Koh Chang Guide
Beaches, Waterfalls, Ferry & Where to Stay

🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026

Koh Chang is different from southern islands like Samui or Phi Phi — it's greener and feels more natural. Nearly the whole island is national park, with a single road hugging the west coast and linking the beaches from north to south. The popular beaches, north to south, are White Sand Beach, Klong Prao, Kai Bae, Lonely Beach, and finally Bang Bao at the southern tip. Each beach has a completely different feel, so picking one that matches your style makes the whole trip a lot more fun.

White Sand Beach — the main, liveliest beach

White Sand Beach is the first beach you reach after the ferry, turning right. It's the longest and most developed beach on the island — fine white sand, water that's fairly clear in the tourist season, and a continuous strip of resorts, restaurants, beach bars, massage shops, and convenience stores. It suits anyone who wants everything within walking distance, with plenty of food and nightlife on tap. The trade-off is that it gets crowded in high season and room rates run higher than the other beaches.

In the evening this beach is a great spot for sunset since it faces straight out to the west. Several beach bars set their tables right down on the sand so you can sip a drink and watch the sun go down. During the day swimming is easy because the beach shelves gently, though the northern end has rocky outcrops in places that you'll need to walk around at high tide.

Kai Bae Beach — just right, and a little quieter

Drive south from White Sand, past Klong Prao and a little further, and you reach Kai Bae Beach — which plenty of people rate as the prettiest stretch on Koh Chang. The appeal is white sand broken up by rocky outcrops, plus small islands like Koh Yuak and Koh Man Nai floating just offshore. At low tide you can walk out to Koh Yuak along a sandbar, a popular photo spot. The atmosphere is quieter and more laid-back than White Sand, but there are still a decent number of restaurants, seaside cafés, and resorts to choose from.

• Koh Yuak — a small rocky islet just offshore, reachable on foot at low tide, with shallow coral around it for snorkelling and watching the fish.
• Kai Bae viewpoint — a small rise at the southern end of the beach where you can see the curved bay and the offshore islands together. Best in the late afternoon.
• Seaside cafés — a handful of relaxed spots right by the beach, good for watching the sunset without the bustle of White Sand.

Waterfalls on Koh Chang — Klong Plu and Than Mayom

What sets Koh Chang apart from other islands is having jungle waterfalls that flow almost year-round, thanks to the high mountains and rainforest at its centre. The most-visited is Klong Plu waterfall, on the Klong Prao side — a mid-sized three-tier falls with a first tier roughly 40 metres high. It's about a 500-metre walk from the car park along a forest trail, and there's a big pool at the bottom you can swim in. The water is cold and clear, making it a good way to cool off on a day when you don't feel like baking on the beach.

The other one is Than Mayom waterfall, on the east side of the island — a multi-tier falls in rainforest, reached by walking about 500 metres past a durian orchard. It's where a past Thai king once visited and had his royal cipher inscribed on the rock. The setting is shady and there are fewer people than at Klong Plu. Both waterfalls sit within the national park.

• Waterfall entry fee — around 200 THB for adults, 100 THB for children (national park fee). One ticket covers both Klong Plu and Than Mayom on the same day.
• What to bring — wear shoes with grip; the last section is rock and tree roots. Pack a change of clothes if you plan to swim.
• When water is highest — after the rainy season (June–November) the flow is strongest and the pool is fullest. In the dry season the water eases off but you can still swim.

Around the island — Bang Bao, the fishing village, and water activities

At the far southern end of the west-coast road is Bang Bao, an old fishing village where the houses stand on wooden stilts reaching out over the sea in a long row. You can stroll the wooden pier past seafood restaurants, coffee shops, and souvenir stalls, ending at the lighthouse on the point — a popular spot for photos and for seafood with a sea view. Bang Bao is also where boats leave for snorkelling tours around the nearby islands like Koh Rang and Koh Yak, where the water is clear and the coral is good.

Getting to Koh Chang by ferry

Koh Chang has no bridge — you cross by ferry from Laem Ngop in Trat province. The pier most people use is Ao Thammachat, because it's the fastest crossing, taking about 30 minutes to reach Ao Sapparot pier on the island. The first ferry leaves around 06:30 and the last around 18:30, running all day every day. You can take a car across, which makes it convenient if you've driven down from Bangkok yourself.

• Ferry fares — around 90 THB per person on foot, about 200 THB each way for a four-wheel car (prices may change — check again at the pier). A return ticket is usually better value.
• Driving yourself — from Bangkok it's the motorway then Highway 344/3, about 5–6 hours to the pier. Drive onto the ferry and keep going on the island.
• No car — take a minivan/bus from Bangkok to Trat, then a connecting minivan to the pier (about 80 THB per person), or buy a minivan + ferry package that takes you all the way to your beach.

Where to stay on Koh Chang — pick the beach that fits your style

Places to stay on Koh Chang range from hostels at a few hundred baht a night to five-star beachfront resorts, spread across the different beaches. The main thing to decide before booking is which beach to stay on, because the atmosphere and prices vary a lot from one to the next. Think about what you're after.