Getting to Koh Wai is very easy, whether it be from Bangkok, Trat or the surrounding islands of Koh Chang, Koh Mak and Koh Kood.
Leaving Laem Ngop Pier on the mainland, one daily late morning speedboat calls in at Koh Wai. This in turn means either the early morning or late night public bus options from Bangkok will make the connection.
Koh Wai is also first port of call for the island hopping services out of Koh Chang and features heavily in the 3 island boat trips which run from there.
You can jump straight to any of the sections here:-
Getting to Koh Wai by Speedboat
Operating from Laem Ngop Pier (also known as Krom Luang), about 20km from Trat, Koh Waii Paradise is the speedboat service which travels to Koh Wai.
- Koh Waii Paradise leaves at 11.30, returning at 09.30, 450bt per person, kids under 120cm 300bt. It takes about 45 minutes
Koh Waii Paradise only goes between the mainland and its pier. You need to ask your resort to collect you from there, normally a long tail boat at 50bt per person.
Rainy Season
During the rainy season, (mid May to end of October), check ahead on what is running but also check if the island resorts are open or not?
Island Hopping between Koh Chang, Koh Wai, Koh Mak and Koh Kood
It is very easy to get to Koh Wai from the other Koh Chang Islands, using either a speedboat or the slower wooden boat.
Slow Boat – Koh Chang Express
For Koh Wai, Koh Chang Express’ slower wooden boat departs at 09.00 from Koh Chang, 400bt per person. This is the island hopping service out to Koh Mak and Koh Kood. From Wai to Mak is 300bt, an hour and to Koh Kood 600bt, two hours.
The same boat also calls in at Koh Wai at 15.00 its way back from Koh Kood (13.00), Koh Mak (14.00), prices as above.
On Koh Chang, it leaves from or arrives at Bang Bao Pier, Koh Wai at Koh Wai Paradise, Koh Mak at Koh Mak Resort Pier and Koh Kood at Namluek Pier.
The boat company provides a free share shuttle taxi on Koh Chang and Koh Kood between your resort and the pier.
At Koh Mak, you ask your resort to collect you or take a taxi, 50bt per person, minimum 100bt. The resort will drop you at the correct pier for departure.
Speedboat – Kai Bae Nor Nou
Kaibae Huts Speedboat service, which plys the same route, leaves at 09.00 from Koh Chang, arriving at 09.30 at Koh Wai, 600bt per person. Koh Wai to Koh Mak (10.00) is 500bt and to Koh Kood (11.00) is 1,000bt.
Its return service reaches Koh Wai at 12.30 and arrives back at Koh Chang at 13.00. It leaves from Koh Kood at 11,00, Koh Mak at 12.00.
On Koh Chang, it leaves or arrives at Kai Bae Pier, with the boat company providing a free share shuttle taxi between the pier and the resort.
At Koh Wai, it can drop at individual resorts. With Koh Mak, it is the same system as the wooden boat above – that’s the island way.
In Koh Kood, Kai Bae Huts Speedboat delivers to and collects from some resorts directly but always check ahead. If it does not deliver direct, you must get your resort to drop you or collect you from Siam Beach Resort on Bang Bao Beach.
See the timetables below for the times from the other islands, Koh Mak and Koh Kood.
These boats do not run during the rainy season.
We can book these tickets for you, payment as above. We then send you a voucher to show on the day
Getting to Koh Wai by Private Transfers – Car or Minibus
We can organise private transfers to and from Laem Ngop Pier by SUV car, 2/3 people or 2 adults and 2 small children at 3,800bt. A minibus for larger groups is 4,500bt. The service is direct from either a Bangkok hotel or its two Airports at Suvarnabhumi (arriving by 05.30 to 06.00) and Don Mueang (05.00).
If your flight arrival precludes the 11.30 boat connection, you can stay near the pier or Trat and continue to the island the next day. Our guide to Trat guesthouses is here.
We can also collect from the Cambodian borders, from Siem Reap, Sihanoukville or Phnom Penh, Trat Airport and from Koh Chang, all details on our service here over in our Koh Chang section.
Getting to Koh Wai – Public Bus and Minibus
If you take the public bus to Trat at 05.00 (Cherdchai, 279bt) from Bangkok’s Ekamai Bus Station on the Sukhumvit Road, they canl drop you at the Saen Tung junction, about 35km out from Trat around 10.10. From here, you take songthaew taxi to Laem Ngop Pier (80bt per person but is depends on how many people) and so can connect to the 11.30 Koh Waii Paradise.
The 23.30 night bus from Cherdchai at 23.30 (279bt) passes Saen Tung at 04.40 and then reaches Trat at 05.00 so would also work for the boat connection.
From Ekamai Bus Station and Morchit Bus Station, there is also a microbus (Kohchang Bangkok Transport Co) to Trat, with only the 05.00 suitable for Koh Wai, price 290bt. You change at Saen Tung Junction as above.
Getting from Koh Wai back to Bangkok
For the return, you should be able to book a share minibus once on Koh Wai. Otherwise, on arrival at the pier head to Thida Tours and they will have some service. In both cases, you can use either the 08.50 daily Koh Mar Ferry Speedboat or the 10.00 Koh Waii Paradise.
The minibuses will go to Victory Monument in the centre of Bangkok, calling at the Airport Rail Link (Lad Krabang) along the way. You can also link to services to BKK Suvarnabhumi Airport and Khao San Road.
Alternatively, take a songthaew up to Trat Bus Station by taxi and take one of the public buses from there to Ekamai Bus Station, around 280bt with Cherdchai Tours. Or there are the more frequent microbuses from Kohchang Bangkok Transport Co.
Getting to Koh Wai – Flying to Trat Airport
Due to the flight schedule and the speedboat time, it is not possible to arrive at Trat Airport and make Koh Wai in the same day. If you do want to fly, take the PG307 afternoon flight and stay a night near the pier. You can then have a lesiurely morning before making your way to the pier for the 11.30 speedboat.
Flying out is no problem. You can take the 09.30 Koh Waii Paradise to connect to the PG306 departing Trat at 14.10 (winter timetable 28/10/24 to 30/3/25) or 13.10 (summer timetable, 31/3/25 to 27/10/25) arriving Suvarnabhumi Airport at 15.10 (14.10).
You can use our private car for the trip between Laem Ngop Pier and Trat Airport at 950bt or the older songthaew taxis.
Getting to Laem Ngop Pier from Trat
To Laem Ngop Pier (Krom Luang), songthaew taxis run back and forth from Trat Bus Station, a km or so out from the city itself, at a cost of 60bt per person, leaving when full or you can charter the whole vehicle for 300bt.
If staying the night in Trat, your guesthouse will usually organise the transport or you can walk to the covered market and negotiate yourself. Expect to pay 250bt+ to go immediately.
There is a another public taxi on the corner by the chemists, opposite the entrance to the temple. For 50bt to 60bt per person, taxis leave from here to the Koh Chang ferry piers up the road from Laem Ngop Pier, again when full only.
Simply ask them to drop you off at Laem Ngop Pier for Koh Wai/Koh Mak. Taxis coming back from the piers follow the same pricing system if full. With only a few passengers, the cost per person will increase.
Laem Ngop Pier is a few kilometres down the coast from the ferry piers of Centrepoint and Ao Thammachat which serve Koh Chang. If you find yourself at those piers, there are little blue taxis that will run you to Laem Ngop for 30bt to 40bt per person from Centerpoint, more like 300bt for a charter from Thammachat.
Koh Wai Boat Trips
The Koh Chang snorkeling scene offers plenty of boat trips which call in at Koh Wai.
Of course, you can also pop in as part of on a private tour – we offer one combining Koh Wai with Koh Ngam, Koh Klum and Loh Laoya.
More details on the day trips can be found at here.
UPDATED NOVEMBER 24
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