Koh Samui lies 700 kilometers south of Bangkok in the Gulf of Thailand and 50 kilometers from the Gulf’s western shore city of Surat Thani. Daily flights are the most convenient way to arrive on the island. For the more budget conscious, trains, buses and boats are available. Independent car or motorcycle drivers can use one of several car ferries.
By Air
Koh Samui’s small open airport welcomes both domestic travelers and international arrivals from Singapore, Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur.
Domestic Flights
Hourly flights depart Bangkok’s Suvunarbhumi International Airport for Koh Samui between 6am and 9pm daily. Bangkok Airways offers flights almost hourly and Thai airways offers two to three flights a day. Prices range between 2200 and 3500 baht on Bangkok Airways and can rise as high as 7400 baht on Thai Airways. Flight time is approximately 1.15 hours.
Bangkok Airways also serves Koh Samui with daily flights from Phuket, Chiang Mai and Pattaya. Twice weekly flights are available between Krabi and Koh Samui
For travelers with both time and price constraints, Air Asia’s inexpensive flights (600 baht to 900 baht) from Bangkok (Suvunarbhumi) Airport to Surat Thani make an attractive choice. From Surat Thani, travelers take local shuttles or taxies to Donsak Pier or Samui Ferry Pier and jump aboard for the remainder of their trip to the island.
International Flights
Bangkok Airways flies direct flights from Hong Kong (Monday, Wednesday and Friday), Kuala Lumpur (Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday) and Singapore (Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday).
Berjaya Air offers two flights a week (Thursday and Sunday) from Kuala Lumpur.
By Train and Ferry
Train and ferry tickets can be purchased separately. This option requires travelers to find local transport from the train station to the pier and then purchase ferry tickets. To avoid long delays, check ferry schedules ahead of time. Booking trains from Bangkok to Surat Thani online can be tricky with credit card and handling fees tacked on to ticket costs. Do it yourself travelers also run the risk of having to wait for a boat to Koh Samui or overpaying for local transport to the pier.
Purchasing a combination train/shuttle/ferry ticket from one of the hundreds of travel agencies scattered around Bangkok is far easier and more convenient than arranging each stage of the travel separately. Two trains leave Bangkok’s Hualamphong station daily taking approximately 8 hours to reach Surat Thani. With combination tickets, ticket holders are met and shuttled to the ferry then which takes 1.5 hours to reach Koh Samui. Prices range from just over 1000 baht to around 1700 depending on the class of train seat chosen for the trip.
By Bus (or coach) and Ferry
For budget minded travelers, bus and ferry travel are the way to go. Air conditioned overnight buses leave Bangkok’s southern bus terminal daily. Scheduled departures are late afternoon and early evening. Upon arrival in Surat Thani Province, buses are ferried to Koh Samui. Bus fares are between 300 and 400 baht depending on the class of service you opt for and travel time is approximately 14 hours. Ferry fares are less than 50 baht.
Private companies run coaches with pick up in several locations around Bangkok. These generally allow travelers to purchase a combined coach/express boat tickets from local travel agents. Travel by bus and high speed boat or catamaran to Samui is approximately 13 hours. Prices range from 350 to 650 baht depending on class of service and include express boat tickets. At the high end are the VIP coaches which comfortably seat only 24 people.
All air conditioned overnight buses and coaches stop along the way for food and toilet breaks. Daily buses also run from Hat Yai, Phuket and Krabi.
Only the hardiest travelers opt for the least expensive choice. Unscheduled local buses stops along the way for every person that puts out a hand. Travel can take hours longer than the overnight buses and coaches. These buses are not air conditioned.
By boat
High speed catamaran service to Koh Samui runs from nearby Koh Tao and mainland ports in Chumphon and Surat Thani. Regular ferry service and smaller boat services are also available. Long tail boat service runs scheduled trips to and from Koh Phangan.
By car or motorcycle
Ferry service runs every hour from 06:00 to 18:00 from both Donsak Pier about 1.5 hours east of Surat Thani and Samui Ferry Pier. Ferry time is approximately 1.5 hours.
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