Eastern Thailand · Trat

Trat travel guide: gateway to Koh Chang, Koh Mak and Koh Kut

Trat is Thailand's easternmost coastal province, and its small capital is mostly a stepping stone to the islands of the Koh Chang archipelago. That is a shame: the town and its surroundings — mangrove communities, a city museum, fishing villages — reward a night. Offshore, Koh Mak and Koh Kut are among the quietest islands in the Gulf of Thailand.

AsiaVela editorial teamUpdated 1 October 20263 min read

A palm tree leaning over a turquoise lagoon and white sand on Koh Kut — A lagoon on Koh Kut.

Suggested time: 1 night in town; 3–5 nights on the islands
Where to stay: Trat town, then an island
Season and timing: November to April is the main season for the islands; the south-west monsoon brings rougher seas from about May to October.

The short answer

Stay one night in Trat town on the way to the islands, visiting the Trat Museum and the Ban Nam Chiao mangrove community. Then choose an island: Koh Chang for variety (see our Koh Chang guide), Koh Mak for a low-carbon, slow island stay, or Koh Kut for remote beaches. Bangkok Airways flies to Trat from Suvarnabhumi.

Trat town

The Trat Museum, in the old City Hall on Santisuk Road, is a learning centre for the history, culture and way of life of the province, according to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports' directory.

The town is small and easy to walk; evening markets are the best place to eat.

Ban Nam Chiao

Between Laem Ngop and town, Ban Nam Chiao is a community where, as the directory describes, two religions coexist and life depends on canals, mangrove forests and the sea. It has run community homestay tourism since 2004 and its ecotourism group has received quality awards.

Join a community-run activity rather than wandering into homes.

Coconut palms along a white-sand beach on Koh Mak under a blue sky — A beach on Koh Mak.

Make time for the local food

What to eat and where to look

Diners at plastic tables under lights at the night market in Trat town — The night market in Trat town.

Seafood

Fish, squid and shellfish from the Gulf of Thailand, grilled or in curries.

Where to look: Restaurants in town and in fishing villages.
Fit it into your day: Dinner on the night in town.

Prices often by weight.

Local island seafood

On Koh Mak, TAT notes that the 'Eat it Fresh' campaign encourages restaurants to buy from local fishermen.

Where to look: Island restaurants on Koh Mak.
Fit it into your day: Every evening on the island.

Menus depend on the catch.

Market snacks

Grilled skewers, curries over rice and sweets at evening stalls.

Where to look: Trat town's evening markets.
Fit it into your day: A light dinner.

Stalls vary.

Koh Mak

Koh Mak, about 38 kilometres from the shore, is a star-shaped island of coconut and rubber plantations with only two villages and white-sand bays with coral reefs, according to the directory.

TAT describes Koh Mak's long effort to become Thailand's first low-carbon destination, with campaigns since 2012 to buy local seafood, save energy and reduce waste. Choose green-certified accommodation and carry a refillable bottle.

A solitary tree standing on a sandbank in the shallow lagoon off Koh Mak — The lagoon off Koh Mak.

Koh Kut

Further south, Koh Kut (Koh Kood) is less populated than other Thai islands, with palm-fringed beaches, rainforest and fishing villages, as TAT describes.

It is remote: check boat schedules carefully, especially outside the dry season.