A $30 million ship sits on dry land, decaying.
(*As of March 2026, this ship has been dismantled following a fire.)
I’d heard there was a giant ship-turned-ruin on Koh Chang. Five hours by bus from Bangkok, then thirty minutes by ferry. Not easy to reach. Ruins are usually in the middle of nowhere, but this one is on a resort island. At least there’s more to do here than stare at rubble.
I rent a motorbike and ride to the southern tip of the island. There are no gas stations. Roadside shops sell gasoline in glass bottles. A shirtless Western man on a large bike overtakes me.
At the entrance, a gate charges 50 baht — about a dollar fifty. Whether this is an official admission fee or just someone from the area collecting money is unclear.
A little further in, the ship comes into view. It’s just big. Up close: rust, graffiti, broken glass. Something like a small Shinto shrine — or what Thais call a spirit house — is still attached to the hull.
The entrance is blocked off, with a no-entry sign taped to it. I ask someone who seems to work here if I can go inside. He waves his hand sideways — don’t bother, don’t bother.
Apparently, people used to be allowed inside. He shows me photos on his phone from back then. Hotel-like corridors, still reasonably clean.
The Galaxy. A seven-story ship, originally a military vessel, kept afloat on the water and turned into a hotel. Two hundred rooms. One night cost around $30. It called itself five-star. The resort was valued at around $30 million.
But economic downturns meant the resort changed hands multiple times, and stories spread of a Russian tourist falling to his death from the top floor. It became known as the ghost ship. Then it was simply left.
Nearby, there are overwater cottages and what looks like a former reception building. Inside: a travel desk with a stopped clock, and a CRT television.
Decaying, yes — but a surprising number of people come to see it. Local Thais pull up on motorbikes and hang around. Western tourists wander with cameras. Someone has set up a table with a cooler box, selling Coke and beer. Who this person is, exactly, is anyone’s guess.
A $30 million resort. No guests came. People started coming after it became a ruin. I wouldn’t have come here either, if it were still a hotel. A tiny economy — orders of magnitude smaller than the original investment — now runs on top of this wreckage.
In December 2024, the ship caught fire, or so I’m told. The upper floors have been dismantled and are being sold as scrap. All that remains is the bottom of the hull, sitting on the ground. The seven-story silhouette is gone. The scrap metal is being fed back into a new economy. The entrance fee has gone up to 100 baht.
■ Location:
Southern tip of Koh Chang, within the Koh Chang Grand Laguna resort grounds (Google Maps link)
■ Access:
– Bangkok to Koh Chang: approximately 5 hours by bus + 30 minutes by ferry – On the island: about 30 minutes by motorbike from White Sand Beach and other main areas. Head south past Bang Bao to the end of the road. Some mountain roads
– Grab is not available. Rent a motorbike or arrange transport through your hotel
■ Admission:
100 baht (as of 2025)
■ Current status:
A fire in December 2024 destroyed the upper floors. Dismantling is underway. Only the hull remains. The seven-story structure no longer exists
■ Notes:
– Site management is unclear. Visit at your own risk
– There’s a beach nearby. Possibly the quietest beach on Koh Chang
– Conditions change constantly. Check Google Maps reviews for the latest
– Ruins disappear without warning. If you’re curious, go sooner rather than later
Bonus: Koh Chang has elephant warning signs.
