How to get to Koh Kood from Koh Chang is so much easier than I expected, because you book your boat on Koh Chang and they organise everything, from your hotel door to your next hotel door. We’ve just done the trip from Sol Beach on Koh Chang to The Beach Natural Resort Koh Kood, where we stayed for five nights.
Below I’ll tell you how we did it, which pier the boats leave from, the boat companies, the times and what we paid. You’ll also learn how to get to Koh Kood from Bangkok, how to get around once you’re there, where to stay and whether it’s worth the trip.
I have to say, it was super easy. We paid 900 baht each, and they picked us up from our hotel and dropped us at the next one. The only thing to bear in mind is that it takes up most of the morning, because the drop offs on Koh Kood take a while.
| Koh Chang to Koh Kood | What we did |
|---|---|
| Boat times we were given | 9am, 11am or 1pm |
| Where it leaves from | Bang Bao Pier, at the southern tip of Koh Chang |
| Pickup | 9:30am from Sol Beach, for the 11am boat |
| The boat | A speedboat, stopping at Koh Mak on the way |
| Time on the boat | About an hour |
| Door to door | About four hours, with the drop offs |
| What we paid | 900 baht each, hotel to hotel |
How we got from Koh Chang to Koh Kood
We booked our boat while we were on Koh Chang, and they organised everything for us. We had the choice of 9am, 11am or 1pm, and we went for the 11am.
They picked us up from Sol Beach at 9:30am, and we got to the pier at around 10 to 10:30. Then we had to walk about 10 minutes down a really long pier to get on the boat, but it’s all covered, so you’re out of the sun.
Half an hour later we were dropping people off at Koh Mak, and another half an hour after that we got to Koh Kood, at about 12. Typically with the Thais, it’s organised chaos, but it works, and the taxis were already waiting to take everyone to their hotels.
It was a speedboat, and we paid 900 baht each, which was pick up from our hotel on Koh Chang and drop off at our hotel on Koh Kood.
Just bear in mind we didn’t get to our hotel until about 1:30pm. We dropped a few people off on the way, and we were the last ones. As we drove across the island it felt way more chilled out than Koh Chang, and I even said to Steve, “We should get a motorbike on this island,” because there was hardly any traffic.
When we pulled up at The Beach Natural Resort, Steve looked at me and said, “Well, you’ve done well.” He doesn’t say that often, so after a long morning, I was very pleased.
Which pier do the boats to Koh Kood leave from?
The boats to Koh Kood leave from Bang Bao Pier, at the southern tip of Koh Chang. Bang Bao is an old fishing village built on stilts over the water, and the pier is lined with seafood restaurants, little shops and cafes, so get there a bit early if you want a nosy.
Koh Kood has a Bang Bao too. Bang Bao Bay on Koh Kood is the beach where we stayed, and it’s a completely different place, so don’t get them mixed up when you’re booking.
Bang Bao Pier is right at the bottom of Koh Chang, so it’s a fair drive from the north of the island. Most tickets include a pickup from your hotel, and if you’re staying up around White Sand Beach, expect to be collected early. Boonsiri picks up about an hour and a half before the boat leaves.
The one boat that doesn’t go from Bang Bao is the Kai Bae Hut speedboat, which leaves from the pier at Kai Bae Huts Resort on Kai Bae Beach.
The boats from Koh Chang to Koh Kood
There are three main boat companies going from Koh Chang to Koh Kood, and they all stop at Koh Mak on the way. When we booked, we were told the boats left at 9am, 11am and 1pm. The timetables online all say something slightly different, and they change every season, so go by the times your hotel or the travel desk gives you.
Boonsiri catamaran
The Boonsiri catamaran is the big boat, and it’s the only one that runs all year. It leaves from Bang Bao Pier, stops at Koh Mak on the way, and takes about an hour and a half to get to Ao Salad Pier on Koh Kood.
It costs around 900 to 950 baht, with the shared taxi to your hotel included. From June to September, it’s down to one boat a day.
Koh Chang Express speedboat
Koh Chang Express used to be called Bang Bao Boats, so you’ll see both names online. Its speedboats leave from Bang Bao Pier and take about an hour, with Koh Mak half way. You land at Klong Mad Pier on Koh Kood, and a shared taxi takes you to your hotel.
It’s around 1,000 to 1,200 baht, and it doesn’t run from June to September.
Kai Bae Hut speedboat
The Kai Bae Hut speedboat leaves from Kai Bae Beach once a day in the morning, in high season only. It takes about two hours, because it stops wherever people need dropping off, and the good thing is it takes you to your resort’s own pier if it can. It finishes at Siam Beach Resort on Bang Bao Bay.
It’s around 1,000 to 1,200 baht. There’s no shared taxi with this one though, so if it can’t get you to your pier, ask your hotel to pick you up.
Speedboat or catamaran?
The catamaran is bigger and smoother, and I’ve read it’s the better pick if you’ve got kids or heavy bags. The speedboats are quicker, but they’re smaller, so it can be a bumpy ride when it’s windy. We went on a speedboat, and it took about an hour with the stop at Koh Mak. It was fine, and I’d do it again.
Where do the boats arrive on Koh Kood?
Most boats arrive on Koh Kood at Ao Salad Pier, in the north east of the island. There’s no beach there, so it’s straight into a shared taxi. It’s at least 20 minutes to Klong Chao Beach, 30 minutes to Bang Bao Bay, and 45 minutes or more if you’re staying down at Ao Phrao in the south west.
The Koh Chang Express speedboat comes into Klong Mad Pier instead, with the same shared taxis.
The taxis drop everyone at their hotels one by one, which is why ours took so long. So if your resort is one of the far ones, you might be last, like us.
Booking your boat to Koh Kood
The easiest way is to book on Koh Chang, through your hotel or one of the travel desks, and they’ll sort the pickup and drop off for you. That’s what we did, and it was super organised. We paid 900 baht each for our speedboat, which is less than most of the prices I’ve seen online, so it’s worth asking around. Just check the price includes both ends, so you’re not paying for a taxi when you land.
You can also book online through sites like 12Go if you’d rather have it sorted before you get there. In high season, I’d book a day or two ahead.
When do the boats run?
The boats run all year, but you get the most choice in high season, from around November to April. In the rainy season, from around June to September, the speedboats stop and Boonsiri runs just one boat a day.
The sea can cancel boats at short notice, especially in the rainy season, so don’t book your boat on the same day as a flight home. If you’re island hopping like us, make sure your travel insurance covers delays and missed connections.
How to get to Koh Kood from Bangkok
If you’re coming straight from Bangkok, you don’t have to go through Koh Chang at all. Koh Kood is about 300km from Bangkok, and the quickest way is to fly from Suvarnabhumi to Trat with Bangkok Airways.
From Trat Airport it’s about a 45 minute drive to Laem Sok Pier, and Boonsiri has three boats a day from there. The crossing takes a little over an hour and costs around 550 baht. Boonsiri also sells bus and boat tickets all the way from Bangkok, from Khao San Road and both airports.
I’ve written a full guide on how to get to Koh Chang from Bangkok, with the flights and buses to Trat, and most of it works for Koh Kood too.
The mainland is also your backup if the boats from Koh Chang aren’t running. You get the car ferry back to Ao Thammachat, then it’s about 40km to Laem Sok Pier, where you can get the Boonsiri boat over. There’s no public transport between the two piers, so you’d need a taxi.
Going via Koh Mak
Most people do Koh Mak first and then Koh Kood, but we did it the other way round, and it worked really well. We met loads of people on Koh Kood who’d already been to Koh Mak, so we know what to expect.
The boat from Koh Kood to Koh Mak is 450 baht each, and they pick you up from your resort and drop you at your resort on Koh Mak. We’re heading there next, so I’ll write that one up too.
If you want to stop at Koh Mak on the way, you can split your ticket. With Boonsiri it’s around 550 to 600 baht from Koh Chang to Koh Mak, then 400 baht from Koh Mak to Koh Kood.
Getting around Koh Kood
Koh Kood doesn’t have the shared songthaews like Koh Chang, so once you’re there, you’ll need to rent a moped, get a taxi through your hotel or book a tour.
Get a moped. We hired one from our resort for 300 baht a day, and there’s hardly any traffic, it’s mostly other tourists on their mopeds. We went really slowly and just enjoyed driving around.
Before that, we got a taxi over to the waterfall and the beach and paid 1,000 baht for two hours, which was a real rip-off. Steve didn’t want to ride a bike because he was worried about having an accident, but we hired one in the end, and we had a really fun time.
My big tip is to get your moped on your first day and explore before you settle in to chill. We didn’t find our favourite beaches, Klong Hin and Ao Jak, until our last day. If you do ride, check your travel insurance covers you on a moped.
Where to stay on Koh Kood
We stayed at The Beach Natural Resort Koh Kood on Bang Bao Bay, which is the bay with the hammocks and swings over the water that you’ve probably seen in drone videos. It’s the most chilled out, relaxed place, the water is dead flat, and you can take a paddleboard or kayak out for free.
We got it for about AU$220 a night by booking early, and it’s more like AU$400 to AU$600 now it’s high season. I’ve written a full review of The Beach Natural Resort Koh Kood, with the rooms, the food and what everything costs.
See prices and availability at The Beach Natural Resort Koh Kood
Is Koh Kood worth it from Koh Chang?
Yes, Koh Kood is worth the trip from Koh Chang. It’s only about an hour on the boat, and it feels completely different. Koh Chang is bigger and busier, whereas Koh Kood is super chilled out, with hardly any traffic, and on my birthday we had Secret Beach all to ourselves.
We spent five nights and it felt perfect, but you could see quite a lot in four.
What is the best way to get to Koh Kood from Koh Chang?
The best way to get to Koh Kood from Koh Chang depends on what matters most to you.
- The easiest: book through your hotel on Koh Chang, with the pickup and drop off included. It’s what I’d do again.
- Kids or heavy bags: the Boonsiri catamaran, because it’s bigger and smoother.
- The quickest: the Koh Chang Express speedboat, at about an hour.
- Straight to your resort’s pier: the Kai Bae Hut speedboat, in high season.
- In the rainy season: Boonsiri, because it’s the only one running.
Whichever way you go, sort your travel insurance when you book your flights.
See prices and availability at The Beach Natural Resort Koh Kood
Have you been to Koh Kood? Let me know how you got there in the comments below.
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