There’s been a bit of confusion lately about whether the recent Thai–Cambodian border tensions affect travel to Koh Chang and nearby islands.
The short answer: no, they don’t.
Some international travel advisories draw a broad “no-go” zone around parts of Trat province, which technically includes the ferry ports, but Koh Chang itself isn’t part of that exclusion area.
Here’s a bit of context — this whole dispute dates back to a 1907 colonial-era border map. The ICJ ruled in Cambodia’s favor over the Preah Vihear Temple area back in 1962, but every now and then, things flare up again.
In July, there was a brief incident where Cambodian troops entered part of Trat province (well south of the usual hotspots), exchanged a few shots, and then withdrew. The Thai navy responded locally, and things cooled off quickly.
Both countries depend a lot on trade and tourism, so it’s in everyone’s interest to keep things calm. Koh Chang itself sits about 35 km from the border, and everything there is running as normal — no disruptions, no safety issues.
So yeah, no reason to cancel your plans. If things ever got serious, it’d make major news and the ferries would stop — but as of now, all is quiet in paradise.
