Transport

Koh Chang Taxi (Songtaew) Fares

Shared pick up truck taxis on the road on Koh Chang, Thailand

How Much Does a Taxi Cost on Koh Chang? 

Firstly, there aren’t any metered taxis on the island.  The only public transport that is available are the white, shared pick up trucks (songtaews) which provide the only type of public transport on Koh Chang.  There also aren’t any tuk-tuks or motorbike taxis here. 

As soon as you get off the ferry the drivers will herd you onto them, packing as many passengers as possible into the back and piling luggage onto the roof.  If you want to stand on the back, hold on tight.  As when you start going over bumpy roads or up the hills you’ll find it much harder to cling on.  People have fallen off the taxis in the past. 

Inside every pick-up truck taxi is a price list for fares.  However this is only applicable for trips from the ferry pier to the west coast beaches and to Bangbao.  Just because it costs 150 Baht to get from the ferry pier to Bangbao, doesn’t mean it will be cheaper to get from, say Klong Prao – half way down the West coast to Bangbao.  

The reason for this is simple, it’s a welcome gift from the friendly drivers  there are 12 to 14 of you squashed in like pigs being transported to the slaughterhouse in the rear of the pick up.

Ideally the drivers would love nothing more than to spend their day only picking people up from the pier, however they have to take turns to do this.  There is a rota system in place and so with around 90 licensed songtaews on the streets each driver doesn’t get to the pier as often as they would like.  Therefore, fares for trips along the west coast are higher than they should be given the distances involved.  But are still far cheaper than you’d pay for an equivalent ride on Samui or Phuket.

The drivers should always take you for the prices on this page.  And most drivers are OK, but there are always some who will want to try to rip people off.   Prices can’t usually be haggled or negotiated.  Getting them to go lower won’t be easy unless you have a large group and even then don’t expect a big discount as drivers aren’t supposed to undercut each other.  

Fares increase after 10pm at night by 50 Baht per journey.  Very late night – say 2 or 3am, you’ll have to negotiate a price.  It may be cheaper to just get an inexpensive room wherever you are partying and stay there the night.

Shared Taxi Fares From and To The Ferry Piers

Prices are per person.

FROM / TO TO / FROM PRICE (THB)
Ao Sapporot or Centrepoint pier White Sand beach 50
  Pearl beach 50
  Chai Chet 60
  Klong Prao 70
  Kai Bae (until KB Resort) 80
  Lonely beach plus Seaview Resort, Porn’s bungalow and Siam Bay Resort 100
  Bailan 120
  Bangbao 150
  Klong Kloi beach  200

 

Price list for taxi ( songtaew) fares on Koh Chang island, Thailand

 

The songthaews run to coincide with the arriving ferries.  However, if you are arriving at Centrepoint pier ( the quieter of the two piers) in the morning, you can expect to have to wait for the next boat before the driver departs.  The reason for this is that they want to fill the taxi. 

So if there are only a handful of passengers, you’ll be give then option to pay double and he will leave immediately, or wait an hour for the next boat and pay the regular fare. 

In early 2023, a new sign with the prices for songtaew fares was erected at Ao Sapporot pier. Hopefully, this will prevent arguments between travellers using their trusty 2008 edition of Lonely Planet as a guide to prices and drivers.

Shared taxi prices from the pier on Koh Chang to hotels

Taxi timetable from hotels on Koh Chang to the ferry pier

To get a taxi you just wait patiently roadside until you see one of the distinctive white pick ups with black roof.  The taxis that are going to the pier usually have a sign in the window in English with ‘Ferry pier’ or something similar on it. 

Songtaews will leave the different beaches every hour and pick up passengers on the way to the pier.  

The first taxi leaves Bangbao at 07:00 and this will pick up in Bailan and Lonely beach about 110 – 15 minutes later.  These run every hour until 17:00.  

Taxis from Kai Bae and Klong Prao beaches begin running earlier at around 06:00 – 06:15, they also run hourly until 17:00 – 17:15

For people staying on Pearl beach or White Sand beach, the first taxi will at 06:15 – 06:30 and the last around 17:30 – 17:45

Shared Taxi (Songthaew) Prices for 2023 – 2024

Prices are per person.

If you want to see around the island or plan on doing  a lot of beach hopping then it will be cheaper to rent a scooter.  Or if you prefer a safer option, hire a car.

FROM TO PRICE (THB)
White Sand Beach Chai Chet 50
White Sand Beach Klong Prao 50
White Sand Beach Kai Bae 70
White Sand Beach Lonely Beach 100
White Sand Beach Bailan 100
White Sand Beach Bangbao pier 150
White Sand Beach Klong Kloi 200
     
Chai Chet Klong Prao 50
Chai Chet Kai Bae 50
Chai Chet Lonely beach 100
Chai Chet Bailan 100
Chai Chet Bangbao pier 150
Chai Chet Klong Kloi 200
     
Klong Prao Kai Bae 50
Klong Prao Lonely Beach 100
Klong Prao Bailan 100
Klong Prao Bangbao pier 150
Klong Prao Klong Kloi 200
     
Kai Bae Lonely Beach 50
Kai Bae Bailan 70
Kai Bae Bangbao pier 100
Kai Bae  Klong Kloi 150
     
Lonely Beach Bailan 50
Lonely Beach Bangbao pier 70
Lonely beach Klong Kloi 100
     
Bangbao pier Klong Kloi 50
  • These prices are for hopping on a songtaew that already has other passengers on it and being dropped off on the main road outside your resort.  if the driver has to go down a side road to drop you off there will probably be a 50 Baht/person surchage.
  • If you’re going to Klong Kloi you’ll be dropped off at the footbridge that leads from the main road to the western end of the beach. If you want to go to your resort – eg Bangbao Beach Resort, Chivapura Resort etc it’s an additional 50 Baht.  
  • Likewise if you’re going to resorts on Bangbao peninsula – eg Cliff Cottage or nirvana.  you’ll be asked to pay an additional 50 Baht.
  • For  ‘private hire’ i.e. you stop an empty songtaew and ask him to take you somewhere, prices should be the same but there will always be a two person minimum.  Or if you are alone, you pay double.
  • There is only a limited service on the east coast. But there are three services from the ferry piers to Salakphet at 09:00, 11:00 and 15:00.  The fare is 100 Baht per person.  They terminate at the car park of Salakphet Seafood restaurant. The taxis don’t go to Salakkok, Jek Bae or Long Beach.  They return at 10:00, 12:00 and 16:00 from Salakphet to the ferry piers.

77 Comments

  • Taxis go from Ao Sapporot pier on Koh Chang – that’s the main pier which most people will use when they come to the island. The taxis don’t have fixed pick up / drop off points. You can tell the driver where to drop you off when you get in. And coming back you just have to wait by the roadside for the taxi.

  • Thanks for the help Tim, we’ll rely on the taxis running then.

    May we know which pier or port the 3 taxi cars start from to get to the east coast? and where do we go to head back for the last taxi running at 4pm?

    Do they stop often by request or do they have fixed destinations/route they stop at etc.

  • 1) A car and driver for the day will probably be around 2,000 Baht depending on where you want to go. You’ll have to arrange this with a tour agency or your hotel.

    2) Songtaews don’t run to set schedules. But you shouldn’t have to wait for than 10 – 15 minutes in high season. Or your hotel can call one to come and pick you up at a specific time.

    3) When you get off the ferry you will see songtaews parked by the main road. Take one of these to Aana Resort. Easy.

    4) You’ll have to either negotiate a price with a songtaew driver or ask a tour agent or your hotel to arrange it for you. I think around 800 – 1,000 Baht from Aana Resort to a hotel in Salakphet.

  • Hi Ian, Me and my partner (who are not able to drive so hiring a car/scooter will not be an option) will be travelling to KC on 13-23rd December 2023. We will be staying at Aana Resorts near Khlong Prao. Would just like to ask the following.

    1. Understand that the shared songthaew are the cheapest way to get around but are there PRIVATE HIRE DRIVERS that’ll be able to take us around at reasonable rates? If so what’re the rates per day and vehicle?

    2. How frequent are songthaews during December period? Or are they less frequent and have long waiting times?

    3. Best way for us to find transport from Haad Sai Khao (where our ferry docks on our arrival/departure day) towards Khlong Prao beach where our hotel Aana Resorts is near?

    4. We plan to travel to the east coast for 2-3 days to see Salak phet , understand that the 3 shuttles running from the pier is not ideal for sightseeing and requires a lot of walking, is there any private hire drivers or private transport services that will be able to get us to our locations then and what’re the prices?

    Thanks!

  • White Sand beach is pretty much back to normal. Lonely beach is still quieter than before covid but is gradually getting busier. But quite a few bars and businesses have permanently closed and so there are numerous empty shop units etc

  • thanks for a great website. re bars , is koh chang white sands/lonely beach areas back to normal now in terms of bars being open and general nitelife? ive seen quite a few articles saying its dead or abandoned lonely beach, but was hoping for more up to date info for xmas/ny.

  • Unless of course you meant the larger place raised up not too far from the end that is . I had small beer shack in my head based on what you wrote but perhaps this place was it

  • Thanks for the info ian . Sadly I don’t drive so renting a car isn’t an option. Had a good jaunt up white sand beach and north of rock sand resort. Great stretch of beach. Seems the food shack at the furtherest point no longer exists but worthy of a visit still. , thanks for your very useful website.

  • The songtaews are running. But they aren’t ideal for using to go sightseeing as you’d have a lot of walking to do to get around. And it would be expensive if you missed one and had to rent one privately to get back to the ferry pier.

    Renting a car for a day is the best way to spend a day seeing the south east of the island.

  • Just checked in to the santhiya to be told there are no taxis doing the east coast section currently , as of feb 2023 .. I had hoped to get one of the 3 per day in each direction .. to check the mangroves and some of salakaphet but doesn’t seem I’ll be able to this time

  • There are only three songtaews a day that pass Amber Sands. These go between the ferry pier and Salakphet.

    If you want to go to White Sand beach, Simon, the owner, can call one for you to take you privately. I’m not sure of the cost. Maybe 100 – 150 Baht each. Drop him an email and he’ll let you know.

  • We’re going to be staying at Amber Sands on the East Coast. I wonder how often the songthaew’s are passing there, heading west to White Sand Beach, and if there is a cost different to the quoted prices (150THB) per person from there (and back of course). Thanks muchly.

  • The songtaew at the pier will take you to Santhiya Tree Resort. But they will charge more for the detour. The fare should be 100 Baht / person.

  • Hi Ian, we are staying at Santhiya Tree. Do you know the best way to get there once we get off on the pier? Seems like the resort is off the main road. Thank you!

  • Yes. But not frequently. So to avoid waiting around roadside the best thing to do is ask the bar, restaurant, resort that you’re in late to call one to come and take you where you want to go.

  • Hi. The main celebration will probably be at Klong Prao temple. But most beachfront hotels will have krathongs for their guests to float on the sea. Before covid there were also large Loy Krathong gatherings in Salakphet and Bangbao where locals put hundreds of coconut shell candles on the sea. But I’ve no idea what is planned for this year as nothing has been announced.

  • Thanks so much for such a great website. Loving it.

    Could you tell me what is happening, and when, on Koh Chang this year to celebrate Loy Krathong festival please? Thank you.

  • In normal times the songtaews run late, 1 or 2am at least. Prices double after 10pm.

    But you’ll still be able to get back to your hotel at night. It’s just that it might be quite expensive if you’re taking a songtaew privately at 3am.

  • Hi
    How late do the shared taxis run along the main west coast road ? Or even there is the possibility to get a solo one at a cost.

    Just wondering if you went out in a different area to the one you are staying in if it is possible to get back ok

  • Hi, thank you for an awesome website! Do you have to pay full price for children when travelling between beaches with songtaews? We’re travelling with a 3 and 5 yr old that can sit on our laps..

  • No. The only public transport here are the shared pick up truck taxis. Thsre are no tuktuks or motorbike taxis on the island.

  • There are songtaews about 3 times a day from Ao Sapporot pier (the main ferry pier) to Salakphet. I think they depart at 09:00, 12:00 and 15:00. But it would be easier to arrange with your hotel to pick you up from the ferry pier.

  • Dear all
    I have to move from Klong Prao to the spa Koh Chang resort on the east cost.
    Is it possible to take two songthaew?
    The first to reach ao sapparot Pier and à second to reach the spa resort ?
    If yes, where and when the second songthaew start from?
    Thanks

  • You will have to ask Nicky, the owner of Journey’s End to arrange transport for you. Or you can rent a scooter at the pier when you come to Koh Chang.The road down the east coast is quiet and easy to ride on a scooter.

  • Hi Ian, thanks for the info.
    I’m staying at journey’s end before heading to trat to fly to Bangkok, but I’m not sure how I get from journey’s end to the ferry piers, do taxis run from there? Or should I rent a scooter and if so are the roads reasonably ok??

  • If you can ride a scooter, that would be the easiest. Or take a pick up truck taxi to Ao Thammachat pier. Then pick up truck taxi to Salakphet. They go three times a day from the pier. 9am, 12pm & 3pm.

    Or hire a taxi privately to take you. But that will be quite expensive. Maybe 1,000 Baht.

  • The pick up truck taxis to Long Beach leave at 0900, 1200 & 1500 from the ferry pier at Ao Sapporot on Koh Chang.

    I think the price is 150 Baht / person but not sure.

    You can take a pick up truck taxi from your hotel to Ao Sapporot pier

  • Hey Ian,

    me and my bf would like to go to the long beach on the south east side… now you mentioned there are 3 schedule times where shared taxis drive that way… do you know how much it would cost per person and whats the best way to get there… thanks for your blog… its super helpful 👍

  • It depends on how many people. But probably around 800 – 1,000 Baht total. As the songtaews don’t usually go to Sunrise Beach Resort

  • Hi If you get a taxi from say Sea View resort and want to go to say Sunrise resort are they happy to take you and how much might it be per person. Thanks.

  • You can hire a car from most tour agents or your hotel. Figure on 1,000 – 1,400 Baht / 24 hours for a small automatic car or pick up truck.

  • You’re over 30Km from White Sand beach and 45Km from Lonely beach – so maybe not a good idea to rent scooters, go and party and get drunk and try to ride back again. It might be possible to find a taxi to take you there and back. But it will be very expensive, no drivers will want to go to Salakphet on New Year.

    The best thing to do is to 1) Decide which beach you want to have NYE on 2) Look for a cheap room there for a night – you might not be able to find one online so when you get to Koh Chang get scooters and come round to this part of the island and take a look at places away from the beach on the main road. 3) Rent scooters in Salakphet drive round this side of the island, party, sleep and head back to Salakphet in the late afternoon.

  • Hello Ian!

    We did super shitty research before booking our hotel for a new years week on Koh Chang. So we are staying at Salak Phet and our plans are mostly to go snorkeling, spend time on beaches and explore the nature. But we want a New Years Party! And that seems kind of hard to get on – or near – Salak Phet.

    Which beach do you recommend for a new years-bender, and how do we get to that beach and back again during New Years Eve? Moped? Boat taxi? Should we try to book a hostel just for the new years eve?

    Thanks in advance!

  • There’s no schedule. It depends on how busy the island is and time of day. But during high season you won’t have to wait more than a few minutes.

  • How regular are the songtaew’s? e.g. between White Sand Beach, Kai Bae and Lonely Beach, what sort of wait would there be? Are there several / more than one an hour, or less frequent than that?

  • Hi Ian,

    I have been reading your page a lot! Thank you for the great content! What I want to ask is regarding the fare prices. When do those go up? After 22.00, 23.00 or later? Thank you! Best regards

  • The taxis will run late night until 0200 – 0300 during High Season, so no problem getting back from Lonely beach. Although you might find it cheaper to just rent a simple bungalow in Lonely beach and stay there the night. As the drivers will put their prices up a lot at night and if there aren’t many people wanting to go back to White Sand beach you will have to pay for a private taxi, not shared, so will be even more expensive.

  • Hi Ian,
    when i stay in an hotel at white sand beach…. but want to go party at lonely beach for one night…
    i can Always have a songtaew back at midnight to white sand beach ? the songtaews drive all night ?
    thanks for your answer !

  • The hotel will call a taxi for you. No need to book in advance. Just tell them when you check in. Rimklong hotel is a very good place to stay and the owner ‘Tooh’ will be happy to call the taxi, he’s very helpful.

  • Hi!

    Hoping you can help with a question. If we were to stay in one of your suggested boutique hotels in Trat overnight before catching the ferry to Koh Chang in the morning how difficult is it to get a taxi to the ferry? Are they available or would we need to set one up ahead of time? Something like the Rimklong hotel to the Koh Chang Ao Thammachat ferry pier for an early 7am departure.

    Thanks!

  • You might be able to catch the train. I don’t know. It depends on if the minibus gets delayed picking people up / if the ferries off the island aren’t busy / if there’s no delays on the way to Bangkok due to traffic / where else the driver is dropping people off etc. If you want to be 100% sure of catching the train, leave earlier.

  • Fair enough Ian

    Just wondering if I book the late departure from kc 1330hrs to Bangkok will there be sufficient time for me to catch my train at hua lamphong which departs at 2130 hrs? Taking into account it’s New Year’s Day and traffic is expected to be slightly better in Bangkok?

    I know I might be pushing my luck on the timing but I’ve tried boarding the train in don meang station when my ticket was for departure Bangkok station and the conductor accepted my ticket.

  • Hi Johnnie. The minibus company I use doesn’t give any discount for return / round trip tickets.

  • Hi Ian

    Was looking for some info to get to koh Chang when I stumbled upon your page. Was wondering if you give any discounts if I book a return shared transfer but from/to different locations?

    I’m coming into kc from Pattaya but need to head to Bangkok to catch a night train on the return leg on New Year’s Day 2019.

  • You won’t find any scooters that have full insurance. Only the basic third party insurance that they are required to have by law. So you will be responsible for any damage to the bike and for any hospital bills for your own injuries. Check that your travel insurance will cover you for scooter accidents. Most doesnt, even if you have a full bike license from your home country.

    There are hundreds of places you can rent scooters on the island. Most will ask for your passport as a deposit. So you will have to look around if you you don’t want to trust a rental shop with it. And when you rent a bike check the types and brakes are in good condition.

  • Hello Ian.
    Can you recommand where to rent two scooters? It is important for us, that they are allright, and have full ensurance.
    Thank you :)
    Finn and Gitte

  • You will have to negotiate a price with a driver. I guess about 1,500 – 2,000 Baht total. It will be cheaper to rent a car. Or about the same price to get the songtaew for a day to take you to some other places as well.

  • Hello Together, please send me price from Klong Prao Beach to Temple Salak Phet with Mangrove Walk today for 2 person. Thanks

  • Go to Entrance 8 on Level 1 of the terminal building. There you will see the Suvarnabhumi Burupha ticket counter. Get your ticket there. If you have one normal size suitcase / backpack per person then it will be OK.

  • Hi Ian,
    I received a booking confirmation for the shared minibus from Suvarnabhumi Burapath to Klong Son bus station on Koh Chang saying I should exchange my voucher to a Burapha ticket at the Burapha station. Do you know if the Burapha station is near the boarding point or do we have to get the ticket from somewhere else in the area of the airport.
    Moreover, they wrote me to remember to book an extra seat in case we have big luggage, which I haven’t done so far. Do they mean the ‘normal’ luggage (we have a backpack and a suitcase and hand luggage) or extra big luggage? I never before had to book an extra seat for my luggage. What do you think? Thanks for answering. :-)

  • Hi. I dont know where Kao Lao is, but the drivers I use are all booked for 2 January, so I can’t arrange that for you.

  • Hello, we are looking for taxi for 14 people from Kao Lao to Koch Chang on2/01/2018. Can you write me the price?
    B.rgds,
    Ania Jarmuł

  • Yes, there are often checkpoints.

    I think you already know that there is an increased risk of having an accident if you drink & drive.

    There are taxis running late night. So it’s best to use them if you’re going out for the night. The prices will be more expensive after midnight.

  • Hello, do cops often setup road checks ? Is it risky to drive a motorbike after dinner if I drink 2 or 3 glasses of wine ? I can get a pickup but I fear that I won’t find one if it’s late ? Thank you.

  • It’s about 25km ( 1 hour drive ) from one end of the island to the other. You can use a scooter. But be careful on the roads in the south of the island where there are a lot of steep hills.

    If you go on booking.com you can filter search results by price. Just select your budget and you’ll find accommodation in various areas of the island in that price range. Klong Prao and Kai Bae beaches are the most central.

  • Ohk. Thank you Ian.Can you recommend some place which i will get budget accomadation and easily reachable to other tourist spots in the island ? By road How many kilometers from one end to another end in the island?Scooter is enough for covering major tourist attractions ?

  • You won’t have any problem getting to Koh Chang the same day. The taxi price is the same all day. It’s no different if you arrive on the last ferry at 19:30.

    Lonely Beach is more for backpackers and people who like to party a bit. You’ll also find inexpensive accommodation on other beaches. Check the listings on booking.com. Book in advance to save to having to walk around looking for rooms when you arrive.

  • Hi ian . I am planning to come on november this year. I am an indian . my flight time is 8:00 am at dom meung airport bangkok. From here i have to take taxi to ekamai bus station to get bus to trat. I dont know what time i can reach at koh chang ferry. I am looking for a budget accomodation. So some of my frienda recommended more budget rooms are available in lonely beach. If i am late how much does it cost to lonely beach by taxi. We are three including my 4 year old daughter

  • You’ll be able to get one late night / early morning. But expect prices to double. Bear in mind that if you are on your own, you’ll have to hire one privately and they’ll charge the same price for one or two people.

  • What time do these shared taxis stop running at night? I am thinking of staying at Lonely Beach but I might visit White Sands Beach a couple of nights while I am there. How hard would it be to get a shared taxi in the early hours of the morning?

  • Rates from ferry to these destinations as posted on the back of a songtaew today:
    white sand beach 50
    chai chet 60
    klong prao 70
    kai bae 80
    seaview, porn bungalow, siam bay, lonely beach, salakphet 100
    bang bao 150
    bang bao resorts nirvana, tropical, chivapuri, grand lagoona 200

  • Not true. It’s from 50 – 150 Baht / person by shared pick up truck taxi. Price is more expensive the further south you are staying. But if you hire a taxi privately then it probably will be around 1,000 Baht.

  • Hi Ian, myself and two friends are here on the island till the 6th Thursday. We have been told by previous visitors to the island that it costs 1000 baht per person to get back to the ferry pier regardless of how many people there are. Is this true?

  • In the day time it’s OK. But it’s around 45 minutes from Cliff Cottage to White Sand beach and that wouldn’t be fun to do at night on the section from Kai Bae down to Bangbao where the road is like a rollercoaster – only with more drunk drivers. If you want to be able to easily get to other beaches at night, then staying somewhere more central is a better option. Far easier and cheaper too if you are using the pick up truck taxis to get around at night.

  • Hi Ian,

    If we were to stay at Cliff Cottages, how far would it be to travel to the northern end of the island for food. We plan to rent scooters for our transport and was thinking of staying at Cliff Cottages and visiting other restaurants around the island for our stay. Or would you advise to stay at a centralized location? Thanks for your service.

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Koh Chang Island Guide For Independent Travellers