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Palm trees along a sandy beach and turquoise water on Koh Mak

Sample journey · 8–10 days

The eastern islands: a gem-trading town and two quiet islands near Cambodia

Chanthaburi, Koh Mak & Koh Kood

Photo: Siamways Individualreisen / Unsplash

Illustrative journey ideas — not bookable packages. No prices, dates or accommodation are implied.

When people talk about Thailand's islands they usually mean the cliffs of the Andaman Sea or Koh Samui. The eastern Gulf of Thailand, right by the Cambodian border, lives differently: the islands here are green and flat or wrapped in jungle, the roads are narrow and empty, and the stays range from wooden bungalows on the sand to a handful of small villas over the water. Bangkok families come for long weekends, but almost no one comes for longer.

On the way lies Chanthaburi, capital of a province of fruit and gemstones, whose old waterfront of wooden Chinese houses and Thailand's largest Catholic cathedral recall that this coast has always been a crossroads for traders and newcomers. Then Koh Mak, where days turn on a bicycle, a beach and a sunset, and Koh Kood, a larger, wilder island with waterfalls. It suits couples and honeymooners who want quiet rather than parties, and won't mind a few days without a cash machine.

The route

The journey

  1. Bangkok
  2. Chanthaburi
  3. Trat & the Laem Ngop pier
  4. Koh Mak
  5. Koh Kood
  6. Trat
  7. Bangkok
  1. The twin spires of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Chanthaburi and a statue of the Virgin Mary, in sepia

    01Days 1–4 · Bangkok & Chanthaburi

    A waterfront, a cathedral and sapphire traders

    After the flight, a night in Bangkok, then about four hours east along the coast to Chanthaburi the next morning. Two nights here: the old Chanthaboon waterfront by the river, a narrow street of wooden Chinese and Vietnamese houses, some now small cafés and workshops, and across the bridge the French-style Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, the largest Catholic church in the country. At weekends the streets of the gem quarter become a market: at small tables, traders study sapphires and rubies through loupes and bargain quietly, almost in a whisper. We come to watch rather than to buy. In May and June it's fruit season, with durian, mangosteen and rambutan piled at roadside stalls, and the sellers happy to show you how to eat them.

  2. A bamboo walkway leading out to sea with a small hut at its end on Koh Mak

    02Days 4–7 · Koh Mak

    An island you can cycle round

    About an hour to Trat, then a speedboat from the pier and, roughly an hour later, Koh Mak. The island is small and flat, covered in coconut palms and rubber trees, with hardly any cars, so everything slows down of its own accord. Three nights: cycling from one beach to the next, a paddleboard or kayak on calm water, an afternoon on a wooden jetty over the sea and, when the sea is calm, a boat to tiny Koh Kham or snorkelling around the neighbouring islands. Evenings bring grilled fish and the sunset on the west coast. We'd choose the stay around what you want, from a simple bungalow among the palms to a quiet villa with a terrace by the water.

  3. Boats on calm water off the shore of Koh Kood

    03Days 7–9 · Koh Kood

    Waterfalls, mangroves and jungle hills

    In season, speedboats run between the islands, so Koh Kood is under an hour away. It's larger and wilder: hills wrapped in forest, long pale beaches and mangroves at the river mouths. Three nights mean no hurry. One day for the Khlong Chao waterfall, where you can swim in fresh water, and kayaking upriver between mangrove roots when the tide allows. Another with a local boatman along the coast to small coves where, with luck, the only wake will be your own. And one with no plan at all: a hammock, a book and a sea that turns perfectly still in the evening.

  4. A wooden jetty reaching out to sea under a blue sky on Koh Kood

    04Days 9–10 · Ao Salad & the way home

    A fishing village on stilts

    Your last full day on the island takes in the north-east coast and Ao Salad, a fishing village whose wooden houses and walkways stand right over the water. The catch is landed in the morning, and lunch is crab and squid that were in the sea a few hours earlier. Nearby Bang Bao is smaller and quieter still. The next morning, a speedboat to the mainland (about an hour to an hour and a half), a short transfer to Trat airport and a flight of around an hour to Bangkok. If you'd rather not fly, you can return by road: about five hours, easily broken with another night in Chanthaburi.

Experience highlights

  1. 01

    The Chanthaboon waterfront

    Wooden houses by the river, the cathedral on the far bank and a hushed gem market at weekends.

  2. 02

    Koh Mak by bicycle

    An island free of traffic noise, where paths through the palms link the beaches.

  3. 03

    Koh Kood's mangroves

    Kayaking upriver between the roots and a swim beneath the Khlong Chao waterfall.

  4. 04

    Ao Salad

    A fishing village on stilts and lunch from the morning's catch.

First, we listen. Then, we explore what's possible.

Make it your own

  • Islands only

    If Chanthaburi doesn't appeal, you can fly from Bangkok straight to Trat and spend every night on the islands.

  • For a honeymoon

    More nights on Koh Kood in one of a few small villas over the water, a private boat for the coves and dinner on the beach.

  • With the seasons

    From November to April the sea is calm and boats run regularly; in the rainy season some stays close, so then we'd suggest a shorter trip or another region.

  • With Cambodia

    Trat is close to the Cambodian coast, so the islands combine with Kampot, Kep and Angkor in one longer journey.

Practical considerations

  • The best time is roughly November to April, when the sea is usually calm. In the rainy season (roughly May to October) boats between the islands are fewer or stop altogether, and some stays close.
  • Boat timetables depend on the season and the weather, so we plan with some slack and check everything before you go.
  • The islands have few cash machines or shops, and evenings are often dark and quiet, which is exactly why people come.
  • Chanthaburi's gem market is busiest at weekends; we visit it as something fascinating to watch rather than for shopping.

General guidance only. Seasons, weather and wildlife are never guaranteed, and travel requirements are always worth checking before you go.

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