How many hotels/restaurants are open in Koh Chang?

[nemo38]

I stayed in Koh Chang for a couple of months, up to a couple of months ago. I am thinking of going back for a week. Since I'm on my own, this time, I was going to stay in a place in White Sands called White Sands Garden, which is one of the places renting out little huts and also rooms. It is normally cheap, at around 300 baht. But they disappeared of Agoda.

 

There are a few similar places up that road. But now I wonder how many other places are closed, and how many restaurants are open. 

 

When I was there, a few of months ago. there were already a lot of places closed. I wonder which way they went, up or down, since the lockdown has eased. For a lot of people I guess there are too tourists to bother.

 

I'm just interested in hearing from people there now or who have been there in the last couple of weeks. Thank you.

[steven100]

White sands garden is a nice place. We were in Koh Chang a few weeks back and last week in Pattaya and Koh Samet.

There are very limited resorts still open on Koh Chang .... most staff ahve gone home -upcountry. similar with other places. They are not going to keep fresh food in the kitchen and staff on if no customers so forget it.

You have to wait until everything is back to normal ... 2024 

[Matzzon]

White Sand Garden is closed at the moment, but you will find White Sand Beach Resort open.

Better standard and Bungalows on the beach. Will cost you about half price right now. About 600 per night.

Have fun!

[nemo38]

1 hour ago, Matzzon said:

White Sand Garden is closed at the moment, but you will find White Sand Beach Resort open.

Better standard and Bungalows on the beach. Will cost you about half price right now. About 600 per night.

Have fun!

 

Reviews say there are problems with white sands beach resort.

 

Looking about the web I saw that I can get to Koh Samui in 7 hours on a ferry for 765 baht. So that is an option too. I guess a lot more is open over there.

 

I will have a think. I have a few days to decide.

 

[EDIT: I found that fast ferry, from Pattaya to Koh Samui, isn't running. So I will look more closely at Koh Chang options.]

 

 

Edited September 1, 2020 by nemo38

[Mike Teavee]

3 hours ago, steven100 said:

White sands garden is a nice place. We were in Koh Chang a few weeks back and last week in Pattaya and Koh Samet.

There are very limited resorts still open on Koh Chang .... most staff ahve gone home -upcountry. similar with other places. They are not going to keep fresh food in the kitchen and staff on if no customers so forget it.

You have to wait until everything is back to normal ... 2024 

I must have been following you around (or trying to avoid you ???? ) as I was in Pattaya/Naklua/Jomtien for 9 nights at the end of July then Koh Chang for 3 nights from 4th August followed by 7 nights in Koh Samed. 

 

In Koh Chang, we stayed at White Sands beach (Bamboo Hotel, I wouldn't recommend it) & it was very quiet with a fair few places closed (included Buffalo Bills) so our evening entertainment was limited to the place that does the fire show (Sabay Bar?) and the place next door... I was with the GF so didn't bother checking out "Little Pattaya" at the other end of White Sands but not much looked open when we were coming back from an island trip (which was miserable, it really p1ssed down that day so snorkelling was a complete waste of time).  

 

Koh Samed was lovely as always, we hadn't even planned to go but after a miserable time on Koh Chang we decided to book 3 nights there on the way back to Bangkok & then extend for an extra 4 nights to make up for it. 

 

The Hotel & Weather made our trip to Koh Chang pretty miserable so I've probably not give it a fair chance, but I certainly wouldn't go back anytime soon, at least not until rainy season is over.

 

 

 

Edited September 1, 2020 by Mike Teavee

[Mike Teavee]

1 hour ago, nemo38 said:

 

Reviews say there are problems with white sands beach resort.

 

Looking about the web I saw that I can get to Koh Samui in 7 hours on a ferry for 765 baht. So that is an option too. I guess a lot more is open over there.

 

I will have a think. I have a few days to decide.

 

[EDIT: I found that fast ferry, from Pattaya to Koh Samui, isn't running. So I will look more closely at Koh Chang options.]

 

 

 

I got out of Koh Samui just as everything was closing down on 22nd March (a few days before that I had to move from Lamai to Cheweng Beach because everything was closed there already) & on the last 2 nights you struggled to get a beer even at Ark Bar (Where we were staying)... I don't see how things could have massively improved there now as Koh Samui is even more dependant on foreign tourists than places like Phuket.

 

Give Koh Samed a try (Very easy to get to from Pattaya), Blue Moon is a decent place to stay at a decent price but I would give them a call to see if they're open (They were available for booking but I noticed The Canteen that is owned by the same group & provides the food for the hotel was closed).

 

 

Great cheap cocktails at Beach Bar, end of KS beach just before you get to the "@ Koh Samet" Sign... 

 

[Oldie]

2 hours ago, nemo38 said:

 

Reviews say there are problems with white sands beach resort.

 

Looking about the web I saw that I can get to Koh Samui in 7 hours on a ferry for 765 baht. So that is an option too. I guess a lot more is open over there.

 

I will have a think. I have a few days to decide.

 

[EDIT: I found that fast ferry, from Pattaya to Koh Samui, isn't running. So I will look more closely at Koh Chang options.]

 

 

A ferry from Pattaya to Koh Samui - where did you find this? 

[Matzzon]

7 hours ago, nemo38 said:

 

Reviews say there are problems with white sands beach resort.

 

Looking about the web I saw that I can get to Koh Samui in 7 hours on a ferry for 765 baht. So that is an option too. I guess a lot more is open over there.

 

I will have a think. I have a few days to decide.

 

[EDIT: I found that fast ferry, from Pattaya to Koh Samui, isn't running. So I will look more closely at Koh Chang options.]

 

 

You shouldn´t trust the reviews, I´ve been there in person 3 times and no problem at all.

However, it´s really cheap to go now, so you should definitely go. As you say, when you come there you will surely find something that you see as good.

[nemo38]

8 hours ago, Oldie said:

A ferry from Pattaya to Koh Samui - where did you find this? 

https://www.ferrysamui.com/pattaya.html

 

It says it won't be available until December. I don't know if this is something new or the service was up and Covid caused it to droop.

[Oldie]

7 minutes ago, nemo38 said:

https://www.ferrysamui.com/pattaya.html

 

It says it won't be available until December. I don't know if this is something new or the service was up and Covid caused it to droop.

Koh Mak and Koh Kood are not Koh Samui but belong to Trat. Have been here almost 30 years and never ever heard anything about a ferry from Pattaya to Koh Samui. Please correct me if there is really one. 

[Goinghomesoon]

On 9/1/2020 at 5:48 PM, nemo38 said:

 

Reviews say there are problems with white sands beach resort.

 

Looking about the web I saw that I can get to Koh Samui in 7 hours on a ferry for 765 baht. So that is an option too. I guess a lot more is open over there.

 

I will have a think. I have a few days to decide.

 

[EDIT: I found that fast ferry, from Pattaya to Koh Samui, isn't running. So I will look more closely at Koh Chang options.]

 

 

 Nemo did you go to Koh Chang? We are hoping to go in a couple of weeks but It sounds as though the places we usually stay (more expensive resort-y style) will be closed. With a small kid we are not worried about nightlife but it would still be nice to have a choice of places to eat and drink. 

[camble]

1 hour ago, Goinghomesoon said:

 Nemo did you go to Koh Chang? We are hoping to go in a couple of weeks but It sounds as though the places we usually stay (more expensive resort-y style) will be closed. With a small kid we are not worried about nightlife but it would still be nice to have a choice of places to eat and drink. 

I just came from there, stayed at The Dewa, it was great. The Emerald Cove is also very good, they have a pool just for kids, and they just opened a water park near there. 

Edited October 6, 2020 by camble

[dabhand]

1 hour ago, Goinghomesoon said:

 Nemo did you go to Koh Chang? We are hoping to go in a couple of weeks but It sounds as though the places we usually stay (more expensive resort-y style) will be closed. With a small kid we are not worried about nightlife but it would still be nice to have a choice of places to eat and drink. 

Have a look at the youtube vlogger NoTime2bsad. His current videos are him and his Thai wife in KC and mainly staying at the more upmarket resorts with the prices being heavily discounted. He also takes advantage of the government discounts which his wife sorts out. His latest video had him at the Centara but has also stayed at the KC Grande and Dewa amongst others. Useful if wanting to see current options for those that are open.

[Jeffr2]

Right now, I'd be hesitant to book any hotel in advance.  Seems more and more businesses are shutting down as funds run out.

 

With that being said, KC is a beautiful island.  There's plenty to do and plenty of restaurants and hotels open.  Best bet is to select a few, show up in person, and negotiate.  I've gotten better deals lately in person than with booking sites.  Not always, but quite a few times.

 

There's a pretty good expat crowd there and events are held throughout the week that are fun.  Could be a bit rainy right now.  It is the wettest place in Thailand.  But it's getting better week by week.

 

I was getting 75% discount on room prices.  Allowing us to stay at places we'd never be able to afford before. 

[cucme]

Most upmarket resorts are closed. Some did open just for long weekends.

Many restaurants are open, I would say about 20 - 40% of them along the mainroad are closed here in Whitesand Beach, hard to tell. Still plenty to choose from. Of the beachfront restaurants around 60 - 70% are closed.

Compared to the days of the lockdown, many more places / venues are open.

In other villages it looks better than in Whitesand.

Kohchanghut would fit your bill right now, ~ 50% off.

Last time I walked down the beach, Whitesand Beach Resort was open, more than 4 weeks ago. Most around Rocksands were closed, including Rocksands.

Ferries run normally.

Hopefully the rain will ease up, we had a lot of it and it isn't looking good for the next week.

 

[polpott]

10 minutes ago, cucme said:

Most upmarket resorts are closed. Some did open just for long weekends.

Many restaurants are open, I would say about 20 - 40% of them along the mainroad are closed here in Whitesand Beach, hard to tell. Still plenty to choose from. Of the beachfront restaurants around 60 - 70% are closed.

Compared to the days of the lockdown, many more places / venues are open.

In other villages it looks better than in Whitesand.

Kohchanghut would fit your bill right now, ~ 50% off.

Last time I walked down the beach, Whitesand Beach Resort was open, more than 4 weeks ago. Most around Rocksands were closed, including Rocksands.

Ferries run normally.

Hopefully the rain will ease up, we had a lot of it and it isn't looking good for the next week.

 

Thanks for a post from someone who actually knows the situation on the ground right now. Great intel.

 

I've watched a couple of YouTube vlogs from Koh Chang recently which seem to concur completely with your report. I always stay in Whitesands Bay which seems to have been particularly badly affected. Reports are that the bar complex at the far end of Whitesands (Mini Pattaya?) currently only has one bar open. Blue Lagoon, owned by a fellow Brit, was my favourite bar and had some great nights in there. If that is closed I wouldn't consider going to Koh Chang at the moment.

[sletraveler]

I booked 2 AirBnB's and 2 4 star hotels starting Oct 23.  Everything seemed to be normal, with Agoda saying there was high occupancy.  Though they might say it's FULL if in fact the hotel is shutdown.  People that been there recently said it's still pretty good and not all doom and gloom like phuket although there are definitely closures.   Centara Koh Chang Tropicana Resort, Costa Lanta, and Anna resorts I can attest are nice resorts and open.

Edited October 9, 2020 by sletraveler

[camble]

There are lots of Thais that come for the weekend, more quiet during the week

[5633572526]

On 9/1/2020 at 9:48 PM, nemo38 said:

 

Reviews say there are problems with white sands beach resort.

 

Looking about the web I saw that I can get to Koh Samui in 7 hours on a ferry for 765 baht. So that is an option too. I guess a lot more is open over there.

 

I will have a think. I have a few days to decide.

 

[EDIT: I found that fast ferry, from Pattaya to Koh Samui, isn't running. So I will look more closely at Koh Chang options.]

 

 

Notime2besad you tube channel farang and his Thai wife just spent a couple weeks there in several spots detailing what’s open and closed.

worth a look 

[murraynz]

On 9/1/2020 at 9:48 PM, nemo38 said:

 

Reviews say there are problems with white sands beach resort.

 

Looking about the web I saw that I can get to Koh Samui in 7 hours on a ferry for 765 baht. So that is an option too. I guess a lot more is open over there.

 

I will have a think. I have a few days to decide.

 

[EDIT: I found that fast ferry, from Pattaya to Koh Samui, isn't running. So I will look more closely at Koh Chang options.]

 

 

There are a couple of good vloggers who have done reports on koh chang,during their very recent visits.

Seems like its very quiet there.

[rct99q]

Wont help at the moment i have booked for splash resort next week.

 

Family so nightlife is not an issue. 

 

Will let people know how it was. Usually stay at koh chang paradise resort but they did not seem to be offering great deals. Private pool room was quoted at 5,000 baht which is lower than normal but not a great deal.

[Hanuman2547]

I would suggest calling the hotel that you want to stay at directly to see that they are open.  Probably best to do this near the time that you are leaving.  Then I would go through your favorite booking site to make the reservation.  I've heard of a few people making online reservations, pay for it, and then get to the place and find it closed.  They sometimes have difficulty in getting their money returned in a timely manner.

[Goinghomesoon]

On 10/9/2020 at 5:43 AM, rct99q said:

Wont help at the moment i have booked for splash resort next week.

 

Family so nightlife is not an issue. 

 

Will let people know how it was. Usually stay at koh chang paradise resort but they did not seem to be offering great deals. Private pool room was quoted at 5,000 baht which is lower than normal but not a great deal.

How was Splash? We are looking at it for a family holiday in November with our 6yo. 

[Joinaman]

hi thee

looking at going to Koh Chang in November with my lady  and have seen the recommendations on hotels here

Which is the better ones for being close to a few bars, but nice beach side locations 

Was thinking of maybe a few days in posh resort and then moving the other side to a cheaper place, but would like to be able to walk to a nice bar or two on an evening .

Was also thinking of taking the car on the ferry tour round the island, - good or bad idea ?

Thanks