Directions to Surat Thani Province - Koh Samui -

Koh Phangan Island

By Plane

Thai Airways International operates a daily flight from Bangkok to Surat Thani which takes one hour with the cost of 1,785 baht for economy class M, 2,085 baht for economy class Y, and 2,585 baht for business class. From Chiang Mai, Thai Airways International flies twice a week with the cost of 3,060 baht, and from Hat Yai with a fare of 1,450 baht. There are also quite frequent services to Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phuket and Ranong.

Contact number: +66 2 280 0060 or +66 77 272 610, 273 710 for more information.

There are five flights a week between Surat Thani and Chiang Mai for 2,450 baht one way and these flights also continue to Hat Yai for 1,150 baht more. Orient Express Air, a relatively new service, operates these flights.

From the Surat Thani Airport to the provincial capital, Thai Airways International provides a shuttle van for 40 baht per person and a more expensive limousine service for 150 baht.

You can also travel from Bangkok to Samui Island daily on Bangkok Airways in one hour and ten minutes. Contact numbers: +66 2 229 3456 or +66 77 425 011 to 4, 425 029 to 30.

By Bus

Daily buses from Bangkok to Surat Thani leave from the Southern Route Bus Terminal on Borom Ratchachonnani Road and take about 11 hours.

First class air-conditioned buses leave Bangkok’s Southern Bus Terminal daily at 8 a.m., 8.20 a.m., and 8.30 p.m. with the fare of 346 baht. Daily 2nd class air-conditioned buses departure at 9.30 a.m. and 8.45 p.m. for 269 baht and one VIP departure at 8 pm costs 350 baht. There are also “Super VIP” buses with only 30 seats for 450 baht operated by private companies and 1st class super VIP buses with 24 seats for 535 baht leaving at 7 p.m. and 7.30 p.m.

The non-air conditioned buses leave the Southern Bus Terminal at 9.20 and 11 p.m. and cost only 192 baht.

In addition, you can get direct buses from Bangkok to Samui Island here. Contact number: +66 2 434 5557 to 8 (non-air conditioned buses) and +66 2 435 1199, 435 1200 (air conditioned buses).

By Train

One can catch a daily train at Hua Lam Pong Station in Bangkok. The destination is Punpin district, Surat Thani, where you have to take local buses or taxis into the city in a distance of 14 km west of the town. The alternative routes are to take a train to Chaiya or Ta Chana districts and then, if you want to enjoy the exuberant town life, you can take local buses or taxis from the station.

Trains to Surat Thani leave Bangkok’s Hua Lamphong terminal at 12.25 p.m. on rapid train, 2.45 p.m. and 2.20 p.m. on special express, 3.50 p.m. on rapid, 5.05 p.m. on express, 6.20 p.m. on rapid, 7.15 p.m. on express, 5.35 p.m. on express, 10.50 p.m. on express diesel, and 10.30 p.m. on express diesel. The journey takes almost 11 hours to arrive at Surat Thani. The most convenient train leaves at 6.30 p.m. on rapid No. 41 and it arrives at 5.44 a.m., so you don’t have to rush to get a boat to Samui if it is your main destination because you can have plenty of time left before the boat off shores. The costs of train tickets are 519 baht for 1st class, 248 baht for 2nd class, and 107 baht for 3rd class, not including the surcharges and berths. Fares available only for the 2.35 and 3.15 pm special express train are 470 baht in first class and 224 baht in 2nd class, not including the rapid/express/special express surcharges or berths.

There are no 3rd class trains directly to Surat Thani from Bangkok, but you can take the trains from Chumphon to Surat Thani on the ordinary Nos 119 or 149 that cost 25 baht.

The Sprinter or first class special express No 39 leaves Bangkok daily at 10.30 p.m. and arrives in Phun Phin at 7.20 a.m. for 448 baht with the surcharge. There are no sleeping berths available on this train.

There is a 24 hours left-luggage room at the Phun Phin train station that costs 5 baht for the first day and 10 baht thereafter. You can buy a ticket from the office which is open daily from 6 to 11 a.m and noon to 6 p.m.

Contact the transportation services center at the State Railway of Thailand: +66 2 223 7010, 223 7020 or Phunpin railway station: +66 77 311 213 for more information.

By Car

Taking a your leave from Bangkok, you can follow down the route called “Thonburi-Parktor”, or highway 35. Then, driving on Highway 4, you will pass through Phetchaburi, Prachueb Kirikun, and Chumporn provinces heading toward Highway 41 to get to Surat Thani, 644 km from Bangkok.

Once you arrive in Surat Thani Province you will need to go to Ko Samui island and as you see in the map it is the island right next to Ko Phangan, below are the directions to get to Ko Phangan Island from Ko Samui.

Located just 12 km north of Samui, Ko Phangan can be easily accessed by a half hour boat ride. Once it was just a backdoor neighborhood of Samui. But it is getting a new look.

Speedboats leave Ko Samui daily from Maenam Beach(Ko Samui) and Bophut Beach (Ko Samui) piers to Thongsala(Ko Phangan) at 8.30 am at a cost of 250 baht and also leave Nathon at 12.00 am, then return from Thongsala (Ko Phangan) at 10.30 am for the price of 150 baht.

Songserm Express operates express ferries from Thatong, Samui to Thongsala via Nathon. The ferries leave Thatong at 8.30 am, arrive at Nathon at 10.30 am, then leave Nathon at 11.00 am and arrive at Thongsala at 11.45 am. They also run a car ferry service from Kanom to Thongsala via Na Thon. The ferries leave Thongsala at 6.30 am, arrive Na Thon at 8.00 am, and reach Kanom at 9.30 am. The return trip from Kanom leaves at 6.00 pm, arrives Nathon at 7.30 pm and reaches Thongsala at 9.00 pm.

Longtail boats run from Maenam pier to Phangan at three main destinations: Rin Beach for 120 baht, Tien Beach for 150 baht and Thong Nai Pan for 200 baht.

For an alternative route, but a longer trip, you can take nightboats from Ban Don, Surat Thani to Thongsala. The boats leave at 10.00 pm and take six hours and a half for the price of 170 baht.

Thongsala: Thongsala is the only main port and it is also the only town on Ko Phangan, houseing most of the island's residents. It provides all kinds of necessary facilities you may need including banks, ATMs and a post office.