Due to its proximity to Bangkok, the Pattaya resort has always been popular with both Thai and foreign tourists as it serves as an escape from the hustle and bustle of the country’s capital. Known for its wide range of attractions, Pattaya attracted young people, but with so much to see and do, it’s becoming a popular family destination with its zoo, water park, tropical gardens, go-karts, beaches, and cultural sites. But if you’re looking for a quieter place with more impressive scenery, Koh Chang is a popular place to visit after Pattaya. The route from Pattaya to Koh Chang is quite popular and there are various options to overcome it.
Travel options from Pattaya to Koh Chang
Koh Chang is an island that is just a few kilometers from the mainland coast in the near future. Despite its proximity, there is no bridge connecting it to the rest of the country, so you will need to take a ferry to Koh Chang in any case. Koh Chang has no airport, but Trat Airport is an option to consider as it is only 17 kilometers (11 miles) from the ferry terminal. Of course, Trat Airport is very small and only serves flights from Bangkok, so if you are going to travel from Pattaya to Koh Chang, this is not a highly recommended option. That leaves us with buses or vans that travel 275 kilometers and a ferry to complete the trip. Read on to find out how and when you can travel from Pattaya to Koh Chang.
By bus from Pattaya to Koh Chang
If you’ve ever traveled around Thailand, you know that buses are usually very cheap and quite reliable to get from one place to another. Traveling from Pattaya to Koh Chang is an exception as there is no direct bus to take you to the ferry terminals in Trat. Therefore, if you want to take a public bus, you will have a long journey and several changes along the way. For this reason, we do not recommend traveling by bus from Pattaya to Koh Chang unless you are comfortable traveling around Thailand on your own. A better option is to choose a reputable tour operator who will take you directly to the ferry port.
Pattaya Taxi to Koh Chang Ferry Terminal
Glassflower is one of those reliable tour operators. It offers VIP private cars and vans to pick you up from your hotel in Pattaya and take you to the ferry terminal. If you choose this option, you will enjoy some comfort during the journey from Pattaya, which takes approximately 4 hours. Another advantage is that you will pay for the entire vehicle, so you will not have to share a seat with strangers and there will be no stops along the way to pick up other passengers. The biggest disadvantage is of course the price. A 9-seater van is even more expensive than a car, but if you’re traveling in a group, it can be a good option as you can split the total cost between everyone.
Glassflower will take you to Ao Thammachat pier where the Koh Chang ferry departs. In fact, the ferries are offered by two different companies. The other is Centrepoint and their ferries depart from a different pier. If you want a quick trip, choose Koh Chang Ferry as their boats are faster and make the trip in just half an hour. They have departures every 45 minutes from 6.30am to 7pm.
If you choose to travel with Centrepoint, keep in mind that their ferries take about an hour to complete their journey and depart every hour from 6am to 7pm. Prices for foot passengers are the same for both companies.
Van and ferry from Pattaya to Koh Chang
Van Mango Travel en route from Pattaya to Ao Thammachat Pier © nitinut380 / Shutterstock.com
If you are traveling alone or with one or two friends, a taxi will undoubtedly be very expensive. In this case, for travelers on a budget, a more suitable option is to purchase a combination ticket that includes both the ferry crossing and the trip to the hotel in Koh Chang. Mango Travel sells these combo tickets and they are very reasonably priced, especially considering how easy the trip is.
With this option, you will travel in a van that will pick you up from your hotel in Pattaya, take you to the pier, and take the ferry to Koh Chang. On Koh Chang, the combo ticket includes a trip to the hotel, so it’s a door-to-door service similar to a taxi, but for a much lower price.
As is often the case with cheap things, traveling this way also has some disadvantages. In this case, the journey from Pattaya to Koh Chang is longer and not as flexible as with a taxi. The van starts picking up hotels at 7:30 AM and approximately 6 hours later you will arrive at your hotel in Koh Chang. Unlike taxis, you won’t be able to choose your exact departure time, and stopping to pick up other passengers before starting your journey can be tiring. Of course, due to the price and practicality, this is the best way to travel from Pattaya to Koh Chang.