Koh Chang
Thailand’s second-largest island sits in the far east, five hours from Bangkok: a mountainous rainforest interior, waterfalls you can swim under, and a string of west-coast beaches that still cost noticeably less than the Andaman.
An Island With an Interior
Most Thai islands are a ring of beach around a hill. Koh Chang is the other way around: a genuine mountain range covered in rainforest, with the beaches squeezed onto a narrow western shelf. Nearly the whole interior is Mu Ko Chang National Park, which is why the island still feels green.
Getting to the Island
Ferries stop in the early evening, so a late flight out of Bangkok means a night in Trat rather than on the island.
A park, not a resort strip
Mu Ko Chang National Park covers most of the island. Khao Salak Phet rises to about 744 m (2,440 ft), and the forest comes right down to the road.
Five beaches, five crowds
White Sand Beach is the busiest, Klong Prao the widest, Kai Bae the prettiest at sunset, Lonely Beach the young and cheap one, Bang Bao a fishing pier on stilts.
Cheaper than the Andaman
Rooms, food and boat trips all run below Phuket and Krabi prices, which is much of the reason Koh Chang keeps its regulars.
Four Days on Koh Chang
Two days on the coast, one in the forest and one on the water is the shape most people settle into. Nothing here needs booking far ahead except a car on the ferry in high season.
The east coast runs on the southwest monsoon: May to October is wet, and a good number of restaurants, dive shops and smaller resorts close outright in September and October. November to April is the reliable window, with December and January the busiest and priciest.
Pick Your Beach
Arrive, drop your bag and walk the sand. The west coast reads north to south from busy to quiet, so an afternoon spent sampling two or three beaches tells you where to spend the rest of the trip. Kai Bae gets the best sunset, with small islands out in front of it.
Khlong Phlu Waterfall
The island’s best-known falls, a short forest walk from the road to a deep pool you can swim in. It sits inside the national park, so there is a foreigner entry fee at the gate. Go early: by midday the pool belongs to the tour vans.
Into the Forest
Guided treks climb into the interior for hornbills, gibbons and the odd elephant footprint, and half-day walks leave from Klong Prao and Salak Phet. Take a guide rather than a map here: the trails are unmarked and the terrain is steeper than it looks from the beach.
The Outer Islands
Day boats leave Bang Bao for the marine park around Koh Rang, with stops at Koh Wai and Koh Yuak. This is the clear water Koh Chang itself does not have, and the reef is in better shape than most of the Gulf. Divers use the same boats for the Hin Luk Bat and HTMS Chang wreck sites.
Salak Phet and the Quiet Side
Rent a scooter or a car and loop to the southeast, where Salak Phet and Salak Kok are working fishing villages built out over the water on stilts. Lunch is whatever came in that morning, at maybe half the west-coast price, and the kayak cooperative at Salak Kok is run by the village itself.
Where to Base Yourself
The west coast is one long road, so your beach decides your whole trip:
Klong Prao
The widest beach and the best spread of mid-range and upmarket resorts, central enough to reach everything without being in the thick of it.
White Sand Beach
The most developed strip, closest to the ferry, with the widest choice of restaurants and bars and the highest prices to match.
Lonely Beach or Bang Bao
Backpacker guesthouses and beach bars at Lonely Beach; at Bang Bao you sleep over the water in a converted fishing pier.
Off the Beaten Path
Koh Chang is the gateway to a whole archipelago. The islands off its southern tip are quieter, clearer and easier to reach than most people realize, and the mainland has a couple of stops worth the detour on the way out.
Good to Know
Koh Chang is easy going, with two genuine hazards worth taking seriously and one border issue that affects the whole province.
Respect the gradients
The road between Kai Bae and Lonely Beach includes some of the steepest paved gradients in Thailand, and rented scooters injure visitors here every season. If you are not a confident rider, take the songthaews. They are cheap and they run all day.
Read the small print
Many travel policies exclude riding a motorbike without the right license, and some exclude the whole province while the Cambodian border situation stands. Check your cover before you ride or book.
Land crossings are closed
Every land crossing into Cambodia has been shut since the December 2025 ceasefire, and advisories still warn against the 50 km (30 mile) strip along the border. None of this affects the island or the ferries, but it rules out the old overland hop to Koh Kong.
Official & Useful Sources
Ferry schedules, park fees and low-season closures all move around, so check before you commit to dates.
More First-Timer Guides
Written by Belle, a Thai American who travels to Thailand every other year and has family in Bangkok. Everything here comes from my own visits unless the text says otherwise. Prices and journey times are typical cases rather than quotes, so recheck anything time-sensitive before you pay. Brand mentions are never paid placements, and the guide is reader-supported: some links may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
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