Gulf of Thailand · Trat · 16 km²

Koh
Mak

A flat little island of coconut palms between Koh Chang and Koh Kood, with almost nothing on it.

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Flat and small
Coconut plantations
Two main beaches
Bicycles
Low-key resorts
Island hopping
Introduction

Sixteen square kilometres of almost nothing

Koh Mak sits between Koh Chang and Koh Kood and is the flattest and most manageable of the three. Most of it is coconut and rubber plantation, owned for generations by a handful of families, which is why it has never been sold off to big resorts. Two main beaches face west and south, and you can cycle between them in twenty minutes.

Palm trees on the beach at Koh Mak

Nothing here is dramatic. The pleasure is the scale: a beach for the morning, a plantation road for the afternoon, a beach bar for the sunset, and boats to smaller islands whenever you want them. It works particularly well as the middle stop between Chang and Kood.

Transport

Tickets & connections

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Tours

Tours & activities

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Quick facts

Koh Mak

  • About 16 km², in Trat province on the eastern seaboard
  • Speedboats from Laem Ngop near Trat take about an hour
  • Season November to April; many places close in the monsoon
  • Ao Kao and Ao Suan Yai are the two main beaches
  • Flat enough that a bicycle is genuinely the right vehicle
Palms against a Gulf of Thailand sunset
Getting there

Getting to Koh Mak

Boats leave from Laem Ngop pier near Trat, about an hour by speedboat and two by the slow ferry. Trat is four to five hours from Bangkok by bus, or under an hour by plane.

In high season, boats connect Koh Mak with Koh Chang and Koh Kood, which is what makes the three-island chain possible without going back to the mainland.

Most resorts arrange pier transfers, and the island's pickups meet the boats. Distances are so short that the ride is over before you have settled in.

Good to know

On the island

  • Rent a bicycle rather than a scooter; the island is flat and the roads are quiet.
  • There is no bank — bring cash for the week.
  • Ao Kao faces the sunset; Ao Suan Yai has the calmer water and the views to Koh Chang.
  • Day boats run to Koh Rang for the best snorkelling in the eastern gulf.
Ferry to the eastern islands
Highlights

What to do on Koh Mak

  • Ao Kao — the main beach, shallow and west-facing, with the sunset bars.
  • Ao Suan Yai — the north beach, looking across at the mountains of Koh Chang.
  • Plantation roads — an hour by bicycle through coconut and rubber.
  • Koh Rang snorkelling — the marine park reef, an easy day boat away.
Where to stay

Where to stay on Koh Mak

Ao Kao has most of the resorts, the restaurants and the sunset. Ao Suan Yai is quieter, with a handful of places and the view across to Koh Chang. Neither is more than a short cycle from the other, so the choice matters less here than almost anywhere else.

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Where next

Nearby islands

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