Koh Chang is a mountainous island with one road round the edge of it, and the southern half of that road is the reason this page exists. Between Kai Bae and the turn-off for Bang Bao, Route 4006 becomes a narrow, undulating series of very steep climbs and blind hairpins, with lane widths down to two or three metres in places and no guard rails above the drop. It is the single most-reported stretch of road for scooter accidents on the island, and a rented 110cc automatic with two adults on it is exactly the wrong machine for it.

What a shop will ask for, how deposits work and what happens when a bike comes back scratched are covered in renting a motorbike in Thailand. This page is about the island: which road to be careful on, what to rent, how to get a vehicle there, and why half the shops are shut for part of the year.

The west coast road

North of Kai Bae, the road along the west coast — through White Sand Beach, Klong Prao and Chai Chet — is a normal two-lane island road with some gradients and one steep section climbing out of White Sand Beach at the northern end. It is fine.

South of Kai Bae it changes character completely. The stretch past Bailan towards the Bang Bao turn-off is where the island's accidents concentrate: repeated steep climbs, sharp crests where you cannot see the road beyond, and hairpins taken very wide by oncoming vehicles because the lane is too narrow to do otherwise. On the steepest bend, stop and let anything climbing towards you get past before you commit.

In the rain it becomes a serious problem — local sources are blunt that on some of those descents in the wet it is close to impossible to get down without an incident. Read riding a motorbike in tropical rain and mountain roads and hairpin bends, where the descent technique that matters here — engine braking rather than dragging the lever — is set out.

Do not ride the southern section at night, in the rain, or after a drink. Lonely Beach is a nightlife stop and the road back north from it climbs over the worst of the hills. This combination is responsible for a large share of the island's injured visitors. If you are going out down there, work out how you are getting back before you go — a songthaew is cheap and it does not care how steep the hill is.

The east coast road, from the ferry pier at Ao Sapparot down through Salak Phet, is far gentler and much quieter, and it is worth a day out on its own. The interior has no through road; the waterfalls are reached by short spurs off the coast road.

Bringing a vehicle, or renting on the island

Koh Chang is one of the few Thai islands where taking your own vehicle is genuinely straightforward. Large roll-on ferries run from Ao Thammachat pier on the mainland near Laem Ngop to Ao Sapparot in the north-east of the island, roughly every thirty to sixty minutes through the day, carrying motorbikes, cars and coaches, and the crossing takes about half an hour. The older Centrepoint service has been suspended since 2024, so Ao Thammachat is the route. Tickets are bought at the pier with no advance booking, and motorbikes generally board straight onto the first available sailing. See the Koh Chang and Koh Samui vehicle ferries.

Whether your rental agreement lets you do it is another question: many Thai contracts, particularly for cars, exclude ferry crossings. Check before you drive to the pier — taking a hire car on a ferry in Thailand.

Most visitors simply rent on the island. Shops cluster in White Sand Beach, Klong Prao, Kai Bae and around Lonely Beach, and many bungalow operations rent a handful of bikes themselves. The fleets are older than in Phuket or Chiang Mai and the choice is narrower.

What to rent here

Engine size is not a matter of comfort on Koh Chang. A 110cc step-through carrying two people will not climb the steepest sections of the southern road without stalling or crawling, and a bike that is crawling on a blind climb is a bike that gets hit. Take 125cc as an absolute minimum, 150cc if there are two of you, and if you can ride a manual or semi-automatic, take one — the engine braking is worth more than anything else on those descents.

Check the brakes specifically before you accept a bike here. Ask the shop when the pads were last done, squeeze both levers hard while stationary, and ride fifty metres and brake properly before you commit to the day. Choosing a rental scooter covers the classes, and the inspection video is the habit that protects the deposit.

Fuel before you go south. There are proper petrol stations on the northern half of the west coast, around Klong Prao and Kai Bae. South of there you are relying on roadside bottle sellers, which is fine for topping up but not something to depend on. Fill the tank in Kai Bae before you head down. See fuel in Thailand.

The season closes the island

Koh Chang has a pronounced low season, roughly May to September, when the rain comes in off the Gulf and a substantial share of the island's businesses simply shut — restaurants, bars, some resorts and a good number of the rental shops with them. Prices fall, the roads are empty, and the difficult southern section is at its most dangerous. High season runs from around November to April, with the peak over Christmas, New Year and the Thai holiday weekends when Bangkok drives down.

Rates track that swing: expect somewhere around 200 baht a day (roughly £4.50 / US$6) for a 125 in the quiet months and 300 baht or more at the peak, with fewer bikes to choose from. Scooter rental prices in Thailand puts that in national context.

If it goes wrong

Koh Chang's medical facilities are limited: there is a hospital on the island, but serious injuries are transferred to the mainland at Trat and anything major goes further. That is a reason to be conservative here in a way you might not be in Phuket, where a large private hospital is twenty minutes away. Read Thai hospitals after a crash and what it costs, accident in a rental car or scooter, and road rash and exhaust burns — grazes from a low-speed slide turn nasty fast in this climate.

Frequently asked questions

Can I take a rented motorbike to Koh Chang on the ferry?

The ferries carry bikes and cars without difficulty, but your rental agreement may not allow it. Ask before you drive to Ao Thammachat; see the Koh Chang vehicle ferry.

Which part of the Koh Chang road is dangerous?

The west coast between Kai Bae and the Bang Bao turn-off. Steep gradients, blind crests, hairpins with no barrier and very narrow lanes. It is worse in the wet and worse again at night.

What size scooter do I need on Koh Chang?

125cc minimum for one rider, 150cc for two. A 110cc step-through with a pillion will struggle badly on the hills; a manual or semi-automatic is better again.

Are the rental shops open in low season?

Some are; many close from around May to September with the rest of the island's tourist businesses. There will always be bikes, but the choice narrows and the fleet gets older.

Is a car easier than a bike here?

On that southern section, yes — far more stable on the gradients and much safer in the wet. The trade-off is a narrow road where meeting a coach on a hairpin is its own experience. See renting a car in Thailand.

Where do I get petrol on the island?

Proper stations on the northern west coast around Klong Prao and Kai Bae; roadside bottles elsewhere.