Klong Son, Koh Chang
The verdict
- Best for: Travellers who want a quiet, local feeling bay close to the ferry, families with small children happy to paddle in shallow sheltered water, and anyone keen to kayak out to the little islands offshore.
- Best spot: The northern end of the bay near the headland, the launch point for a paddle out to Koh Chang Noi, with its small beach and snorkelling, on a calm dry season morning at higher tide.
- Know this: The bay is very shallow and drains a long way at low tide, so it is a paddle and a base rather than a clear swim. For deeper water and soft sand, carry on to White Sand Beach, Klong Prao or Kai Bae.
Published 27 May 2026. Last reviewed 27 May 2026
Klong Son is the bay you reach before you have decided where you are going. It lies in the far northwest of Koh Chang, barely a couple of kilometres from the Ao Sapparot ferry pier, which makes it the easiest beach on the island to get to and the first temptation off the boat. The honest thing to say is that most travellers should not stop here for the swim. This is a shallow, tidal bay, soft and sheltered and pretty in its quiet way, but it drains a long way at low water and the sea is bay water rather than the clearer blue of the west coast strip. If your picture of Koh Chang is bright sand and a clean swim, keep driving south.
What Klong Son does have is calm and character that the busier beaches have lost. It is a real village bay, backed by a valley of fruit orchards and rubber trees, and it rewards the traveller who wants quiet over scene. The shallow water is genuinely good for small children to paddle in, and the bay holds two uninhabited islands offshore, Koh Mapring to the south and Koh Chang Noi off the northern headland, both an easy kayak away with snorkelling around them and a small beach to land on at Koh Chang Noi. Inland, a winding road climbs through the orchards to the Klong Jao Leuam waterfall, a fine half day for legs that want a walk.
So treat Klong Son for what it is. As a base it suits travellers who want value, space and a quick run to the ferry rather than nightlife on their doorstep, knowing the better swimming and the livelier evenings are a short ride down the coast at White Sand Beach, Klong Prao or Kai Bae. As a day trip it is a paddle, a kayak and a wander, best at higher tide on a calm dry season morning. Go in wanting the quiet northern corner and the islands offshore, and Klong Son repays the short detour. Go in wanting the headline beach, and you will wish you had driven on.
Bars and bases here
Klong Son is village resorts and kayak hire rather than a deck of beach clubs. We describe the setting factually and route enquiries through our directory; we never invent venues, prices or amenities.
Resort beachfronts on the bay
A scatter of resorts and guesthouses front the bay with their own loungers, pools and kayak hire, the easiest way to get set up for a quiet day on the shallow shore. Their names, rates and any day use are set by the venues and to be confirmed.
Local restaurants in the village
The Klong Son village has small local restaurants and shops away from the resort prices of the strip, the reason many come for an unhurried, authentic lunch. Their names, menus and prices are set by the venues and to be confirmed.
Klong Son is the simplest beach on Koh Chang to reach, which is part of its appeal. You cross to 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 to Ao Sapparot. From there the bay is only a couple of kilometres down the main road, before the climb over the headland to White Sand Beach. Shared songthaew pickups heading down the west coast pass the Klong Son turn for a small fare, and a hired scooter or car gets you there in minutes. Conditions are typical and never guaranteed.
Time your day around the tide, since the bay is at its best for paddling and kayaking at higher water and walks out a long way when it drops. Bring reef safe sun protection and insect repellent, water and a hat for the open shore, footwear for shells and rocks at low tide, and cash for the village and the kayak hire. If you mean to paddle out to Koh Mapring or Koh Chang Noi, go on a calm morning, wear the buoyancy aid the operator provides, tell someone your plan, and keep an eye on the wind. The waterfall inland needs a scooter or a lift and shoes with grip.
Plan a day around Klong Son
Tell us your date and party and we will point you to the right beach bars and daybeds along the Koh Chang west coast to pair with a quiet morning at Klong Son or a kayak out to the islands. No charge to enquire.
Common questions
Can you swim at Klong Son beach on Koh Chang?
You can, but it is a shallow tidal bay rather than a clear swimming beach. At low tide the water pulls back a long way and you wade out a fair distance to get deep enough, so it suits gentle paddling and children more than a proper swim. For clear, deeper water you carry on down the west coast to White Sand Beach, Klong Prao or Kai Bae. Conditions here are typical and never guaranteed.
How do you get to Klong Son on Koh Chang?
Klong Son is the first bay you reach after the ferry, in the far northwest of the island only a couple of kilometres from the Ao Sapparot pier. Shared songthaew pickups heading down the west coast pass the turn, and a hired scooter or car reaches it in minutes on the main road before the climb to White Sand Beach. It is the easiest beach on the island to get to from the boat.
Is Klong Son worth visiting on Koh Chang?
It is worth it if you want a quiet, local feeling bay away from the resort strip, a base near the ferry, or a kayak out to the little islands offshore. It is not worth a special trip if your priority is clear water and soft sand to lie on, since the developed beaches further south do that far better. Treat Klong Son as the calm, authentic corner rather than the headline beach.
What is there to do at Klong Son?
The bay has two uninhabited islands offshore, Koh Mapring to the south and Koh Chang Noi to the north, both reachable by kayak with snorkelling around them and a small beach on Koh Chang Noi. Inland, a winding road through fruit orchards and rubber trees leads to the Klong Jao Leuam waterfall. Otherwise it is a slow, quiet bay for a paddle, a wander and a local meal rather than a busy beach day.
Is Klong Son a good base on Koh Chang?
It works as a base for travellers who want quiet, value and a quick ferry run rather than nightlife and a lively beach. You are close to the boat and the northern viewpoints, but a scooter or songthaew ride from the main restaurants, bars and the better swimming beaches. If you want everything on your doorstep, White Sand Beach or Kai Bae suit better; if you want calm and space, Klong Son delivers.
