There are three ways to Koh Samui: fly straight into Samui Airport (fastest and usually the most expensive), fly to Surat Thani on the mainland and take a bus and boat (cheaper, about half a day), or travel overland from Bangkok on a combined bus-and-boat ticket (cheapest, overnight). Drivers use the car ferries from Donsak.
Koh Samui is Thailand's second-largest island, in the Gulf of Thailand off Surat Thani province. There is no bridge, so every route that does not land at the island's own airport ends with a ferry. The real decision is how you trade money against time, and how much you mind a long day of connections.
This page covers getting there. For what to do once you arrive and where to stay, see our Koh Samui guide.
Routes to Koh Samui compared
- Fastest
- Flight to Samui Airport (USM), mainly with Bangkok Airways
- Best value with a flight
- Fly to Surat Thani (URT), then bus and catamaran: Lomprayah lists 850 baht, about 2 hours 15 minutes from the airport to Nathon pier (2026 timetable)
- Cheapest from Bangkok
- Overnight bus plus boat: Lomprayah lists 1,250–1,750 baht, roughly 14 hours
- By train
- Overnight train to Surat Thani, then bus and boat from the station
- With a car
- Raja Ferry (Donsak to Lipa Noi, hourly) or Seatran (Donsak to Nathon), about 90 minutes
Flying direct to Samui Airport
Samui Airport is unusual: it is privately owned and run by Bangkok Airways, which opened it in 1989. In its investor pages the airline says the airport received a public aerodrome operating certificate from the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand in 2022 and can handle both domestic and international flights. Bangkok Airways operates most flights, but the same pages mention ground-handling income from "other airlines using Samui Airport", so it is not a one-airline airport.
The airport also earns a service charge from departing passengers, which is built into your ticket price. That, plus limited competition, is why a short flight from Bangkok to Samui often costs more than a longer flight elsewhere in Thailand. Prices change daily, so compare on the airlines' own sites rather than trusting a figure in a guidebook.
The terminal is in the north-east of the island near Bophut, so it is close to Chaweng, Bophut and Choeng Mon. Taxis and hotel transfers wait outside. Grab lists Samui among the places it serves; Bolt does not list Samui on its city page (October 2026).
From Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong
Because Samui can take international flights, some routes from regional hubs have been flown directly, Singapore in particular. We could not confirm the current list of international routes on an airline's own website for October 2026, so check the airline before you plan around a direct flight. The fallback is always the same: fly to Bangkok and connect to Samui or Surat Thani. Our guide to flights to Thailand from Singapore, Malaysia, China and Hong Kong covers the long-haul part, and if you are coming by land from Malaysia, see overland from Malaysia.
Flying to Surat Thani and taking the boat
Surat Thani Airport (URT) is on the mainland, and flights there from Bangkok are usually cheaper than flights to Samui because more airlines compete on the route. Check which Bangkok airport your airline uses; our article on Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang explains the difference.
From URT, ferry companies run buses timed to the flights. Lomprayah's 2026 timetable lists a bus plus catamaran from the airport at 09:30 arriving at Nathon pier at 11:45, and another at 12:30 arriving at 15:45, both 850 baht, and a bus plus speedboat at 11:00 to Pralarn pier near Maenam (950 baht). Raja Ferry and Seatran sell similar combined tickets via the Donsak piers. These buses wait for the flights they are timed for, but not forever, so leave a margin if you book them separately.
Surat Thani is often the sweet spot for budget travelers with a flight. You give up two to three hours compared with flying direct, and on many dates you save a good part of the airfare. Compare the two total prices, not just the flights.
The joint bus-and-boat ticket from Bangkok
The classic budget route is a single ticket that covers an overnight bus from Bangkok and the boat the next morning. Lomprayah sells it from its Bangkok office at Pinklao (on the Thonburi side, west of the river). Its 2026 timetable shows:
| From Bangkok (Pinklao) | Departs | Arrives Samui | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bus + ferry to Bangrak pier | 21:00 | 11:15 | ฿1,250 |
| Bus + catamaran to Pralarn pier | 21:30 | 11:30 | ฿1,450 |
| VIP bus + catamaran to Pralarn pier | 21:30 | 11:30 | ฿1,750 |
Prices are from Lomprayah's published 2026 timetable (checked October 2026); versions with hotel drop-off cost a little more. Raja Ferry also sells bus tickets from the Khao San area to its Donsak pier. Buy from the ferry company or a well-known agent, not from a stranger on the street, and keep your ticket stubs for every leg. Our guides to long-distance buses and to booking through 12Go explain what to expect.
The joint ticket is cheap and simple, but you sleep sitting up and arrive tired around midday. Keep valuables on you rather than in the luggage hold.
By train to Surat Thani
Overnight trains run south from Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal in Bangkok (not Hua Lamphong) to Surat Thani station, which is actually in the town of Phun Phin, outside Surat Thani city. A sleeper berth is more comfortable than a bus seat, and you arrive in the early morning.
From the station, Lomprayah's 2026 timetable lists a bus plus catamaran at 09:30 reaching Nathon at 11:45 for 750 baht. Book the train on the State Railway's D-Ticket site or app; the guide to Thailand's night trains explains the classes, and our article on booking Thai trains online walks through the website. Check the current fare on the railway's own site.
Car ferries from Donsak
If you are driving, or want the cheapest crossing, the vehicle ferries leave from Donsak, about an hour's drive east of Surat Thani.
- Raja Ferry runs Donsak to Lipa Noi pier on Samui's west coast. Its published timetable (in force since October 2021 "until further notice") has sailings every hour from 05:00 to 19:00 in both directions, and the crossing takes about 1 hour 30 minutes. Raja adds extra boats at busy times.
- Seatran Ferry runs from its own Donsak terminal to Nathon, and also sells passenger and vehicle tickets to Koh Phangan and onward connections.
Fares depend on the vehicle and are set under a Surat Thani provincial announcement; check them on the operators' sites. On holiday weekends the queues for cars can last hours, so arrive early. If you rented your car on the mainland, check that the contract allows ferry crossings before you join the queue.
Weather, rough seas and what can go wrong
Samui's wettest months are October to December, with November the peak, according to Thai Meteorological Department averages. Strong northeast winds in that season can cancel or delay boats, sometimes for a day. If you have an international flight to catch, do not plan to cross from Samui on the same day in that season; fly from Samui, or cross the day before. Our guide to the best time to visit the islands has the monthly pattern.
The UK Foreign Office warns that passenger boats between the mainland and the islands have sunk or collided, usually because of overloading, poor maintenance or rough monsoon seas. Choose established operators, know where the life jackets are, and do not board an obviously overloaded boat. Our guide to ferries in Thailand goes into operator and safety detail.
Going on to Koh Phangan and Koh Tao
Samui is the usual starting point for the Gulf islands. Catamarans and speedboats leave several times a day for Koh Phangan and onward to Koh Tao; see our guide to getting to Koh Tao for those connections, and the Gulf island-hopping route for a full itinerary. If you only have one free day on Samui, the Ang Thong marine park trip is the classic excursion.
Frequently asked questions
Is it cheaper to fly to Surat Thani than to Koh Samui?
Usually, yes. Flights to Surat Thani face more competition, and the bus and catamaran onward cost around 850 baht with Lomprayah (2026 timetable). Add the two together and compare with the direct Samui fare for your dates; when the gap is small, flying direct saves you two to three hours.
How long does it take to get from Bangkok to Koh Samui by bus and boat?
Lomprayah's overnight service leaves its Pinklao office at 21:00 or 21:30 and reaches Samui at about 11:15 to 11:30 the next morning, so plan on roughly 14 hours door to pier. Delays at sea in the monsoon can add more.
Is Bangkok Airways the only airline that flies to Koh Samui?
No. Bangkok Airways owns the airport and runs most of the flights, but its own investor information refers to other airlines using Samui Airport. Which airlines and routes operate changes by season, so check the airlines' sites for current flights.
Which ferry takes cars to Koh Samui?
The roll-on vehicle ferries leave from Donsak on the mainland: Raja Ferry to Lipa Noi, hourly from 05:00 to 19:00, and Seatran to Nathon. The high-speed catamarans are for foot passengers only. The crossing takes about 90 minutes.
Can I use Grab on Koh Samui?
Grab lists Samui among the places in Thailand where it operates, so you can use it for rides from the airport and the piers. Bolt does not list Samui on its city page as of October 2026. Our guide to using Grab in Thailand explains how to set it up.
Sources
- Bangkok Airways Investor Relations – Airport business (Samui, Sukhothai, Trat) (checked October 2026)
- Lomprayah – Timetable 2026 (checked October 2026)
- Raja Ferry Port – Sailing schedule, Donsak to Koh Samui (checked October 2026)
- Seatran Ferry – Routes to Koh Samui and Koh Phangan (checked October 2026)
- Grab Thailand – Transport services and coverage (checked October 2026)
- Bolt – Cities in Thailand (checked October 2026)
- Tourism Authority of Thailand – Long-distance trains move to Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal (checked October 2026)
- UK Foreign Office – Thailand: safety and security (checked October 2026)