Trat & Koh Kood
Thailand’s far-eastern corner, where the mainland province of Trat launches boats to some of the Gulf’s last unspoiled islands: lush, jungly Koh Kood and mellow Koh Mak, all glassy water and slow days.
Trat province runs along the Cambodian border. A ceasefire has held since December 2025, but the land crossings, Hat Lek included, are closed and remote strips can hold landmines. The islands and beaches covered here are well away from the frontier and unaffected. One catch worth checking: some governments advise against travel within 50 km (30 miles) of the border, which can affect insurance coverage for Koh Chang and Koh Kood, so read your policy and your government’s advisory before you book. See our Health & Safety guide.
Worth the Journey
This is Thailand’s far southeastern corner, a long haul from Bangkok, so plan on at least three or four nights. The reward is some of the Gulf’s last genuinely quiet islands, with clear water, thick jungle and almost none of the crowds.
Distance from Bangkok
Flying to Trat saves the long drive and makes the islands far more doable on a short trip.
The last quiet islands
Koh Kood and Koh Mak remain low-rise and low-key, no high-rises, no full-moon parties, just beaches and jungle.
Jungle meets sea
Koh Kood is thickly forested, with waterfalls, mangroves and some of the clearest water in the Gulf.
Switch off
With a longer journey in, this is a place to settle for several nights and properly unwind.
A Few Island Days
The rhythm here is slow: pick your island, spend the days between beaches, waterfalls and a snorkeling trip, and let the rest melt away. Swap the order to taste, and take whichever option suits you.
These islands are best in the dry season (roughly November to April). In the monsoon months many resorts and ferries scale back or close, and the sea can be rough, so check that your island and boats are running before you commit.
Trat & the Ferry
Fly or drive to Trat, perhaps a night in its charming old town, then down to Laem Sok pier for the ferry across to the islands.
Kood or Mak
The two islands have different moods. Pick one as your base, or split your nights between them.
Snorkel & Islet-Hop
Take a boat to the Koh Rang marine park for the area’s best coral and clear water, or hop to tiny Koh Kham and Koh Rayang.
Waterfalls & Slow Time
Cool off at Koh Kood’s Klong Chao or Huang Nam Khiao waterfalls, kayak the mangroves, and settle into island time before the journey home.
Reaching the Islands
The journey is the main hurdle, so plan the legs before you book:
Fly to Trat
A short flight from Bangkok to Trat airport, then a road-and-ferry transfer, saves most of a day versus driving and makes a shorter trip viable.
Drive or bus + ferry
Drive or bus about five hours to Trat, then a ferry from Laem Sok. Cheaper, but budget most of a day at each end.
Off the Beaten Path
The whole area is off the map, but a few corners reward the extra effort: tiny neighbor islands, a mangrove homestay village, and Trat’s own quiet old town.
Koh Kood or Koh Mak?
The two main islands have quite different personalities. A quick guide to choosing, or splitting your time between them.
Koh Kood
The larger island: jungle interior, waterfalls, mangroves and a string of beautiful beaches. Resorts run from backpacker huts to boutique hideaways, and you will want a scooter or taxi to get around.
Koh Mak
Flat, friendly and easy to cycle, with coconut plantations, calm bays and a tight-knit, sustainability-minded community. The pick for a slow, simple, car-free stay.
Island-hop
Inter-island boats link Kood, Mak and the marine park in the dry season, so splitting a longer trip across two islands is easy and rewarding.
Both are far quieter and lower-rise than Phuket or Samui, part of what makes this corner special.
Official & Useful Sources
Ferry schedules are seasonal and the border zone has a travel alert, so check the official sources before you travel this far east.
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.
How we research →Photographs on this page that are not mine are used under the licenses below and hosted on this site rather than hotlinked. Uncredited photographs are my own.
- Jungle running down to an empty beach on Koh KoodVyacheslav Argenberg, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. View source
- Koh Kood jungle beachVyacheslav Argenberg, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. View source