Koh Mak Travel Tips
Season, Monsoon, Ferries, Cash & Budget

🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026

Koh Mak sits in the eastern Gulf of Thailand, between Koh Chang and Koh Kood. It's the private island of an old local family, and villagers still work rubber and coconut plantations here, so the mood is far quieter than Koh Chang or Koh Samet. No big clubs, no buzzing walking street. The appeal is the calm, the clear water, and cycling along the beach. But being a small, far-off island, the travel logistics, the seasons, and your prep matter more than you'd expect. We'll walk through it one piece at a time.

Open season Nov–Apr is the best time to go

Koh Mak is at its best from November through April. The northeast monsoon blows gently, skies are clear, the sea is calm and clear — great for snorkelling over the coral and swimming off the beach. Every ferry operator runs a full schedule, all the accommodation is open, and restaurants and rental shops are operating as usual. This is the island's true high season: room rates peak and the good places fill up fast, especially over New Year and Songkran.

• Nov–Feb — the best stretch. Clear skies, calm seas, cool and comfortable, ideal for snorkelling and cycling around the island. It gets busy over the long holidays.
• Mar–Apr — the sea is still lovely but it turns very hot, Songkran is crowded, and this is the last window before the island closes down.
• May and Oct — the shoulder. Rain alternates with sun, prices start dropping, some ferries begin to stop, and a few places start closing.
• Jun–Sep — full monsoon. Lots of rain, strong swells, most accommodation and shops shut. Not recommended for a first visit.

Monsoon May–Oct: resorts and ferries really do close

This is the part to be clearest about, because people get caught out a lot. Koh Mak enters its low season from mid-May right through to late October. The wind and swell pick up, heavy rain comes in spells, and crucially, a lot of accommodation closes for the season because there are too few visitors to make staying open worthwhile. Many resorts shut from around mid-May to 31 October, then reopen in early November. The inter-island ferries thin out a lot too.

• Inter-island ferries stop — the Koh Chang–Koh Mak–Koh Kood route doesn't run from around mid-May to 31 October. To island-hop you have to backtrack to the mainland first.
• Mainland ferries cut back — from Jun–Oct it's mostly just the big boats like Boonsiri still running. Many small speedboat operators stop, and trips may be delayed or cancelled depending on the swell.
• Many places close — lots of resorts shut for the whole season. The ones that stay open usually slash prices, but your choices shrink a lot.
• Restaurants and rental shops close too — the island goes very quiet, and some days it's hard to find an open eatery. You'll lean mostly on your accommodation's kitchen.

Getting to Koh Mak — piers and ferry prices

Koh Mak has no airport, so you ride to Trat first, then catch a ferry from the mainland. It's about 350 km from Bangkok to the pier — roughly 5–6 hours by car or minivan — then another 50 minutes to an hour by boat. There are two main piers: Laem Sok Pier (the big Boonsiri boats) and Krom Luang / Laem Ngop Pier (speedboats). Boats arrive at Ao Nid Pier on the island.

Island goods cost more, shops and services are limited

Koh Mak is a small island where everything has to be shipped over by boat, which makes prices on the island noticeably higher than on the mainland — drinking water, food, fuel, and everyday supplies alike. The island's convenience stores are little minimarts; there's no 7-Eleven. When something sells out, it's gone until the next boat. Restaurants and rental shops are limited too, opening and closing with the season. Set your expectations: it isn't as convenient as the city.

• No 7-Eleven — just small minimarts selling water, snacks, mosquito repellent, sunscreen, prepaid SIM top-ups, and basic essentials.
• Water and food cost more than the mainland — a bottle of water and a plate of food run higher than in town, because of the cost of shipping it across by boat.
• Fuel comes from bottles / hand pumps — you can fill up, but it costs more than a standard mainland station. Fill the tank in Trat before crossing and you'll save.
• Power cuts in spells — the lights flicker or go out briefly at times, so it's worth carrying a power bank.

Bring enough cash — ATMs are hard to come by

Get this wrong and you'll really struggle. On Koh Mak, ATMs are very scarce and tend to run out of cash fast. Many shops and rental places take cash only. Some mid-range and up accommodation can take cards, but you can't count on all of them. The advice is to withdraw enough cash back in Trat before boarding the boat — enough to cover accommodation, ferries, rentals, food, and snorkelling tours for the whole trip.

• Withdraw in Trat before crossing — Trat town and the area near the piers have ATMs for every bank, the safest place to load up on cash.
• Bring more cash than you think you'll need — pad it for emergencies like medicine, a delayed ferry, or tours you pay for in cash.
• Split your cash in two places — in case a bag is lost or gets wet, keep some of it stashed separately.
• Check with your accommodation about cards — if they take cards you can carry a bit less cash, but don't rely on cards alone.

Getting around the island — bicycle or scooter

Koh Mak has no buses or public transport. Getting around relies on two main options: a rented bicycle or scooter. The island is small and the roads are fairly flat, so cycling is an easy way to get around and fits the low-carbon vibe. If you don't fancy long rides, rent a scooter. Some places have electric golf carts and small songthaews running shuttle runs now and then.

• Bicycle about ฿150–200/day — easily covers the main beaches and suits this island best.
• Scooter about ฿250–300/day — faster and reaches the farther beaches. You'll need a licence and a helmet.
• Kayak about ฿150/hr or ฿500/day — paddle along the beach over shallow, clear water.
• Songthaew / golf cart about ฿50/person — runs in spells, not all the time. Ask your accommodation.

Snorkelling — check the weather first

Koh Mak's highlight is the snorkelling tours around the nearby islands — Koh Rang, Koh Kradad — where the water is clear and the coral is lovely when skies are open. But these small-boat tours depend entirely on the wind and swell. On rough-sea days, tours are cancelled outright for safety. A snorkelling tour runs about ฿800–1,000 per person, with gear and lunch included on some packages.

• Check the forecast and ask the tour operator before you pay. On rough-sea days, don't push it.
• Pick a boat with enough life jackets and a skipper who knows the spots. Wear a life jacket the whole time, even if you can swim.
• Use reef-safe sunscreen — it helps protect the coral, and Koh Mak takes its environment seriously.
• Don't touch or step on the coral and don't feed the fish. Keep the reef healthy for the people who come after.

Travel low-carbon — pack out your trash

Koh Mak has billed itself as one of Thailand's low-carbon islands for years now. The community works to keep it clean and cut plastic waste, because a small island can't easily handle its own rubbish — everything has to be shipped back to the mainland. As a visitor, you can help in simple ways: reduce the waste you create and pack out your own, instead of leaving it on the beach or in the sea.

• Carry your own water bottle — refill at your accommodation instead of buying plastic bottles, cutting waste at the source.
• Pack out your own rubbish — especially anything that won't break down. Bag it and carry it back to the mainland if you can't find a bin.
• Say no to plastic bags and straws — bring your own cloth bag and reusable straw.
• Cycle instead of taking a scooter for short trips, cutting fumes and fitting the island.

Daily budget — a realistic 2026 estimate

Koh Mak isn't a cheap island, because everything has to be shipped across and the cost of getting there is high too. But with good planning — leaning on a bicycle and your accommodation's kitchen — you can keep it in check. Here's a rough per-person, per-day range (not counting the road/ferry cost of getting to the island).

• Round-trip ferry about ฿800–1,100/person depending on operator and season — the first chunk to budget for.
• Pier parking about ฿70–100/night if you drive yourself.
• Snorkelling tour about ฿800–1,000/person, gear included.
• Meals a bit higher than the mainland; eating at your accommodation's kitchen or local spots helps you save.

Checklist of what to pack

• Enough cash for the whole trip (withdraw in Trat before the ferry)
• Power bank + charging cable (power cuts in spells)
• Reef-safe sunscreen + hat / sunglasses
• Personal medication, seasickness tablets, mosquito repellent, basic first-aid
• Personal water bottle + cloth bag to cut plastic waste
• Foldable rain jacket, if you go early or late in the season
• Strap-back sandals + a waterproof case for your phone
• A copy of your ID/passport + emergency numbers, saved somewhere