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Trat
travel guide
4-day editorial route
Trat province is Thailand's eastern island gateway — a world away from the Andaman coast crowds. Four days is the sweet spot: enough for Koh Chang's beaches and waterfalls, a day trip to the outer islands, and an evening exploring Trat's atmospheric old town. The province delivers genuine island beauty, incredible seafood, and Thailand's best tropical fruit at a fraction of Phuket or Koh Samui prices. This guide covers everything you need to plan the trip — transport from Bangkok, island ferry schedules, food highlights, and realistic budget breakdowns.
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Day by day
4 Days in Trat: Beaches, Waterfalls & Island Hopping
Activities are editorial sequencing ideas. They do not promise admission, availability, opening hours or transport connections.
Day 1
Trat Town & Ferry to Koh Chang
- Morning: Arrive in Trat by bus from Bangkok (Ekkamai terminal, 5-6 hours, 250-350 THB) or flight to Trat Airport (TDX, 1 hour, from 2,500 THB)
- Late morning: If time allows, walk Trat Old Town — explore the narrow riverside lanes and century-old wooden shophouses
- Midday: Take a songthaew to Ao Thammachat pier and catch the car ferry to Koh Chang (every 45 min, 30-minute crossing, 80 THB)
- Afternoon: Check into your hotel on White Sand Beach or Klong Prao — rent a scooter (250-300 THB/day) and explore the west coast
- Sunset: Head to Kai Bae viewpoint for panoramic views over the offshore islands
- Evening: Seafood dinner at a beachfront restaurant — grilled red snapper with salt crust is the local specialty (300-600 THB)
Day 2
Koh Chang Waterfalls & Beaches
- Early morning: Head to Klong Plu Waterfall before the crowds (opens 8 AM, 200 THB national park fee) — swim in the natural pool at the base
- Mid-morning: Drive across the island to Than Mayom Waterfall on the east coast (same-day park ticket valid) — look for King Rama V's royal initials on the rocks
- Lunch: Eat at a local restaurant in the east coast fishing village of Salak Phet — fresh crab and squid at local prices (80-150 THB)
- Afternoon: Head back to the west coast and spend the afternoon at Klong Prao Beach — the longest and most peaceful beach on the island
- Late afternoon: Optional — kayak through the mangrove forest at Salak Phet (800-1,500 THB guided tour) or explore the Klong Prao estuary
- Evening: Walk the Bang Bao fishing village boardwalk at sunset, then dinner at one of the stilt-built seafood restaurants
Day 3
Island Hopping — Koh Mak & Koh Kood
- Morning: Take the Boonsiri Ferry from Bang Bao pier at 10:00 — arrives Koh Mak at 11:00 (450-750 THB one-way)
- Late morning: Rent a bicycle (50-100 THB) and explore Koh Mak — cycle past coconut plantations to Ao Suan Yai beach
- Lunch: Fresh seafood at a beachside restaurant on Koh Mak (100-300 THB)
- Option A: Stay on Koh Mak for the afternoon — snorkel off the southern beach, then catch sunset at Ao Suan Yai before taking the afternoon ferry back to Koh Chang
- Option B: Continue to Koh Kood on the 11:00 ferry (arrives 11:45) — spend the afternoon at Klong Chao Beach and swim at Klong Chao Waterfall. Return ferry departs 12:15 back to Koh Chang (arrives 14:00)
- Evening: Return to Koh Chang — relaxed dinner and drinks at Lonely Beach bars
Day 4
Snorkeling, Diving or Beach Day
- Option A — Snorkeling: Full-day snorkeling tour to Koh Rang marine park (800-1,500 THB plus 200 THB park fee) — the best coral reefs in the Gulf of Thailand
- Option A afternoon: Return to Koh Chang around 3-4 PM, final beach time at White Sand Beach
- Option B — Diving: Fun dive at Koh Rang for certified divers (2,500-3,500 THB for two dives) or start day 1 of a PADI Open Water course (12,000-15,000 THB total)
- Option C — Beach Day: Spend the morning at your favorite beach, try a Thai cooking class (1,000-1,800 THB), or visit the Treetop Adventure Park (800-1,200 THB)
- Afternoon: Last souvenir shopping at White Sand Beach or Klong Prao
- Evening: Final sunset seafood BBQ on the beach before catching the evening ferry back to the mainland
Arrive, then move locally
Transport is a chain of checks.
Schedules, terminals, fares, road conditions and luggage rules change. Use this guide to identify the legs, then verify every connection with the actual operator.
From Bangkok
Bus from Ekkamai (Eastern) Bus Terminal — departures every 30-60 minutes from 05:00 to 23:00, 5-6 hours, 250-350 THB (~$7-10 USD). The most popular and cheapest option. Bangkok Airways flights from Suvarnabhumi (BKK) to Trat (TDX) — about 1 hour, from 2,500 THB one-way, up to 4 daily flights. From Trat, songthaews wait at the airport to take passengers to the ferry pier (280 THB per person including ferry ticket). The car ferry from Ao Thammachat pier to Koh Chang runs every 45 minutes from 06:30-18:30, takes 30 minutes, costs 80 THB per person. For Koh Kood and Koh Mak, speedboats depart from Laem Sok pier (Koh Kood, 1.5 hrs, 600-1,200 THB) and Laem Ngop pier (Koh Mak, 1 hr, 450-750 THB).
Around Trat
- Car ferry to Koh Chang: Every 45 minutes 06:30-18:30 from Ao Thammachat pier, 30-minute crossing, 80 THB per person, 120 THB per car. No advance booking needed
- Boonsiri Ferry (inter-island): Koh Chang (Bang Bao) → Koh Mak (1 hr) → Koh Kood (1.75 hrs), 750-1,200 THB. High season only (Nov-May), reduced service in monsoon
- Scooter rental on Koh Chang: 250-300 THB/day — strongly recommended, the island is large and songthaews are infrequent
- Songthaews on Koh Chang: Shared pickup trucks along the west coast road, 50-100 THB per trip. Infrequent — don't rely on them for timed activities
- Bicycles on Koh Mak: 50-100 THB/day — the island is flat and small enough to cycle in an hour. The best way to explore
- Scooter on Koh Kood: 300 THB/day — the only practical transport, no public transport exists
- Trat airport transfers: Songthaew to Ao Thammachat ferry pier 280 THB per person (includes ferry ticket to Koh Chang)
Taste by place
Food decisions in Trat
Dish names and food areas are starting points. Recipe, allergens, opening times and stall availability remain a direct vendor check.
Dish signals
- — Grilled whole red snapper (pla krapong) with salt crust — the signature Koh Chang dish, fresh-caught and grilled over charcoal (200-400 THB)
- — Gaeng som pla (sour fish curry) — Trat's local specialty, a tangy-spicy soup with fresh fish and vegetables (60-100 THB)
- — Grilled squid and prawn skewers — street food staple at Trat Night Market, incredibly fresh (30-60 THB per skewer)
- — Durian — Trat is Thailand's durian capital. Try fresh Monthong variety from roadside stalls (100-300 THB per portion). Season: April-June
- — Mangosteen — the 'queen of fruits' grows abundantly in Trat province. Deep purple shell with sweet, white flesh (40-80 THB per kilo in season)
- — Pad cha (stir-fried seafood with wild ginger) — a spicy seafood stir-fry with rhizome, peppercorns, and krachai. More common in eastern Thailand (100-200 THB)
- — Fresh coconut ice cream — sold at beach stalls and night markets, served in the coconut shell (40-60 THB)
Area signals
- — Trat Night Market (Tha Ruea Road, nightly 5-9 PM) — the best street food concentration at genuine local prices. Grilled seafood, curries, fruit shakes
- — Bang Bao boardwalk (Koh Chang) — stilt-built restaurants over the water with fresh seafood. Touristy but the setting is unique
- — White Sand Beach restaurants (Koh Chang) — the widest selection from cheap Thai to international. Beachfront seafood BBQ at sunset
- — Klong Prao riverside restaurants (Koh Chang) — quieter than White Sand Beach with good Thai food at fair prices
- — Salak Phet fishing village (Koh Chang east coast) — the most authentic and cheapest seafood on the island, eaten where the boats come in
Ordering checks
- — Seafood restaurants price by weight (per 100g) — always ask for the total weight and price before ordering to avoid bill shock
- — Trat Night Market food is 50-70% cheaper than Koh Chang restaurant prices — eat here if you're overnighting in town
- — Durian is banned from most hotels and ferries due to the smell — eat it at the stall where you buy it
- — Koh Kood has very few restaurants — most visitors eat at their resort. Expect to pay 150-300 THB per dish
- — Mangosteen season (May-July) overlaps with durian — try both at Trat's roadside fruit stalls for the freshest taste
Budget by variables
Build a live total, not a frozen daily price.
Old daily bands age quickly. Price accommodation, long-distance legs and bookable activities for your dates, then add food, local transport and a contingency.
Sleep
Compare the final nightly total, taxes, location and cancellation terms.
Move
Price every long leg plus transfers, bags and the last mile.
Experience
Check current admission, inclusions and weather-dependent alternatives.
Travel with context
Local etiquette without stereotypes.
Use these as respectful prompts, then follow signs and local instructions in the place itself.
- 01Cover shoulders and knees when visiting temples on Koh Chang — there are several small temples on the island
- 02Remove shoes before entering any temple building or Thai home
- 03Don't point your feet at people or Buddha images when sitting
- 04Tipping is not expected but appreciated — 20-50 THB for restaurant meals, 50-100 THB for boat drivers and guides
- 05Stand during the national anthem played at 8 AM and 6 PM in public areas
- 06Respect the marine environment — don't step on coral reefs, use reef-safe sunscreen, don't feed fish
Only after the route makes sense
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Keep planning
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Sources & method
A route framework, not a live booking feed.
Sources establish destination context and owner boundaries. Dates beside them record the dataset check, not a promise that every schedule, fare, venue or rule remains unchanged. Recheck volatile details with the responsible operator or authority.
I Am Koh Chang
I Am Koh Chang
Recorded verification date: 2026-03-14. Use the source itself for current details.
Koh Chang Ferries
Koh Chang Ferries
Recorded verification date: 2026-03-14. Use the source itself for current details.
Rome2Rio
Rome2Rio
Recorded verification date: 2026-03-14. Use the source itself for current details.
Travelfish
Travelfish
Recorded verification date: 2026-03-14. Use the source itself for current details.
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