There are several islands close to Pattaya, which you can visit for a day, or even several days if you like. You can take half-day and full-day island tours, including island hopping tours inclusive of hotel transfer and arranged activities like snorkeling and parasailing. Or you can take the opportunity to experience the pristine beaches and idyllic beauty of some of Thailand’s most treasured islands.
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Including an excursion to the islands near Pattaya for a day trip or a few days “mini-vacation” from Pattaya is easy to arrange, and something you certainly will not regret.
Which is the Best Island Close to Pattaya
Realistically, it depends on how much time you have, how much time you want to spend, and what you want to do. If all the islands were an equal distance from Pattaya, the undoubted king of the islands would be Koh Chang. But let’s have a look at the options, and see which island near Pattaya is the best for your purpose.
Koh Chang
Distance and driving time to Koh Chang from Pattaya: The total distance, including the ferry crossing, is approximately 260 kilometers, and you should allow 5 to 6 hours from leaving Pattaya to arriving in Koh Chang.
Things to do on Koh Chang: Koh Chang is the 2nd largest island in Thailand; it is around 30 kilometers long, and averages 10 kilometers wide. The terrain is hilly, with the highest point being approximately 740 meters, and much of inland Koh Chang is covered by forest and jungle. The natural terrain, the size of the island, and the beautiful beaches mean there are lots of things to do in Koh Chang.
Activities include jungle trekking, kayaking, zip-lining, elephant trekking, scuba diving, snorkeling, and ATV touring. There’s some breathtaking scenery on Koh Chang, which is best seen by hiring a motorcycle and taking off to explore but be warned, some of the roads are very steep and winding.
At night time, most resorts and restaurants on White Sand Beach arrange tables and seating on the beach, and you can watch the very popular fire shows while you dine.
How long to stay in Koh Chang: There are many things to enjoy in Koh Chang, including just chilling out. You could spend four days doing various activities, a day or two chilling on the beach, and a day exploring. That means you could easily stay in Koh Chang for a week or more without getting bored.
Getting to Koh Chang: Read this how to get to Koh Chang guide.
Here’s a little more about things to see and do on Koh Chang.
Koh Samet
Distance and driving time from Pattaya to Koh Samet: Total distance to Koh Samet, including the ferry crossing, is approximately 95 kilometers. Driving time is a maximum of 90 minutes to the ferry piers at Ban Phe, and then a 40-minute ferry ride to the island.
Things to do at Koh Samet: Most people go to Koh Samet simply to chill out on the beach, with or without a pina colada. Koh Samet is a laid-back island. The only traffic on the island is public taxis (songthaews), motorcycles, and service vehicles. However, you can hire bicycles – motorcycles, and ATVs. What activities there are mainly limited to water activities such as jet skiing, snorkeling, and sea kayaking. You can also dine on the beach at night time and watch a fire show, just like you can on Koh Chang, especially if you stay on Sai Kaew Beach.
How long to stay on Koh Samet: Depends on how many books you take with you. It’s only a short hop from Pattaya, so it’s an ideal place to just go and chill on the beach for a couple of days, any time you feel like it.
How to get to Koh Samet: The best and most convenient way to get to Koh Samet from Pattaya is by taxi or shared transfer. To view more options, including getting to Koh Samet from Bangkok, read this handy getting to Koh Samet guide.
koh Lahn (larn)
Koh Lahn is just 7.5 kilometers off the coast of Pattaya, and a ferry boat ride from Bali Hai pier takes about 45 minutes. So it’s definitely the easiest and most convenient island to visit from Pattaya.
Things to do on Koh Lahn: Being so close to Pattaya, Koh Lahn is a popular location for day-trippers, and they go by the coach load. Koh Lahn is also a popular weekend escape for folk from Bangkok, so if you are going to go, it’s probably best to go on a weekday. And if you want to avoid the biggest crowds, head for Samae Beach rather than Tawaen. Activities include snorkeling, jet-skiing, banana boat rides, and parasailing, but most people go just to chill out on the beach and eat.
How long to stay on Koh Lahn: For most people, Koh Lahn is just a day trip. It has the nicest beaches close to Pattaya, and most people go just to spend a day on the beach. There is accommodation, even a nice beach-front hotel, so well worth staying for a night if you are looking for a quick break from Pattaya.
How to get to Koh Lahn: There are ferries costing around 30 baht, departing from Bali Hai pier approximately every hour to Koh Lahn. You can also charter, or take a shared ride in a speedboat.
There’s more information on Koh Lahn in this post about Tawaen Beach koh Lahn.
Koh Sichang
Koh Sichang is situated approximately 8 kilometers off the coast of Sri Racha. So it’s about a half-hour drive from Pattaya, and then a 40–50 minute ferry crossing to Koh Sichang.
Things to do on Koh Sichang: More of a retreat come sightseeing destination. There are beaches in Koh Sichang, but it’s not the best place to go if all you want is just a relaxing beach holiday. In other words, go to Koh Samet or Koh Chang if you want a beach holiday. Koh Sichang is more suited to those who want to explore, and it does have quite a few historical and religious sights worth visiting.
How long to stay on Koh Sichang: A day exploring and sightseeing and an overnight stay would be long enough, but perhaps another day just to soak up the peace and quiet.
The Small Uninhabited Islands Near Pattaya
There are several small islands off the coast of Pattaya. They are Koh Krok and Koh Sak, which are situated close to Koh Lahn. Approximate 9 kilometers west of Koh Lahn (20 kilometers east of Pattaya) is Koh Phai and the neighboring islands of Koh Luam, Koh Klungbadan, and Koh Manwichai. Further south, closer to Sattahip, are Koh Rin and Koh Khram, and a little further south again, there is Samae San and a cluster of smaller islands which would be about halfway between Pattaya and Koh Samet by boat.
Most of the small islands close to Pattaya are completely uninhabited and very much unspoiled. They are actually protected by the Royal Thai Navy. Overnight stays are not allowed, and there are some restrictions that have a positive effect on maintaining the pristine beaches and crystal-clear waters on and around the islands.
How to get to the islands: There are two options: charter a speedboat or take a scheduled island-hopping cruise. You can charter a speedboat from Bali Hai Pier. As for the price, you will just have to barter the best rate you can get. When you consider the price of a speedboat charter to Koh Lah costs 2000–3,500 baht depending on the size of the boat, chartering a speedboat to Koh Pai, which is twice as far, would most likely cost twice as much.
Pattaya island hopping and activity cruises: There are two very popular one-day Pattaya island hopping cruises, including food and drink and activities such as snorkeling, swimming, fishing, or just chilling out on the beaches. You can find them, plus day trips to Koh Lahn and many more tours and activities in Pattaya on Klook.
How long to stay on the islands: There are no overnight stays allowed, so it’s a full-day island hopping cruise, or however long you want to charter a speedboat for.