By fast ferry or shared speedboat the sea crossing from Koh Mak to Koh Kood takes around 30 minutes. Several travel operators offer hotel transfers included in the ticket price.
Ferry Timetable from Koh Mak to Koh Kood
Click on the Koh Mak – Koh Kood link in the timetable below for more information and to buy tickets.
| Koh Mak - Koh Kood ฿ 500–650 30m – 1h 30m | |
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Location of the Koh Mak Ferry Pier
Ferry and speedboat services from Koh Mak to Koh Kood depart from Ao Nid Pier in Koh Mak.
Location of Koh Kood Ferry Pier
Ferry and speedboat services from Koh Mak to Koh Kood terminate at Ao Salad Pier.
About Travel to Koh Kood
Koh Kood is a smaller and less developed island than Koh Chang (25 km to the north of Koh Kood)), with around 2,000 permanent residents compared to around 5,000 in Koh Chang. Koh Kood is also overall more expensive than Koh Chang with fewer facilities for visitors. What Koh Kood does have is really good beaches which are generally considered much more beautiful than the ones in Koh Chang and indeed those in many other tourist hotpots, including Koh Samui.
Tourism in Koh Kood
International tourism in Koh Kood started in the 1990s, which is much later than other better known beach resort destinations in Thailand. However, it was later still with the opening of the Soneva Kiri resort on the island in 2009 that Koh Kood came to the attention of the international media and the number of foreign visitors really started to increase. Soneva Kiri is one of Thailand’s most exclusive hotels charging at least $1,500 USD a night for the cheapest rooms.
Soneva Kiri may be the most famous thing about Koh Kood, but it’s certainly not the only place to stay on the island. Koh Kood has around 50 places for tourists to stay, the cheapest of which is Mateoasis where you can stay for 400 THB a night in a tent. A stay in a 4 star beachfront resort costs from around 3,500 THB a night at resorts such as Koh Kood Paradise Beach.
Bang Bao Beach in Koh KoodFacilities on Koh Kood
Koh Kood is relatively underdeveloped compared to Phuket or Koh Samui. The island has two small settlements, one in the north (Ao Salad) and one in the south east corner of the island (Ao Yai), neither of which has more than 300 residents. In Ao Salad many of the buildings are constructed on posts over the sea, and in Ao Yai the main industry is fishing.
A single concrete road runs down the west coast of Koh Kood connecting Ao Salad to Ao Yai, and the island’s beaches on the way, all of which are the west coast. The eastern half of Koh Kood is hilly and densely forested. There are no permanent residents in this part of the island and the only way to move around inland in the eastern half of the island is walking along jungle trails.
In addition to the 50 or so resorts and hotels, Koh Kood has around 60 restaurants the majority of which are attached to the resorts and hotels. It also has 3 ATM machines, a medical center, and a police station. Electricity is available 24 hours a day on the island, although the internet connection can be weak at times.
Where to Stay on Koh Kood
Nearly all the tourist accommodation in Koh Kood is located on the west coast close to one of the island’s 11 main beaches, with one notable exception being the Koh Kood Island Resort on the east coast with accommodation built over the sea on concrete pillars.
All the beaches on Koh Kood are good, and because the island is only 22 km long it’s easy to visit lots of different beaches during your stay. In terms of natural beauty, two beaches in particular stand out as being the best on the island:
- Bang Bao Beach: Located 17.1 km by road to the south of Ao Salad Pier, Bang Bao Beach is one of the most popular places to stay in Koh Kood. The beach is about 500 metres long with white sand and very clear water. At the south end of the beach is a small estuary lined with mangrove trees. Visitors can choose from around a dozen resorts and house rentals all located near Bang Bao Beach.
- Ao Noi Beach: Located 13 km by road to the south of Ao Salad Pier, Ao Noi Beach is similar to Bang Bao Beach but only 210 metres long. There is one major resort here, the 2 star Ao Noi Resort.