Thailand is home to picturesque beaches and captivating skyscrapers, easily making it a favorite vacation spot for many.
Boasting tourist attractions like Koh Samui, Phuket, Bangkok, Krabi, and the Phi Phi Islands, it is no surprise that tourism makes up a significant amount of the national GDP. Plus, the country's historical and cultural heritage is another factor contributing to its popularity.
So, if you're planning to visit Koh Samui, one of the most famous islands in Thailand, here's what you should know to get there from different spots.
Scroll down to the bottom of the post to read about a scam that you should avoid.
In this guide you can find out how to:Which Airport Do You Fly Into For Koh Samui?
The wonderful thing is that Koh Samui has its own international airport. So the easiest way for international tourists to reach Koh Samui is to simply take a connecting flight via the capital, Bangkok. The flight will take 1 hour and 5 min.
We love using Cheapo Air for our flight tickets. You can find a great deal by clicking here.It is definitely not the cheapest option, so if you are on a budget you might prefer to check out some of the other options down below.
How To Get To Koh Samui From Bangkok
The easiest way to reach Koh Samui from Bangkok is with a short 1-hour flight. For those on a budget, you can also look at options such as by road/train and then catching a ferry. All the options are listed below.
1. By Air
The distance between Bangkok to Koh Samui is roughly 760 km by road. Hence, the quickest route to reach Koh Samui from Bangkok is by air, which will take just over 1 hour. We recommend booking tickets early on to score cheaper deals.
Grab your flight ticket here through CheapOair2. By Air + Ferry
In case you want to squeeze in another holiday spot, you can fly to Surat Thani from Bangkok, spend a day or two there, and then take a ferry to Koh Samui.
This option is considerably cheaper than flying directly to Koh Samui but may be inconvenient for some, as the change of transportation adds about three hours to your commute time.
Grab your flight ticket to Surat Thani here through CheapOairHow long is the ferry from Bangkok to Koh Samui?
So it is important to make it clear that there is no ferry directly from Bangkok to Koh Samui. You would first need to get to Surat Thani (either by flying or by road). From Tapee pier Lomprayah in Surat Thani, you can catch a speedboat that will take around 1 hour and 45 min to get to Koh Samui.
3. Bus + Ferry
You could opt for a bus plus ferry combo to get to the island. The bus is definitely a lot more cost-effective than flying, but it is a very long journey. Expect to spend around 14 hours - 14 hours 30 min on your transit to Koh Samui.
Fortunately, it is very easy to purchase a combo bus and ferry ticket, which means that you don't have to stuff around with getting from the bus terminal to the ferry port.
Grab your combo bus and ferry ticket here:
4. Can you take a train from Bangkok to Koh Samui?
Another option is to take a train from Bangkok to Surat Thani. It is a long journey (around 12 hours on the train) but if you take an overnight train and depart Bangkok in the evening, you can arrive in Koh Samui around lunchtime the next day.
The train leaves from Bangkok's Hualamphong train station and arrives atSurat Thani train station. From there you will get a (45-minute coach) rideto the Don Sak ferry terminal. You might have to wait for a few hours for the next ferry, so don't expect to hop off the train and hop straight on the coach to get to the terminal.
You can buy a train/bus/ferry combo ticket at the train station.
How To Get From Phuket To Koh Samui
The easiest way to reach Koh Samui from Phuket is with a short 55 min flight. For those on a budget, you can also look at the other options listed below.
1. By AirA quick and convenient option is flying from Phuket to Koh Samui, which will take 55 minutes. Getting a reservation shouldn't be too difficult as Bangkok Airways functions throughout the week and offers the route five times a day.
Grab your flight ticket to Koh Samui here through CheapOair 2. FerryAnother fairly easy way to reach Koh Samui from Phuket is by taking a ferry, which takes between 4-5 hours. The direct ferry departs from Phuket Lomprayah and arrives at Na Thon Koh Samui. This works well if you have a car and can drive yourself to the port. Otherwise, you might prefer to buy a combo van + ferry ticket below.
3. By Road + FerryIf you've got more time to kill, you could even opt for a combination of bus and ferry or van and ferry. The bus + ferry is the cheaper option but takes a few hours longer than the van plus ferry option.
Find the best combo ticket for yourself here:
How To Get To Koh Samui From Surat Thani
Just like the previous locations, reaching Koh Samui from Surat Thani can be possible through various modes of transportation like a bus, ferry, taxi, and more.
1. Ferry
First off, you could take a ferry from Surat Thani to Koh Samui, which usually takes around 1 hour and 30 minutes. Check the ferry service you opt for to know the frequency of travel. Also, note that the arrival point may differ for different ferry services, so make sure you are well-versed with the details.
Click here to book your ferry ticket to Koh Samui.How To Get To Koh Samui From Krabi
Reaching Koh Samui from Krabi is also quite convenient as you can choose to travel by air, by road, or via a car ferry. Regardless of the mode of transportation, you select, you will be able to enjoy an Instagram-worthy view, making this route quite popular among tourists!
1. By Air
Whilst we normally tend to go for the quickest and easiest way to get to our destinations (which means we typically pay more for the convenience of a flight), the flight from Krabi to Koh Samui has to go via Bangkok. This means it will take over 4 hours and that is excluding the check-in time required before the flight.
So in this instance, it might make more sense to catch the ferry. As it will be much easier. If you are stuck on flying, you can find the best price by clicking the link below.
Grab your flight ticket to Koh Samui here through CheapOair2. Ferry
The ferry from Krabi Town Maharaj to Na Thon Koh Samui Songserm takes 3h 50m including transfers and departs three times a day.
As you can see it will be quicker to fly, but it is heaps cheaper to grab a ferry ticket instead.
The best way to go about it is to grab a combo ticket, so that the van can collect you from your hotel or a meeting point close by and take you straight to the ferry port.
Find the best combo ticket for yourself here:
How To Get To Koh Samui from Phi Phi Islands
So, you have been enjoying the stunning Phi Phi Islands and want to hop over to Koh Samui. This is not the easiest trip, so let's look at the options below.
1. By Ferry + Air
Another method is to take the ferry to Krabi and then choose to fly from Krabi to Koh Samui. However, this option is a bit expensive, more so if you book your plane tickets at the last minute.
The ferry from Koh Phi Phi to Krabi will take around 2 hours and 15 min. Click here to purchase your ferry ticket.
Unfortunately, though, the flight from Krabi to Koh Samui goes via Bangkok, which means that it will add another 4 hours to your travel time.
It still works out to be a much shorter journey in comparison to the option below, so if you prefer to save some time, you can grab a ticket below.
Purchase a tic ket to Koh Samui here through CheapOair.
2. Ferry + Van + Ferry
For more affordable travel, we recommend taking a ferry from Phi Phi to Krabi and then a van to the port, and then from there catch another ferry to Koh Samui. This method will take around 9 hours and 30 min for you to reach Koh Samui.
Grab the most convenient ticket here:
How To Get To Koh Samui From Koh Phangan
Lastly, let's have a look at the options of how to get from Koh Phangan to Koh Samui.
1. FerryYou can get to Koh Samui via a slow boat ferry, which will take about 90 minutes in total, or via a speedboat, which will only take 30 min. So, the journey will be quick and convenient.
Click to purchase your ferry tickets.
Conclusion
With that, we finally are at the end of this comprehensive guide explaining the different modes of transport available to get to Koh Samui. As you know by now, there are plenty of options to suit every budget, so it all comes down to your preference.
Ready to start planning your trip? We have loads of helpful blog posts on our Thailand travel blog page.