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Surat Thani to Koh Samui

Discussion in 'Thailand' started by Manira, Nov 11, 2016.

  1. Manira

    Manira New Member

    Our family is going to Thailand for a holiday and we have about 90% much have everything sorted and booked. It was only last night one of my friends told me that if we are going to Thailand we should definitely visit Koh Samui as it is not to be missed.

    We know that we have to go from Surat Thani, but need further information for this journey.

    - Where do we need to be at in Surat Thani when going to Koh Samui?

    - Where do we purchase the ferry tickets from?

    - How much are the ferry tickets from Surat Thani to Koh Samui?

    - How long is the ferry journey?
     


  2. briannagodess

    briannagodess Well-Known Member

    Hello, @Manira, welcome to the forum!


    Overview

    Koh Samui, the second largest island in Thailand after Phuket, is located to the west of the Surat Thani province. Thus, the gateway to reach Koh Samui is Surat Thani, especially if you plan to reach the island by sea. Koh Samui has its own airport, the Samui International Airport, with international flights from Chengdu, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, plus domestic flights from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Krabi, Pattaya and Phuket. Thus, some travellers opt to reach the island by air, which can be convenient but also very expensive. If you intend to reach Surat Thani first, and from there, go to Koh Samui, you save more money and enjoy the journey along the way. This guide would help you figure out the different ways to reach Koh Samui from Surat Thani.

    Your Arrival on Surat Thani

    So basically, you arrive in Surat Thani, from other regions in Thailand, through one of these three ways: by air, by rail or by road, specifically by bus. This is how we're going to categorise this guide, how you would reach Koh Samui from any of these arrival points in Surat Thani. So first, one of the most frequent ways that travellers reach Surat Thani is by flight, reaching the Surat Thani International Airport. This airport is located in the Phun Phin district of Surat Thani province. However, it's about 26 kilometres away from the city centre of Surat Thani. The airport has direct flights from international destinations like Chengdu and Kuala Lumpur, as well as from domestic destinations like Bangkok and Chiang Mai.

    If you choose train journey, you'd be arriving at the Surat Thani Railway Station, located in the Tha Kham Town of the Phun Phin district as well. Usually, travellers coming from Bangkok reach Surat Thani through the direct trains from Hua Lamphong Railway Station to the Surat Thani Railway Station. Just like the airport though, the Surat Thani Railway Station is located on the outskirts of the Surat Thani Town proper, about 16 kilometres away. There are both day and night trains to reach Surat Thani from Bangkok.

    The last way of reaching Surat Thani is by bus, which is again, usually from the capital city of Bangkok. There are three main bus stations in Surat Thani, namely: Kaset 1 (Bus Station No. 1), Kaset 2 (Bus Station No. 2) and New Bus Station. All three bus stations are located along the sides of the Talad Mai road. Kaset 1 is also known as the Downtown Transportation Hub 1, located off the northern side of the road, and has buses mainly for local transport around Surat Thani. Kaset 2 is also known as the Downtown Transportation Hub 2, located directly opposite to the first bus hub. It mainly has buses to and from southern regions like Phuket, Krabi and Trang. The New Bus Station is also known as Bor Kor Sor Mai, located seven kilometres away from the city centre, close to the intersection point of the four highways into the city. This bus station has buses to and from cities like Bangkok and Chiang Mai. Some buses also drop off passengers at the town proper.

    Arrival on Surat Thani by Air (From Surat Thani International Airport to Koh Samui)

    If you would be arriving on Surat Thani by air, you would be reaching the main airport which is the Surat Thani International Airport. You can reach Koh Samui directly from the airport, as there are combination tickets that some companies offer, comprising of both bus/van ticket plus ferry ticket.

    Option A - Combination Tickets from Airport to Koh Samui (Direct Journey)

    1. Phantip Travel Combination Ticket (Bus + Ferry) - If you are okay with a basic journey, meaning no frills nor fancies way of travelling, you can opt for the Phantip Travel combination ticket. Phantip Travel has a counter just outside the airport which is very convenient for travellers. You can also prebook your ticket through their official website or through their call centre number, found on the website as well. The combination ticket involves the bus transfer from Surat Thani International Airport and also the ferry transfer from the Donsak Seatran Pier to Samui Nathon Seatran Pier. Below are the departure times from the Surat Thani International Airport and the estimated arrival times in the Samui Nathon Seatran Pier.

    Phantip Travel Transfer from Airport to Koh Samui Timetable

    JourneyDeparture Time (From Airport)Arrival Time (Nathon Pier in Samui)Fare
    First8:1512:30THB 375
    Second10:4514:30THB 375
    Third11:1514:30THB 375
    Fourth13:1516:30THB 375
    Fifth13:3016:30THB 375
    Sixth14:3018:30THB 375
    Seventh16:0019:30THB 375
    Phantip Travel has seven journeys all throughout the day from the Surat Thani International Airport to the Donsak Seatran Pier to the Samui Nathon Seatran Pier. The bus journey from the Surat Thani International Airport to the Donsak Seatran Pier takes around 1 hour and 30 minutes. On the other hand, the ferry journey from the Donsak Seatran Pier to the Samui Nathon Pier takes around 1 hour and 30 minutes as well. The earliest van departs from the airport at around 8:15 to 8:30 in the morning while the latest bus departs from the airport at around 16:00 to 16:15 in the afternoon. Once you reach the Samui Nathon Seatran Pier, there are usually local songthaews that can take you to your hotel or even to popular areas like Chaweng. Alternatively, you can also arrange for your hotel to pick you up in the pier proper, for a surcharge of course.

    2. Lomprayah Combination Ticket (Bus + Ferry) - This is more of a mid-range option, as the Lomprayah operates a high speed catamaran service, also from Donsak Lomprayah Pier to the Samui Nathon Lomprayah Pier. They also offer a combined ticket, meaning, a bus ticket for the airport to the pier journey and then a ferry ticket for the Donsak Pier to the Nathon Pier journey. You can book your ticket through their counter at the Arrivals hall of the airport or through their website.

    Lomprayah Transfer from Airport to Koh Samui Timetable

    JourneyDeparture Time (From Airport)Arrival Time (Nathon Pier in Samui)Fare
    First8:3010:55THB 600
    Second10:5013:15THB 600
    Third13:3016:45THB 600
    Fourth16:0018:45THB 700
    Lomprayah has four journeys all around the day, starting from 8:30 in the morning, until 16:00 in the afternoon. Journey duration is around 2 hours and 25 minutes so it's a bit faster as compared to the previous company. Fare is bit higher as well, around THB 600 and THB 700 for the last trip. Again, from the Samui Nathon Lomprayah Pier, you can just ride a local songthaew to reach your hotel or your other destination.

    3. Raja Ferry Combination Ticket (Bus + Ferry/Bus + Ferry + Van) - The Raja Ferry is another good name when it comes to transfers from the Surat Thani Airport up to the Koh Samui island. Much like the former companies, they have a counter in the airport, at the Arrivals hall area or you can also book a ticket from their official website. Their combination ticket is comprised of bus transfer from the airport to the Donsak Raja Ferry Pier, then transfer from Donsak to the Samui Lipa Noi Raja Ferry Port, and finally transfer from the Samui Port to other areas like Taling Ngam Bay or Maenam.

    Raja Ferry Transfer from Airport to Koh Samui Timetable

    JourneyDeparture Time (From Airport)Arrival Time (Lipa Noi Pier in Samui)Basic FareFull Fare (With Transfer from Lipa Noi Pier)
    First8:4512:30THB 400THB 600
    Second11:3015:30THB 400THB 600
    Third13:2017:30THB 400THB 600
    Fourth15:0018:30THB 400THB 600
    Fifth16:0519:30THB 400THB 600
    Sixth17:2521:00THB 400THB 600
    Raja Ferry has six journeys throughout the day, from the airport to Koh Samui. The first bus departs from the airport at around 8:45 in the morning while the last bus departs from the airport at around 17:25 in the afternoon. Journey duration is around four hours, more or less, from the airport until Koh Samui. Unlike the previous companies, Raja Ferry ships dock at the Lipa Noi Port in Koh Samui. Fares vary, depending if you choose a combination ticket that transfers you to the port only or one that includes transfer to other areas, costing THB 400 and THB 600 respectively.

    4. Seatran Discovery Combination Ticket (Bus + Ferry) - Last for this section is the Seatran Discovery, another ferry company operating small ships running from the Donsak Seatran Pier to the Samui Bangrak Pier. Their combination ticket also includes the transfer from the Surat Thani International Airport to the Donsak Seatran Pier. Their counter in the airport is located close to the Raja Ferry counter but you can also book a ticket from their website.

    Seatran Discovery Transfer from Airport to Koh Samui Timetable

    JourneyDeparture Time (From Airport)Arrival Time (Bangrak Pier in Samui)Fare
    First8:3012:30THB 600
    Second10:4516:00THB 600
    Third11:2016:00THB 600
    Seatran Discovery has three journeys all throughout the day from the airport to Koh Samui. The first bus departs from the airport at around 8:30 in the morning and the last bus departs from the airport at around 11:20 in the morning. Journey duration is around four hours, more or less. From the Bangrak Pier, you can easily ride a taxi to reach the famous beaches of Koh Samui like Chaweng and Lamai.

    Option B - Surat Thani International Airport to Surat Thani Town to Donsak to Koh Samui (Indirect Journey)

    If, for example, you reach the airport beyond 17:25, the time when the last bus operated by Raja Ferry leaves from here, you might need an alternative. Your other option is to reach the Surat Thani Town and from there, ride a bus to reach the Donsak Pier, from where you can book a ferry for transfer to the Koh Samui island.

    ☆Surat Thani International Airport to Surat Thani Town☆

    For reaching the Surat Thani Town from the Surat Thani International Airport, you have two options, either ride a taxi or board a Phantip Travel bus. The former is more expensive but you would reach the town faster, fare would be around THB 1,500 for a one-way trip. For the Phantip Travel buses, their timings would be given below.

    Phantip Travel Bus Timings from Airport to Town Proper

    Bus NumberDeparture Time (From Airport)Arrival Time (Surat Thani Town)Fare
    Bus Number 17:308:20THB 180
    Bus Number 28:309:20THB 180
    Bus Number 39:3010:20THB 180
    Bus Number 410:0010:40THB 180
    Bus Number 510:3011:20THB 180
    Bus Number 611:0011:40THB 180
    Bus Number 713:0013:40THB 180
    Bus Number 813:4514:35THB 180
    Bus Number 914:1515:00THB 180
    Bus Number 1015:4516:35THB 180
    Bus Number 1116:2017:00THB 180
    Bus Number 1217:1018:00THB 180
    Bus Number 1317:3518:20THB 180
    Bus Number 1419:0019:40THB 180
    Bus Number 1519:1020:00THB 180
    Bus Number 1620:0020:40THB 180
    Bus Number 1720:5022:00THB 180
    These are all the buses running throughout the day from the Surat Thani International Airport to the Surat Thani Town. The earliest bus departs from the airport at 7:30 in the morning while the latest bus departs from the airport at around 20:50. Journey duration is about one hour, more or less. Fare is at THB 180 per passenger. You can book any of these buses from the official website of Phantip Travel.

    ☆Surat Thani Town to Koh Samui☆

    Once you reach Surat Thani Town, you have two options, either book a combination ticket from here to Koh Samui or reach Donsak Pier from Surat Thani Town by bus and book your ticket from the pier proper. For the first option, the three ferry companies mentioned above, namely, Phantip Travel, Lomprayah and Seatran Discovery all have combination tickets from Surat Thani Town to Koh Samui. Again, these companies would drop you off at the same piers as mentioned above, Nathon Pier for both Phantip and Lomprayah while Bangrak Pier for Seatran Discovery. For the second option, you can reach Donsak Pier from Surat Thani Town, and from there, board a ferry reaching Koh Samui, mostly operated by Raja Ferry.

    ○First Option - Surat Thani Town to Koh Samui (Direct)○

    1. Phantip Travel Combination Ticket from Surat Thani Town to Koh Samui - You can book your ticket for this journey through the official website of Phantip Travel. Or if you'd rather book in person, their office is located in the Talad Mai road in Surat Thani Town, in between Alley 8 and Alley 10. They have timings from 8:15 in the morning until 17:00 in the afternoon and fare is at THB 240 per passenger.

    Phantip Travel Timetable (Surat Thani Town to Koh Samui)

    JourneyDeparture Time (Surat Thani Town)Arrival Time (Nathon Seatran Pier)Fare
    First8:1511:30THB 240
    Second9:0012:30THB 240
    Third10:0013:30THB 240
    Fourth11:0014:30THB 240
    Fifth12:0015:30THB 240
    Sixth13:0016:30THB 240
    Seventh14:0017:30THB 240
    Eighth15:0018:30THB 240
    Ninth16:0019:30THB 240
    Tenth17:0020:30THB 240
    2. Lomprayah Combination Ticket from Surat Thani Town to Koh Samui - You can book your ticket for this journey through the official website of Lomprayah. Alternatively, you can also book you ticket from their office, located close to the New Bus Station or Bor Kor Sor Mai of Surat Thani Town. They have timings all throughout the day, though not as extensive as the previous one, the earliest bus departing from Surat Thani Town at around 9:00 while the latest at around 16:00.

    Lomprayah Timetable (Surat Thani Town to Koh Samui)

    JourneyDeparture Time (Surat Thani Town)Arrival Time (Nathon Lomprayah Pier)Fare
    First9:0010:55THB 450
    Second11:1013:15THB 450
    Third14:3016:45THB 450
    Fourth16:0018:45THB 550
    3. Seatran Discovery Combination Ticket Surat Thani Town to Koh Samui - You can book your ticket for this journey from the website of Seatran Discovery or from their booking counter located in Talad Mai road of Surat Thani Town. They have fewer journeys starting at 9:30 in the morning and then 12:30 in the afternoon.

    Seatran Discovery Timetable (Surat Thani Town to Koh Samui)

    JourneyDeparture Time (Surat Thani Town)Arrival Time (Bangkrak Pier)Fare
    First9:3012:30THB 500
    Second12:3016:00THB 500
    ○Second Option - Surat Thani Town to Donsak Pier to Koh Samui (Indirect)○

    For your second option, you can board a bus operated by the Phantip Travel and reach Donsak Pier. From the Donsak Pier, you can board a ferry reaching Koh Samui, operated by Raja Ferry. You might save some money by doing this though you need to plan ahead of time to make sure that your bus and ferry schedules are on sync with one another.

    1. Phantip Travel Buses from Surat Thani Town to Donsak - You can book your ticket for this journey from official website of Phantip Travel or from the booking counter of the company located in Talad Mai road, as mentioned above. There are buses all throughout the day so if ever you miss the combination tickets above, you can opt for this journey instead.

    Phantip Travel Timetable (Surat Thani Town to Donsak)

    JourneyDeparture Time (Surat Thani Town)Arrival Time (Donsak)Fare
    First8:009:30THB 100
    Second9:0010:30THB 100
    Third10:0011:30THB 100
    Fourth11:0012:30THB 100
    Fifth12:0013:30THB 100
    Sixth13:0014:30THB 100
    Seventh14:0015:30THB 100
    Eighth15:0016:30THB 100
    Ninth16:0017:30THB 100
    Tenth17:0018:30THB 100
    2. Raja Ferry Service from Donsak to Samui Lipa Noi - Raja Ferry operates ferries running from Donsak Pier to Samui Lipa Noi Pier. You can book any of these ferries from the pier proper, where the Raja Ferry has a counter. Or from the website of the Raja Ferry proper. The earliest ferry departs from Donsak around 5:00 in the morning and the latest ferry departs from Donsak at around 19:30.

    Raja Ferry Timetable (Donsak to Samui Lipa Noi)

    JourneyDeparture Time (Surat Thani Town)Arrival Time (Lipa Noi Pier)Fare
    First5:006:30THB 130
    Second6:007:30THB 130
    Third7:008:30THB 130
    Fourth8:009:30THB 130
    Fifth9:0010:30THB 130
    Sixth10:0011:30THB 130
    Seventh11:0012:30THB 130
    Eighth12:0013:30THB 130
    Ninth13:0014:30THB 130
    Tenth14:0015:30THB 130
    Eleventh15:0016:30THB 130
    Twelfth16:0017:30THB 130
    Thirteenth17:0018:30THB 130
    Fourteenth18:0019:30THB 130
    Fifteenth19:3021:00THB 130
    Arrival on Surat Thani by Rail (From Surat Thani Railway Station to Koh Samui)

    If you're arriving on Surat Thani by train journey, you'd be reaching the Surat Thani Railway Station. You can reach Koh Samui directly from the railway station, some companies also offer combination tickets for this route. However, unlike the previous route, your options are comparatively lesser for this direct journey.

    Option A - Combination Tickets from Railway Station to Koh Samui (Direct Journey)

    1. Phantip Travel Combination Ticket (Bus + Ferry) - The same company above, Phantip Travel, also operates one combination journey from Surat Thani Railway Station to Koh Samui. They also have a counter just outside the Surat Thani Railway Station, from where you can book your ticket from. This combination ticket includes the van transfer from the railway station to the Donsak Seatran Pier and the ferry transfer from the Donsak Seatran Pier to the Samui Nathon Seatran Pier. Below is the departure time from the railway station of bus and the arrival time of the ferry in the Samui Nathon Seatran Pier.

    Phantip Travel Transfer from Railway Station to Koh Samui Timetable

    JourneyDeparture Time (Railway Station)Arrival Time (Nathon Pier in Samui)Fare
    First and Last7:3011:30THB 250
    The first and last van departs from the railway station at around 7:30 in the morning and arrives at the Nathon Pier around 11:30 in the morning. For your onwards journey from the Nathon Pier, you need to rely on local transport as this company won't provide them for you. The fare is very affordable at THB 250 per passenger.

    2. Lomprayah Combination Ticket (Bus + Ferry) - This is the same Lomprayah company mentioned in the first section, which operates high speed catamarans, this time, from Donsak Lomprayah Pier to Samui Nathon Pier. Again, their service includes transfer from the railway station to the pier in Donsak. You can book this combination ticket from their counter outside the Surat Thani Railway Station.

    Lomprayah Transfer from Railway Station to Koh Samui Timetable

    JourneyDeparture Time (Railway Station)Arrival Time (Nathon Pier in Samui)Fare
    First and Last8:3010:55THB 500
    The first and last bus departs from the railway station at around 8:30 in the morning and arrives in the Nathon Pier at around 10:55 of the same morning. Fare is a bit higher as the journey is faster, THB 500 per passenger. From Nathon Pier, you can rely on the local songthaews to reach your specific hotel or beach destination.

    3. Raja Ferry Combination Ticket (Bus + Ferry + Van) - Just like the previous options, you also have the Raja Ferry included here. They have a combination ticket for the Surat Thani Railway Station transfer until Koh Samui. The only difference is that they also have a van transfer from the Samui Lipa Noi Raja Ferry Pier to your destination of choice. Thus, you won't need to worry about being transferred from the Samui Lipa Noi Pier to more commercial centres. Again, you can book for this ticket just outside the railway station or through the website linked above.

    Raja Ferry Transfer from Railway Station to Koh Samui Timetable

    JourneyDeparture Time (Railway Station)Arrival Time (Lipa Noi Pier in Samui)Fare
    First and Last7:4511:30THB 510
    The first and last bus departs from the railway station at 7:45 in the morning. It arrives in the Lipa Noi Pier in Samui at around 11:30 in the morning. Fare is at THB 510 which is very reasonable considering it already includes your transfer from railway station to pier and from pier to pier, and from pier to another destination you specify.

    Option B - Surat Thani Railway Station to Surat Thani Town to Donsak to Koh Samui (Indirect Journey)

    What if you're arriving in Surat Thani Railway Station during night time or late afternoon? Since these combination tickets mentioned above only have timings early in the morning, you won't be able to board any of these buses or ferries. An alternative would be to reach the Surat Thani Town as well, just like the previous Option B for the first arrival location, which is the Surat Thani International Airport. So first, let's discuss how you would reach the Surat Thani Town from the Surat Thani Railway Station.

    ☆Surat Thani Railway Station to Surat Thani Town☆

    There are two approaches to this route, one is via taxi, which is more expensive but more convenient if you have luggages with you. The main taxi stand is located just before you reach the car park area. Fare from the railway station to the Surat Thani Town would be around THB 150 to THB 200 for a one-way trip. If you want to go the more economical way, walk past the taxi stand until you reach the car park area. Here, there are these orange buses that reach the Surat Thani Town proper. Fare won't be for more than THB 20 per person. However, their frequency and timings are not fixed, though they run all throughout the day until 19:00 in the evening. Thereafter, there are still a few buses but the frequency would be lower.

    ☆Surat Thani Town to Koh Samui☆

    On reaching Surat Thani Town, you have the same options as mentioned in the first section. You can reach Koh Samui directly from the combination tickets offered by several ferry services from Surat Thani Town. Or you can also reach Koh Samui indirectly by opting to cut your journey, from Surat Thani Town to Donsak Pier and then from Donsak Pier to Koh Samui. The former would save you more time though would cost more as well, while the latter would save you more money but would require more planning.

    ○First Option - Surat Thani Town to Koh Samui (Direct)○

    1. Phantip Travel Combination Ticket from Surat Thani Town to Koh Samui - You can book your ticket for this journey through the official website of Phantip Travel or in person at their booking office in the Talad Mai road in Surat Thani Town, the exact location was already mentioned above.

    Phantip Travel Timetable (Surat Thani Town to Koh Samui)

    JourneyDeparture Time (Surat Thani Town)Arrival Time (Nathon Seatran Pier)Fare
    First8:1511:30THB 240
    Second9:0012:30THB 240
    Third10:0013:30THB 240
    Fourth11:0014:30THB 240
    Fifth12:0015:30THB 240
    Sixth13:0016:30THB 240
    Seventh14:0017:30THB 240
    Eighth15:0018:30THB 240
    Ninth16:0019:30THB 240
    Tenth17:0020:30THB 240
    2. Lomprayah Combination Ticket from Surat Thani Town to Koh Samui - You can book your ticket for this journey through their website but you can also book you ticket from their office, located close to the New Bus Station of Surat Thani Town.

    Lomprayah Timetable (Surat Thani Town to Koh Samui)

    JourneyDeparture Time (Surat Thani Town)Arrival Time (Nathon Lomprayah Pier)Fare
    First9:0010:55THB 450
    Second11:1013:15THB 450
    Third14:3016:45THB 450
    Fourth16:0018:45THB 550
    3. Seatran Discovery Combination Ticket Surat Thani Town to Koh Samui - You can book your ticket for this journey from their website or from their booking counter located in Talad Mai road of Surat Thani Town.

    Seatran Discovery Timetable (Surat Thani Town to Koh Samui)

    JourneyDeparture Time (Surat Thani Town)Arrival Time (Bangkrak Pier)Fare
    First9:3012:30THB 500
    Second12:3016:00THB 500
    ○Second Option - Surat Thani Town to Donsak Pier to Koh Samui (Indirect)○

    As mentioned above, you can also opt for this longer journey that can save you some money. Phantip Travel operates a few buses plying from the Surat Thani Town to the Donsak Pier. From the Donsak Pier, you can book your ticket personally from the Raja Ferry counter. However, make sure you know your exact schedules and follow them, as well as organise them with the timings of the buses and ferries below.

    1. Phantip Travel Buses from Surat Thani Town to Donsak - You can book your ticket from their official website or from the booking counter of the company located in Talad Mai road, as mentioned above.

    Phantip Travel Timetable (Surat Thani Town to Donsak)

    JourneyDeparture Time (Surat Thani Town)Arrival Time (Donsak)Fare
    First8:009:30THB 100
    Second9:0010:30THB 100
    Third10:0011:30THB 100
    Fourth11:0012:30THB 100
    Fifth12:0013:30THB 100
    Sixth13:0014:30THB 100
    Seventh14:0015:30THB 100
    Eighth15:0016:30THB 100
    Ninth16:0017:30THB 100
    Tenth17:0018:30THB 100
    2. Raja Ferry Service from Donsak to Samui Lipa Noi - You can book any of these ferries from the pier proper where the Raja Ferry has a counter in or from the website of the company.

    Raja Ferry Timetable (Donsak to Samui Lipa Noi)

    JourneyDeparture Time (Surat Thani Town)Arrival Time (Lipa Noi Pier)Fare
    First5:006:30THB 130
    Second6:007:30THB 130
    Third7:008:30THB 130
    Fourth8:009:30THB 130
    Fifth9:0010:30THB 130
    Sixth10:0011:30THB 130
    Seventh11:0012:30THB 130
    Eighth12:0013:30THB 130
    Ninth13:0014:30THB 130
    Tenth14:0015:30THB 130
    Eleventh15:0016:30THB 130
    Twelfth16:0017:30THB 130
    Thirteenth17:0018:30THB 130
    Fourteenth18:0019:30THB 130
    Fifteenth19:3021:00THB 130
    Arrival on Surat Thani by Road/Bus Journey (From Bus Station to Koh Samui)

    Last but not the least is for those arriving to Surat Thani by road or specifically, by bus journey. Most buses from Bangkok or from other northern destinations, drop off passengers in various areas outside the Surat Thani Town proper. The drop off points are usually the New Bus Station or near the Surat Thani Railway Station in Phun Phin.

    ☆Phun Phin or New Bus Station to Surat Thani Town☆

    To reach the Surat Thani Town from either Phun Phin or the New Bus Station, you just simply board any of the local orange buses that stop from various points around the city, including the Surat Thani Town and Surat Thani Railway Station. These are non air-conditioned buses running all throughout the day, but their timings are not fixed. Around 18:30 in the afternoon, the frequency of these buses would be lower. So if you're arriving in these areas around this time, your other option is to hire a local taxi or even a tuk tuk to reach the town proper. Do negotiate a price prior to riding these transportation means as they don't rely much on the metre.

    ☆Surat Thani Town to Koh Samui☆

    You can refer to the above guidelines on how you can reach Koh Samui from Surat Thani Town. The instructions are the same, you can opt for direct journey by the combination tickets of some ferry services of you can opt for indirect journey, reaching the Donsak Pier first, then reserving your ferry ticket for Koh Samui from here. Both the previous arrival cases discuss your options from Surat Thani Town to Koh Samui.

    Your Arrival on Koh Samui

    [​IMG]

    There are different piers that one can arrive in from the Donsak Pier in Surat Thani to Koh Samui. Three of the four of them were mentioned above but let's also highlight their main differences so you'd know which would be the best pier for you.

    The westernmost and southernmost pier is the Lipa Noi Pier, as show in the map above. The Lipa Noi Pier is utilised by the Raja Ferry company, as you might have known from the previous tables above. Because of its more remote location, the Lipa Noi Pier is not preferred by many travellers. It's best to just avail of the transfer services that the Raja Ferry company offers for customers, otherwise, you'd have to resort to utilising the local taxis which can be quite more expensive as compared to the local songthaews. If you're looking for a more serene getaway though, both the Taling Ngam and Lipa Noi coasts are quite good options for that. Also an ideal snorkelling getaway is the nearby island of Koh Tean, a boat ride away from Lipa Noi.

    Next we have the Nathon Pier, probably the busiest port of the island. Ferry companies like Lomprayah and Seatran, for the Phantip Travel services, utilise this port area. Another jetty is used mainly by smaller fishing boats and long-tail boats. The Nathon Pier is located at a prime position, on the western and central area of Koh Samui. Unlike the former pier, there are many transportation options from the Nathon Pier to other beaches or commercial areas through the use of songthaews or local taxis. There are many vendors and food stalls around the pier area so the passengers won't need to worry about getting hungry or thirsty. Aside from ferry transfer from and to Donsak Pier of Surat Thani, there are also ferry transfer from Nathon Pier to the nearby islands of Koh Phangan and Koh Tao.

    Further to the north is the Maenam Pier, which finds no mention in our previous companies. It is, however, utilised by ferries to and from Chumphon, plus the islands of Koh Phangan and Koh Tao as well. Two ferry companies, Lomprayah and Pralarn, are best related to this smaller port. Less busy than the previous ports, the Maenam Pier also boasts of the Maenam Beach. If you're planning to reach the other islands of Koh Phangan or Koh Tao, or maybe even reaching the mainland of Chumphon, try out this other port area for a more scenic route.

    The last pier is located further to the northeastern side of Koh Samui, known as the Bangrak Pier. As you might have recalled, Seatran Discovery has ferry services from Donsak Pier to Bangrak Pier. Some travellers prefer this pier because of its closeness to beach destinations such as Chaweng, Choeng Mon and Lamai. The pier also has ferry services to the nearby islands of Koh Phangan and Koh Tao. Both the Wat Phra Yai and Samui International Airport are also located close to this pier.

    Conclusion

    The Donsak Pier is the main gateway from Surat Thani to reach Koh Samui. Whether you arrive by air, by rail or by bus in Surat Thani, there are appropriate transportation options for you to reach the Donsak Pier and from there, Koh Samui. In a nutshell, if you reach the airport early, at least before 16:00, you can avail of the combination tickets to reach Koh Samui directly from here. If you reach the railway early in the morning, at least before 7:00 in the morning, you can also avail of the combination tickets to reach Koh Samui directly from here. But if you reach both areas beyond these times mentioned, you need to reach Surat Thani Town and from there, you can find combination tickets for later timings to reach Koh Samui. If going by bus, you would also need to reach the Surat Thani Town to board any of the buses going to the Donsak Pier proper.

    I hope this helps you!:)