Buses To Trat/koh Chang

[Nikkijah]

What is the best bus to Trat/Koh Chang now?

I used to use the Cherdchai buses but they're not all that good and can take longer than timetables quote, I also tried a minibus but they're too small for my legs and I feel in danger the entire journey, one time I used one of the orange buses from Ekamai and it was smooth, fast and took us straight to the ferry(well, nearly) if I remember rightly...

Does anyone know the name of the orange bus company or do you have any other suggestions for traveling to Trat?

Wouldn't it be nice if a train line went all the way!

Nikkijah

[dominique355]

If I am not mistaken, they are called "777", aka "Rot duan bo ko so", but not sure.

At Ekamai station, they are on the left side (when Sukhumvit is behind you).

Other means of transportation to Trad / Kho Chang is Airplane (Bangkok Air) or by your own car. The street is good and not too much traffic (most of the time). Take motorway No. 7 to Chonburi and get off to Baan Bueng. Then follow signs to Chantaburi and Trad.

There are several ferries from the mainland to Kho Chang. If you come from the city of Trad, it's the last one, only 25 min to cross over (Thamachart ?). If you come form Bangkok, it's the first one.

[siam2007]

http://www.transport.co.th/Eng/EAST2.htm

thats a special Bus for Trad only, they have some more if u click on the "BUS STANDARD 1" - link

click on "HOME" on the top, left, to be able to click through the entire english-language website.

I would be cautious to trust the timetable entirely, as I dont know when they had it updated last, better call the station before planning ur trip.

[asanee]

google for ''whitesands'' or so on Koh Chang, they do a good website that has recent+decent info on bus/airlinks from BKK+airport to go there. 3 different comp's run BKk-Trat.

The colour of the bus in thaild does NOT indicate the comp: but rather the class of service, and orange (''the orange crush'') were the NONair open buses, 3d class, that have abolished from this route at least some 5 years ago. All blue means 1st cl,=AirCon, WC, service, generally nonstop, but 1 comp may use a variety of buses, old and new, you will not know what you get till boarding. Usually CherdChai (which is in fact amalgamated with another comp. recently, CHAn tour) is known as a good+reliable comp.

[sutnyod]

There are also special tour buses to the ferry that leave directly at Hua Lamphong train station in the morning. You would have to make booking one day in advance on the second floor travel agency (above the newsstand).

[huddy]

There are also special tour buses to the ferry that leave directly at Hua Lamphong train station in the morning. You would have to make booking one day in advance on the second floor travel agency (above the newsstand).

I find Thanakawee (Tel. 02-391-2331) buses good. Particularly the ones that go direct to the Koh Chang ferry. Times are below. Information is from www.whitesandsthailand.com

Ekamai toFerry (Ao Tammachat)

08.30 am

Ekamai to Trat

10.30 am, 12.00 pm, 04.40 pm, 06.30 pm, 10.30 pm

Morchit to Trat (via Airport)

06.00 am, 09.30 am, 12.30 pm, 03.30 pm, 11.00 pm

A company called 99 Express (089-752-5732) also does buses at the following times.

Ekamai to Ferry (Centrepoint) - 07.45 am, 09.45 am

Ferry (Centrepoint) to Ekamai - 02.00 pm, 04.00 pm

(service also stops at Suvarnabhumi Airport)

Hope that this helps.

[Nikkijah]

Thanks for all your replies, I ended up getting the orange bus from Ekamai, which is still running and is actually the one I was enquiring about in the first place, I just wasn't sure if I wanted to turn up all hopeful and be disappointed with another CherdChai special!

The orange bus waits out in the car park of Ekamai and runs at 7.45am & 9.30 I believe, I got the 7.45 one and it wasn't much faster than CherdChai although it felt fast as it went straight on to the expressway whereas CherdChai snakes it's way through Sukhumvit before leaving town - picking up the stragglers or latecomers I suppose...

The bus cost B248 and arrived at Ao Thammachat, not at the deserted con of a bus station that is TRAT!

On the way back I took a late ferry - I couldn't pull myself away! - and ended up having to get a songthaew into the TRAT bus station and I got on a CherdChai reluctantly as there were no other buses It wasn't that bad but once I came home straight from the ferry point on the mainland, I think this must have been Centre Point ferry, here you can get the orange bus which means no farting around getting into town or waiting around in a bus station, the only drawback to this is that Centre Point ferry takes longer to cross as it goes diagonally across the water instead or directly.

Hope this helps the next person!

[asanee]

then clearly it must have been the BoKoSo 99 bus, which is mainly whie, with blue+orange stripes (or at least should be)and is officially 2nd class AC, which seems confirmed by the quoted price. which again shows that putting out the prper info first time is worth all - and also saves others from posting that wee not needed

[Nikkijah]

then clearly it must have been the BoKoSo 99 bus, which is mainly whie, with blue+orange stripes (or at least should be)and is officially 2nd class AC, which seems confirmed by the quoted price. which again shows that putting out the prper info first time is worth all - and also saves others from posting that wee not needed

It's always good to discuss these things for clarity asanee

Not sure why it's the 2nd class service as it feels like 1st class compared to all the rest