From Pattaya, Koh Samet is the short trip: about 90 km by road to the piers at Ban Phe, roughly an hour and a half by car, then a boat across. Koh Chang is a full morning: a direct bus leaves South Pattaya at 08:00 and reaches the island at 13:30, ferry included. Combined bus-and-boat tickets, a hired car or a Grab ride cover everything in between.
Most guides to these islands start in Bangkok. If you are already on the coast in Pattaya or at Jomtien Beach, you skip the worst of the traffic and both islands come closer. This page covers the land part of the trip from Pattaya, who runs it, how long it takes and how to get back. The boats themselves are covered only in brief, with links to the pages that explain them.
Pattaya to the eastern islands (checked October 2026)
- Koh Samet
- Road to Ban Phe pier (Rayong), about 90 km and 1 h 15–1 h 30 by car (one operator's figure, approximate); then the boat to Na Dan
- Koh Chang
- Bus-and-boat from South Pattaya 08:00, arrives 13:30; back from Koh Chang 10:00, arrives Pattaya 15:00 (as listed October 2026)
- Combined tickets
- Boonsiri: Pattaya pick-ups to Ban Phe, Samet, Koh Chang, Koh Mak and Koh Kood; high-season timetable 1 October 2026 to 31 May 2027
- Koh Chang ferry
- Ao Thammachat to Ao Sapparot only; the Centrepoint car ferry has been suspended since July 2024
- Bring
- Your passport: bus and boat operators ask for it when you buy
Which island from Pattaya?
Pick by the time you have. Samet works as a night or two added to a Pattaya stay, and even as a long day if you start early. Our Koh Samet guide covers the island, its beaches and the 200-baht park fee. Koh Chang is a different scale: a big, green island that deserves at least three nights, because half of the first day goes on getting there. The Koh Chang guide describes it, and the eastern islands overview compares both with Koh Mak and Koh Kood.
You can do both in one trip, but not by boat. The overview's FAQ explains the road transfer between the two; plan on most of a day for it.
Bus-and-boat tickets from Pattaya
The simplest way is a through ticket that covers the road and the boat. Boonsiri, which runs high-speed boats to the eastern islands, lists Pattaya pick-up points at Terminal 21 Pattaya, its own Pattaya office, hotels and U-Tapao airport. Its network runs to Ban Phe and Na Dan pier on Samet, to the Trat-side piers and Ao Sapparot on Koh Chang, and on to Koh Mak and Koh Kood. The high-season timetable runs from 1 October 2026 to 31 May 2027, but the departure times are shown only as images and in the booking system, so check them when you book.
For Koh Chang there is also a direct service. Route 392, run by Suvarnabhumi Burapha Co. from the South Pattaya terminal near Big C, is listed with one departure at 08:00, arriving on Koh Chang at 13:30, from 600 baht (October 2026). That is five and a half hours including the ferry. Booking sites that show six and a half hours are quoting a different service, so compare the operator's own times.
Ask which Koh Chang pier the ticket ends at. The only car ferry now running lands at Ao Sapparot, on the north-east of the island, while most hotels are on the west coast. Check whether your ticket includes the ride on to your beach or stops at the pier; our comparison of Koh Chang's beaches shows how far each one is.
Minivans and public buses
Travel agents and hotels in Pattaya also sell minivan seats to Ban Phe and the Trat piers, often with the boat included. They are quick, but the vans are cramped and the driving can be fast. Our guide to minivans in Thailand covers what to check before you get in, and the one on long-distance buses explains the alternative.
We could not verify a current timetable for the Transport Co. (Bor Kor Sor) government buses from Pattaya to Rayong or Trat, because the company's site did not load during our research. Ask at the bus terminal in Pattaya, and allow extra time if you change in Rayong or Trat town. We also found no official way to check whether an individual van operator is properly registered with the Department of Land Transport. Booking through a long-established operator or your hotel is the practical safeguard.
Getting to the departure point is easy. Pattaya's baht buses, the shared pickups on fixed loops, cost 15–20 baht a ride since 10 April 2026, and Grab works in town; Bolt does not list Pattaya.
A private driver or a Grab car
For two or more people with luggage, a car from your hotel door to the pier is often worth the extra. GrabCar can be booked for trips between provinces, with the fare calculated by distance, and GrabVan takes five to ten passengers. Grab's hourly "Rent" packages, a car and driver for 2 to 12 hours, are a different product: the last stop must be in the city where you were picked up, so they suit a day out, not a one-way run to Ban Phe or Trat.
A driver booked through your hotel or a transport company is the other option. Agree the price, the pier and whether tolls and fuel are included before you set off. Our guide to hiring a car with a driver covers how to book one and how to recognize a vehicle registered for hire by its plate.
Travelling with young children? Since 2022 the Road Traffic Act requires children up to six to sit in a child seat, with a fine of up to 2,000 baht. Ask for one when you book; many drivers do not carry them as standard.
Times compared
| From Pattaya by | To Ban Phe (for Samet) | To Koh Chang | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private car or Grab | About 1 h 15–1 h 30 (approximate) | Most of a morning to Ao Thammachat, plus the ferry | Groups, families, heavy bags |
| Direct bus-and-boat (route 392) | Not on this route | 08:00–13:30, 5 h 30 including the ferry | Solo travelers, fixed budget |
| Bus-and-boat ticket (Boonsiri and others) | Check the timetable | Check the timetable | Hotel pick-up, one ticket |
| Minivan from an agent | Varies with pick-ups | Varies with stops and changes | Flexible departure times |
Weekends and Thai long weekends slow everything down. Samet in particular fills with Bangkok weekenders, so a Sunday-to-Thursday stay is easier on both the road and the boats. Our list of Thai public holidays shows the long weekends to avoid.
The crossing in brief
For Samet, boats leave from several piers in a row at Ban Phe; the slow ferry to Na Dan takes around 40 minutes, and speedboats can go straight to your beach. Our Samet guide explains the piers and why you should pay the park fee only to park staff on the island. Our sister site has a full page on the ferries from Rayong to Koh Samet if you want the boat details.
For Koh Chang, every route ends at the car ferry from Ao Thammachat to Ao Sapparot, a crossing of around half an hour. Do not follow old directions to the Centrepoint ferry, which has been suspended since July 2024. Our page on getting from Bangkok to Koh Chang covers the ferry, the fares and the holiday queues. Boats to Koh Kood leave from Laem Sok, further down the Trat coast.
Trat province borders Cambodia, and the land crossings are closed. The UK Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel within 20 km of the land border. The piers for Koh Chang are on the coast west of Trat town, but do not let a driver take a short cut towards the border; check the Foreign Office map if the route looks odd.
Coming back to Pattaya
The return is the same trip in reverse, with one difference: you cannot buy a return seat at the last minute on a busy Sunday. From Koh Chang, route 392 is listed at 10:00, arriving in Pattaya at 15:00, and you need to be on the ferry side in good time. Book the return when you arrive on the island, either with the operator, through your hotel or at a travel desk. If you are flying out of U-Tapao, Boonsiri lists the airport among its stops; leave a wide margin for the ferry and the road.
From Samet, the boats back to Ban Phe run through the day, but the last ones fill early at weekends. You can book a Grab car from Ban Phe back to Pattaya, but fewer cars wait on that stretch of coast than in town, so for a late boat arrange the car before you leave the island.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take from Pattaya to Koh Samet?
About an hour and a quarter to an hour and a half by car to Ban Phe, according to one operator's figure, then around 40 minutes on the slow ferry to Na Dan. With waiting time at the pier, allow about three hours door to door.
Is there a direct bus from Pattaya to Koh Chang?
Yes. Route 392 leaves the South Pattaya terminal near Big C at 08:00 and is listed as arriving on Koh Chang at 13:30, ferry included, from 600 baht (October 2026). Bring your passport, which you need to buy the ticket.
Can I take a Grab from Pattaya to Ban Phe?
Yes. GrabCar can be booked for trips between provinces, priced by distance, and GrabVan carries five to ten people. Grab's hourly Rent packages are not suitable, because they must end in the city where they started.
Is there a boat from Pattaya to Koh Samet or Koh Chang?
Not a scheduled one that we could find. The usual route is by road to Ban Phe for Samet, or to Ao Thammachat in Trat for Koh Chang, then the boat from there. Combined tickets cover both parts.
Sources
- Boonsiri High Speed Ferries – Timetable and pick-up points (high season 2026–27) (checked October 2026)
- Gogo Town – South Pattaya to Koh Chang, route 392 (Suvarnabhumi Burapha Co.) (checked October 2026)
- Grab Thailand – Transport services, inter-provincial trips and GrabVan (checked October 2026)
- Grab Thailand – GrabRent hourly packages (checked October 2026)
- UK Foreign Office – Thailand travel advice (Cambodian border) (checked October 2026)