiri being the best known, bundle the road journey and the ferry crossing onto one ticket for ฿900-1,100 (about US$27-33). Boonsiri’s service departs its Khao San Road office at 6:00am or 8:00am, and total travel time to the island runs roughly 6-7 hours depending on traffic and ferry queues (their combined routes also reach Koh Kood and Koh Mak, which take longer, so a Koh Chang-only booking should sit toward the shorter end of that range).
The trade-off versus the DIY route above is straightforward: you pay roughly double for a single ticket that guarantees your bus connects with your ferry, rather than leaving you to work out timing and buy a separate crossing ticket at the pier. For most first-time visitors, especially anyone without a fixed hotel pickup already arranged, that’s worth the extra few hundred baht.
Flying Bangkok to Trat, then the ferry
A Bangkok Airways flight is the fastest way in, but fares swing hard by season. Bangkok Airways operates the only direct flights between Bangkok and Trat Airport (TDX), scheduled at around an hour but typically closer to 40 minutes in the air. Frequency runs up to four flights daily in high season, dropping to two in low season (roughly April to October), when the earliest departures are sometimes cut. One-way fares range from as low as ฿1,200 (about US$36) in low season to ฿2,500 and up in high season, and well over ฿4,000 (about US$121) at peak times such as Christmas and New Year.
Landing at Trat doesn’t put you on Koh Chang, though; there’s still a transfer and ferry to go. Three options exist from the airport:
- Public pickup taxi: about ฿280 (about US$8.50) per person, including the ferry ticket, roughly 20 minutes’ drive to the pier plus the crossing.
- Shared minibus: ฿650-800 (about US$20-24) per person, also including the ferry ticket, similar timing to the taxi.
- Private transfer: ฿1,900-2,100 for a car (up to 2 passengers) or ฿2,500-3,100 for a minibus (up to 7 passengers), same route and timing but door to door with no waiting for other passengers.
All told, door to door from Bangkok, flying plus the airport transfer and ferry usually lands somewhere around 2-2.5 hours, against 6-7 hours by road.
The Ao Thammachat ferry crossing, and the closure that changes the plan
There is now only one mainland ferry pier serving Koh Chang: Ao Thammachat. The older Centrepoint (also called Trat) Ferry, which used to run from a different pier closer to Trat town, has been suspended since mid-2024. As of July 2026 it still hasn’t reopened and no restart date has been announced, so any guide, booking site or transfer package that still mentions Centrepoint as a live option is out of date. Everyone now crosses via the Ferry Koh Chang service from Ao Thammachat to Ao Sapparot pier on the island’s northeast coast.
The crossing itself takes roughly 30-45 minutes, and the ferry runs daily from 06:30 to 18:30, timetabled hourly with extra sailings during busy periods. That means the last ferry each direction departs at 18:30, with no scheduled night service. If your bus is delayed, your flight lands late, or your private transfer hits traffic, this is the cutoff that decides whether you sleep on the island tonight or in Trat. One-way fares are ฿80 per adult passenger (about US$2.50), ฿30 for children aged 8-10, free for under-7s, plus ฿40-80 for a motorbike and ฿120 for a car. Tickets are cash-only, bought at the pier on the day, with no advance online booking and no card or QR payments accepted. Note too that outside the fixed hourly slots, some sailings now only depart once reasonably full rather than strictly on the clock, so build in a buffer rather than cutting it close to 18:30.
Private transfer or taxi, door to door
A private transfer skips every connection above for a flat per-vehicle price, at a real cost premium. Door-to-door transfers from Bangkok (city, Suvarnabhumi, or Don Mueang) to Koh Chang run roughly ฿3,500-4,900 for a sedan, ฿5,000-5,300 for an SUV, and ฿5,400-6,200 for a minibus or VIP van, depending on the operator and pickup point. Journey time is around 5-6 hours including the ferry crossing, similar to the bus but without terminal waits or transfers.
One thing worth checking before booking: several operators stopped including the ferry ticket in the quoted fare from around April 2026, citing the ferry’s floating cash pricing, so confirm whether you’re paying for the crossing separately at the pier. For a solo traveller this option is expensive relative to the bus or flight, but split three or four ways it can undercut the combined cost of several plane tickets, especially with luggage or an odd arrival time that doesn’t line up with bus or flight schedules.
Honest downsides
None of these routes is without a catch. The DIY bus-and-ferry route is cheapest but leaves you managing three separate connections with no guarantee any of them waits if one runs late. The combined ticket solves that but roughly doubles the cost over piecing it together yourself. Flying is fast, but fares are unpredictable and can more than triple between low and peak season, and you’re still not actually on the island until you’ve cleared a transfer and a ferry queue at the other end. The ferry itself only runs until 18:30, with no night service, so any delay upstream in your journey can strand you on the wrong side overnight. And the private transfer, while the most comfortable, has recently split away from including the ferry fare at some operators, so read the quote carefully rather than assuming it’s all-in.
Which route should you pick?
If your budget is tight and you don’t mind a long day, the DIY bus-and-ferry from Ekkamai is the cheapest way in, and the combined Khao San Road ticket is a smart small upgrade if you’d rather not manage the pier transfer yourself. If time matters more than money, fly into Trat and add the transfer and ferry, accepting that fares vary widely by season. Groups or anyone with heavy luggage should weigh a private transfer against splitting several flight tickets, and everyone, regardless of route, should build in slack against that 18:30 last ferry.
Once you’ve made the crossing, outthailand.com’s things to do in Koh Chang guide and Koh Chang beaches breakdown are good next stops for picking a base, and it’s worth checking what’s on right now to see if there’s a live event worth timing your arrival around.
Sources
- Buses from Bangkok to Trat - 12Go: route pricing and journey duration from Ekkamai
- Koh Chang Ferry passenger information and timetables - Koh Chang Ferries: current operator status, Ao Thammachat schedule, Centrepoint closure confirmation, fares
- Trat Ferry (Centrepoint) has CLOSED as of mid 2024 - Koh Chang Ferries: Centrepoint Ferry suspension timeline and reopening status
- Ferry to Koh Chang – 2026 Timetable, Prices & Pier Info - We Love Koh Chang: Ao Thammachat fares by passenger/vehicle type, crossing time, schedule
- How to Get to Koh Chang by Bus, Boat & Plane - I Am Koh Chang: Ekkamai bus operator names, fares, departure times, Trat airport transfer pricing
- Bangkok to Koh Chang Ferry Guide - Thailand Boat Tickets: bus and ferry route overview, operator names
- Bus & Ferry Combined Ticket (Bangkok to Koh Chang/Koh Kood/Koh Mak) research - Boonsiri Ferry timetable coverage: Boonsiri combined ticket pricing and Khao San Road departure times
- Trat Airport Flights & Transport information - Trat Airport Guide: Bangkok Airways flight schedule, fares, airport-to-pier transfer pricing
- Bangkok to Koh Chang private transfers - kohchang.limo: private transfer vehicle pricing and ferry-inclusion policy