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Voykit pocket guide · Thailand
Ko Mak
เกาะมัก
Spend 2 days on Ko Mak to relax on its main beaches, rent a bike or scooter, and enjoy low‑key dining; longer stays only for deeper island immersion.
Ko Mak is a small, lightly developed island in Trat Province with a 27 km coastline, a few sandy beaches and a focus on sustainable tourism. Most attractions are within walking or short bike distance, so a short stay covers the highlights while keeping travel time low.
- Country
- Thailand
- Local name
- เกาะมัก
- Best months
- Feb–Sep (dry season on the Gulf side)
- Avoid
- May–Oct (higher rain, occasional storms)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- THB
- Money
- Currency is the Thai baht (THB, ฿). Cards work in malls, hotels and many restaurants; street food, markets, boats and small taxis are cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget 1,200–2,000 baht excl. bed · Mid 2,500–3,500 baht excl. bed · High 4,500–6,000 baht excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AIS and TrueMove H sell tourist SIMs at airport arrivals; passport registration is required.
- Emergency
- Police 191 · Ambulance / Tourist police 1669
- Plugs
- Types A, B, C, O · 220 V · 50 Hz · Most sockets take flat US pins and round European pins; type O is the Thai three-pin standard. UK plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Street food: Nothing.; Sit-down restaurant: Leave ฿20–100 or the coins; skip it if a 10% service charge is on the bill.; Taxi / Grab: Round up to the next ฿10 or ฿20.; Massage: ฿50–100 per hour to the therapist, in hand.; Guide / driver day: ฿300–500 for the guide, ฿200–300 for the driver.; Hotel porter / housekeeping: ฿20–50.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap. Street refill machines charge about ฿1 a litre; bottled water everywhere.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in malls and hotels; squat toilets with a water bucket in rural stops. The hose ('bum gun') replaces paper; paper goes in the bin in older buildings. Some public toilets cost ฿3–5.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Meal at a beachside restaurant | 150–300 baht |
| Bicycle rental (half‑day) | 80–150 baht |
| Motorbike rental (full day) | 250–500 baht |
| Speedboat ticket (one‑way, Laem Ngop → Ko Mak) | 900–1,300 baht |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- TDX · Trat Airport
- Closest airport to Ko Mak; transfers by speedboat from Laem Ngop pier.
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Language, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Rent a motorbike or bicycle from many shops; most beaches, restaurants and attractions are within easy walking distance.
See and do
Known for
- Ao Suan Yai beach
- Ao Kra Tueng beach
- Ao Kao beach
- Hydroponic farms and biogas plant
- Electric hop‑on‑hop‑off bus
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Ko Kut | Twice‑daily speedboat from private piers, 45 min | ≈1 h |
| Ko Chang | Speedboat from Kai Bae Beach (high season) at 09:00 or 11:00Speedboat from Kai Bae Beach (high season) at 9:00 AM or 11:00 AM | ≈1 h |
Sleep
- Good Time Resort
- Thai‑style resort with pool, spa and garden; price 1,880–5,100 baht per night
- Koh Mak Retreat
- Sea‑view villas, secluded; price 1,700–5,500 baht per night
- Makathanee Resort
- Beachfront bungalows, pool; price 1,000–8,000 baht per night
- Thaidaho Vista Resort
- Boutique guesthouse, 5 rooms; price not listed
Language
Thai is tonal and written in its own script; English works in hotels, malls and tourist areas, much less in the north-east and small towns. Polite particles (khrap for men, kha for women) go a long way.
- Ask hotels for their address card in Thai script.
- LINE is the messaging app of Thai businesses.
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: A wai (palms together, slight bow) to return a greeting; a smile and nod for shop staff; avoid: Waiing children or service staff first — it confuses; hugging strangers
- Head and feet: Keep feet on the floor, sit with legs folded to the side in temples; avoid: Touching heads (even children's), pointing feet, stepping over people or food
- Temples: Covered shoulders and knees, shoes off, sit lower than monks; avoid: Women touching monks or handing them things directly; climbing Buddha images
- Monarchy: Stand for the royal anthem in cinemas and at 08:00 and 18:00 in public places; avoid: Any joke or comment about the royal family; stepping on a banknote
- Keeping calm: Stay polite and smiling when things go wrong ('jai yen' — cool heart); avoid: Raising your voice; public anger loses the argument
- Names: Khun plus first name ('Khun Somchai'); nicknames are normal; avoid: Using the family name alone
- Home visit: Shoes off; bring fruit or sweets; step over the threshold, not on it; avoid: Sitting with feet towards the family shrine
- Beckoning and pointing: Palm down, fingers waved towards you; point with the whole hand or chin; avoid: Pointing at people with a finger or with your foot
Scams and watch-outs
- No ATMs on the island; one resort may charge a 5 % card fee (check before use).
- Sea urchin spines can cause painful irritation; handle with tweezers and clean wounds.
- Last speedboat from Laem Ngop pier departs at 16:00; plan return accordingly.
Ko Mak is low‑risk; main concerns are lack of cash facilities and marine stingers during rainy season.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Ko Mak yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Ao Suan Yai beach
- Ao Kra Tueng beach
- Ao Kao beach
- Hydroponic farms and biogas plant
- Electric hop‑on‑hop‑off bus
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Ko Mak official site – History: www.koh-mak.com/the-history-of-koh-mak/
- Ko Mak official site – Sustainable development: www.koh-mak.com/environmental-awareness-sustainable-development/
- Wikivoyage: Ko Mak, revision 5117851 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5117851
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/ko-mak). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.