Trat & The Mainland
Trat
The small town of Trat is the administrative and trading centre of Trat province. It is located 20km away from Laem Ngop, the departure point for passenger ferries to the islands. Trat has a population of 20,000 but bustles with activity due to the numerous local markets.
There is an open-air night market on the main street - Thanon Sukhumvit - that offers interesting Thai food and drinks late into the night. There is also a large covered day market selling all manner of foods and household goods.
Good things to shop for include the huge range of fruits that are available year round, many of which you may not have seen before. Trat province is famous for the Rakham which is a delicious sweet fruit that looks a bit like a strawberry. Or there is the Durian with its spiky shell, pungent smell and unique love-it-or-hate-it flavour. Try whatever looks interesting.
You can also buy good fresh seafood and vegetables in the market.
Local handicrafts include elaborately woven wicker products, especially hats. These can be found in Ban Nam Chieo, a village between Trat and Laem Ngop, as well as in Trat town.
Wat Buppharam is a 17th Century temple with some interesting architecture. It lies 2km out of town (see map). There are several other Temples scattered around the town centre.
Trat has good medical, communication, financial and other facilities. There are a multitude of local Thai restaurants around the town. Additionally Joy’s Pizza, Kruarimkol and Sea House all do good food.
There is a guesthouse area just south of the town centre with many backpacker- style guesthouses and accompanying restaurants, internet cafes etc. There is little to choose between the different guesthouses that all offer clean and inexpensive rooms.
The town has some interesting evening entertainment. A good spot is Somkanay, a bar with live Thai music every night. The night market is a good place to sit with a meal or drink and watch the action.
You can find many other small restaurants and bars scattered around the town centre.
About 10 minutes from the centre is an attractive reservoir that is a pleasant spot for an afternoon stroll. There are several restaurants on the shoreside. Ra Bieng Mai restaurant comes highly recommended.
Laem Ngop
Laem Ngop is a fishing village on the coast and is the departure point for passenger ferries to Koh Chang and the other islands.
Places worthy of note are the Immigration office and the Tourist Authority of Thailand office but it's really just a transit point.
By the ferry pier there is a large monument commemorating two Thai boats that were sunk in a naval battle of 1942 off Koh Chang in which Thai forces repelled the French Navy.
Bo Rai
This town is in the foothills of the mountains that comprise the Cambodian border. It was originally a centre of Ruby mining and you can still visit the nearby ruby market.
There is excellent trekking in the mountains and an attractive waterfall nearby.
Mainland Beaches
There is a long coastal section of Trat province heading southeast towards the Cambodian border.
Whilst this area is not much visited by foreign tourists there are a string of beaches with a few accommodation options that are reputedly very attractive.
Heading away from Trat on highway 318 these beaches include Sai Ngern Beach, Sai Kieow Beach, Tap Tim Beach, Mai Root Beach and Ban Chuen Beach.
Klong Yai
This small fishing town is the last town on the road to the Cambodian border at Hat Lek. It is the closest mainland town to Koh Kood and whilst there is, as yet, no regular ferry service you may be able to ask around and find a boat on its way to the island.
