Trat

Trat is Thailand's easternmost province, a long, narrow strip of coast and forested hills running down to the Cambodian border. For most travellers its name is synonymous with islands: Trat is the gateway to Ko Chang, the country's second-largest island, and to the quieter, dreamier escapes of Ko Mak and Ko Kut (Ko Kood). Together these make up the Mu Ko Chang archipelago, a national marine park of jungled peaks, waterfalls, and white-sand bays.

Trat town itself is a small, low-key provincial capital — once a lively traveller stopover when all transport funnelled through it, now mostly a transit point as buses and vans run straight to the island ferry piers at Laem Ngop and Laem Sok. Those who do pause find an atmospheric old quarter of wooden shophouses along Khlong Bang Phra, friendly guesthouses, good night markets, and a slow, humid charm. The province also carries a distinct history: it was occupied by France in the early 20th century and only returned to Thai sovereignty in 1907, a fact still celebrated each March.

Beyond the islands, Trat is a fruit and gem province, famed for sweet rakam (salacca), Si Thong pineapple, and the rare "Siamese ruby." It is one of Thailand's wettest, greenest corners — and one of its most relaxed.

Trat has a pronounced wet season. The cool, dry months of November to March are by far the best time to visit: calm seas, sunny skies, and the islands at their most accessible. This is high season for Ko Chang, Ko Mak, and Ko Kut, and the only reliable window for snorkelling and diving.

The southwest monsoon — roughly May to October — makes Trat one of the rainiest provinces in Thailand; many smaller island resorts and some ferry services scale back or close, seas can be rough, and travel becomes unpredictable. April is hot but still dry. Festival-wise, late January brings the Ko Chang Naval Battle commemoration at Laem Ngop, and 23–27 March is Trat Independence Day, marking the province's return to Thailand. Both fall conveniently in the good-weather season.

Trat town sits at the southeast end of Sukhumvit Road. Buses from Bangkok's Ekamai and Mo Chit terminals take 5–8 hours (first class around 252 baht / ~US$7); there are also direct services from Suvarnabhumi Airport (~248 baht). Minivans are faster. Bangkok Airways flies into the tiny Trat Airport (TDX), mainly serving Ko Chang-bound visitors.

To reach the islands, take a songthaew or minivan from Trat to the ferry piers — Laem Ngop and Laem Sok lie about 15–20 km from town. Car-and-passenger ferries and speedboats serve Ko Chang frequently; Ko Mak and Ko Kut are reached by speedboat or slower wooden boats (more limited in the wet season). For the Cambodian border, minivans run from Trat bus station to Hat Lek, about 90 km southeast (around 120–150 baht, 1.5 hours), connecting to Koh Kong.

Trat town itself is small and walkable; motorbike taxis cost around 20 baht for any in-town trip, and motorbikes rent for about 200 baht/day on Sukhumvit Road. A scenic 10 km loop around the lake near town can be cycled with a 50-baht hired bicycle.

• Ko Chang — Thailand's second-largest island; jungled mountains, waterfalls, and a string of west-coast beaches from busy White Sand to quiet Lonely Beach.
• Ko Kut (Ko Kood) — a serene, upscale island of coconut palms, waterfalls, and barely-developed beaches.
• Ko Mak — a small, flat, palm-fringed island known for its laid-back pace and lack of crowds.
• Trat town — the provincial capital, with a charming old shophouse quarter, museums, and lively night markets.
• Laem Ngop — the main mainland ferry port for Ko Chang and site of the Ko Chang Naval Battle Monument.
• Ko Wai & Ko Rang — tiny islands and dive sites with some of the archipelago's best coral and snorkelling.
• Ban Nam Chiao — a fishing village famed for its palm-leaf "ngop" hats and community tourism.
• Hat Lek — the southernmost point and the border crossing into Cambodia's Koh Kong.

Trat's food is coastal and tropical: abundant fresh seafood — crab, prawns, squid, oysters, and fish — grilled, steamed, or curried. The province's night markets are the best place to eat; Trat town's lively night market north of the main market and the Soi Rai Rang street-food market deliver cheap local dishes and old-style Thai sweets, including the well-known Khanom Thai Pa Nom.

Trat is also a fruit province. Look for rakam wan, a uniquely sweet variety of salacca (snake fruit) that is the province's signature produce, and the crisp, yellow-skinned Trat Si Thong pineapple. On the islands, seafood barbecues and beachside restaurants dominate. A traditional local product worth seeking out is namman lueang (yellow herbal rubbing oil), a Trat-made remedy sold for muscular aches and cold symptoms. Vegetarians will find island resorts increasingly accommodating, though rural mainland Trat leans heavily on seafood and pork.

Trat's culture blends Thai, Thai-Chinese, and a notable French colonial echo. The City Pillar Shrine in Trat town is unusual for its Chinese-pavilion form; its Phli Mueang Day (the "birthday of the city pillar God," known to the Chinese community as Xia Gong Sae Yit) is celebrated on the sixth night of the waxing moon of the sixth lunar month.

The province's two defining annual events are the Ko Chang Naval Battle Day in late January, held at the Naval Battle Monument at Laem Ngop to commemorate the Royal Thai Navy's 1941 action against the French, with naval exhibitions and merit-making; and Trat Independence Day, 23–27 March, marking the province's return to Thai rule after the French occupation, celebrated at the provincial town hall.

Local crafts include the distinctive ngop nam chiao — a folk palm-leaf hat shaped like an overturned frying pan, made in the Ban Nam Chiao community — and historically the cutting and trading of Siamese rubies, now rare as the local deposits are largely depleted.

• Island-hop the Mu Ko Chang archipelago — combine the jungle and waterfalls of Ko Chang, the serene beaches of Ko Kut, and the slow charm of Ko Mak in a single trip.
• Snorkel and dive around Ko Rang and Ko Wai — explore the marine park's healthiest coral reefs on a day boat from Ko Chang or Ko Mak.
• Trek to Ko Chang's waterfalls — hike through rainforest to Klong Plu Falls and other cascades on the island's mountainous spine.
• Wander Trat's old shophouse quarter — explore the wooden shophouses and street-art murals along Khlong Bang Phra, visit the Trat National Museum, and eat your way through the night market.
• Visit Ban Nam Chiao — experience community tourism in a mixed Thai-Buddhist and Thai-Muslim fishing village, and watch artisans weave the iconic ngop palm-leaf hats.