Koh Chang or Koh Samet? A big jungle island, or a small beach island close to Bangkok.
The short answer: Koh Samet is small, about 7 km long, and the closest proper beach island to Bangkok: three and a half to five hours by bus and boat, with white sand and a busy weekend crowd. Koh Chang, near the Cambodian border, is a much bigger, mountainous island covered in jungle, with waterfalls and a long west coast of beaches, about five to six hours from Bangkok plus the ferry. Samet suits a weekend; Koh Chang suits a week.
Below: a side-by-side comparison, rain month by month, and who each island suits.
Koh Chang and Koh Samet side by side
The practical differences that usually decide it. Checked in November 2026.
| Koh Chang | Koh Samet | |
|---|---|---|
| From Bangkok | About 5–6 hours by minivan or bus to the pier near Trat, then a 30–40 minute car ferry; or fly to Trat | About 3.5–4.5 hours by bus to Ban Phe, then 10–40 minutes by boat |
| Size and landscape | A large, mountainous island, mostly jungle, inside Mu Ko Chang National Park | About 13 km², about 7 km long, inside a national park |
| Beaches | White Sand, Klong Prao, Kai Bae, Lonely Beach and Bailan down the west coast | Sai Kaew and Ao Phai near the pier, quieter bays further south |
| Park fees | 200 baht for foreign adults at the main waterfalls (Klong Plu, Than Mayom) | 200 baht for foreign adults on arrival |
| Crowds | Busiest in the high season | Very busy at weekends and on Thai holidays, quiet midweek |
| Rain | The coast near Trat is one of the wettest parts of Thailand from May to October | One of the drier islands in Thailand |
Getting there: Bangkok to Koh Chang and Bangkok to Koh Samet.
Which one should you pick?
Choose Koh Samet for a short break from Bangkok: it is the quickest island to reach, small enough to walk around, and has the whitest sand within a few hours of the capital. Go midweek if you can.
Choose Koh Chang for a longer stay with more variety: jungle, waterfalls, kayaking, quiet bays in the south, and boats on to smaller islands such as Koh Mak and Koh Kood.
Between May and October, Samet is the safer bet: it gets far less rain than the coast around Koh Chang.
Rain month by month
Average rainfall per month and the number of rain days, 1991–2020, Thai Meteorological Department (WMO climate normals). There is no station on either island: Rayong is about 12 km from Ban Phe, the pier for Koh Samet; Chanthaburi is about 60 km north of Koh Chang.
| Month | Chanthaburi (Koh Chang area) | Rayong (Koh Samet area) |
|---|---|---|
| January | 28 mm 2 rain days |
29 mm 2 rain days |
| February | 36 mm 3 rain days |
32 mm 3 rain days |
| March | 84 mm 5 rain days |
70 mm 4 rain days |
| April | 128 mm 8 rain days |
85 mm 5 rain days |
| May | 372 mm 18 rain days |
190 mm 11 rain days |
| June | 500 mm 21 rain days |
178 mm 12 rain days |
| July | 511 mm 21 rain days |
176 mm 11 rain days |
| August | 456 mm 21 rain days |
128 mm 10 rain days |
| September | 538 mm 22 rain days |
269 mm 15 rain days |
| October | 272 mm 15 rain days |
196 mm 13 rain days |
| November | 57 mm 4 rain days |
44 mm 4 rain days |
| December | 8 mm 1 rain days |
8 mm 1 rain days |
More months and places on our Thailand climate guide.
Getting there
Koh Samet is the easy one. Buses from Ekkamai end at the pier in Ban Phe, and boats cross in about 40 minutes on the wooden ferry or 10 to 15 minutes by catamaran or speedboat. Foreign adults pay a 200 baht national park fee, in cash, at the checkpoint on the island.
For Koh Chang, minivans and buses take five to six hours to the Ao Thammachat pier near Trat, and the car ferry crosses in 30 to 40 minutes, with the last boat at about 18:30. Bangkok Airways also flies to Trat, about 25 minutes from the pier.
Beaches and atmosphere
Samet's beaches are a short walk or songthaew ride from the pier. Sai Kaew is the busiest, with bars and fire shows at night; the bays further south are quieter. At weekends and on Thai holidays, Bangkok residents fill the island and room prices rise.
Koh Chang's beaches run down the west coast, from White Sand Beach, the busiest, to Lonely Beach, popular with backpackers, and quieter Bailan further south. Inland, the island is steep jungle with waterfalls such as Klong Plu.
Weather
Both are on the eastern Gulf coast and are mostly dry from about November to April. From May to October the difference is large: on long-term averages, Chanthaburi, the nearest big station to Koh Chang, gets about 500 mm of rain a month from June to September, while Rayong, near Ban Phe, gets under 200 mm in most of those months.
Doing both?
Koh Samet and Koh Chang are both on the road from Bangkok towards the Cambodian border, so you can combine them. 12Go lists a daily boat-and-van ticket from Ban Phe in the morning, which takes you on to Koh Chang the same day.
A common plan is a few nights on Samet, then on to Koh Chang and perhaps Koh Mak or Koh Kood, and back to Bangkok.
Koh Chang vs Koh Samet FAQ
Is Koh Samet or Koh Chang closer to Bangkok?
Koh Samet: about three and a half to five hours by bus and boat. Koh Chang takes about five to six hours plus the ferry.
Which island has better beaches?
Samet has the whiter, finer sand; Koh Chang has more beaches, plus jungle and waterfalls inland.
Is Koh Samet busy at weekends?
Yes. It is a popular weekend escape from Bangkok, so Fridays to Sundays and Thai holidays are crowded and pricier; midweek is much quieter.
Do I have to pay a national park fee?
On Samet, foreign adults pay 200 baht on arrival. On Koh Chang, the 200 baht fee is charged at the main waterfalls, such as Klong Plu.
Which is better in the rainy season?
Usually Koh Samet. The coast around Koh Chang is one of the wettest parts of Thailand from May to October.
Last checked: 7 November 2026. Getting there, ferry and boat times and the Samet park fee from our Bangkok to Koh Chang and Bangkok to Koh Samet pages; Samet size from Wikipedia; Koh Chang park fee from Thai National Parks and Byklo (2026); weekend crowds from Visit Thailand Today (Koh Samet guide, October 2026) and Travelfish; Samet to Koh Chang tickets from 12Go; rain from the WMO 1991–2020 climate normals for the Chanthaburi and Rayong stations (Thai Meteorological Department).