Samui Transportation

Samui is about 430 miles south of Bangkok and about 30 miles from the eastern coast of Thailand.

The flight time from Bangkok is just over an hour, but there are also rail and road options to the

southeastern coast followed by a boat trip to Samui.

By Air

There are often special web fares available and the price range for a one-way ticket is from

around 2,000-4,000 baht by Bangkok Airways. They also link Samui to Hong Kong, Phuket, Pattaya

(U Tapao) and Singapore. Thai Airways has twice daily flight from Bangkok to Koh Samui so as

Berjaya Air, which flies twice daily from Kuala Lumpur to Samui and back.

It is also possible to fly to Surat Thani with Thai Airways or Orient Thai Airways (One-Two-Go) and

then connect to Samui by boat, but the saving is minimal

By Train

Travelling by train is a popular option with travellers to Samui and it is possible to buy

combination tickets, which include a train to Surat Thani, transfer to the pier and a boat ticket

to the island. It is well worth taking this hassle free option.

There are eleven trains daily from Bangkok's Hua Lampong train station to Surat Thani and the

prices vary by class and type.

The journey takes around 9-11 hours. Taking the overnight 22.50 train and travelling

by first or second-class sleeper with air conditioning is recommended as the most comfortable

and convenient option. These all actually stop in Phun Phin which is about 10kms west of Surat

Thani, and taxis are always waiting.

By Ferry

The boat situation is slightly complicated as there are four ferry ports on the main land and

three on Samui, but the important thing is there are frequent departures in both directions.

The price and travel time can vary hugely depending on the boat taken, but the range is from

two and a half to six hours and around 150-350 baht. If you opt for the combination train-boat

or bus-boat ticket, this will be included in your fare, with someone to meet you at the station

in Surat Thani and arrange the shuttle transfer. There is invariable a couple of hours in total

wasted from waiting around.

Don Sak is the busiest and closest to Samui but is a 30 minute drive away, while there are also

boats from Ao Ban Don and Tha Thong which is closer to Surat Thani town. Khanom is miles

away and rarely used. In reality the travel agents in Surat Thani can arrange you transfer and

ticket on the next available ferry.

Ferries are all slow and take about 2.5 hours, but the night sailing takes 6 hours. Almost

all ferries arrive at Na Thon town on the west of the island where you will find numerous forms

of transport waiting to take you to the beach of your choice.

By Bus

The bus is the cheapest but least comfortable option to get to Samui. Buses leave from

Bangkok's Southern bus terminal and take around 12-13 hours, again it is well worth avoiding

any hassle by buying a combination ticket. Expect to pay around 800 baht for a VIP bus, and

certainly spending a few baht more can help to make your journey a little more comfortable.

It is possible to get private bus services from Khao San Road, but their reliability and quality

tends to vary hugely. It is worth taking the overnight bus, as you may get more peace on board

when the video gets switched off.