Trat travel guide
Canal-side shophouses, island ferries and a town handed back by France
A quiet border-province capital with an old canal quarter, temples and lively evening markets, and the jumping-off point for Ko Chang, Ko Kut and Ko Mak. Go between November and February. One night in town is usually enough before the islands. Prices are low, and a 30-day visa exemption covers many nationalities.
Trat is the small provincial capital at the far south-eastern end of Sukhumvit Road. It sits near the mouth of the Trat River, close to the Cambodian border. Most travellers know it as the gateway to Ko Chang, Ko Kut and Ko Mak, and many now ride straight from Bangkok to the island piers without stopping. That is a pity: one night in town is the cheapest, calmest way to break the trip.
The old quarter is the reason to stay. Wooden shophouses line the lanes along Khlong Bang Phra, some painted with street art, and the guesthouse strip on Thana Charoen and Lak Muang roads still has the easy feel of the years when every island traveller passed through. It is quieter now, and residents will tell you so.
In 1904 Siam ceded Trat to France in exchange for Chanthaburi; a treaty signed on 23 March 1907 handed it back, and the town still marks that date every year. A colonial-era building used by French troops survives, and the Trat National Museum, in a large wooden house, tells the story. Offshore, the 1941 naval battle of Ko Chang cost the Thai navy three ships.
Around town the land is given over to rubber and fruit. Orchards supply the markets with sweet rakam wan, a local salak, and the yellow-skinned Trat Si Thong pineapple. After dark the night market and Soi Rai Rang fill with stalls of old-style Thai sweets.
Plan around the rain. Trat is one of the two wettest provinces in Thailand, and July alone averages over a metre. December to February is dry, and that is also when the islands are at their best.
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Top things to do in Trat
Canal-side shophouses, Ayutthaya-era temples, night markets and ferries to the eastern islands.
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Best time to visit Trat
Month by month, so you can pick the weather and the crowds you want.
Rain drops to between 28 mm and 85 mm a month and highs sit around 32C to 33C; calm seas for the island ferries.
Still hot and mostly sunny, but showers grow from 140 mm in March to almost 200 mm in April.
Some of the heaviest rain in Thailand, peaking at about 1,024 mm in July; check boat timetables, as services to the smaller islands are reduced.
December and January are peak weeks on the island boats and the small Bangkok Airways turboprops, so book flights and island rooms early.
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Getting there
Bangkok Airways to the garden terminal, and coaches from Ekamai
Trat Airport (TDX) is an open-air pavilion terminal served only by Bangkok Airways from Suvarnabhumi, about 55 minutes. It is 32 km from town and 17 km from the Ko Chang ferries, so most passengers book the minibus with ferry included. Buses from Bangkok's Ekamai and Mo Chit terminals take about five hours, longer on stopping services, and a first-class bus runs direct from Suvarnabhumi.
- Trat Airport (TDX)
- Bangkok Airways from Suvarnabhumi, about 55 minutes; taxi to town or minibus to Ko Chang
- Coach
- Ekamai and Mo Chit in Bangkok, about 5 hours on express services
- Direct airport bus
- First-class service between Suvarnabhumi and Trat, about 5 hours
- Ferry piers
- Songthaews from town to Laem Ngop in about 30 minutes, then boats to Ko Chang
- Ekamai buses that stop at every station can take up to eight hours; pick an express or first-class departure.
- If you are heading straight for Ko Chang, buy the combined airport minibus and ferry ticket, which saves a taxi into town first.
Staying safe
Cambodian border advice, checked October 2026
Trat province runs down to the Cambodian border, and both the UK and Australia currently treat the border strip as a special case after the 2025 fighting between Thailand and Cambodia. The UK Foreign Office (page updated 12 October 2026) advises against all but essential travel to areas within 20 km of the land border with Cambodia, says land crossings between the two countries remain suspended and warns of unexploded landmines near the border. Australia's Smartraveller (updated 15 October 2026) advises against travel within 10 km of the land border in mainland Trat and six other provinces. Neither names Trat town or the islands. Travelling against your government's advice can void travel insurance, so check your policy and the current advice before you go.
- UK FCDO
- All but essential travel advised against within 20 km of the Cambodian land border
- Australia Smartraveller
- Advises against travel within 10 km of the border in mainland Trat
- Border crossings
- Thailand-Cambodia land crossings, including Hat Lek, suspended at the time of writing
- The long, narrow strip of the province south towards Khlong Yai and Hat Lek lies close to the border; check a map against the 20 km line before driving that way.
- The Tourism Authority of Thailand reported that a curfew in Trat was lifted on 16 December 2025; follow local instructions if security measures return.
Where to stay
Thana Charoen guesthouses and the Khlong Bang Phra lanes
Almost everything worth staying near is within a few blocks of the main market, so choose by atmosphere and by how early your boat leaves.
- Thana Charoen and Lak Muang roads
- The old traveller strip in wooden houses near the canal, quiet at night, simple fan and air-con rooms
- Chaimongkol Road and the lanes south of the market
- Family-run guesthouses close to the night market and the songthaew stand
- Soi Rimklong by the canal
- A few more polished small hotels, a short walk from the old shophouses
- Sukhumvit Road near the market
- Handy for buses and bike rental, busier and noisier by day
- Most guesthouses check out at noon and will store bags while you wait for an afternoon songthaew to the pier.
Getting around
Motorbike taxis, market songthaews and the lake loop
Trat is walkable, and motorbike taxis charge a fixed fare for short hops. Blue songthaews leave the east side of the main market when full, including for Laem Ngop. Shops on Sukhumvit Road south of the market rent scooters by the day, some guesthouses lend bicycles for a 10 km lake loop, and fuel is cheaper here than on Ko Chang.
- On foot
- The old quarter, temples and markets are all within a short walk
- Motorbike taxi
- Fixed fares around town, including the bus terminal
- Songthaew
- From the east side of the main market to Laem Ngop and provincial villages, leaving when full
- Ko Chang's roads are steep and winding, and the hardest hill lies between the ferry piers and the beaches; ride slowly if you take a bike across.
Know before you go
What makes Trat worth the trip, and what catches visitors out.
Why travelers love it
- The shophouse lanes along Khlong Bang Phra, with street-art murals and Tha Sadet, the old pier where King Chulalongkorn stepped ashore.
- Wat Buppharam, the oldest temple in Trat, dating from the Ayutthaya period, with murals in Ayutthaya and Chinese styles.
- Soi Rai Rang night market for street food and the old-fashioned Thai sweets that are hard to find elsewhere.
- Wat Saphan Hin, whose old ordination hall stands in water about a kilometre from the main temple.
- Hopping between Ko Chang, Ko Kut and Ko Mak from the Laem Ngop and Laem Sok piers once the November seas calm down.
Good to know
- Monsoon timetables are thinner, especially for Ko Kut and Ko Mak; check boats before travelling between May and October.
- The Centrepoint pier at Laem Ngop has been reported out of service since mid-2024; the car ferry from Ao Thammachat is the reliable crossing to Ko Chang.
- Ruby deals are a trap. Trat was once a ruby-mining area, but the deposits are long gone and bargain stones offered to tourists are usually fakes.
Trip fit
BookingMentor editorial ratings out of 5, based on a first-time visitor's experience.
Weather in Trat, month by month
More than 4,500 mm of rain falls on Trat province in a year, most of it in the monsoon, when island boat timetables also thin out.
Climate figures are approximate long-term averages for Trat (NOAA, via Wikipedia).
A night in Trat town before the Laem Ngop ferry to Ko Chang
One night in Trat town is enough to see its canal-side old quarter before the ferry to Ko Chang. Walk Khlong Bang Phra and Thana Charoen Road in the late afternoon, eat at the night market from about 18:00, then see Wat Buppharam and the Trat National Museum before the songthaew to Laem Ngop.
The flights from Bangkok take 55 minutes from Suvarnabhumi, and the Trat Airport guide covers taxis and the combined Ko Chang transfer. Staying the night, drop your bag on Thana Charoen Road and walk Khlong Bang Phra in low sun, past old shophouses, street murals and Tha Sadet pier.
See the City Pillar Shrine, a Chinese pavilion with no Thai spire, and Wat Yotha Nimit (Wat Bot), the town's only royal temple, before the night market opens around 18:00.
Next morning visit Wat Buppharam's Ayutthaya-era hall and murals, then give an hour to the Trat National Museum and the province's French chapter. Blue songthaews from the east side of the market reach Laem Ngop in about 30 minutes. Heading back instead, take the bus to Ekamai or the Trat to Bangkok flights.
Trat's markets, Soi Rai Rang sweets, rakam wan and Si Thong pineapple
Trat's food comes from its orchards and the sea, and the markets are the place to eat it. The indoor market near the bus terminal suits lunch, the night market a block north opens around 18:00, and Soi Rai Rang sells old-style Thai sweets. Rakam wan salak and Si Thong pineapple are the local fruits.
The indoor market across from the KFC, near the bus terminal, is packed with simple restaurants for lunch, and a smaller all-day market north of the night market sells fruit for the boat.
Look out for two local products. Rakam wan is the sweet form of salak, the snake-skinned palm fruit, grown in the province's orchards. Trat Si Thong pineapple is crisp and sweet, with a yellow skin. Both make good gifts to carry back to Bangkok, along with namman lueang, the yellow herbal rubbing oil made in the province.
Locals rate Soi Rai Rang's night market for desserts rarely seen in Bangkok. Afterwards, bars on Thana Charoen Road such as the long-running Oscar Bar stay open while there are customers.
Trips from Trat to Ko Chang, Ko Kut and Ban Nam Chiao
Ko Chang, Thailand's third-largest island, is the main trip from Trat, about 45 minutes by passenger boat from Laem Ngop. Ko Kut and Ko Mak are quieter overnight stops reached from Laem Ngop and Laem Sok. Closer to town, Ban Nam Chiao weaves palm-leaf hats, and Chanthaburi is an easy bus ride north-west.
Ko Chang anchors Mu Ko Chang National Park, about 650 square kilometres with more than 40 smaller islands. Passenger boats from Laem Ngop reach the Dan Kao piers, and the car ferry from Ao Thammachat lands at Ao Sapparot. A day trip works with a scooter and an early start, though most people stay several nights.
Ko Kut and Ko Mak are quieter and farther out, served by ferries and speedboats from Laem Ngop and Laem Sok, 15 to 20 km from town. They are best treated as overnight stops, and timetables thin out in the rainy months, when the province receives over 4,500 mm of rain a year.
Ban Nam Chiao weaves ngop Nam Chiao, palm-leaf hats sold around the province. In late January the Ko Chang Naval Battle Monument at Laem Ngop remembers the battle of 17 January 1941 with ceremonies and a navy exhibition, and Chanthaburi is an easy bus ride north-west on the way back to Bangkok.
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How we research our Trat travel guide
Cambodian border advice on this Trat page was last reviewed in October 2026. Other details follow the province's official website, with entry rules from the Royal Thai Embassy notice and the Thailand Digital Arrival Card.
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Checked against trusted sources:
Official website of TratRoyal Thai Embassy noticeThailand Digital Arrival Card
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Quick answers to the questions travelers ask most before visiting Trat.
Getting there
Most arrivals take the door-to-door minibus to Ko Chang resorts, which includes the ferry; the airport is about 17 km from the piers. For Trat town, about 32 km away, take a taxi from the terminal.
Only Bangkok Airways, using ATR-72 turboprops on a flight of about 55 minutes. There are no Don Mueang flights to Trat.
Yes, a first-class bus runs between Suvarnabhumi and Trat several times a day, taking about five hours. It is far cheaper than flying.
General
The car ferry leaves from Ao Thammachat, about 10 km west of Laem Ngop town, for the Ko Chang Ferry Pier at Ao Sapparot. Passenger boats from Laem Ngop reach the Dan Kao piers in about 45 minutes; the Centrepoint service has been reported suspended since mid-2024.
Not at present. UK advice checked in October 2026 says land crossings between Thailand and Cambodia remain suspended, so check current official advice before planning any overland route.
As of October 2026 the UK advises against all but essential travel within 20 km of the Cambodian land border, and Australia advises against travel within 10 km of it in mainland Trat. This can affect travel insurance; Trat town and the islands are not named in either advisory.
Try rakam wan, the sweet local salak, and the small yellow-skinned Trat Si Thong pineapple. The all-day market north of the night market is a good place to stock up.
Yes, if your boat leaves early or you arrive late from Bangkok. The guesthouses on Thana Charoen and Lak Muang roads are cheap, and the canal quarter and night markets fill an evening.
Trat is walkable, and motorbike taxis charge a fixed fare for short hops. Blue songthaews leave the east side of the main market when full, including for Laem Ngop. Shops on Sukhumvit Road south of the market rent scooters by the day, some guesthouses lend bicycles for a 10 km lake loop, and fuel is cheaper here than on Ko Chang.
Trat is best known for:
- The shophouse lanes along Khlong Bang Phra, with street-art murals and Tha Sadet, the old pier where King Chulalongkorn stepped ashore
- Wat Buppharam, the oldest temple in Trat, dating from the Ayutthaya period, with murals in Ayutthaya and Chinese styles
- Soi Rai Rang night market for street food and the old-fashioned Thai sweets that are hard to find elsewhere
- Wat Saphan Hin, whose old ordination hall stands in water about a kilometre from the main temple
- Hopping between Ko Chang, Ko Kut and Ko Mak from the Laem Ngop and Laem Sok piers once the November seas calm down
Timing & weather
The commemoration fair runs from 23 to 27 March at the provincial town hall. It marks the treaty of 23 March 1907 that handed Trat back to Siam.
Very wet: July averages about 1,024 mm of rain and August about 970 mm. Island boat services shrink, so November to February is the safer window.
The best time to visit Trat is Nov to Feb. The dry months, with only 28 mm of rain in December against more than 1,000 mm in July.
- Dry season: November - February (Rain drops to between 28 mm and 85 mm a month and highs sit around 32C to 33C; calm seas for the island ferries)
- Build-up: March - April (Still hot and mostly sunny, but showers grow from 140 mm in March to almost 200 mm in April)
- Monsoon: May - October (Some of the heaviest rain in Thailand, peaking at about 1,024 mm in July; check boat timetables, as services to the smaller islands are reduced)
Visa & documents
From 15 September 2026, Thailand replaced its 60-day visa exemption with a 30-day exemption for tourism, covering about 60 countries; a one-time extension of up to 30 days may be possible at an immigration office. Some nationalities can get a visa on arrival, and others need an e-Visa before travel. All foreign visitors must complete the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) online before arrival.
Health & safety
Trat province runs down to the Cambodian border, and both the UK and Australia currently treat the border strip as a special case after the 2025 fighting between Thailand and Cambodia. The UK Foreign Office (page updated 12 October 2026) advises against all but essential travel to areas within 20 km of the land border with Cambodia, says land crossings between the two countries remain suspended and warns of unexploded landmines near the border. Australia's Smartraveller (updated 15 October 2026) advises against travel within 10 km of the land border in mainland Trat and six other provinces.
