Koh Mak is a small, flat island in Trat province, lying between its two bigger neighbors, Koh Chang and Koh Kood, in the eastern Gulf of Thailand. It has long sandy beaches, coconut and rubber plantations, a few hundred residents and almost no nightlife. The usual way in is the catamaran from Laem Sok on the Trat coast or, in the dry season, by speedboat from the neighboring islands.
It suits people who want a quiet beach, a bicycle and very little else: couples, families with older children and travelers who found Koh Chang too busy. Plan your visit for the drier half of the year, from about November to April, when the sea is calm and the boats run most often. In the wet months the island is very quiet and getting there takes more planning.
Koh Mak at a glance (checked October 2026)
- Province
- Trat; a subdistrict of Koh Kood district
- Size
- About 14–16 km², the third-largest island in Trat after Koh Chang and Koh Kood
- Distance from the mainland
- About 35 km
- Main pier
- Ao Nid
- Boats from
- Laem Sok pier (Trat); Koh Chang and Koh Kood in the dry season
- Best months
- November to April
A plantation island with a short tourist history
Koh Mak takes its name from the areca palm (in Thai, mak), whose nut is chewed as betel. For most of the last century it was a plantation island: coconut and rubber cover much of the land, and descendants of the original families still own a large part of it. The island has a temple, a primary school, a market, a health center and three small fishing villages, with roughly 400 permanent residents.
Tourism came late and stayed small. There are no high-rise hotels and no town center, just a scattering of resorts and bungalows along the beaches. The island is known for a local beach clean-up: volunteers from the Trash Hero group collect rubbish from the beaches every Saturday, and visitors are welcome to join. Published figures for its size range from about 14 to 16 square kilometers, small enough to explore in a day without a car.
Boats from Laem Sok, Koh Chang and Koh Kood
All routes to Koh Mak start in the Trat area, a long day's journey overland from Bangkok. The bus, minivan and flight to Trat are explained in our Bangkok to Koh Chang page, since that first leg is shared.
From the mainland, the operator Boonsiri High Speed Ferries runs catamarans from the Laem Sok jetty on the coast below Trat to Koh Mak's Ao Nid pier and on to Koh Kood. Its timetable is in its booking system and changes with the season: its 2026 pages split the year into a high season (1 January to 31 May) and a low season (4 June to 30 September). Boonsiri also sells combined bus-and-boat tickets from Bangkok and Pattaya. Other boats have run from piers around Laem Ngop, closer to Trat town, but we could not confirm a current timetable for them, so check locally.
Once the dry season starts, fast boats connect all three Trat islands, so you can go Koh Chang to Koh Mak to Koh Kood without going back to Trat. Ko Kut Express, for example, lists speedboats between Koh Kood and Koh Mak taking about 30 minutes, at 500 baht, in its high season from 17 October, and has advertised a Koh Chang–Koh Mak–Koh Kood service since the 2024 season. Boonsiri's route list includes Bang Bao pier on Koh Chang.
| Route | Operator (example) | When |
|---|---|---|
| Laem Sok (Trat) – Koh Mak (Ao Nid) | Boonsiri catamaran | Year-round, with a separate low-season timetable |
| Koh Kood – Koh Mak | Ko Kut Express speedboat, ฿500, about 30 min | High season only |
| Koh Chang (Bang Bao) – Koh Mak | Speedboats, Boonsiri | Dry season |
Fares and times change every season, so confirm them on the operator's own site before you travel (as of October 2026). Booking and boat safety are covered in our page on Thai ferries and their operators, and the page on speedboat rides describes what the crossing between the islands is like.
Koh Mak's boats are fewest from May to September. According to Ko Kut Express, its smaller boats stay in port through the wet months, when the swell is too high for them. Count on fewer sailings and the odd cancellation, and keep a free day in hand before a flight out of Trat or Bangkok.
The beaches
Much of the 27 km coastline is sand, broken by small headlands and patches of mangrove. Many of the resorts stand along the northwest coast, and you will often see its beaches advertised under the resort names rather than a bay name. Other beaches are reached along the island's small roads, and part of the fun of a bicycle is finding an empty one.
Parts of the coast are shallow, so at low tide you may have to wade out before you can swim; ask at your resort which beach works best at which tide. Just off the northwest coast lies Koh Kham, a tiny island less than a kilometer away; at low tide you can walk across, and resorts on that side rent kayaks for the short paddle when the tide is in.
Snorkeling trips sold on Koh Mak may visit islands in the surrounding sea. Any trip into Mu Ko Chang National Park brings a fee of 200 baht per foreign adult (category 2, as of October 2026); ask the operator whether it is included.
Getting around by bicycle
The island is mostly flat, with a few low hills, and the small roads between the plantations are quiet. That makes it one of the few Thai islands where a bicycle is the obvious way to get around. Many resorts rent bicycles and kayaks; scooters are also available, but on Koh Mak they are rarely necessary.
If you do rent a scooter, ride with a helmet and avoid sandy tracks after rain. Our older motorbike and scooter safety article covers licenses and insurance, which apply on a small island just as on the mainland.
Money, food and health on a small island
How many cash machines Koh Mak has, and how dependable they are, is something we were unable to confirm, so stock up on baht before you leave the mainland. A foreign card costs 250 baht per withdrawal at Thai ATMs, or 350 baht for Mastercard holders at KBank and SCB (October 2026 rates); the ATM fee tool on this site adds it up for a week of withdrawals. Larger resorts may take cards, but small restaurants and bicycle rentals usually want cash.
Most visitors eat at their resort or at the small restaurants along the beaches and roads. Evenings are quiet: local descriptions stress that the island has no loud bars, and much of its appeal is that it stays that way. Bring any particular medicine, sunscreen or snacks with you.
The island's health center can handle minor problems, but for anything serious you will be taken back across the water to a hospital in Trat. Trat is a province on the Cambodian border, and official advice on malaria tablets for such provinces differs between the US and the UK; the page on travel vaccines and malaria advice for Thailand sets out both positions, and a travel clinic can advise on your own case.
The season: why November to April
The Trat islands follow the southwest monsoon. The province gets a great deal of rain, with very wet months from May to September and very little in December. Our Koh Kood guide sets out the Thai Meteorological Department's monthly figures for the Trat station and explains how the boat operators define their seasons.
For Koh Mak, the practical result is simple. From November to April the sea is calm, the beaches are at their best and all the boats run. From May to October some resorts close or run with few guests, boats are fewer and the sea can be rough. For how the eastern islands' calendar differs from the Andaman coast and from Samui and its neighbors, see our island season comparison.
Koh Mak or Koh Kood, Koh Chang or Koh Samet?
Choose Koh Mak for flat roads, shallow beaches and a calm, small-island feel. Choose its southern neighbor Koh Kood if you want a bigger, wilder island with waterfalls and clearer water, and do not mind a longer boat ride. Koh Chang has the most hotels, restaurants and activities, and its beaches compared show which part of the island fits you. For a short trip from Bangkok, Koh Samet is much closer.
The eastern islands hub puts all four next to each other, and the island-hopping guide shows how to combine Koh Mak with its neighbors in one trip.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best way to reach Koh Mak?
Travel to Trat by bus, minivan or plane, then cross by catamaran from Laem Sok to Ao Nid pier on Koh Mak; Boonsiri runs catamarans on this route. In the dry season you can also arrive by speedboat from Koh Chang or Koh Kood. Combined tickets from Bangkok are sold by the boat operators.
Is Koh Mak worth visiting?
Yes, if you want a quiet beach island with little traffic, easy cycling and shallow water. It is not a good choice for nightlife, shopping or diving schools on every corner. November to April is the time to go, with calm water and a full boat schedule.
Does Koh Mak have ATMs?
We could not confirm how many ATMs Koh Mak has or how reliable they are. Carry enough baht from Trat to cover rooms that do not take cards, meals, bicycle rental and the boat back, so that a broken or empty machine does not leave you stuck.
Can you walk to Koh Kham from Koh Mak?
Yes, at low tide. Koh Kham lies less than a kilometer off Koh Mak's northwest coast, and when the tide is out you can wade across the sandbar. At high tide, rent a kayak from one of the resorts on that side.
Is Koh Mak open in the rainy season?
The island is inhabited all year and boats from Laem Sok keep running, but less often, and speedboats between the islands stop. Some resorts close or have few guests from May to October. Ask your chosen resort whether it is operating before you commit to the trip.
Sources
- Boonsiri High Speed Ferries – Timetable and seasons 2026 (checked October 2026)
- Boonsiri High Speed Ferries – All routes (checked October 2026)
- Ko Kut Express – Fast ferry and speedboat timetable (checked October 2026)
- Pollution Control Department, Region 13 – Thailand's largest islands, citing DMCR (in Thai) (checked October 2026)
- Wikipedia – Ko Mak (history, size and administration, citing the Royal Gazette) (checked October 2026)
- Kapook – National park entry fees by category, citing DNP (in Thai) (checked October 2026)