The efficiency of coal-based activated carbon in removing methylene blue (MB) and phenol from aqueous solution was investigated in batch experiments. The batch adsorption kinetics were described by applying pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order, and first order reversible reaction. The results showed that the adsorption of MB and phenol occurs complexed process including external mass transfer and intraparticle diffusion. The maximum adsorption capacity obtained from Langmuir isotherm was 461.0 mg/g for MB and 194.6 mg/g for phenol, respectively. The values of activation parameters such as free energy (${Delta}G^0$), enthalpy (${Delta}H^0$), and entropy (${Delta}S^0$) were also determined as -19.0~-14.9 kJ/mol, 25.4 kJ/mol, and 135.2 J/mol K for MB and 51.8~54.1 kJ/mol, -29.0 kJ/mol, and -76.4 kJ/mol K for phenol, respectively. The MB adsorption was found to be endothermic and spontaneous process. However, the CV adsorption was found to be exothermic and non-spontaneous process.