Koh Chang

Under the Mongolia–Thailand bilateral agreement, an ordinary passport gives 30 days visa-free. The general 60-day exemption ended on 15 September 2026, but this does not affect Mongolia. With good reason the stay can be extended once (1,900฿); overstaying is fined 500฿ per day. Your passport should be valid for more than 6 months and you should hold a return ticket.

Every foreigner entering Thailand fills in the TDAC on the official site within 3 days before arrival — free. Enter your passport, flight and hotel address and save the QR code you get. Immigration is done in Bangkok.

Koh Chang is dry with a calm sea from November to April; May–October brings southwest-monsoon rain and waves, with around 500 mm a month in June–August. In the monsoon inter-island speedboats stop and some hotels close — if you go then, focus on waterfalls and mangroves. Travel insurance is a must.

Tip: If you land in Bangkok in the evening, stay the night and head to the island next morning.

Bangkok Airways flies from Suvarnabhumi to Trat (TDX) several times a day in ~1 hour, ≈2,500–4,000฿ one way. From Trat Airport a shared minibus including the ferry takes you to your hotel on the island for 500฿. Booking on one ticket with your international flight lets your bags go straight through.

Minivans run from Bangkok's Ekkamai and Mo Chit bus terminals to Trat and Laem Ngop for ≈300฿ in 5–6 hours; a direct minivan from Suvarnabhumi costs 650฿. Combined tickets from a city hotel to your island hotel cost 900–1,100฿. The car ferry from the pier takes 30–45 minutes, ≈80–90฿ (children less), every 30–60 minutes between 6:30 and 18:30, cash only.

AIS and TrueMove H counters in Suvarnabhumi arrivals: an 8-day plan with about 15 GB ≈299฿, 15–30-day plans up to 599฿. Show your passport and staff will set it up.

If your phone supports eSIM, install one before the flight. Coverage is good on the west-coast beaches, but the signal drops on the south coast, in the jungle and on the small islands, so download your maps for offline use.

Tip: Top up your SIM at 7-Eleven on the island.

White songthaews run along the west-coast road: from the pier to White Sand Beach 50฿, Klong Prao 70฿, Kai Bae 80฿, Lonely Beach 100฿, Bang Bao 150฿ (per person). Between beaches ≈50–70฿. After 22:00 add 50฿, and late at night agree the fare first.

Koh Chang's roads are counted among the steepest of any Thai island — between Kai Bae, Lonely Beach and Bang Bao they climb and drop like a rollercoaster. Don't rent a scooter without experience; an international driving permit and a helmet are required, and never leave your passport as a deposit. With children, use songthaews or hire a car with driver.

In the dry season speedboats from Kai Bae and Bang Bao go to Koh Wai ≈600฿, Koh Mak 600–800฿ and Koh Kood 1,000–1,200฿, usually morning and early afternoon. Most stop in the monsoon (≈June–September). Koh Rang snorkelling tours pick you up from your hotel for free.

Almost every Thai bank ATM charges about 220฿ (some 250–350฿) per withdrawal with a foreign card. On Koh Chang ATMs cluster at White Sand Beach, Klong Prao and Kai Bae; there are few in the south and on the small islands, so withdraw in advance.

Ferries, songthaews, national park fees, fishing-village restaurants and markets are cash baht only. Hotels, tour companies and larger restaurants take cards. Koh Mak and Koh Wai have hardly any ATMs.

Tip: When paying by card, choose to pay in baht — the dollar conversion is expensive.

Grilled fish, crab and prawns, tom yum, green curry and mango sticky rice. Eat fresh seafood over the water in the fishing villages of Bang Bao and Salakphet. Trat province is famous for its fruit (durian, mangosteen). Ask for 'mai phet' if you want it less spicy.

Tip: Drink only bottled water; ice is usually factory-made and safe.

Local eateries and evening stalls along the main road at White Sand Beach and Klong Prao are cheap. Beachfront restaurants price fish by weight, so ask before ordering. Some restaurants close in the monsoon.

Police 191, ambulance 1669, Tourist Police 1155 (24 hours, English). For scams, theft or disputes, call 1155 first.

In the monsoon don't swim when the red flag is up — rip currents at Lonely Beach and White Sand Beach are dangerous. Wear a life jacket on boats and accept it when a trip is cancelled for waves. On the steep, slippery mountain roads motorbike crashes are the most common tourist injury.

The island has private clinics and a small public hospital; serious cases are taken by ferry to Bangkok Hospital Trat in Trat town. Ferries don't run at night, so bring your medicines and check your insurance. Guard against mosquitoes (dengue), sunburn and jellyfish.

Insulting the royal family is a serious crime under Thai law. The King's portrait is on every banknote, so never step on money. Respect the royal inscriptions on the rocks at Than Mayom Waterfall.

At temples cover shoulders and knees and take your shoes off. Don't point your feet at a Buddha image, and women should not touch monks. In the Salakphet and Bang Bao fishing villages, don't photograph people's homes or boats without asking.

Touching or standing on coral and taking shells is forbidden; leave no litter in the national park. Skip elephant riding and choose feeding and observing programmes only. Don't walk around town in swimwear, and topless sunbathing is not allowed.

12Go — buses, minivan + ferry from Bangkok and inter-island speedboats. Google Maps — piers, restaurants and offline maps. Grab is handy in Bangkok but barely works on the island.

LINE — the chat app hotels, tour operators and shops all use in Thailand. The Thailand Tourist Police app connects you straight to the Tourist Police and shares your location. Download Thai in Google Translate for offline use.

Ferry + minivan from the island to Suvarnabhumi takes 6–7 hours, and the last ferry is around 18:30. The safest plan is to go back to Bangkok the day before your international flight. If you fly from Trat, the shared transfer (500฿) is timed to your flight.

In shops displaying 'VAT Refund for Tourists', show your passport and ask for the form. At the international airport where you leave Thailand, show the goods at the customs counter before passport control to get the stamp.