Getting to Koh Samui

Koh Samui is easily accessible by air, land and sea. The majority of international travellers arrive by air, coming from Bangkok, Phuket or Singapore. Bangkok Airways has a number of daily flights to the island, making flying the most convenient way to get here. Daily ferries operate from several different piers along the mainland coastal area of Surat Thani. Surat Thani itself is easily reached by air, rail or road. If coming to Surat Thani by rail or bus, it is easy to find a taxi or minibus in the town that can connect you with the ferry ports.

By car

Visitors to Thailand can hire a car and drive to Samui, obviously finishing the journey with a ferry ride. Departing from either Bangkok or Phuket, the drive is on very good roads. From Bangkok, the Phetkasem Highway is a two-lane carriageway all the way to Surat Thani. This trip usually takes 8 to 10 hours. From Phuket, the roads are good but they are single lane. The trip takes about 5 hours and on the way, tourists will experience some very beautiful scenery. From Hat Yai, there is a double-lane highway to Surat Thani (journey time: 6 hours).

From all destinations, there are plenty of petrol stations to fill up and take a break at along the way. However, travellers should be aware that from Surat Thani, it is still another hour's travelling time to the ferry terminals. There are also sometimes very long queues at the ferry terminals, so it is important to make sure that you allow enough time for the journey. In Thailand, motorists drive on the left.

By rail

Daily rail services go to Surat Thani from Bangkoks main Hualamphong Railway Station. Sleepers can be booked on overnight trains at a reasonable price at both fan and air-conditioned tariffs. Easy transfers can be made to boats going to Samui from the railway station in Surat Thani.

By bus

Frequent air-conditioned buses run to Surat Thani from Bangkoks Southern Bus Terminal. There are also several buses a day from Hat Yai and Phuket. The bus services tend to be less comfortable than other forms of transportation and are therefore suitable for budget travellers.

By air

Bangkok Airways is the only Thai operator serving Koh Samui Airport. 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.

It is important not to forget your baggage in Bangkok if transiting straight to Samui on arrival. Your baggage will not be automatically redirected to your Samui flight, so you'll have to pick it up and check-in your baggage again.

At Samui Airport, plenty of taxis can be found to take tourists to their destination of choice. Some hotels also organise pick ups from the airport.

By ferry

Two companies operate ferries from three piers situated on the Surat Thani coast on the mainland and from two piers located on Koh Samui. Ferries run regularly throughout the year and it is not necessary to book tickets in advance.

The Ratcha Ferry Companys vehicle and passenger ferries run from Don Sak pier to Thong Yang pier on Koh Samui, departing five-times daily. The crossing takes 1 hour 30 minutes. From Samui's Thong Yang pier, there are seven daily departures for the mainland.

An express passenger ferry service is offered by Songserm Travel. It departs from Tha Thong pier three times a day. 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 05:00.

Both taxis and covered red pick ups called songthaews are readily available at the Samui ports to move arriving visitors on.

Koh Samui Airport

The attractive airport is serviced by Bangkok Airways, which operates more than 40 flights a day on its Bangkok to Samui route (journey time: 1 hour). Alternative routes include Samui-Phuket, Samui-Pattaya (U-Tapao), Samui-Krabi and Samui-Singapore. Facilities at the airport are limited to dining outlets, telephones and toilets.

Koh Samui airport transportation

On arrival at Samui Airport, there are taxis waiting outside the terminal to take tourists to their destination of choice. Some hotels meet their guests from the airport but this should be arranged in advance.