TL;DR: From Bangkok, the cheapest way to Koh Chang is a bus or minivan from Ekkamai (Eastern) or Mo Chit (Northern) terminal to Trat, taking around 5 hours and costing ฿200-400 (about US$6-12), or a combo ticket with the ferry included for ฿650-800 (about US$20-24). The fastest way is a Bangkok Airways flight from Suvarnabhumi to Trat Airport (TDX) in about 40-60 minutes, followed by a 15-20 minute songthaew or shared minivan to the pier for around ฿280 (about US$8.50). Everyone then crosses on the same ferry, from Ao Thammachat pier on the mainland to Ao Sapparot on Koh Chang, which runs daily 6:30am-6:30pm, roughly every 20-60 minutes, taking 25-40 minutes and costing ฿80-90 per adult (about US$2.50) plus ฿90-200 for a vehicle. The old Centre Point pier route has been suspended since mid-2024 and is not running in 2026, so Ao Thammachat is the only mainland ferry pier. On the island, songthaew shared taxis from the pier cost ฿50-150 per person depending on the beach, and while scooters rent for about ฿150-250/day, the steep, winding hills in the island’s south (especially between Kai Bae and Bang Bao) cause serious accidents daily and are a genuine hazard for inexperienced riders. All prices at ฿33 = US$1 (July 2026).
Koh Chang sits in Trat province, close to the Cambodian border, and unlike Phuket or Koh Samui it has no airport of its own, so getting there always means a bus, van, car or short flight to the mainland first, followed by a ferry. That extra step puts off some travellers, but it’s also part of why the island has kept a quieter, less developed feel than Thailand’s bigger beach destinations. This guide lays out every real route from Bangkok, the ferry crossing itself, and what to expect once you’re on the island trying to reach your beach, all sourced from current 2026 operator and transport pages listed in Sources below.
Bangkok to Koh Chang at a glance
| Route | Mode | Time | Price (THB / USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ekkamai/Mo Chit to Trat | Bus/minivan (standalone) | ~5 hrs | ฿200-400 (~$6-12) |
| Bangkok to Koh Chang | Combo bus + ferry ticket | ~6.5 hrs door to door | ฿650-1,000 (~$20-30) |
| Suvarnabhumi to Trat Airport (TDX) | Bangkok Airways flight | ~40-60 min | Varies by fare class |
| Trat Airport to Ao Thammachat pier | Shared songthaew/minivan | ~15-20 min | |
| Bangkok to Trat | Private car/transfer | ~4-5 hrs | Higher than bus, door to door |
| Ao Thammachat to Ao Sapparot (Koh Chang) | Car/passenger ferry | ~25-40 min | ฿80-90 pax (~$2.50); ฿90-200 vehicle |
| Pier to island beaches | Songthaew shared taxi | 10-40 min | ฿50-150 per person |
Fares compiled from current bus operator, ferry, and transfer sites; see Sources. Prices at ฿33 = US$1 (July 2026).
How do you get from Bangkok to Koh Chang?
There are three realistic ways in: bus or minivan overland, a short flight to Trat, or a private car/transfer, all of which end at the same Ao Thammachat ferry pier.
Bus and minivan from Ekkamai or Mo Chit
The budget default is a bus or minivan from Ekkamai (Eastern Bus Terminal) or Mo Chit (Northern Bus Terminal) to Trat, departing roughly hourly from early morning into the evening. The ride covers about 275km and takes around 5 hours, with fares from ฿200-400 (about US$6-12) depending on the operator and whether you book a first-class bus or a shared minivan. Once in Trat, you still need a songthaew or taxi to Ao Thammachat pier, plus the ferry fare, so factor that into your total budget and timing.
Most travellers instead book a combo ticket that bundles the bus or minivan, the ferry crossing, and often a drop-off at your Koh Chang hotel, for around ฿650-1,000 (about US$20-30). Some operators run a big bus at 7:50am and vans through the day at similar all-in pricing; the whole trip, including the ferry, takes roughly 6.5 hours. This is worth the modest premium over a standalone bus ticket since it removes the hassle of finding onward transport from Trat yourself.
Flying to Trat Airport (TDX)
Bangkok Airways operates the only scheduled flights to Trat Airport (TDX), connecting from Suvarnabhumi in about 40-60 minutes. It’s the fastest way to reach the island and worth the fare premium if you’re short on time or don’t want a 5-hour road trip. From the airport, it’s only 15-20 minutes to Ao Thammachat pier, and Bangkok Airways runs a shared songthaew that leaves shortly after each flight lands for about ฿280 (about US$8.50) per person, or a private minibus/transfer if you’d rather not wait for a full vehicle. Even with a late-arriving flight, the last ferry of the day typically waits for passengers coming in from the airport, so a same-day connection is generally reliable.
Private car or transfer
A private car or pre-booked transfer from Bangkok to Trat or directly to the pier costs more than the bus but saves the terminal wait and gets you door to door in around 4-5 hours, useful if you’re travelling with a group, kids, or heavy luggage. Some transfer operators will also arrange your ferry ticket and onward songthaew as part of the package. If you’re coming from elsewhere on Thailand’s east coast rather than the capital, check outthailand.com’s things to do in Bangkok guide first if you’re routing through the capital anyway.
Which pier do you cross from, and has Centre Point closed?
Ao Thammachat pier is the only mainland ferry terminal running in 2026. If you’ve read an older guide mentioning Centre Point (Centrepoint) pier as an alternative crossing point, that service has been suspended since mid-2024 and remains out of operation. All current bus, van, and transfer bookings route through Ao Thammachat, landing at Ao Sapparot pier on Koh Chang’s east side. Double-check any transfer or accommodation booking that still references Centre Point, since that information is now out of date.
How much does the Koh Chang ferry cost and how often does it run?
The ferry from Ao Thammachat to Ao Sapparot runs daily from 6:30am to 6:30pm, with departures scheduled roughly hourly but running as often as every 20-30 minutes during busy periods; outside the first and last sailings, some boats wait until reasonably full before pushing off. The crossing takes 25-40 minutes depending on the vessel and sea conditions.
One-way fares run ฿80-90 (about US$2.50-2.70) per adult, with a motorbike adding roughly ฿90-150 and a car adding ฿120-200, prices that were adjusted upward in 2026 to reflect fuel costs. Children under about 110cm typically travel free, with a reduced fare for those in between. Tickets are cash-only, bought at the pier itself, and there’s no advance online booking for the standard car ferry, so budget a little slack in your schedule, especially in high season when the queue for vehicle space can run long.
How do you get around once you’re on Koh Chang?
Songthaews (open-backed shared pickup trucks) are the only public transport on the island and the default way to reach your beach from the pier. Fares are largely fixed per person: about ฿50 to White Sand Beach, ฿70 to Klong Prao, ฿80 to Kai Bae, ฿100 to Lonely Beach, and ฿150 to Bang Bao. The catch is that pier songthaews generally wait for around 10 passengers before leaving; if your group is smaller, you can usually still leave right away by agreeing to cover the shortfall between you, but the driver won’t negotiate below the standard per-seat total. Away from the pier, you can flag a songthaew down on the main ring road or ask your hotel to call one.
Scooters rent for roughly ฿150-250/day (about US$4.50-7.50), cheaper with a longer rental. For beaches close together on the flatter west coast, a scooter is genuinely convenient. But be honest with yourself about the roads first, see the downsides section below before you sign a rental agreement.
Honest downsides
The trip itself is long from anywhere other than Bangkok’s immediate area: budget a full day if you’re taking the bus-and-ferry combo, since 5 hours to Trat plus transfers and the crossing easily stretches to 6.5-8 hours door to door, and delays on the Bangkok side (traffic out of the city, a late minivan departure) push that further. Flying shortens the trip dramatically but costs more and only runs on Bangkok Airways’ schedule, so it doesn’t suit every budget or itinerary.
Money adds up in small pieces on this route: the bus or van, the transfer to the pier, the ferry fare, and then a songthaew on the other side, each a separate cash payment unless you’ve booked an all-in combo ticket. None of these individual costs is high, but four separate legs each taking a cut make the standalone bus-plus-DIY-connections route only marginally cheaper than a combo ticket once you add it all up, and considerably more of a hassle.
The most serious downside is genuinely about safety, not convenience: Koh Chang’s roads, especially the steep, winding hills in the south between Kai Bae and Bang Bao, see serious accidents daily. Rental scooters are cheap and widely available, but the combination of steep grades, tight switchbacks, and unpredictable local traffic catches out visitors who haven’t ridden a motorbike regularly before. If that’s you, a songthaew, a hired driver, or sticking to the flatter roads on the west coast is the safer call, whatever the rental shop tells you.
Wrapping up
Once you’ve made the crossing, plan the rest of your trip with outthailand.com’s things to do on Koh Chang pillar guide and Koh Chang’s best beaches to decide where to base yourself before you even board the songthaew at the pier. If you’re routing through the capital either way, outthailand.com’s things to do in Bangkok guide is worth a look for your stopover. And once you’re settled in, check outthailand.com’s live events listings for what’s actually happening in Thailand while you’re there.
Sources
- Ferry to Koh Chang – 2026 Timetable, Prices & Pier Info (welovekohchang.com): Ao Thammachat as sole active pier, Centre Point suspended since mid-2024, fares, schedule
- Koh Chang Ferries - Companies, Times, Prices (explorekohchang.com): Ao Thammachat pier details, fares, schedule, crossing time
- Ferry Koh Chang Timetable, updated July 2026 (kohchangferries.com): current fares (passenger, motorbike, car), schedule, crossing time
- Trat Airport for Koh Mak / Trat Airport Guide (explorekohchang.com): Bangkok Airways schedule, songthaew fare from airport to pier
- Trat Airport - Bangkok Airways (official): flight route and airport information
- Eastern Bus Terminal Bangkok Ekkamai to Trat (busonlineticket.co.th): bus frequency, journey time, fares
- Bus BANGKOK to TRAT (Omio / Kohchangbkk Transport): bus operators and pricing
- Bangkok to Koh Chang Minivan, Flight, Ferry (bookaway.com): combo ticket pricing and options
- Shared Minibus Services to Koh Chang, updated March 2026 (iamkohchang.com): minibus combo pricing, beach drop-off fees
- Koh Chang Taxi (Songtaew), updated June 2026 (iamkohchang.com): songthaew fares by beach, scooter hill-safety note
- Koh Chang Taxi Songthaew Fares - Prices, Routes & Tips (blog.gettransfer.com): songthaew pricing structure, minimum passenger rules