🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026
First thing to understand: Koh Kood isn't an island you can just decide to visit on a whim the way you would Pattaya or Bang Saen. It's about 330 km from Bangkok, so you'll drive or take a van down to the pier in Trat, then catch a boat for roughly another hour. Planning ahead for the boat, your accommodation, and the season isn't something you can skip. Get the prep right, though, and Koh Kood pays back the trip many times over.
Where Koh Kood is and how to get there
Koh Kood sits in Trat province, the southernmost island in Thai waters on the eastern coast. Every boat route leaves from the Trat mainland. The main pier people use is Laem Sok Pier, where most speedboats and catamaran ferries depart. The crossing to the island takes about 60–75 minutes.
- Drive/van + boat — Bangkok to Laem Sok Pier takes around 5 hours, then about another hour by boat to the island. You can leave a private car in the pier car park (there's a daily parking fee).
- Speedboat — adult fare around 600 THB per trip, fastest crossing about 60 minutes, with departures mostly in the late morning.
- Catamaran ferry (e.g. Boonsiri, Koh Kood Express) — similar price, around 600 THB per trip, and smoother than a speedboat, so it's the better pick if you get seasick easily. Many operators include a transfer from the pier to your resort.
- Fly into Trat — take Bangkok Airways from Bangkok to Trat, then transfer by road to the pier. It saves time but costs more.
Book your boat ahead
During high season and long weekends, boat seats fill up fast. Book your ticket and confirm the schedule with your resort in advance. Many resorts will arrange the boat plus transfer as a package, which is easier than booking each part separately.
Book the activities in your Koh Kood trip ahead
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.
When to visit Koh Kood — the honest version
This is what first-timers get wrong most often. Koh Kood has clearly defined seasons. The sea is at its clearest and most beautiful from late October to May — clear skies, clear water, great for both swimming and snorkelling over the reefs.
During the monsoon, roughly May to October, it rains heavily and the swell picks up. Some boat operators cut their schedules or stop running altogether, and many resorts close for an extended refurbishment. If you're planning to come during this stretch, check with the boats and your accommodation first to be sure they're still open. The upside of green season is that it's quiet and cheaper — but you're taking on the risk of rain and rough water that may keep you off the sea.
Check the weather before any dive trip
Snorkelling trips around the island depend mainly on the wind and swell. Even in high season, if a day turns rough the boat may not go out. Build a little slack into your plan, and don't put your dive trip on the very last day with no backup — if it gets cancelled, you'll have no spare day.
Getting around the island — vehicles, roads, and what to watch for
There's no city-style public transport on the island. You really only have a few options for getting around, and each one comes with things you should know.
- Rent a motorbike — the most freedom and the cheapest, but the island roads are narrow, steep, and have plenty of sharp switchbacks. Ride slowly, wear a helmet, and avoid riding at night since street lighting is sparse.
- Resort shuttle — many places run a shuttle from the pier and to nearby spots. Ask before you book your stay.
- Private car/boat charter around the island — good for groups of friends or families, lets you hit several spots in one day, and works out cheaper per head when you split it.
Brace for the prices and patchy signal
Food and supplies on the island cost noticeably more than on the mainland because everything has to be shipped over by boat. Bring extra cash, since many small shops only take cash. Mobile signal and electricity are limited in places too — some resorts only run power at set hours — so check with your accommodation first if you need internet for work.
Spots first-timers shouldn't miss
Khlong Chao Waterfall
The island's headline waterfall, set in the forest a short walk in from Khlong Chao Beach. There's a pool you can swim in, and it's fullest and prettiest just after the rainy season.
Ao Ta Pao Beach
White sand and clear water with a calm, quiet feel — great for swimming and photos, and one of the beaches people on Koh Kood tend to stop by.
Bang Bao Beach
A long stretch of white sand with clear water and a lovely sunset view — the island's most popular spot for catching the sunset.
Giant Makha Tree
A Makha tree several hundred years old and around 47 metres tall that islanders hold in high regard. You can walk right up to it and take in the sheer size of it in the middle of the forest.
Beyond those, there are the fishing villages at Ao Salat and Ao Yai with fresh seafood restaurants, snorkelling trips around the nearby smaller islands, and kayaking through the mangroves along Khlong Chao — ideal if you want to take things slow and unhurried.
Where to eat on Koh Kood
Food on the island leans toward fresh seafood off the local fishing boats and restaurants inside the resorts. Prices run higher than on the mainland, as mentioned, but the freshness makes it worth it. Here are the places Koh Kood visitors talk about most.
Nuchnee Seafood
A seafood spot in the Ao Yai fishing village that Koh Kood visitors mention often. Standout dishes are the scallops, garlic mantis shrimp, salt-baked prawns and steamed crab — ingredients straight off the boats.
PIER 66 Café
A seaside café and restaurant near Ao Yai — a relaxed spot to catch the breeze, sip a coffee, and watch the fishing boats. Good for a break while you're getting around the island.
Nom Khon Station Koh Kood
An easygoing café and restaurant near Khlong Chao with a menu of desserts and coffee — a nice place to rest after a dip at the waterfall.
Gathi Cafe
A small seafront café inside Shantaa resort — quiet, with the sea right in front of you. Lovely for a morning coffee.
Carry cash
Plenty of restaurants and cafés on the island only take cash, and ATMs are limited. Withdraw enough before you board the boat back on the Trat mainland.
Koh Kood 3-day, 2-night plan (for first-timers)
This plan is built so first-timers can cover the main spots without rushing, with plenty of slack for travel and downtime. Adjust the timings to match the boat schedule you actually book.
Travel + check-in + the beach near your stay
Around the island — waterfall, beaches, and photo spots
Time on the water + heading home
If you can stretch it to 4 days, 3 nights, add one extra day with nothing planned — just lounge by the beach, or keep it as a buffer for a dive trip that might get pushed back by the weather. That way you never feel rushed.
Rough budget per person
- Round-trip boat fare — around 1,000–1,400 THB (both crossings).
- 2 nights' accommodation — from a couple of thousand THB up to luxury resorts in the tens of thousands, depending on the level you pick.
- Food for 3 days — budget around 1,500–2,500 THB, since prices on the island run higher than on the mainland.
- Motorbike rental/vehicle charter + fuel — around 300–800 THB per day depending on the type.
- Dive trip/water activities — from a few hundred THB per person, depending on the program.
Plan before you go
Koh Kood suits anyone who wants to escape the chaos and slow down. Sort out the boat, the season, and your cash in advance and there's almost nothing left to worry about. See more places to stay and eat in our full Koh Kood guide.
Plan a full Koh Kood trip — where to stay, eat, and explore
See the Koh Kood guide →