Koh Wai

Koh Wai is a small island roughly 20-45 minutes by boat south of Koh Chang, reached from Bang Bao pier. There’s no entrance fee and no bridge — everyone arrives by speedboat or the slower wooden tour boat, and the island itself has no roads, just sandy paths between a handful of budget bungalow operations.

The draw is a coral reef running along much of the north coast, close enough to shore — about 40 metres out — that snorkelling straight off the beach beats needing a boat trip. Parrotfish and angelfish are a reliable sight in the shallows; sea turtles turn up less predictably. A short hiking trail climbs from the Koh Wai Paradise side of the island to a sunset viewpoint, and walking the island’s perimeter takes well under an hour if you want to see all its small coves in one go.

Watch out: this is not a year-round destination. During the rainy season (roughly May-October) boat crossings get rough and unreliable, and most of the island’s already-basic resorts close entirely. Two larger properties, Pakarang Resort and Koh Wai Beach Resort, shut down during the pandemic and remain closed — don’t book them without confirming they’ve reopened. Only three small bungalow operations (Koh Wai Paradise, Good Feeling, Grand Mar Hut) currently run, with power for a few hours in the evening only and shared bathrooms outside of Good Feeling’s ensuite huts.

Insider Tip: Come as a day trip from Bang Bao unless you specifically want the no-electricity, no-wifi version of island life — accommodation here is deliberately minimal even by Thai island standards, and most travellers get more out of a half-day snorkelling trip than an overnight stay.

The island falls within Mu Ko Chang National Park, the marine park covering the wider 52-island archipelago — worth a look if you’re planning which of the smaller Trat islands to fit into a Koh Chang trip.