Getting
there by air, car or ferries
Koh Samui is easily accessed
by air, land and sea. The majority of international
travellers arrive by air, via Bangkok, Phuket or Singapore.
Bangkok Airways has a number of daily flights to the
island, making this the most convenient way to get there.
Daily ferries operating from several piers along the
mainland coastal area of Surat Thani also carry many
passengers to the island.
By Air
Bangkok Airways operates more than 40 flights a day on
its Bangkok-Samui, Samui-Phuket, Samui-Pattaya (U-Tapao),
Samui-Krabi and Samui-Singapore routes.
Flying time between Bangkok and
Samui is about one hour, while the flights on the Samui-Phuket
and Samui-Pattaya routes take less than 45 minutes.
Whatever you do, don't forget
your baggage at the international terminal in Bangkok!
Your baggage will not be automatically redirected to
your Samui flight, so you'll have to pick it up, move
to the domestic terminal and check-in your baggage again.
By Car
It is possible to hire a car
and drive to Samui, finishing of course with a ferry
ride. Departing from either Bangkok or Phuket, the drive
is on nice roads. From Bangkok it is double lane highway
all the way to Surat Thani, usually taking 8-10 hours.
From Phuket the roads are good but they are single lane.
The trip takes about 5 hours, passing through some beautiful
scenery. From Hat Yai, there is a double lane highway
up to Surat Thani and the journey takes about 6 hours.
Along the way there are enough
gasoline stations for you to fill up at and take a break.
Be aware though, from Surat Thani it is still another
hour's travelling time to the ferry terminals. You can
also expect to sometimes find long queues at the ferry
terminals, so plan ahead.
By Ferry:
Two ferry companies operate
from three piers along the Surat Thani coast on the
main land and from two piers on Koh Samui.
Ratcha Ferry Co.
Their vehicle and passenger ferries run from Don Sak
pier to Thong Yang pier on Koh Samui, departing daily
at 8 am, 10 am,12 noon, 2 pm and 5 pm. The crossing
takes one and a half hours and costs about 25 Baht.
From Samui's Thong Yang pier, there are seven daily
departures at 7 am, 8 am ,10 am, 12 noon, 2 pm, 4 pm
and 5 pm.
Express Passenger Ferry
An express passenger ferry service is offered by Songserm
Travel, departing from Tha Thong pier three times a
day, at 7.30 am, 11.30 am, and 2 pm. Songserm Travel
also operates a slow night boat from Ban Don pier in
Surat Thani to Koh Samui. It departs at 11 pm and arrives
at Nathon pier around 5 am.
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