Bang Bao, Koh Chang
The verdict
- Best for: Travellers heading out on a dive or island hopping boat, seafood lovers and anyone who enjoys the atmosphere of a working stilted fishing village over a stretch of sand.
- Best spot: A table at one of the seafood restaurants out on the old pier, ideally around an early dinner with the boats coming in and the harbour all around you.
- Know this: Bang Bao is a pier village, not a swimming beach, so come for the boats and the food and swim back up the coast at Klong Prao, Kai Bae or White Sand, or take a boat to a better cove.
Published 8 April 2026. Last reviewed 21 April 2026
Bang Bao is where the road runs out and the boats take over. It sits at the southwest tip of Koh Chang, the far end of the main west coast road past Lonely Beach, and it is not a beach in the sense the rest of this coast is. It is a working fishing village, an old wooden pier reaching out over the water and lined end to end with seafood restaurants, dive desks, shops and guesthouses on stilts. The honest thing to say up front is that you do not come here to swim. There is little sand, the water around the pier is busy harbour, and the appeal is entirely the village and what leaves from it.
What leaves from it is the best of southern Koh Chang. Bang Bao is the launch point for the island's dive trips and island hopping boats out to the marine park and the quieter southern coves, where the snorkelling and the clear water are. For many travellers a boat day from this pier is the highlight of the whole trip, and the practical truth is that you will pass through Bang Bao to reach the island's best underwater scenery whether or not you linger. The pier itself is worth the time too, a fine half day of seafood and harbour atmosphere, especially over an early dinner with the longtails coming in.
The honest note is simple: treat Bang Bao as a destination for boats and food, not as a base for a beach holiday. If you want sand and swimming, stay up the coast at Klong Prao, Kai Bae or White Sand and ride down for the boats and the seafood. The drive itself takes care on the climbing, winding southern road, and the pier boards get slick, so mind your footing. But as the gateway to the marine park and the most characterful meal on the island, Bang Bao rewards the trip out, on the clear understanding that the reward is the boats and the village, not the beach.
Eating and boats here
Bang Bao is seafood restaurants and boat operators rather than beach clubs. We describe the setting factually and route enquiries through our directory; we never invent venues, prices or amenities.
Seafood restaurants on the pier
The pier is lined with fresh seafood restaurants built out over the water, the reason to come for a meal even without a boat, best around an early dinner. Their names, menus and prices are set by the venues and to be confirmed.
Dive and island hopping operators
Boat desks at the pier run the dive trips and island hopping tours out to the marine park and the southern coves, the main way to reach the clear water. Operators, routes, schedules and prices are independent and to be confirmed, and trips depend on the season and the sea.
Bang Bao sits at the southwest tip of Koh Chang, the end of the main west coast road past Lonely Beach. You reach the island by car ferry from the piers near Laem Ngop in Trat province, roughly five to six hours from Bangkok, then the short crossing. From the ferry and the west coast beaches, shared songthaew pickups run down to Bang Bao for a small fare, often timed around the boat departures, and a hired scooter or car gets you there on the climbing, winding southern road, which deserves a careful and confident rider. Conditions are typical and never guaranteed.
If you are catching a boat, confirm the departure time and the pickup the day before and arrive early, since the trips leave on the tide and the season. Park at the village entrance and walk out along the pier. Bring reef safe sun protection and insect repellent, water and motion remedy for the boats, cash for the seafood and the fares, and shoes with grip for the wet pier boards. Wear the life jacket the operator provides on any trip, and remember the swimming and the sand are back up the coast, not here.
Plan a day around Bang Bao
Tell us your date and party and we will point you to the right beach bars and daybeds up the Koh Chang west coast to pair with a Bang Bao boat trip or seafood dinner, with the harbour village and the island hopping boats the south is known for. No charge to enquire.
Common questions
Is Bang Bao a beach you can swim at?
Not really. Bang Bao is a working fishing village and pier at the southwest tip of Koh Chang, not a swimming beach. People come for the seafood, the boats and the walk out along the stilted pier, not to lie on sand. For a swim you go back up the west coast to Klong Prao, Kai Bae or White Sand, or take a boat from Bang Bao to a better cove.
What do you do at Bang Bao?
Bang Bao is the launch point for the island's dive trips and island hopping boats out to the marine park, so most visitors come to catch a boat, eat fresh seafood at the pier restaurants, or wander the row of shops and bars built out over the water on the old fishing pier. It is a half day of village and harbour rather than a beach day.
How do you get to Bang Bao?
Bang Bao sits at the southwest tip of Koh Chang, the end of the main west coast road past Lonely Beach. Shared songthaew pickups run there from the ferry and the west coast beaches for a small fare, especially timed around the boat departures, and a scooter or car gets you there on the climbing, winding southern road. Allow time, since it is the far end of the strip.
Are the island hopping boats from Bang Bao worth it?
If you want snorkelling and the clearer water of the outer islands, yes, the boats from Bang Bao are the main way to reach the marine park and the quieter southern coves, and a day trip is the highlight of a Koh Chang stay for many. Operators, routes and prices are set by the boat companies and to be confirmed, and trips depend on the season and the sea.
Is Bang Bao worth visiting if you are not taking a boat?
It is worth a half day for the seafood and the atmosphere of the stilted pier village even without a boat, particularly for a lunch or an early dinner with the harbour around you. But it is not a place to base for sand and swimming, so treat it as a trip out rather than a beach to settle on.
