Ultimate Guide to Koh Chang Thailand
Note: Getting to Koh Chang isn’t easy, it’s a five hour drive from Pattaya🇹🇭 - but it’s worth it! 🎉
Starting 1 May 2025, all non-Thai nationals entering Thailand by air, land, or sea must complete the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) online before arrival.
https://tdac.immigration.go.th
There is NO charge for the arrival card. If you see a payment screen you are on a fake site.
You can register within 3 days before arrival. The arrival card will be a requirement at check in for all flights into Thailand. Unlike the Dominican Republic you do not need a separate card for departure.
Google Maps Link - IMOL recommended hotels, bars, restaurants and points of interest.
KOH CHANG IMOL RANKINGS
Difficulty Level 1/10
GFE Level 9/10
Concerns: 5 hour drive from Bangkok, slow car ferry over to the island. You might fall in love.
Why we go there: Tropical jungle island with wild monkeys, remote beaches, elephant camps and last but not least, two red light districts.
Why Koh Chang?
Koh Chang, which means ‘Elephant Island’ is named after it’s elephant head shape. The island is located in the protected ‘Mu Koh Chang National Marine Park’. Much of the island is covered in virgin rainforest and hosts a wide range of wildlife including birds, snakes, deer and monkeys. The island offers a variety of activities and is famous for some excellent diving and snorkeling spots.
In our opinion Koh Chang is the last "relatively" undiscovered paradise in Thailand. Incredible beaches, rain forest, wild monkey's, waterfalls and.... beer bars filled with beautiful Thai and Cambodian women.
Yes, it is a major pain in the ass to get to this island but that might be its saving grace. Koh Chang is the up and coming kid on the block. The Vibe on this island harkens back to Phi Phi island 1998 before the crowds discovered it. feel our drift? Get down to this island, you won't regret it..
We’ve had quite a few members find girlfriends on this island.
Koh Chang earned its name due to the shape of the island. Chang = Elephant in Thai. While there are elephants on Koh Chang none of them are indigenous. There are several elephant camps on the island that offer informative tours and experiences such as beach walks and swimming with the animals. You can also simply stop by and pay 50 baht for a basket of fruit and feed the elephants.
The best Elephant experience can be found up in the Mu Koh Chang National Park at Ban Kwan Chang Elephant Camp. Jungle treks, feeding and bathing the elephants. It’s definitely one of the best excursions on the island.
You will also see a lot of wild monkey's on Koh Chang, usually sitting on the roadside guardrails waiting for a hand out. Please be aware that monkeys can inflect a nasty bite wound. They are also notorious thieves and will grab anything that looks interesting... car keys, cell phones, wallets etc. So use caution when approaching.
Getting to Koh Chang
The bad news, it is a five hour drive with an additional 30-45 minute car ferry ride to reach Koh Chang. The good news is that this keeps the tourist traffic to a minimum and you'll have very little competition in the beer bars.
The closest airport to Koh Chang is Trat which is served by Bangkok Airways connecting service from BKK. There are no international flights at this time.
Suvarnabhumi Burapha Bus Company, also known as the Lonely Beach Express runs between BKK airport and Koh Chang, this route is called the 392 bus line. Busses depart BKK at 7:00am and 11:00am.
Travel from Pattaya can be arranged via 12GO.com. Bus and minibus transportation starts around 700 baht and includes hotel pickup and drop-off.
Upon arriving in Trat you’ll see signs posted along side the road for the Koh Chang Ferry. The big car ferries circulate all day but wait times to get on the boats depend on the day of the week and the time of year.
Once you arrive there are two methods of getting around the island. The first, Baht busses. While these trucks look very similar to the ones cruising around Pattaya they tend to cost more (50-100 baht depending on distance) and circulate less frequently.
The second form of transportation and by far the most popular is a scooter rental. BK Travel and Scooter Rental is a good company with late model bikes. They will drop off and pick up from most hotels.
Where to stay…
White Sand Beach is by and far the most developed part of the island. As the name suggests, this area hosts a large white sand beach that stretches for about 1 km. Hotels, restaurants, banking, shopping and a decent block of beer bars populate the road adjacent to the beach. While this may be the most popular beach, it is not the nicest. Keep reading.. 15 Palms Hotel
Khlong Prao Beach is the next beach down the road from White Sand. This beach is divided in half by a small river flowing from the jungle into the ocean. There are several resorts and a few smaller restaurants / bars in the area. This part of the island is still commercialized but things are more spread out than White Sand Beach. Two of our favorite hotels on the island are located on Khlong Prao Beach - Long Stay Resort and the Dewa Resort.
Kai Bae Beach is a smaller stretch of sand just a few clicks south of Khlong Prao Beach. This area is populated with hotels, restaurants, shops and our favorite little stretch of beer bars - Walking Street Kai Bae Beach.
Lonely Beach is the nicest beach on the island but you’ll need transportation to get back and forth from the beer bars. Nature Beach Resort is an incredible value, beach front and newly renovated rooms.
Girls on Koh Chang
We are currently 19 for 20 on group members going to Koh Chang and finding a girlfriend experience. The only one who missed the boat was a married guy who had his wife with him, me! Which by the way, Koh Chang is a great place to take your own sand to the beach.
While you won't find the quantity of girls of that you would in Pattaya, Phuket or Bangkok. You will find that the working girls on Koh Chang posses a more “girl next door” character.
The girls working in Koh Chang's beer bars tend to be the type of girls who don't want to be associated with any of those aforementioned locations. They come to Koh Chang because they can make money on the down low. Most are relatively new to to the game and are looking for boyfriends not endless lady drinks. You will also find a good assortment of Khmer girls from Cambodia roaming around the island. Makes sense because the Cambodian border is only 30 miles away.
Our favorite bar is Schatzi bar located in the Walking Street bar area of Kai Bae beach. There are about a dozen bars currently operating in this district. As with Pattaya and Bangkok we always recommend checking out all of the various bars until you find one that suites you or maybe more importantly, a girl who suites you.
Little Pattaya located closer to White Beach ( Google Maps Link ) directly across from the Chon Buri Resort. This complex of around twenty beer bars also includes a small night club called Babylon which can be viable later in the evenings. Note: You will see the occasional Lady Boy hanging around Babylon or working inside one of the beer bars - welcome to Thailand.
Lady drinks in most of the bars on Koh Chang are an extra 50 baht added to the regular drink price. Unlike Pattaya and Bangkok the girls actually drink real drinks on Koh Chang. You're not paying 180 Baht for a glass of orange juice.
It won't take much effort to find a GFE for the duration of your stay. Just bar hop until you find a nice girl. Buy her a few drinks, ask her she would like you to bar fine her and off you go. If your evening goes well don’t be surprised if she is a little hesitant to head off home the next afternoon. Bar fines are on par with the rest of Thailand but be aware, most of the girls are looking for long time and not short time gigs. Plan on 3,000 - 4,000 baht plus a 500 baht bar fine.
The Remote side of Koh Chang
The lower South West section of the island is by and far the most remote and the most rewarding for those looking for adventure. To reach this part of the island you have to circumnavigate back to the ferry dock and continue South along the coastal road. The roads are actually in much better condition and easier to navigate than the road from White Sand down to lonely Beach, that is until you reach the turn off at Parama Resort. From that point the road turns into more of a golf cart path winding its way back into the jungle. - Make sure you have at least 1/4 tank of fuel before venturing down this road. You'll traverse some steep hills but the difficulty level isn't that high. Just take your time and enjoy the views.
The reward for venturing down this path is the Ao Ka Rang Observation Deck (under repair but still viable) Long Beach, Mangrove walk and the beach at Koh Chang Memorial (our favorite on the entire island). Long Beach seems to be open for exploration during some months and then closed off others. Perhaps an ownership dispute... Regardless, if the beach access is to Long Beach is closed off (big red sign) just continue down the road until you reach the Memorial site. Park in the parking lot next to the community building and check out the amazing beach in front of it. The memorial commemorates the Battle of Koh Chang, a naval battle which took place during the Franco Thai War.
The Best Part:
Koh Chang is a remote island but it still has modern infrastructure. Great restaurants, atm’s and banks, fast wifi, 5G cell service. It’s a big island and there is a lot to discover. Go out and explore!