This eastern Thai city is the district capital of Trat Province and acts as a great access point to the islands of Koh Chang and Koh Kood in the Gulf of Thailand.
The Cambodian border town of Hat Lek is around 120km to the east and buses from Bangkok take around 4 or 5 hours to reach Trat, which lies near to the border with Cambodia.
Trat is reported to have more markets per square kilometer than any other place in Thailand so bargain-hunters will not go short. Most travelers who visit Trat tend to arrive by air from Bangkok.
The major attraction of Trat is its geographical location. During the Indochina War it was considered a strategic site, and the French attempted to seize it on a number of occasions. Today its location remains its main benefit, offering as it does a convenient gateway by air or ferry to the popular island of Koh Chang.
Getting There & Away
Flights from Bangkok to Trat are regular and good value can be had on the budget airlines. Traveling by road, however, is straightforward, with buses leaving Bangkok regularly and taking between 4 and 5 hours to reach Trat via national highways 7 and 3. Connecting ferries to Ko Chang take about 45 minutes to complete the crossing.
Things to Do
Trat Attractions
- City Pillar
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A sacred monument to the people of trat, the city pillar is housed in a chinese architecture building and was put in place by king taksin in the 18th century.
- Residanggamport Residence
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Residence of the occupying french governor from 1904 to 1907 and home to the governor of trat since.
- Beaches
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Trat has a number of pretty beaches on the coast of the gulf of thailand.