Going to Koh Chang from Pattaya? Here (below) are all the best options and modes of transport, including by bus, minivan, and taxi. Pattaya to Koh Chang is a popular route, so book in advance when you can, especially if you want to use the cheap daily shuttle services.
Why Go To Koh Chang
Koh Chang is the 3rd largest island in Thailand; it’s not commercialized to the same extent as Phuket and Koh Samui, and although it’s the farthest of the islands near Pattaya, it offers a good blend of beautiful beaches, nightlife, and things to do.
Some things to see and do in Koh Chang include waterfalls, elephant trekking, kayaking, mangrove forests, snorkeling, scuba diving, and jet skiing.
NOTE: Do you know there are some awesome hotels right on the beach in Pattaya.
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Pattaya to Koh Chang by Minivan and Minibus
The best option for hassle-free travel from Pattaya to Koh Chang on a budget.
Depending on the size of your group, shared minivans and minibuses can be the cheapest way to go from Pattaya to Koh Chang.
You will find a number of different options when you search online for tickets from Pattaya to Koh Chang, including pick up from your hotel or from meeting points in Pattaya.
If you are not sure how to reach a meeting/collection point, read this guide to getting around Pattaya.
Taxi from Pattaya to Koh Chang
There are lots of taxi services in Pattaya, and most will take you to Koh Chang ferry terminals or even to your hotel on Koh Chang.
Expect to pay a minimum of 3,200 baht for a private taxi to the Koh Chang ferry terminal, and 3,600–4000 baht to a hotel in Koh Chang.
A private minibus to the ferry terminal costs around 4000 baht, and about 5000 baht to a hotel.
Driving To Koh Chang
I usually drive to Koh Chang, I’ve found it the most convenient way to get to and around Koh Chang as a family with 2 young children. The approximately 250-kilometer journey from Pattaya to the Koh Chang ferry terminals takes 3.5–4 hours. You buy tickets for your vehicle and passengers on entry, join the queue, drive on, and arrive at Koh Chang 30–45 minutes later.
Pattaya to Koh Chang by motorcycle is a thing, as they say. And, although there are songthaew taxis on the island, similar to Pattaya’s baht buses, there is no better or more enjoyable way to explore Koh Chang than by motorcycle.
Motorcycle rental prices on Koh Chang start at around 200 baht per day for 115 cc and upward twist-and-go scooters.
If you drive your own vehicle, set off early to avoid the traffic and queues at the ferry terminal. Ferries depart from Ao Thammachart—the most popular pier—every 45–60 minutes from 06:30 to 18:30.
Pattaya to Koh Chang by Bus via Trat
Buses depart from Pattaya to Trat from Phet Prasert bus terminal in the early hours of the morning at 05:15 and 07:15. The Phet Prasert terminal is located on the southbound side of Sukhumvit highway, opposite Boonthavorn kitchen and bathroom store, approximately 900 meters north of the Pattaya (central) Klang junction.
Phet Prasert map location on Google Maps.
The Phet Prasert website is a bit tricky to navigate, and you will need Google Translate. To find the current departure times from Pattaya, click on the links for the following routes: Mae Sot to Trat via Rayong and Phitsanulok to Trat.
Tickets for the bus to Trat are approximately 300 baht. NOTE: there is no terminal as such, it is just a small office at the side of the road, it often lated than scheduled, and during the early hours of the morning when buses arrive, the office will not be staffed.
Trat to Koh Chang: It is about 20 kilometers from the Trat bus terminal to the Koh Chang ferry terminal at Laem Ngop. You can take a songthaew to the ferry for about 80–100 baht per person or a private taxi for 300–400 baht.
Koh Chang Hotel Booking Tips
Book your hotel in advance. I can tell you from experience that going from one hotel to the next after a long journey is no fun, and you finish up in “any old room.”
Search Koh Chang hotels on Agoda to get the best deals. Use Google Earth to zoom in and confirm your hotel is on a beautiful sandy beach rather a rocky one.
If you’re looking for a personal recommendation, keep in mind we have only stayed on White Sand Beach (the main beach) and the nearby Klong Prao Beach. My favorite hotel so far is Kong Prao Resort on Klong Prao Beach, it’s mid-priced, on the beachfront on a beautiful sandy beach that’s safe for children.
Koh Chang Ferries
The two ferry services from Laem Ngop on the mainland to Koh Chang are Trat (Centrepoint) Ferry and Ferry Koh Chang (Ao Thammachart). It does not matter which one you take; if you take a taxi or shared mini-van service to your hotel in Koh Chang, the driver will have his own preference.
If you are driving yourself, both ferries take vehicles and foot passengers. The crossing time from Ao Thammachart (Ferry Koh Chang) is 20–30 minutes faster, and if you are heading in the direction of White Sands Beach, it’s a shorter driving distance.
If you don’t have a vehicle or transport to your hotel in Koh Chang, there will be songthaew taxis (similar to baht buses in Pattaya) waiting to shuttle you to your chosen destination when you get off the ferry at both the KOh Chang ferry terminal. They depart when they are full and will cost between 50 and 200 baht depending on the disatnace to your hotel.
You might also be offered transport to your hotel when you buy your ferry tickets. It will usually be a minibus/van and be waiting for you once you get off the ferry.
Ferry Koh Chang Arrival and Departure Times
- Departing approximately every 45 minutes every day. Crossing time is 30 minutes.
- Prices are around 80 baht per adult, 30 baht per child, and 120 baht for a car.
- Mainland pier (Ao Thammachart) to Koh Chang between 06:30 and 18:30
- Koh Chang Pier (Ao Sapparot) to the mainland between 06:30 and 18:30.
Trat (Centrepoint) Ferry Koh Chang and Departure Times
- Ferries depart every hour, on the hour. Crossing time is approximately 1 hour.
- Prices are 80 baht per adult (9 years and above), children under nine years are free, and cars are 100 baht.
- Centrepoint mainland terminal to Koh Chang between 06:00 and 19:30
- Koh Chang to Mainland between 06:00 and 19:30.
Note: Centrepoint is now Trat Ferry Company, and since the change of ownership, it has been noted that the number of ferry sailing times has been reduced and that the service temporarily stopped during 2024.