🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026
If you come to Koh Chang and want to see a sea-gypsy way of life that's still very much alive, Bang Bao is worth a stop. The village sits at the end of the west-coast road, past White Sand Beach, Klong Prao, Kai Bae and Lonely Beach as you head all the way south. The whole village is built over the water — each house stands on stilts reaching out into the sea, joined by wooden walkways. The main walkway pier is now roofed end to end, so it's an easy stroll even in strong sun or rain, turning the whole thing into a long covered market street that opens out to the sea at its far end.
Stilt Houses and the Walkway Pier
The heart of Bang Bao is the fish pier and the houses jutting out over the water. Walk in from the entrance and you'll pass locals drying salted fish and dried shrimp, making shrimp paste and fish sauce to sell as regional souvenirs, mixed in with clothing stalls, gift shops, and small coffee shops. Toward the end of the pier the crowds thin out, the view opens up, and you'll see fishing boats and tour boats moored in rows. Right at the end stands a small white lighthouse — a favourite photo spot, especially in the late afternoon when the light softens.
- Main walkway pier — about 300m long and roofed the whole way, with shops and restaurants down both sides. Easy walking in any weather.
- Lighthouse at the pier's end — a photo spot looking out over the open bay, with boats coming and going. Best in the late afternoon before sunset.
- Community souvenirs — shrimp paste, fish sauce, dried shrimp and salted fish, all made in the village and cheaper than buying in town.
- Fishing-village life — early in the morning you'll still see boats coming in to unload their catch, when the village is at its liveliest.
Best time to go
By mid-morning the tour boats have all left and the village goes quiet and easy to walk. Late afternoon, with softer light, is great for photos and for sitting down to waterfront seafood. Avoid roughly 8:30–9:30am, when it gets crowded as tourists all board the tour boats at once.
Want more out of Koh Chang? Book tours & activities
Booking online ahead on Klook or GetYourGuide is usually cheaper than the gate and skips the queue. Pick only the experiences you actually want — prices and availability are shown live on each site.
Seafood Restaurants and Waterfront Cafes
Bang Bao is one of the most talked-about seafood spots on Koh Chang. The bigger restaurants sit right on the pier out over the water, so you eat to the sound of the waves. The standout is fresh seafood kept live in tanks for you to pick — fish, crab, prawns, shellfish, squid — with prices depending on weight and season. Most of it falls into the mid-to-slightly-high range you'd expect at a tourist spot, but the freshness makes it worth it. Here are the restaurants and cafes currently open around Bang Bao.
Ruan Thai Seafood
A long-running seafood restaurant on the pier that draws plenty of Thais and foreign visitors alike. Long menu, with fresh seafood to pick from the tanks — steamed sea bass with lime, crab stir-fried with black pepper, prawns in fish sauce. The seating reaches out over the water with a view of the bay.
Chow Lay Seafood
A big restaurant right next to Ruan Thai, with tanks of live seafood to point and choose — fish, crab, prawns, shellfish, squid, cooked however you like. Wide menu and roomy seating, good for groups.
Nongyim Seafood
About halfway down the pier on the left, doing seafood plate by plate — fish, shellfish and squid cooked to order. A more relaxed, casual feel than the big restaurants.
Sea House & Chill House
A spot on the pier over the water serving curries, noodles and various stir-fries — easier on the wallet than the big seafood places. Good for a light meal with a sea view.
U Khao U Nam
A Thai restaurant on the main road just before the village, doing single-plate Thai dishes and basic home-style fare done well. A good choice if you'd rather skip tourist-priced seafood.
Cliff Cottage (BB Divers)
A waterfront cafe and kitchen on the northern side of the village, run by the BB Divers dive shop. Serves Thai and Western food in a chilled seaside setting — a good place to rest after coming back from a dive trip.
Lazy Hours
A cafe on the pier doing coffee, bakery items, baked goods and single-plate dishes. A good spot to sit with a coffee and rest your feet while wandering the village.
Bang Bao Delight
A small coffee and bakery shop on the pier doing coffee and baked goods — a spot to stop for a cold drink before walking on to photograph the lighthouse.
Getting your money's worth on seafood
Always ask the price per kilo before ordering, especially for crab and prawns whose prices move with the season, and check the tanks to make sure it's genuinely fresh. If there are only a few of you, ordering plate by plate at a smaller place is easier on the budget than buying whole live seafood.
Bang Bao Pier — Snorkel Launch and Island Hopping
Bang Bao isn't just for eating and strolling — it's the main pier on Koh Chang's south coast, where boats set off to snorkel the reefs and tour the surrounding islands. Day-trip snorkeling tours that leave in the morning and return in the evening usually depart around 9:00–9:30am, looping islands like Koh Rang, Koh Yak Yai and Koh Wai, which sit in a national-park zone with clear water and coral to see. Group tours on a wooden boat start at roughly 1,000 THB per person, including lunch, snorkel gear and a guide, with the Koh Rang park entrance fee adding around another 200 THB.
- Group snorkeling tour — from around ฿1,000/person, including the boat, buffet lunch, gear and a guide (the Koh Rang park entrance fee, ~฿200, is separate).
- Private wooden-boat charter — from around ฿7,500 to Koh Wai, Koh Laoya and Koh Klum / around ฿8,500 if you go all the way out to Koh Rang.
- Speedboat charter — around ฿9,000 and up for four people, faster, good if you want to hit several islands in one day.
- Boats to other islands — there are boats/catamarans to Koh Wai, Koh Mak and Koh Kood, and Bang Bao works as a connection point.
Several dive shops operate around Bang Bao, including BB Divers, Koh Chang Divers, Thai Ocean Scuba Academy and Scuba Squad, offering both certified scuba courses and snorkeling outings. Pick one whose gear looks newer and whose guides explain the safety briefing clearly — don't decide on the cheapest price alone.
Being straight with you
During the monsoon (roughly May–October) the sea on this side gets rough, and many dive boats either don't run or run on an unpredictable schedule. Always check the weather and ask at the pier first, and don't pay in full up front if it's not yet certain the boat can go. Some restaurants and accommodation in Bang Bao also close for long stretches in low season, so if you're coming during these months, call ahead to check.
Getting to Bang Bao
Bang Bao is at the end of the west-coast road, a few kilometres south of Lonely Beach. You can take a songthaew (shared pickup taxi) from the ferry pier or from the various beaches and get off at the village entrance. If you're driving or riding a rented motorbike, there's parking near the entrance, then you walk into the pier.
- Songthaew — these run to Bang Bao from the ferry pier or the main beaches; the fare depends on distance, so agree on the price before you get in.
- Rent a motorbike / self-drive — the most freedom, but watch the road (see the next note).
- Included in a boat trip — if you book a snorkeling tour, many operators include pickup and drop-off from your accommodation to the pier.
Watch the island road
The road on the last stretch of Koh Chang before Bang Bao is very steep with several hairpin bends. If you're riding a motorbike yourself and aren't confident on steep slopes, take extra care: use a low gear going downhill, don't grab the front brake hard, and avoid riding in the rain or at night. Motorbike accidents are common on this island — if you're not sure, the songthaew is safer.
Pair it with Lonely Beach
Just a little north of Bang Bao. Lie on the beach during the day, then drive down for Bang Bao seafood in the evening.
A snorkeling day
Take the morning boat out to snorkel the islands, head back in the afternoon, then eat and wander the village to close out the day.
Plan a full Koh Chang trip — beaches, food and things to do
See the Koh Chang travel guide →