Trat

Trat is a small coastal town in eastern Thailand and the capital of Trat Province, best known as the mainland gateway to the islands of Ko Chang, Ko Mak and Ko Kut. Compact, unhurried and practical, it mixes a working market town atmosphere with a long history of seafaring, fishing and cross-border trade near Cambodia.

Trat's past is visible in its old wooden shophouses and in Wat Buppharam, a centuries-old temple on the edge of town with a rare Ayutthaya-period wooden ordination hall. The province spent a brief period under French control before being returned to Siam in 1907, an event still marked by an annual local commemoration.

Most visitors spend their time around the central market, the town's piers and the nearby coast. The municipal market is lively in the early morning, while small museums, the city pillar shrine and short trips to Laem Ngop or the ferry piers show a more local side of the province beyond the beach resorts.

Trat is also a centre for fruit orchards, seafood processing and border commerce, with salak, durian, rambutan and mangosteen among its best-known produce. Street food stalls and small restaurants serve fresh seafood and regional dishes such as moo chamuang, a pork stew flavoured with chamuang leaves.

Because of its location, Trat works well for both leisure and business travellers. Island visitors use it as a transit and supply point, while traders, farmers and logistics operators value its role in the eastern seaboard economy and the nearby Cambodian border.