 Trat is Thailand's eastern-most province, located
about 315 kilometers from Bangkok. This small province borders on
Cambodia with the Khao Banthat mountain range forming a natural demarcation.
With 52 large and small offshore islands, long white sandy beaches
and unspoiled coral reefs, Trat offers delightful scenery and a tranquil
hideout for nature-lovers. The province also serves as a major fruit-growing
and fishing area.
 The
city of Trat is a starting point for Ko Chang island group or forays
into outlying gem and Cambodian markets. Those enthralled by shopping
will be delighted as Trat has more markets for its size than almost
any other town in Thailand due to Cambodian coastal trade.
Like Chanthaburi, Trat is a very important ruby-mining province,
with the most famous gem market located in Bo Rai District, some
50 kilometers north of the Cambodian border.
With an area of 2,819 square kilometers, the province is administratively
divided into the districts of Muang, Khao Saming, Laem Ngop, Khlong
Yai and Bo Rai, and the sub-districts of Ko Chang and Ko Kut.
 The
weather in and around Trat is very comfortable with warm temperatures
throughout the year. The region is influenced by the northeastern
and southwestern winds, which sometimes limit sea transport to
a group of islands particularly from May to October when the southwest
monsoon blows. During this period the western coast can be wet
and stormy and occasionally unsafe for ferries and smaller boats
to lift anchor. However, visitors can still visit the islands via
the normally more popular routes, most of which are to the northeast
of Ko Chang, anyway.
Koh
Chang is a thriving community. For sure it
depends almost entirely on visitors, both Thai and from overseas,
to survive. It's economy is 95% driven by tourism. But as Koh Chang
develops, so too is the local community. In years gone by that was
local fishermen and farmers. Today it is becoming far more cosmopolitan
with business owners, entrepreneurs and retirees making Koh Chang
both their homes and place of business.
This makes Koh Chang an ideal place for you to take a well earned
rest. The blend of the Tropicana service and the variety of things
to see and do, makes us your ideal destination and we sincerely look
forward to seeing you here.
Although Koh Chang is the major destination in the area there are
a wealth of other interesting and beautiful places to explore. The
other islands in the Koh Chang archipelago of 52 islands, while much
less developed than Koh Chang, are well worth a visit as too is Trat
town and some of the other places around Trat Province.
Source: Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT)
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