Getting to Trat & the islands
How to travel

Buses and vans are the cheapest way into Trat, with the most departure times to choose from. The main starting point is the Eastern Bus Terminal (Ekkamai), which runs both air-conditioned coaches and vans/minibuses on this route all day. The trip takes roughly five to six hours to reach Trat town. Coaches have wider, more reclinable seats that are more comfortable over a long ride, while vans arrive slightly faster since the smaller vehicles move more nimbly, and some operators drop passengers closer to the town center. Prices for both are similar, roughly two hundred seventy to three hundred fifty baht per trip. Departures run frequently from morning to night, making this a good fit for solo travelers or pairs who aren't in a rush and don't want to spend much on transport.

One thing to keep in mind from the start is that once you reach Trat town or the bus terminal, you still need another leg of transport to the pier. The distance from town to the Laem Ngob pier side is roughly seventeen to twenty kilometers, while Laem Sok pier and the piers around Klong Yai that serve Koh Kood and Koh Mak are much further south - up to seventy kilometers in some cases. For this leg you'll need a songthaew, a chartered ride, or have your island resort arrange pickup. Some van operators offer packages that run all the way to the pier - tell the ticket seller clearly from the start which island you're heading to. Also note that tickets sell out fast during long holiday weekends and the eastern highway can get congested, so it's worth booking ahead, especially for the return trip, and building in enough time to make your connection for the day's last boat departure - missing it could mean an extra night stuck in Trat town.

If your time is limited, flying is the fastest way in. The main route is Suvarnabhumi–Trat Airport, operated primarily by Bangkok Airways, taking about an hour in the air - a clear contrast to the five to six hours you'd spend on a bus. Trat Airport (code TDX) is a small airport with a garden-like setting, located in Khao Saming district, about forty kilometers from Trat town. Its advantage is that it's closer to the southern piers serving Koh Chang, Koh Kood, and Koh Mak than the town itself is, so some travelers fly in and head straight to the pier without ever entering town.

The thing to plan around is that this route has few flights, only a handful per day, and is mostly served by a single airline, which pushes fares higher than typical domestic routes. Prices start around fifteen hundred baht if you book ahead and land a good slot, climbing to roughly three thousand five hundred baht during high season or last-minute bookings. If your trip plan depends on a tight return flight, it's worth having a backup plan, since missing the last flight of the day could mean the next one isn't until the following day.

Once you land, there are several ways to continue - a van/taxi charter from the airport into town or to the pier, picking up a rental car at the airport counter to start touring the province right away, or having your island resort arrange a pickup with boat transfer as a package. If you're heading straight to Koh Kood or Koh Mak, having your accommodation arrange car-and-boat pickup from the airport is the most convenient and time-saving option.

If you're planning to see all of mainland Trat rather than just heading straight to an island, a self-drive rental car is easily the best value option, since Trat's attractions and piers are spread out quite widely. The old town and riverside community sit in the town center, the pier for Koh Chang is on the Laem Ngob side, the piers for Koh Kood and Koh Mak are at Laem Sok and around Klong Yai to the south, and Black Sand Beach, Ao Tan Khu, and the Ban Had Lek border crossing are all in different directions again. Having your own car lets you reach every pier and stop at small spots along the way as you please, without waiting on limited public transport. It's especially good value when traveling as a group or family, since the per-person cost drops when split. You can either pick up a car in Trat town or drive a rental car all the way from Bangkok.

Things to prepare and think through ahead of time: you need a driver's license and should get full-coverage insurance. Before taking the car, film a walkaround video as proof of its condition, and check the tires and brakes. A Trat-specific detail many people forget is that if you're heading to an island and leaving the car behind, you'll need to find parking at the pier - most piers have a lot that charges a daily fee, so ask about the price and security before leaving your car. If you're driving to Koh Chang, you can actually drive the car onto the ferry from Laem Ngob for an extra vehicle fee, but Koh Kood and Koh Mak are reached only by speedboat, which can't carry vehicles, so you'll need to leave the car on the mainland. Also note that the stretch of Sukhumvit Road from Trat down to Klong Yai is a winding two-lane road hugging hills and coastline in places, so drive carefully, especially in the rain, and keep the tank topped up since gas stations in the far south can be spaced out.

If your destination is Koh Kood or Koh Mak, the boat is your main means of getting there - both islands are reached only by boat, from piers on the southern side of Trat. The main piers are Laem Sok pier and piers around Klong Yai district, which sit a fair distance south of town. Most boats are speedboats - Koh Kood takes about one to one and a half hours, while Koh Mak, being closer, takes roughly forty-five minutes to an hour. Prices run about four hundred to six hundred baht per trip depending on the island and operator. Unlike Koh Chang, which you reach by ferry from Laem Ngob and can bring a car onto, Koh Kood and Koh Mak are speedboat-only, so vehicles can't come along - you'll need to leave your car on the mainland and rely on resort transport or a rented motorbike on the island instead.

The single most important factor for island-hopping out of Trat is the season. Koh Kood and Koh Mak sit out in the eastern Gulf of Thailand, and during the monsoon period (roughly May to October), rough seas mean many boat operators cut back their schedules or stop running altogether, especially during heavy swells, and some island resorts close for the season. This can mean some days it's simply not possible to get out to the islands, or departures are much less frequent. During high season (roughly November to April), the sea is calmer and boats run more frequently and on time. Before planning an island trip, always check the latest boat schedule and weather conditions with the operator or your resort, and book your boat together with your accommodation in advance.

One thing to watch for on the boat ride: pack anything that can't get wet in a waterproof bag, since speedboats kick up spray and pound through waves at times. If you're prone to seasickness, take medication beforehand and choose a seat in the middle of the boat. Many resorts on Koh Kood and Koh Mak offer transfer packages that include pickup from town or the airport - arrange this when booking. It's also worth catching an early boat, since the sea tends to be calmer in the morning than in the afternoon, which also helps you avoid missing the last departure of the day, as evening sailings often don't run - missing it could mean an extra night on the mainland.

For travelers who don't want to drive but still want door-to-door convenience, Grab and chartered taxis are a good option. There's some ride-hailing app coverage within Trat town, which lets you know the price before you get in, with no haggling - handy for short hops from your accommodation to the market, the riverside community, or the bus terminal. The most common use case, though, is chartering a ride to the pier or airport, since the island piers are far from town and public transport doesn't reach them conveniently. Chartering a ride to arrive at the pier in time for your boat is worth it and reduces the risk of missing your departure. A charter to the pier or airport runs roughly five hundred to twelve hundred baht depending on distance and destination - agree on the total price with the driver clearly upfront.

The limitation to know about is that Grab's car numbers in Trat are far fewer than in bigger cities. At certain times or in certain areas you may have to wait a while for a ride, especially outside town, around the southern piers, or in the early morning/late at night. On-demand hailing right when you need it isn't guaranteed, so the safer approach is to book ahead or have your accommodation arrange pickup/drop-off in advance, particularly for important trips like catching a morning boat or a flight. For a full-day charter to visit multiple spots, confirm the total price and stops clearly before setting off. Overall, this option suits travelers who value comfort and are traveling in small numbers, more than those covering many stops all day, for whom a rental car would be better value.

Once you reach Trat town, there are shared songthaews running fixed routes, which is the cheapest option available. They run along the main routes within the municipal area, connecting the market, bus terminal, residential neighborhoods, and key spots in town. Fares run a few dozen baht per person - just flag one down along the route and pay when you get off. This suits travelers staying in town who are visiting nearby spots like the riverside community, the old market, or the town center, without paying much for transport, while getting a taste of how locals get around. On some routes, if you're going further, you can also negotiate to charter the whole songthaew for a trip.

The limitation to know is that songthaews have limited routes and hours. They mostly run during the day into the evening, becoming much less frequent or stopping altogether after dark, and they don't reach every side street or destination. Most importantly for Trat, the regular in-town songthaews don't run out to the island piers - both Laem Ngob pier (for Koh Chang) and the Laem Sok/Klong Yai piers (for Koh Kood/Koh Mak) are too far outside town for in-town songthaews to reach. To get to a pier, you'll still need to charter a ride, rent a car, or have your accommodation arrange transport. If you're not familiar with the routes, it's worth asking your accommodation or locals which route passes your destination and what time it stops running, since route information isn't always posted as clearly as on city buses in bigger towns. Overall, songthaews are great value for short in-town trips, but they aren't a way to reach the island piers.