Koh Kong, Cambodia tide times

Koh Kong sits at the westernmost edge of Cambodia on the Gulf of Thailand, a border town where the Koh Kong Island channel and the Tatai River estuary meet the open Gulf, and the Thai crossing at Ban Hat Lek/Cham Yeam is 10 km up the road. The Cardamom Mountains rise immediately behind the town, their forested ridgelines visible over the rooftops; this is the largest remaining contiguous lowland tropical forest in mainland Southeast Asia, covering roughly 4 million hectares across two provinces and harbouring sun bears, clouded leopards, gibbons, and wild elephants.

The Tatai River enters the Gulf through a mangrove estuary 30 km north of Koh Kong town. River tours by kayak or longtail boat move through flooded forest during the wet season (June–October), when water levels rise high enough to paddle between the trunks of submerged trees. The Tatai Waterfall on the main tributary is accessible by a 2 to 3 hour upstream paddle from the guesthouse cluster near the bridge; a current-assisted return on the ebb makes the round trip practical in a half-day. The Peam Krasaop Wildlife Sanctuary mangroves at the river mouth have a boardwalk accessible at all tide states and a guided boat-tour circuit through the tidal channels.

Koh Kong Island, 20 km south across open Gulf water, has white sand beaches and exceptionally clear water on its western side, but minimal facilities — a few seasonal beach stalls and no permanent accommodation. Day trips by speedboat depart from Koh Kong pier; the crossing takes 40 to 60 minutes depending on the boat and sea state. The western beaches are accessible on calm days; northeast monsoon season (November–March) is the calm window and the best period for the island.

The tidal regime is Gulf of Thailand mixed semidiurnal: spring range 1.0 to 2.0 m in this area — the northern Gulf of Thailand produces slightly larger ranges than the Kep coast to the east, as the bay geometry amplifies the tidal signal somewhat. Two unequal highs and two unequal lows each day. Tidal currents in the Koh Kong Island channel run 0.5 to 1.0 knots; relevant for kayakers crossing the channel to the island mangrove shore from the town pier. The flood tide pushing saltwater into the Tatai mangrove system concentrates mangrove jack, barracuda, and the occasional barramundi in the tidal channels — experienced anglers work the incoming against the mangrove roots from small boats.

The border crossing to Ranong, Thailand at Ban Hat Lek is 10 km from Koh Kong town; shared taxis and motodups cover the route in 20 minutes. The crossing is busy with goods traffic. Predictions on this page come from Open-Meteo Marine (gridded model, ±45 min / ±0.2–0.3 m). The Koh Kong Saturday market on the main road is the commercial and social hub of the town, with produce, dried fish, and household goods from both sides of the Thai border. The market starts at 05:30 and winds down by 09:00; arriving early gives access to the full spread before the best items sell. The town's central location between the Cardamom highlands and the Gulf coast makes it a natural base for 2 to 3 day excursions covering both the mountain forest and the coastal island system. The Tatai River estuary to the north adds a freshwater dimension: during the dry season runoff is low and saline intrusion from the gulf reaches several kilometres upstream, making tidal prediction relevant for paddlers well inland of the coast. Monsoon season shifts this dynamic, with river outflow suppressing the tidal signal in the upper reaches. Photographers working the Tatai mangroves should plan for incoming tide in the afternoon, when the light from the west catches the water between the prop roots. Fishing villages along the coast use the tidal rhythm to time their trap checks and net sets; the local fleet typically returns to the Koh Kong pier on the flooding tide to take advantage of the current assist. The Cardamom Mountains National Park boundary runs close to the coast here, and wildlife activity near the shoreline — including water monitors and estuarine crocodiles — tracks the tidal state, with more sightings at low water when mud banks are exposed.