The 3 Best Ways to Get to Koh Samui

July 14, 2023 - 4790 views

There are three common ways you can move from Bangkok to Koh Samui. You can choose a suitable transportation depending on your budget and demands.

Koh Samui is a famous island destination of Thailand. The island possesses unspoiled beauty and mesmerizing tranquility. Koh Samui is more than 700 km from Bangkok by road. There are many ways to move from Bangkok to Koh Samui today such as airplanes, trains, buses... but which way is the most convenient way for tourists? Please refer to 3 ways to move from Bangkok to Koh Samui in the article below.

1. Get to Koh Samui by air

Airplanes are the fastest way to travel from Bangkok to Koh Samui. Moreover, the cost of a plane ticket from Bangkok to Koh Samui is not expensive. You can absolutely hunt cheap tickets if you book early. Airfares from Bangkok to Koh Samui depend on the booking date. Currently, there are 2 main airlines operating routes from Bangkok to Koh Samui, namely:

Bangkok Airlines: 19 Bangkok - Koh Samui flights per day
Thai Airways: 2 Bangkok - Koh Samui flights per day

Travel time from Bangkok to Koh Samui by plane is about 1.5 hours. You must spend about 90 -100 USD to book a flight from Bangkok to Koh Samui.

Get to Koh Samui by air - The 3 Best Ways to Get to Koh Samui

Traveling by plane is most convenient for tourists from Bangkok to Koh Samui

2. Get to Koh Samui by bus/shuttle bus + ferry

Traveling from Bangkok to Koh Samui by bus/shuttle bus combined ferry is considered the cheapest way. You do not need to book in advance. When you want to go to Koh Samui, just go to the bus stop. The bus will take you directly to the ferry terminal. You will need 90 minutes to transfer from the bus to the ferry terminal, the fare will be about 250 Baht. After that, you continue to take a ferry for 2 hours to get to Koh Samui.

Note, if you take a ferry from Surat Thani, arrive on board before 3 hours to go to Koh Samui in time. The waiting time for a ferry is usually quite long, so you can go around to explore before departing.

We recommend that you should prioritize travel buses. Because, the travel bus will depart as soon as you get on the bus and you don’t have to wait too long. There are 2 types of buses from Bangkok to Koh Samui. That is:

Public bus departs at Sai Tai Mai station in Bangkok. It's quite cheap and prestigious, including a VIP bus with air conditioning for you. Public buses run from 5:00 am to 8:00 pm.
Private bus, departing on Khao San Road, selected by some tourists because the pick up location is quite close. However, they are quite small, cramped and only start when all people get in the car.

You can easily catch buses to Surat Thani at Sai Tai Mai Station. After arriving at the ferry terminal in Surat Thani, you can catch the ferry to Koh Samui. The total cost to move from Bangkok to Koh Samui by bus/shuttle and ferry ranges from 30 - 40 USD. However, you need to sit on the bus/shuttle and ferry for about 14 hours.

Get to Koh Samui by bus/shuttle bus + ferry - The 3 Best Ways to Get to Koh Samui

Traveling from Bangkok to Koh Samui by bus/shuttle combined ferry is the cheapest way

3. Get to Koh Samui by train + ferry 

You can also travel from Bangkok to Koh Samui by train and ferry. Go to Koh Samui by train from Bangkok, you have to depart from Bangkok's Hualamphong Station. The train will depart in Hualamphong at times: 8:00 am, 1:00 pm, 2:45 pm, 3:10 pm, 3:35 pm, 5:05 pm, 5:35 pm, 6:30 pm, 7:30 pm, 10:50 pm. The running time of a train journey is about 8.5 hours to 12 hours depending on the type of train.

Then you will get off from Surat Thani train station. Continue taking the bus to Donsak ferry terminal, and you will reach Koh Samui. You must purchase a ferry ticket to be able to go to Koh Samui by ferry. The bus and ferry to Koh Samui is about 4 hours. Many tourists choose this transportation option to explore Bangkok through the train tracks.

Spending 40 - 50 USD and 12 - 13 hours, you can move from Bangkok to Koh Samui Island easily. You can also buy a combined ticket to save money. Depending on each person's needs, the fee may be higher. The fees we share above are the lowest, just for tourists' reference.

Get to Koh Samui by train + ferry - The 3 Best Ways to Get to Koh Samui

Tourists can freely explore Bangkok when traveling by train and ferry to Koh Samui

After our sharing on how to move from Bangkok to Koh Samui, do you know which transportation option is right for you? If your financial capacity is abundant, choose a plane to move to Koh Samui, you will have more time to have fun. Have a nice and meaningful trip, don't forget to review it for us.

Hang Moon

Image sources: Internet

Plan your tailor - made trip with a local expert
Book securely with money-back guarantee
Travel stress-free with local 24/7 support

Questions & Answers

Ask a Question