Skip Bangkok and drive directly along the coast.
From Pattaya to Koh Chang, it's about 247 km by road to the ferry terminal at Trat. From there, the car ferry takes about half an hour, so you don't have to drive back via Bangkok. There's no boat service from Pattaya and no airport on Koh Chang. Therefore, every option involves driving and then taking the ferry. The easiest way is to buy a shared ticket and travel the day before. The Boonsiri bus departs from its Pattaya office at 8:30 am and arrives on the island at 3:00 pm for 850 baht. The Suvarnabhumi Burapha and 35 Group minivans depart at 8:00 am and will take you directly to your beach between 2:00 pm and 3:00 pm for 700–800 baht (ferry included).
Check the latest flight times and seat availability for Pattaya → Koh Chang on 12Go.
The journey takes about four hours by private car and costs approximately 3,300 baht, which is a good price for three or four people. I would recommend taking the minivan that will take you to your hotel, or, if you are traveling in a group, a car.
Where to stay in Koh Chang
This route ends in Koh Chang. Search for hotels in Koh Chang for your travel dates or narrow your search to the region you wish to visit. Filter for hotels with free cancellation if you'd like to book a room and decide later.
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My recommendations for Koh Chang in every price range
Key facts
The bus and ferry connection to Boonsiri costs 850 Baht and runs from 8:30 am to 3:00 pm.
From the office in Pattaya or at 8:00 AM from Terminal 21 to Ao Sapparot Pier on Koh Chang. A pickup from your hotel in Pattaya at 7:30 AM costs 950 Baht; the transfer to your hotel on Koh Chang costs an additional 50 Baht.
Minivans will take you directly to the beach for 700–800 Baht.
The minibus from Suvarnabhumi Burapha at 8:00 am from CK Residence reaches White Sand Beach around 2:30 pm and Bang Bao around 3:00 pm, and the 35 Group van picks you up from your hotel at 8:00 am.
It takes about four hours by private car.
The pier is about 247 km long, the drive takes just over three hours, then you continue by ferry. A rental car from 12Go costs between approximately 3,300 and 4,600 baht; vans for larger groups are more expensive.
The ferry costs 90 and runs from 06:30 to 18:30.
The Koh Chang ferry runs between Ao Thammachat and Ao Sapparot and takes 25 to 35 minutes. The crossing is included in the group ticket; a car costs 200 baht.
Songthaews meet the ferry
If your ticket ends at the pier, shared trucks go to White Sand Beach for 50 Baht, to Klong Prao for 70 Baht, to Lonely Beach for 100 Baht and to Bang Bao for 150 Baht.
The season lasts from November to April.
Trat receives over 1000 mm of rain in July. The ferry operates year-round, and Boonsiris' bus is an hour faster from June to September.
All routes from Pattaya to Koh Chang compared
Shared tickets and rideshare options from 12Go for a weekday in mid-November (including booking fee), as well as the Boonsiri timetable (October to May). The Pattaya Unlimited Trat bus. Ferry and songthaew fares from our Bangkok–Koh Chang travel guide. Road distances according to OSRM route planning via OpenStreetMap.
Check the current ticket prices from Pattaya to Koh Chang.
12Go sells buses and ferries from Boonsiri, minivans with hotel transfers, and private cars with seats for your companions.
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Boonsiris bus and ferry
Boonsiri, known for its catamarans in the Gulf of Thailand, offers a daily bus service from Pattaya to Koh Chang. The bus departs at 8:30 a.m. from the Boonsiri office in Pattaya, with a stop at Terminal 21 at 8:00 a.m. if it's closer. It then crosses to Koh Chang by ferry and arrives at Ao Sapparot Pier at 3:00 p.m. The bus fare is 850 baht. For 950 baht, you can arrange a van pick-up from your hotel in Pattaya at 7:30 a.m. For an additional fee of approximately 50 baht, a shuttle bus will take you to your hotel on Koh Chang at approximately 3:35 p.m.
Those traveling onward to Koh Mak or Koh Kood can use the same ticket to arrive in Bang Bao at the southern tip of the island around 4:00 PM and catch Boonsiri's catamaran the following morning. From June to September, the bus is faster, arriving at the pier at 2:00 PM for 900 baht.
Minivans to your beach
Minivans are cheaper and take you directly to your accommodation. The Suvarnabhumi Burapha minibus departs from the CK Residence in Pattaya at 8:00 AM, takes the ferry across, and arrives at White Sand Beach around 2:30 PM, Kai Bae around 2:45 PM, and the other beaches by 3:00 PM. The fare is 700 Baht, except for Bang Bao, where it's 800 Baht. The 35 Group picks you up at your hotel in Pattaya at 8:00 AM and takes you to Ao Sapparot Pier around 2:00 PM (750 Baht) or to your hotel on Koh Chang at 2:35 PM (800 Baht).
The earliest hotel-to-hotel shuttle from Seudamgo departs at 6:00 AM for approximately 1,050 baht. All shuttle buses are shared taxis, so expect stops for passengers to get on and off.
The best-rated hotels in Koh Chang
Here is my ranking of the 10 best hotels in Koh Chang. Each button opens the hotel on Booking.com, where you have already entered your travel dates.
A private car
It's about 247 km from Pattaya city center to Ao Thammachat Pier, a drive of just over three hours, plus the ferry crossing. 12Go listed around 25 private car ride services for November. Most charged between 3,300 and 4,600 baht for a car and more for a nine-seater van. Most quoted a door-to-door travel time of four to five hours. Check if the ferry and transfer to your hotel are included in the price, as some services terminate at the pier on the mainland. Dividing the cost by four people, a car costs about the same per person as Boonsiri's bus, and you can leave at any time.
If you are arriving by car, follow Sukhumvit Road (Route 3) south through Rayong and Chanthaburi. The car ferry costs 200 baht for the car plus 90 baht per person.
By public bus via Trat
The cheapest way to get to Trat is by bus from Phet Prasert. It departs from a small roadside office on the south side of Sukhumvit Road, about 900 meters north of the Pattaya Klang intersection, at approximately 5:15 AM and 7:15 AM. The fare is around 300 baht. From Trat, you can take a songthaew (shared taxi) to Ao Thammachat Pier (about 60 baht) and then the ferry. While this option saves a few hundred baht compared to the minivans, it takes longer and requires an early start. Therefore, I would only recommend it if you're on a tight budget.
Koh Chang to Pattaya
For the return trip, the Boonsiri bus departs from the pier in Ao Sapparot at 10:00 AM and arrives at their office in Pattaya and Terminal 21 at 4:00 PM for 850 Baht. Alternatively, you can reach your hotel in Pattaya at 5:00 PM for 950 Baht. The Boonsiri shuttle bus picks you up from your hotel on Koh Chang at 9:00 AM. The Suvarnabhumi Burapha minibus departs from White Sand Beach at 10:00 AM and arrives in Pattaya around 5:00 PM for 700 Baht. The 35 Group picks you up from your hotel at 9:00 AM and takes you to your destination at 4:30 PM (800 Baht).
The Koh Chang Club's shared bus picks up passengers on the west coast: Bang Bao at 9:30 a.m., Lonely Beach at 9:40 a.m., Kai Bae at 10:00 a.m., Klong Prao at 10:20 a.m., and White Sand at 10:30 a.m. The bus departs for Jomtien at 3:40 p.m., Bali Hai Pier at 4:05 p.m., Pattaya city center at 4:20 p.m., and Terminal 21 at 4:35 p.m. The fare is approximately 1,100 baht. Return transportation by private car costs the same as the outbound journey.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently asked questions about traveling from Pattaya to Koh Chang.
Take the bus and ferry from Boonsiri. Departure is at 8:30 am from the office in Pattaya, arriving at Ao Sapparot Pier at 3:00 pm (850 baht). Alternatively, you can take a minivan at 8:00 am, which will take you to your hotel by ferry (700–800 baht). A private car journey takes approximately four hours and costs around 3,300–4,600 baht.
No. The only ferry is the short car ferry from Ao Thammachat Pier near Trat, which takes about 30 minutes and costs 90 baht. Any ticket sold as a ferry from Pattaya to Koh Chang includes the bus or van ride to this pier plus the ferry crossing.
Approximately 6 to 7 hours by shared bus or minivan, including ferry and stopovers, and approximately 4 to 5 hours by private car.
From Central Pattaya to Ao Thammachat Pier it is about 247 km by road, a little over three hours' drive, then you continue by ferry.
A car costs around 3,300–4,600 baht at 12Go; a nine-seater minibus is more expensive. Check whether the ferry and transfer to your hotel are included in the price.
Phet Prasert's earlier bus to Trat costs about 300 baht, from where you can take a songthaew to the pier and ferry for 90 baht. The minivan for 700 baht, including ferry and hotel transfer, costs only slightly more and is significantly more comfortable.
No. The buses and minibuses travel directly along the east coast via Rayong and Chanthaburi, which is shorter than from Bangkok.
The Boonsiri bus departs from Ao Sapparot Pier at 10:00 AM and arrives in Pattaya at 4:00 PM for 850 Baht, the Suvarnabhumi Burapha minibus departs from White Sand Beach at 10:00 AM for 700 Baht, and the Koh Chang Club van picks you up from 9:30 AM on the west coast and takes you to Jomtien and Pattaya from 3:40 PM.
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Further from Koh Chang
The next stage, with the fastest and cheapest way to get there.
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I lived in Bangkok for four years and traveled throughout the country from there. The guidebooks reflect my personal opinion and are written as I would explain things to a friend planning a trip.
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