Koh Chang to Bangkok

What about

Leaving this jungle elephant island behind? Make sure you have seen enough of it – and its neighbouring islands, too. Koh Kood and Koh Mak are often overlooked being overshadowed by their more famous neighbour. But if you have a couple of extra days to spend, try to squeeze Koh kood and Koh Mak into your travel itinerary – and you will not regret, we guarantee. Koh Kood has much more to that real-island-paradise feel than Koh Chang, and Koh Mak is still wonderfully undeveloped and rustic which is a rare case with these tropical islands nowadays.

How to get from Koh Chang to Bangkok

To get to Bangkok from Koh Chang you need to take a ferry to the mainland first and then hop onto a van or a bus heading to the capital. There are combo deals which include pick-up at your hotel in Koh Chang, a ferry ride and a bus ride or just a ferry and a bus ride alone. You can as well take a ferry from the pier on Koh Chang (tickets cost THB80; departures every hour) all by yourself and then look for transport at the mainland pier or in Trat (to get there from any pier, take a songthaew for THB50-60). Normally, combo deals cost more or less the same as separate tickets but save you a good deal of time.

From Koh Chang to Bangkok by ferry + bus joint ticket

Travel Mart offers the most convenient service for travellers who plan to stay in Khao San Road area in Bangkok as their bus brings passengers to the company’s office located in Khao San Road, not far from the intersection with Thanon Chakrabongse, with Soi Rambuttri full of budget digs a stone’s throw away.

In Koh Chang, Travel Mart service uses ferries from Center Point Pier Koh Chang which lies a couple of kilometres further east from a more popular Ao Sapparot pier. Tickets cost THB600, which is a bit more expensive than if to tailor-make your trip all by yourself, but they bring you to Khao San from Koh Chang in just about 7½ hours which is really quick.

From Koh Chang to Bangkok by private taxi

Private taxi is the most luxurious way to travel from Koh Chang to Bangkok and makes sense if you are travelling as a large group of friends or a family. PGS company offers Toyota Camry for 3 pax and Toyota Commuter for 9 pax. The price difference between the two options is insignificant (THB5500 vs THB6000), so it not a bad idea to opt for a larger vehicle. All taxes and tolls are already included into the price, and pick-up and drop-off points are determined by you.

From Koh Chang to Bangkok by separate ferry + bus tickets

There are regular ferries from Ao Sapparot pier on Koh Chang to Center Point Pier and Ao Thammachat Pier. Ferries depart from Koh Chang every hour or even more frequently on busy periods.

From Ao Thammachart there is a regular van service to Morchit Terminal in Bangkok by T.T.T transport company. They have vans at half past every hour from 7.30am till 6.30pm. Vans normally take five hours to get to Bangkok, tickets cost THB330.

Note that vans leaving after 2.30 pm arrive to Bangkok well after dark. It takes about one hour to get from Morchit to the central part of the city or to the most touristy areas of Khao San Road, so plan accordingly.

From Koh Chang to Suvarnabhumi Airport

There is a very convenient service from Koh Chang directly to Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok operated by Buraphatransport company. It is definitely the best, fastest and most convenient way to get to the airport from the island to catch your flight home or to the next destination elsewhere.

Total travel time from Koh Chang to Suvarnabhumi Airport, including a ferry ride, is 6½ hours. Be sure to allow enough time before your flight as in case of any delays en route the bus company will hold no responsibility for cancellation or change of your air tickets.

Burapha has three vans a day from Koh Chang to Bangkok: at 7am, noon and 5pm, arriving to Suvarnabhumi at 1.30pm, 6.30pm and 11.30pm respectively. At 12pm there is usually a big bus serving the same route, too. Regardless of the vehicle type (a van or a bus), tickets cost THB650. On Koh Chang, Burapha buses wait for passengers at the Khlong Son bus station along Rural Road to the southwest of the pier. After picking up passengers, vans head to the ferry and to Laem Ngop from where it is a five-hour ride to the airport.

First time in Bangkok?

Where to stay

It is easy to get lost in the sprawling neighbourhoods of Bangkok and become totally confused by the endless accommodation options on offer. First thing to do is to define the budget you are going to spend on accommodation and take into consideration the activities you are planning to be engaged in while in Bangkok.

A perennial backpackers’ favourite, Khao San Road and a couple of adjacent streets, including Soi Rambuttri, Soi Phra Atit and Soi Samsen, is the realm of budget accommodation in the capital with all the traveller-oriented services readily available. Chinatown, known as Yaowarat, possesses infinite charm for any city explorer and boasts very decent budget guesthouses. Silom and lower parts of Sukhumvit Road both have solid mad-range hotels normally located within a walking distance from BTS stations. For a shopaholic paradise head to the centrally located Siam but be prepared to pay no less than THB2000 for a simple room. The atmospheric Riverside is famous for its luxury hotels but for budget digs Thanon Charoen Krung is worth browsing.

Activities

Time spent in Bangkok is never enough as the city offers virtually endless opportunities for exploring, sightseeing, dining and wining. While everyone will surely find an activity and a destination within Bangkok to their tasting, no visit to the Thai capital is complete without:

1. Checking-in at the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew where the most revered image of Buddha in the whole country is hosted.
2. A heavenly massage session at Wat Pho, the national headquarters of preservation of Thai medicine.
3. A drink in one of the glamorous rooftop bars with an outstanding city view in a company of beautiful crowd.
4. A river boat ride along Chao Phraya elbow to elbow with other commuters and unexpected water splashes into your face.
5. Browsing the narrow twisted aisles of the crazy Chatuchak weekend market selling a wealth of souvenirs, cheap closes, local designer creations and exotic animals.
6. A relaxed afternoon at Jim Thompson House, a leafy little oasis of peace and tranquillity by the side of a khlong.
7. A strenuous ascend to the main prang of Wat Arun or to the top of the Golden Mountain.
8. A ride on a skytrain for a bird’s eye view of the city.

Have a pleasant stay in Bangkok. Relax and enjoy – we know, you will!