How to get from Pattaya to Koh Chang - taxi and bus. Koh Chang Island, Thailand - "Chang Island, which is easy to get to from Pattaya on your own
Having got acquainted with noisy Pattaya, walking along Beach Road and Walking Street, after a month you begin to want to be alone with yourself away from the hustle and bustle. We decided that we would give preference to the island of Koh Chang, which is located relatively close to Pattaya, when compared, for example, with Phuket and getting to the island is quite simple, then I will tell you in detail how to do this and what awaits you.
How to get to Koh Chang from Pattaya
There are 4 main options for getting to Kho Chang: a transport company, a transfer through an agency, a regular bus and a taxi. Further details about each option.
Transfer to Koh Chang through a transport company
It is profitable to buy a trip through a transport company, as the cost will be excluding intermediaries. We chose this particular method and googled information on the Internet, found the best option - this is the company 35 Group Pattaya and their Vkontakte community. Everywhere there were positive reviews and I really liked the value for money that they provide. Our package included a full transfer from a hotel in Pattaya to a hotel in Koh Chang, we paid 1300 baht for 2 people. We drove in a comfortable minivan to the pier in Trat, from there we took a ferry to the island (tickets were already included in the transfer price) and then everyone was taken from the ferry to their hotels. By the time we left at 8-30 in the morning and were on Koh Chang at the hotel around 14-30
Transfer to Koh Chang through a travel agency
If you are reluctant to look for a transport company and it would be most convenient to book a trip through a travel agency in the usual way for tourists, then you can contact your guide if you came on a package tour and live in a hotel, or if you are traveling on your own, contact any agency on the waterfront, where they sell and offer excursions, almost every 2 has such a service. The cost is from 700 to 1100 baht, depending on the season and the comfort of the buses.
Get to the island by taxi
For those who love comfort and are ready to spend 2 times more than for a transfer, then this method is just for you. Moving by taxi, of course, will be comfortable, in a good car with air conditioning, you will be taken directly to the ferry, where you will buy tickets for 100 baht per person and then you can cross the bay and get to the island in the same taxi, and then the taxi will take you straight to your hotel. The cost, of course, is not the smallest, from 3000 baht only to the ferry, you can order more budget options on this site KiwiTaxi.ru
Shuttle bus to Koh Chang
To get to the island by regular bus you will have to work hard, the road will seem like one big adventure. Firstly, only 1 bus runs from Pattaya to Trat early in the morning, it is passing, so you still need to manage to catch it. Bus tickets can be bought at the Pattaya Nakhon Chai Bus Station, or you can do it on the website 12go.asia
First impression of Koh Chang
When you just get to Trat and see the island across the bay, you already understand that you will go to paradise. The island looks like some kind of fabulous and magical place, the island has an operating national park and it impresses with its scale and jungles, which are located around the entire perimeter of the island. After waiting for the ferry and sailing on it for 40 minutes, admiring beautiful views, we ended up on the pier and on the ferry, having moved to our transfer bus, we drove on.
Our hotel was located on Lonely Beach, this is the 3rd beach in a row, starting from the pier. On the whole island there are 5 main beach areas, where hotels are mainly located and where the whole life of tourists is in full swing.
- white sand beach
- Chai Chet beach
- Klong Prao beach
- Kai Bay beach
- Lonely Beach
We will definitely shoot a review in detail about each beach and I will write an article, but now I want to say in general that all the beaches are very clean with clear water, some of the beaches have stones, but not on all areas of the beach, but somewhere on the sides. The low tide season on Koh Chang is also in effect here in the daytime, starting from mid-April, it is already a bit shallow and the water is of course very hot, but it is a pleasure to swim in the morning and at sunset.
The nature and scale of the island are of course crazy, there is such vegetation and greenery that is breathtaking, you look around and do not believe that this is happening in reality, everything is so bright and colorful, the sounds of the jungle are around, cute geckos are running past - in general, Koh Chang is already in my heart. Follow our channel, we will explore the island and review the most interesting places and tell you about them.
Koh Chang is an island in Thailand (Trat province), located near the capital and the main tourist resort. That is why tourists very often come here with. In addition, many independent travelers often choose Koh Chang as their destination. long stay when visiting the land of smiles.
By the way, Koh Chang is the third largest island in Thailand (after Phuket and Samui). We ourselves stayed on Koh Chang for only 5 days, having arrived there. And in this article we will tell you how to get from Koh Chang to the most popular tourist resort in Thailand - Pattaya.
- Option 1: Pattaya-Trat shuttle bus. The option is inconvenient because the bus needs to be caught on the Sukhumvit highway, and there is no bus station in Pattaya. Moreover, you need to catch the bus either at 6 in the morning or at 11:30, but it’s not a fact that there will be places in it, and the driver will stop it for you, farangs. The cost of the bus is 180 baht, you need to add the cost of a minibus to the Sukhumvit highway, minibuses from bus station in Trat to the ferry and the price of the ferry ticket to Koh Chang. In general, the option is not simple, we did not dare to try it because of the impressive luggage and the child.
- Option 2: transfer Pattaya—Ko Chang. A ticket for a mini-bass from Pattaya to the island can be bought at any travel agency in the city, and there are a lot of those in Pattaya. Our compatriots are very fond of the transport company 35 Group Pattaya, reviews about them are always the most flattering. You can buy a transfer from their company in Pattaya at the office in the north of the city:
If you don’t feel like going to buy a transfer to the north, we advise you not to worry and buy a transfer to any travel agency near you. In fact, the ride is only 4-5 hours, so any inconvenience can be tolerated.
You will have to spend about 5 hours in such a mini-bass
Another convenient option for buying a Pattaya-Koh Chang transfer is internet service 12go.asia. It is convenient because you can buy a ticket without leaving your home, on the Internet, paying for it with a Visa or PayPal card. Transfer price on the website 500 baht including transfer. But it is better to buy tickets in advance, at least a few days in advance, otherwise there may simply be no seats in the mini-bus.
We arrived at the bus station first and waited for the rest who wanted to get to Pattaya
How to get from Koh Chang to Pattaya
- Option 1: regular bus. As in reverse direction described above, this option was marked by us as more complex. And all because regular buses from Trat to Pattaya leave only early in the morning and from a certain place. Of course it's more a budget option: the cost of a trip on such a bus is approximately 200 baht. But in this case, you need to add the cost of the ferry (80 baht) and travel from the ferry to the bus station (another 20 baht). Plus, you will need to get to your hotel in Pattaya from the bus station on your own (another 10-20 baht).
The total cost comes out 410 baht ($12) at least, and the number of transplants and nerves exceeds the tiny savings. Especially if you have luggage and a child. After weighing all the pros and cons, we decided to use the second method.
- Option 2: from Koh Chang to Pattaya by minibus. This method is called "Transfer". In our opinion, the most optimal way to get from Koh Chang to Pattaya. It includes picking you up with your luggage from, ferry crossing (you don’t even have to get off their bus) and delivering you straight to your accommodation in Pattaya.
The total cost of the trip - 650 baht ($18) from a person. If you are ready to get to the Klong Son bus station on Koh Chang on your own, then the cost of the transfer to the hotel in Pattaya will be 550 baht ($16) from a person. Small children can be carried on their hands without buying a separate ticket, but in our case we were advised to buy a separate ticket for Vanya, making a small discount.
Transfer prices Koh Chang-Pattaya. Red prices - with a pick-up directly from your hotel on Koh Chang, black - if you get to the bus station on Koh Chang on your own
It was not difficult to buy a Koh Chang-Pattaya transfer off-line: in the area we found a travel agency that sells all kinds of tickets: from air tickets to buses. In other places it turned out to be 50-100 baht more expensive, and they did not offer a discount on Vanya. Here it is on the map - https://goo.gl/maps/dFcjUS21WJA2 .
Ticket agency on Koh Chang
As a result, we bought 3 tickets from Klong Son station on Koh Chang to our condo in Pattaya only for 1450 baht. Plus the cost of a tuk tuk from our hotel on Koh Chang to the bus station.
Traditional Thai tuk tuk or songteo
In addition to buying a Koh Chang-Pattaya transfer ticket at a travel agency, you can buy it online - on the website 12go.asia . Price - 500 baht, but you will have to get to the bus station on Koh Chang and from the bus station in Pattaya to the right place on your own.
Inside the mini-bass are quite comfortable chairs with reclining backs, so it was possible to sleep on the way. Once we stopped for a snack at a roadside cafe. In general, we were satisfied: we got to our condo in 6 hours, without spending extra time and effort.
Hooray, we're there! Total 270 km
Many tourists shortly after their arrival do not withstand the intensity of passions and tend to go somewhere. Where there is silence, sea, palm trees, sand and nothing more. For example, on . Just a few days of relaxation on its beaches have a beneficial effect on both the body and the soul. By the way, the sea there is much cleaner than at. So the question is: How to get from Pattaya to Koh Chang on your own' is very relevant.
Getting to Koh Chang on your own is quite realistic. Especially because this direction is very popular with tourists and there are a lot of offers to deliver there, different in price and degree of extremeness. The distance from Pattaya to Koh Chang on the road to the pier is about 230 km, you can see the entire route on the map below.
Through a travel agency
This way to get to the island can only conditionally be called "independent", because Transfer Pattaya - Koh Chang(it is also called Mall Tour) consists in delivery from porch to porch. By contacting a local travel agency, of which there are many, you can be sure that you will get there and back to Pattaya without problems - bus and ferry tickets are included in the price tag. If you want, you can buy a return ticket right away. This way to get to Koh Chang will cost depending on the degree of luxury of the bus, they ask for it from 600 to 1000 baht, and this is one way!
Through a transport company
Tour Pattaya - Koh Chang you can buy without intermediaries - through a transport company. This way to get to Koh Chang allows you to save a couple of hundred baht. To do this, you need to find their office (it will be indicated on the map at the end of the article). There are many such carriers in Pattaya. The most proven and reliable - 35 Group Pattaya and their Vkontakte community. The only limitation is that you need to take care of buying a ticket at least a day in advance, they are painfully quickly dismantled.
Search for tickets and flight schedules
Alternatively, you can book a minibus ticket online through any device with internet access. To do this, you need to go to the 12 Go Asia website (or in the search form below), enter the points of departure and destination, the required date and click on the "Find" button. Read how to use the service.
By taxi
This is the most comfortable way to get to Koh Chang. Shipping price only up to can reach 3000-5000 baht. Taxis can be hailed from the street. Then you will negotiate everything with the driver yourself (well, if he and you). Less extreme option - order Taxi Pattaya - Koh Chang through the site KiwiTaxi.ru. There are several advantages: you don’t need to agree on anything with the carrier, the car is only yours, you can order it immediately for the whole company (they will offer a minibus) and divide the price of the trip equally, which will turn out to be quite adequate for the price. Also, if you - provide a child restraint for him. For detailed instructions, read in a separate article, and you can also use the taxi search form below:
By bus
If you want to get from Pattaya to Koh Chang by bus (read about), the road will seem like a real adventure to you.
To do this, you need to walk to (Nakhon Chai Bus), which is located on Sukhumvit Road 100 meters from Central Pattaya Street, and buy a ticket for a comfortable bus there, or do it on the 12Go.Asia website.
Features of the return transfer from Koh Chang to Pattaya
If you decide to get to Koh Chang with travel company, you should be aware of the features of landing on ferry Pattaya - Koh Chang. A representative of the company will meet you at the pier of the province of Trat 35 Group Pattaya(usually a girl). She will provide boarding for the ferry, and if you have booked return transfer(tell her about it), she will also issue a receipt, which will be exchanged for a ticket on the day of departure from the island.
If you know exactly when you will go back, you can order a transfer to Pattaya with a fixed date through the same company. In this case, on the pier of Koh Chang, on the day of departure, change the ticket receipt and calmly sail to the mainland, knowing that a bus is waiting for you there.
This is what minibuses 35 Group Pattaya look like
Return transfer with an open date obliges you to call the office 35 Group Pattaya two days before departure and reserve your seat. Without doing this, you can see the tail of the bus in Trat. This, of course, is not a disaster, but no one will compensate you for the cost of returning to Pattaya.
Ferries run frequently, but you need to choose its flight in such a way as to return to Trat in advance. When you get off the ferry, you need to present a "sea" ticket at the office of the transport company in which you ordered the transfer. Try not to confuse the carrier. All minibuses are white, so read the names of the companies.
Updated: 09/16/2019
The desire to get from Pattaya to Koh Chang often arises among tourists who have spent some time in Pattaya and are somewhat tired of its unbridled fun and, in general, of the noise of a big resort town. In this regard, Koh Chang is the exact opposite of Pattaya. It is a quiet and very picturesque island with magnificent beaches, high mountains, coconut palms and other tropical vegetation. There is nothing surprising in the fact that the number of tourists who want to spend a few days on the island of Koh Chang is constantly increasing. This article talks about the easiest and most popular ways to get from Pattaya to Koh Chang quickly and comfortably. You will also find out in which cases it is more profitable to use one or another option.
First of all, the article deals with complex transfers. Despite the fact that the transfer Pattaya - Koh Chang is not the most budgetary way to get to the island, it is recommended by everyone experienced travelers once convinced of its benefits. And a very small overpayment for the specified transfer compared to other methods described at the end of this article and also allowing you to get to Koh Chang from Pattaya and back, is fully offset by convenience and simplicity.
Today in Pattaya it is easy to find many tourist offices that will gladly take you to Koh Chang, but prices are not the same everywhere and you can pay both 400 THB and 1000 THB for the same journey. This is due to the fact that not all sellers and transport companies themselves are engaged in the delivery of passengers on the route Pattaya - Koh Chang: many are only intermediaries. As a result, the cost of a transfer for clients of such companies will often be higher than for tourists who contacted the transfer organizers directly.
THE CONTENT OF THE ARTICLE (click on the link for a quick jump)
Transfer Pattaya - Koh Chang from Mango Travel
This way to get from Pattaya to Koh Chang appeared in July 2018 and is popular with tourists who prefer to get to Koh Chang from Pattaya quickly and without additional transfers. The essence of this proposal is the delivery from the hotel to the hotel. At the same time, your move to Koh Chang consists of three stages:
1). The minibus picks you up at your hotel in Pattaya and takes you to the pier in Trat province.
2). The water section of the route you overcome on the ferry to Koh Chang.
3). You again take your seat in the minibus and it will take you to your hotel on Koh Chang.
You can order a transfer from Manga Travel. At the same time, you do not need to visit the company's office in Pattaya and spend your time and money on this. Payment is possible with Paypal and bank cards. The transfer price includes a ferry ticket. However, there are some restrictions regarding the location of hotels in Pattaya and Koh Chang. IN Pattaya free the transfer includes the entire southern part of the city (Jomtien and Na Jomtien areas), the entire central Pattaya and the Cholchan area in North Pattaya.
Mango Travel bus cabin - transfer Pattaya - Koh Chang
At the same time, the company does not pick up tourists whose hotels are located on Sukhumvit Road. Free delivery to Koh Chang is available for hotels located on White Sand beach, Klong Prao beach, Kai Bae beach, Lonely beach and Bailan beach. Those. this is almost the entire western coast of Koh Chang, where 90% of all hotels are located. The price also includes the transportation of one luggage space for each passenger. Before the trip, you must print the voucher, which will be sent to your e-mail after paying for the transfer.
The duration of the trip from Pattaya to Koh Chang is about 6 hours, but in reality the road to the island may take longer. The collection of tourists in Pattaya hotels starts at 7:00 in the morning, and departure from the city is usually around 07:40. During the trip, 1-2 stops are provided at gas stations, where tourists can visit free toilets and buy something in shops and cafes. The minibus includes 14 passenger seats and is equipped with air conditioning (it is better to use a jacket or a light jacket if you do not tolerate chilled air.
Mango Travel's Pattaya - Koh Chang transfer fee is 990 THB at the time of this writing. At first glance, this is not very cheap, especially if you are not traveling alone. For example, you can order for 3500-4000 THB for 4 people. The cost for each passenger will be approximately the same. And comfort and speed are higher. But when compared with other offers of transfers by minibuses, then the option can be considered.
You can easily find transfers for 500-600 THB from Pattaya to the pier in Trat province, but then you have to additionally pay for a ferry ticket (+80 THB) and a taxi pickup to the desired beach (from 50 to 150 THB during the day, in the evening it can be expensive). It turns out that instead of 500-600 THB, the cost of your trip increases to 700-900 THB, which is not much cheaper than the transfer price. Plus, you may have to walk some distance to the hotel from the main road on the desired beach.
In other words, I recommend choosing a transfer from Mango Travel in cases where you want to get a full transfer from hotel to hotel without additional transfers and communication with local taxi drivers. If you want to save money, especially when you are not traveling alone, I recommend using the following option, which I always use myself.
Transfer Pattaya – Koh Chang from 35 Group Pattaya
The company with the best prices to date and an excellent reputation is 35 Group Pattaya, whose office is located on the third street in Pattaya, near the intersection with south street th. If you walk from the beginning of Walking Street along South Street, then you need to go through several small intersections, i.e. Third Street is not the next intersection after Second Street, as many people think, but much further, but I have always walked without problems. Your guide should be a traffic light at a larger intersection than the previous ones and a small repair of motorbikes in front of it, located in the building on the right in the direction of travel (although it is useless to describe establishments and signs in Pattaya, as everything is changing rapidly).
At this intersection, you need to turn left and go through several buildings until you see a 4-storey pink building with balconies, again on the left side there is a corresponding sign (see photo) and a glass door. By the way, on road signs the street is designated as Pattaya Tai (in Latin). In order not to look for an office in reality for a long time in the hot Thai sun, I recommend that you preview your path using Google Street View. Before entering the office, you must take off your shoes (you will see a lot of shoes in front of the door and remember this).
Office of 35 Group Pattaya under a yellow company sign
At the office of the transport company, you will be asked which island you want to order a transfer to (Pattaya - Koh Chang), the date and time of departure you need. You must also provide the name of your hotel and its address in Pattaya. If your hotel is small and little known, take a business card with the address to the reception so that the driver can find you before going to Koh Chang). It will not be a problem if you prefer to live in Pattaya in private apartments, as I do with Airbnb (here you can get a gift in this service). You will also need to leave a phone number for contact in Thailand. You probably use it and it won't be a problem either.
35 Group Pattaya operates three flights on the Pattaya - Koh Chang route per day: at 07:00 and 09:00 in the morning and at 13:00. The cost of the transfer Pattaya - Koh Chang from 2013 to the present is only 400 baht, while the indicated price includes a ticket for the Trat - Koh Chang ferry (which costs 80 baht when purchased separately). If you plan to return from Koh Chang to Pattaya (and not to Bangkok, for example), I advise you to immediately book a ticket and reverse side, i.e. transfer Koh Chang - Pattaya. Previously, in this way it was possible to save another 100 baht, because a round-trip transfer until the end of 2017 cost 700 THB). From 2018 roundtrip transfer costs 800 THB. You can get a return ticket with an open date (tell the girl in the office that you need an “open ticket” (open ticket)). There are some nuances with the return transfer, which are described in the next section.
This is what VIP minibus 35 Group Pattaya looks like inside and out
After paying for the tickets, no action is required from you in order to get from Pattaya to Koh Chang. Just expect the minibus at the right time in right place(The lady in the office will write to you in advance on paper at what time the minibus will pick you up at the hotel or condo). At the appointed time, you will be picked up and taken on a comfortable Toyota VIP minibus to the pier near the city of Trat, from where ferries depart for Koh Chang. Near the pier there is a small office of the company 35 Group Pattaya, whose employee will give you tickets for the ferry to Koh Chang. The ferry ticket to Koh Chang is red. If you paid for the return transfer to Pattaya, make sure you get the return ferry ticket from Koh Chang (green) as well.
Next, you must go to a small waiting room and wait for the nearest ferry to the island. IN good weather you can see the island from the mainland. The ferry will take you to Koh Chang in about 30 minutes. There are cafes on the passenger deck and you can take a free Koh Chang map. The ferry pier on Koh Chang is located on the east side of the island, and most of the hotels and beaches are on the west side. Therefore, you may have to use a songteo (passenger pickup taxi). To the nearest one, which is given in a separate article - White Sand Beach - the trip will cost 50-60 baht, to Kai Bae Beach and Lonely beach - 100-150 baht (depending on the time of day and the total number of passengers in the pickup).
If you do not want to spend time visiting the office of 35 Group Pattaya, you can buy a transfer to Koh Chang on the minibus of this carrier on the network. Such transfers are sold by intermediaries and the cost will be higher by 100-200 THB per person. However, such offers often do not include a ferry ticket. And this is another 80 THB to your expenses, so keep in mind and clarify all the details.
When ordering a transfer Pattaya - Koh Chang, you can pay for delivery directly to a specific hotel on the island. Of course, it will cost more, about 600 THB one way or about 1200 THB for a round trip. but someone will find the option convenient, especially if you managed to save a lot by using the hotel search form and comparing prices for them in various booking systems, which is located just below. I draw your attention: the reputation of 35 Group Pattaya is really good and not only among Russian-speaking tourists, so it is increasingly necessary to order a transfer from Pattaya to Koh Chang in advance. I myself encountered a situation where I had to postpone a trip to Koh Chang for one day due to lack of free seats in the minibus. Therefore, if you want to guarantee a cheap trip to Koh Chang from Pattaya, order a transfer in advance.
Return transfer Koh Chang - Pattaya from 35 Group Pattaya
If a return transfer is ordered, be sure to ask the 35 Group Pattaya employee who will meet you upon arrival at the pier for a receipt for the return ferry ticket. For some reason, the girl refused to give me such a receipt right away, I had to demand more insistently, indicating that there was a ticket with an open date back. If the return transfer was originally booked for a specific date, just arrive a few hours before leaving for Pattaya at the island pier, exchange your ticket receipt and board the ferry.
If the reverse transfer Koh Chang – Pattaya with an open date, you should definitely call the company's office two days before the planned departure from the island and book a seat in the minibus. If this is not done, there may not be free seats on the bus and you will have to look for other options for returning to Pattaya and overpay for it. A small clarification: on the phone, employees speak only Thai and English (as in the company's offices), so it is advisable to know a little this language and be able to connect a few words in it to explain what you need (you will need to indicate the number of the transfer contract, date and departure time from Trat to Pattaya).
The ticket receipt is exchanged at the window at the entrance to the pier on the island (before leaving for the mainland). You can get to the pier in the same way as when arriving on the island - using songthaew. By the way, it is better to arrive at the pier in advance so as not to be late for your return transfer. Arriving on a ferry to Trat, you must again contact the office of the 35 Group Pattaya company, from the doors of which buses depart and show your ticket. Often, at the same time, a bright sticker with the name of the company will be stuck on your T-shirt so that you do not get lost.
If the minibus of the company arrived at the time you chose, but there was no place for you in it, you should not panic and swear, “losing face”. Another minibus will arrive soon and you will definitely be taken to that hotel in Pattaya, from where you were originally picked up. On the way back and forth, the minibus necessarily makes stops at the gas station, where you must leave the bus for a few minutes. YOU can just stretch your legs, or you can have a bite of local food (from the top), eat fruit, or go to the 7/11 store (not available at all gas stations) and buy beer there. Just don’t confuse the minibuses, there are usually a lot of them and all are white. Therefore, pay attention to the name of the company (highlighted in the photo with a yellow marker) and remember fellow travelers.
White VIP minibuses and drivers 35 Group Pattaya
Why transfer Pattaya - Koh Chang is more profitable and more convenient than a bus
More accessible at first glance are regular buses passing through Pattaya to Trat. Their cost is about 200-250 baht. It would seem that the amount is almost two times less than the cost of an organized transfer to. However, if you add 80 baht for a ferry ticket to this amount, you already get about 300 baht. Plus, you need to get from the hotel to the North Bus Station in Pattaya or the Sukhumvit highway (10-20 baht for a songthaew or much more by taxi), find a suitable bus (and this is also not easy if you use the Sukhumvit highway passing through Pattaya, which you need stop yourself or ask to do it local residents also for a small fee).
In addition, from Trat itself, you will need to get to one of the ferry piers on your own, using local songthaews for this, which will again cost you about 50 baht. In other words, the amount is similar, plus or minus 30 baht, while there are much more difficulties, especially if there are problems with English. If you order a transfer in both directions, then this method turns out to be not only the fastest, but also the cheapest, and the method with regular buses cannot compete at all.
Pattaya is definitely a fun city. But how many people in the world would like every day to be a wild holiday? Sometimes you really want to take a break from a hyperactive lifestyle, be alone with yourself and virgin nature, or just sleep off.
And the best place to do it is Koh Chang. It is the exact opposite of Pattaya. No wild entertainment, only quiet beaches, swaying in the breeze of slender palm trees and the measured whisper of the surf.
There is another reason why many tourists are wondering how to get from Pattaya to Koh Chang. Global warming is reflected in the territory of Thailand in the El Niño phenomenon. It manifests itself in the unpredictability of the weather. For several years in a row, prolonged downpours have been pouring during the dry period, and during the rainy season, the sun shines over the island of Koh Chang and not a drop of precipitation falls.
Maybe for Agriculture Thailand is a disaster, but not for tourists. After all, prices in the so-called rainy season remain low. In this article, we will describe in detail how to get from Pattaya to Koh Chang by different modes of transport.
Distance between points
Thailand is famous for its island holidays. Pattaya and Hua Hin - definitely good resorts, but Koh (that is, the island) Koh Samui, Phangan, Tao, Phuket, Phi Phi and Chang are incomparably better. In mainland coastal cities, life is in full swing. But Phuket will give you the same pleasures - the most big Island countries.
Chang is the second largest "Ko" of the country. But on it you will not find cities of dubious joys, which are full in Patong, and a street like Bangla Road. On this island you will not be entertained by a transvestite show. But you can fully feel like Robinson Crusoe - after all, most of it is occupied by rocks overgrown with jungle. And the beaches there are a hundred times cleaner than in Pattaya.
How to get to Koh Chang on your own? Our article will be devoted to this issue. In the meantime, we will say that the island, whose name translates as "Elephant", is located southeast of Pattaya. The distance between the points is 251 kilometers in a straight line.
But air traffic between Pattaya and Koh Chang no. Therefore, all other routes, even by sea, will be longer. Let's look at the best way for an independent traveler to get to paradise island.
By air or by sea?
If you are a zealous fan of air transport, you can return from Pattaya to Bangkok and take domestic flights to the province of Trat, to the city of the same name (about 40 minutes on board). It is located on the mainland.
To get to Koh Chang, you need to take the songteo bus to Lgaem Ngop Pier. The trip lasts a quarter of an hour. There you need to take a ticket for the ferry to Koh Chang. This ship will take you to the island in half an hour.
Most hotels on Koh Chang are within a 20-minute drive from the pier where the ferry docks. As you can see, this option - the road to the capital flight, a trip to the pier and swimming - is not only the most expensive, but also the longest.
As for the way by sea, it is theoretically possible, but in practice it is available only to happy owners of yachts. If you are not in a hurry, but proceed from the principle “how to get from Pattaya to Koh Chang in the most comfortable way”, then the whole journey will take two days. But there will be many impressions: fishing, night squid fishing, sunset and dawn in the sea in the province of Chonburi.
What is a combi ticket in Thailand
In the Kingdom of Smiles, the transfer of tourists to various islands is well-established and perfected to the smallest detail. It usually includes a train (or bus) and a ferry (or speedboat). You can buy a combi ticket from any point to the islands at the travel agency.
Such a ticket costs more than if you yourself paid for the fare at the box office of the station, bus station and on the pier. But you do not need to fool around with questions about how to get from the Trat station to the pier and what to do if the train is late, etc. The passenger transportation industry works like a Swiss watch.
A tourist is glued (literally, on clothes) with a tag, according to which employees pull him out of the crowd of other travelers, literally take him by the handle to the desired minivan, put him on a ferry and in such a gentle way, like a precious cargo, they deliver him from point A to item B.
What is the advantage of such a transfer? You do not need to think about how to get from Pattaya to Koh Chang - the company takes care of all the worries. You can also arrange to be picked up directly from your hotel and taken to the address you need on the island.
Cons of a combo ticket
High price- the main disadvantage of such a service. The cheapest transfer will cost the traveler 500 baht (973 rubles). This is if you buy a ticket from the direct service provider - "35 Group Pattaya". The office of this company is located on the Third Street of the resort.
The rest of the travel agencies are only intermediaries who reserve a place for you in the company's minibuses. Their combi ticket (bus + ferry) will cost from 600 to 900 baht (1170-1750 rubles) one way. Another disadvantage is the early departure from Pattaya. Buses depart from the city from 6 to 9 am.
And finally, the most important thing: there is no office of 35 Group Pattaya on the island. How to get from Pattaya to Koh Chang, in this way, is only part of the problem. You have to think about how to return. But what if you are already on the island? You can buy a transfer from intermediaries - travel companies.
But if you do not want to overpay, get a return combi ticket back in Pattaya. It also costs 500 baht (973 rubles). Moreover, such a ticket can be bought with an open date.
Passenger transfers involve a three-and-a-half-hour bus ride to the pier, followed by a 40-minute swim. Before that, a collection of tourists from hotels can be organized. Further, travelers are waiting for another transfer around the island of Koh Chang to the hotels.
The same hassle-free way to get to the place is a taxi. The car will take you from door to door. You can order a taxi from Utapao or directly from the city. The price also depends on the destination. It is most reasonable to order a taxi to Trat Pier.
You will enter the ferry as pedestrians. And on the island you can hire another taxi. The whole journey will take about four hours. The fare depends on the capacity and class of the car. But a taxi Pattaya - Trat Pier will cost at least 6900 rubles.
bus and ferry
For tourists who want to be independent in all movements around Thailand, we will give detailed instructions on how to get from Pattaya to Koh Chang. Buses to Tratu depart from Nakonchai station.
This station is located on Sukhumvit Road, one hundred meters from Pattaya Central Station. Tickets can be purchased directly at the box office or online. The fare to Trat is only 200 baht (390 rubles)
So bus and ferry is the most budget way get to Koh Chang. Tourists assure that you can not rush to the bus station. Cars pick up all the “voters” along the way.
Regular buses run every day, but only in the morning, from 6:00 to noon. These are very comfortable cars, with air conditioning and soft seats. But regular buses make so many stops along the way that the journey to the city of Trat will take not three and a half hours, but all five.
Ferries to Koh Chang from Trat
An independent tourist has an advantage over those who paid for the transfer. He can choose the pier from which to go to the island. There are two marinas in Trat. From the pier Laem Ngop start and "package" passengers of minivans.
But an independent tourist may well buy himself a ticket for the ferry at the box office of the pier. It costs 80 baht (156 rubles), and in both directions - 120 (234 rubles). The journey will take about 50 minutes. Ferries run from 6 am to 7 pm at hourly intervals.
The second pier is called Ao Thammachat. Songteos also run there from the Trat bus station. From Ao Thammachat, ferries run more often - every half hour. These fast boats cover the distance between the mainland and the island in 25 minutes. But the ticket also costs a little more - one hundred baht (195 rubles) one way.
The first ferry from Ao Thammachat departs at 6:30 am and the last one at 7 pm. Do not worry that you will have to spend the night right on the Bang Bao Pier on Koh Chang. By the arrival of each ferry, a number of minivans, taxis and songthaews line up at the pier.
How to get from Pattaya to Koh Chang by bike or car
In Thailand, many tourists prefer to rent a vehicle. It's cheap and convenient. This is especially true for motorbikes, which are not afraid of traffic jams and traffic jams.
If you have already become accustomed to driving on the left in Thailand, you can try to get to Koh Chang with a rented vehicle. To do this, you need to overcome 230 kilometers to get to one of the piers of Trat.
The whole journey will take about four and a half hours. On the road leading to the southeast, there are often signs to Trat.
What should be considered by the motorist
It is not enough to know how to get from Pattaya to Koh Chang by car. If you want to cut through the island on an iron horse, you need to deliver it there. This is possible, but requires additional investment.
Transportation of a car on ferries is paid separately. A one-way service costs one hundred baht (195 rubles). Since you will be taking the car back, it is wiser to buy a double ticket for 180 baht (350 rubles).