Koh Samet is the nearest proper beach island to Bangkok: a bus to Ban Phe on the Rayong coast, then a short boat across. The whole island is part of a national park, so foreign visitors pay a park fee on arrival, 200 baht for an adult as of October 2026, and the island fills up with Bangkok weekenders on Fridays and holidays.
Samet is small, dry and easy. The island lies about 6.5 km off Ban Phe, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), and almost all of its beaches face east in a chain of sandy bays linked by one road and a coastal path. It is not as wild as the islands further east near Trat, and it is not as remote. That is the point: you can leave Bangkok in the morning and swim before lunch.
This page covers the trip from Bangkok, the park fee and what it does and does not include, how to pick a beach, and when to avoid the crowds. If you are still choosing between the eastern islands, start with our overview of Koh Samet, Koh Kood and Koh Mak.
Koh Samet in brief
- Province
- Rayong, eastern Thailand
- Park
- Khao Laem Ya–Mu Ko Samet National Park
- Mainland pier town
- Ban Phe, about 6.5 km across the water
- Main island pier
- Na Dan, on the north-east coast
- Park fee (foreign visitors)
- 200 baht adult, 100 baht child; 300 baht for the outlying Ko Thalu, Ko Kudee, Ko Kham and Ko Kruai (October 2026)
- Driest months
- November to April (Rayong weather station)
From Bangkok to Ban Phe by bus or minivan
The usual route is a bus from Bangkok's Eastern Bus Terminal at Ekkamai, on the BTS Sukhumvit Line, to Ban Phe. Travelfish, a long-running Southeast Asia guide, puts the trip at three to four hours depending on traffic. Minivans cover the same road. We would take a full-size bus where you can, because there is room for luggage and the driving is usually calmer; our guide to minivans in Thailand explains the trade-off.
If you land at Suvarnabhumi and want to go straight to the coast, there are minibuses from the airport to the Ban Phe piers, which saves a trip into the city. Through tickets that combine the bus and the boat are sold online; our article on booking transport through 12Go shows how those combined tickets work. They are convenient, but on this short route you lose little by buying the boat ticket at the pier.
Driving is also simple: Ban Phe is on the coast road east of Rayong town. If you are coming from Pattaya, the drive is shorter still, and Samet works well as a quieter add-on to a stay in Pattaya.
Ban Phe's piers and the boat to Na Dan
Ban Phe has several piers in a row along one coastal road, and they all sell boats to Samet. The slow public ferries land at Na Dan pier on the north-east tip of the island after a crossing of around 40 minutes. Speedboats cost more but can drop you at your beach in a fraction of the time, and many resorts run their own boats from their own pier. If you have pre-booked, check which pier your ticket names before the bus driver lets you off.
Ferries run through the day. Timetables and fares are set by the private operators and change with the season, so treat any printed fare as a guide and check at the pier. On the island, shared songthaews (pickup trucks with two benches in the back) wait at Na Dan and run down the island road to the beaches. TAT notes that fares depend on distance.
Do not buy a "park ticket" from an agent in Ban Phe. Travelfish reports agents in Ban Phe selling so-called national park tickets to travelers. The park fee is collected by park staff on the island, at the checkpoint, and you should pay it only there and keep the receipt.
The national park fee: 200 baht, not 300
Koh Samet belongs to Khao Laem Ya–Mu Ko Samet National Park. Thailand's Department of National Parks (DNP) charges by park category, not by island. Under the fee rules in force since June 2022, this park is in Category 2: 200 baht for a foreign adult and 100 baht for a foreign child (3–14 years, or up to 140 cm tall). Thai nationals pay a much lower rate. Check the board at the checkpoint, because fees can change.
Many websites say Samet costs 300 baht. That number belongs to a "special zone". In September 2022 the DNP named a short list of places inside some parks that carry a higher foreign fee, and TAT published the notice in full. For this park the list names only four outlying islands: Ko Thalu, Ko Kudee, Ko Kham and Ko Kruai, at 300 baht for adults and 150 for children. Koh Samet itself is not on that list. You meet the 300-baht rate if you join a boat trip to those islands, and tour prices usually include it.
The DNP notice also says the per-person rate covers a stay of up to five days at a time. Keep your ticket for the whole stay. Children under three, monks and people with disabilities enter free.
Choosing a beach from Sai Kaew to Ao Phrao
TAT lists more than a dozen named bays. Most sit on the east coast, running north to south: Hat Sai Kaew, Ao Phai, Ao Phutsa, Ao Thapthim, Ao Nuan, Ao Cho, the crescent of Ao Wong Duan, Ao Thian, Ao Wai, Ao Kiu Na Nok and Ao Pakarang at the southern end. Ao Phrao is the only beach on the west coast. Distance from Na Dan pier decides much of the character.
| Area | Beaches | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| North-east, near Na Dan | Hat Sai Kaew, Ao Phai | A first visit without a vehicle; the most restaurants and the most people |
| Middle of the east coast | Ao Phutsa, Ao Thapthim, Ao Nuan, Ao Cho, Ao Wong Duan | Smaller bays, walkable from one to the next along the shore |
| South-east | Ao Thian, Ao Wai, Ao Kiu Na Nok, Ao Pakarang | Quieter stays; you rely on your resort's boat or the island road |
| West coast | Ao Phrao | Sunsets over the sea; a calmer, more resort-style stay |
Our view: for one night, stay near the pier so you are not paying for transport twice. For a longer break, pick a smaller bay in the middle or south, where the evenings are quieter. Ao Phrao suits couples who want a sunset view and do not mind being away from the cluster of bars near Sai Kaew. Wherever you stay, the beaches nearest the pier are the ones day-trippers reach first.
On the beach, watch for flags and be careful after rain. Box jellyfish have been recorded along the eastern coast of the Gulf; our guide to jellyfish in Thailand covers what to do if you are stung, and the one on rip currents and beach flags explains the warning system.
Weekend crowds and Thai long weekends
Samet's closeness to Bangkok is both its strength and its weakness. Rooms fill on Friday and Saturday nights, and on long weekends the boats from Ban Phe run full. Midweek, the same beaches can be half empty. If your dates are flexible, arrive on a Sunday afternoon and leave on Thursday.
Check the calendar before you book. In late 2026, Friday 23 October (King Chulalongkorn Memorial Day) and Monday 7 December (the substitute day for 5 December) both create three-day weekends. Our guide to Thai public holidays lists the rest.
When to go: Samet's drier climate
Samet sits in one of the drier parts of the coast. The Thai Meteorological Department's 1991–2020 averages for the Rayong station show about 1,400 mm of rain a year, less than half of what falls at the Trat station further east. December averages under 10 mm, and November to April is generally dry. The rainy months are May to October, with September the wettest at about 270 mm.
That makes Samet a reasonable choice in months when other islands are wet, but not a guaranteed one: rain in Rayong comes with the southwest monsoon, the same season as the Andaman coast. Our guide to the best time for the Thai islands compares all the island groups.
Samet's rainy season is the opposite of Koh Samui's. Samet is wet from May to October and driest from December to February. Samui gets most of its rain from October to December. Plan a combined trip with that in mind.
Is Samet the right island for you?
Choose Samet for a short break from Bangkok, a first taste of a Thai island, or a weekend with friends. Skip it if you want empty beaches at the weekend, serious diving or rainforest. For those, the islands near Trat are a better fit: Koh Chang for a big, green island with plenty of services, and Koh Kood for clear water and very little development. Pattaya's own island, Koh Larn, is a day trip rather than a stay; our article on getting to Koh Larn explains it. For a wider comparison, see which Thai island suits you.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the Koh Samet entrance fee for foreigners?
As of October 2026, a foreign adult pays 200 baht and a foreign child 100 baht to enter Khao Laem Ya–Mu Ko Samet National Park. The 300-baht rate applies only to the outlying islands Ko Thalu, Ko Kudee, Ko Kham and Ko Kruai. Pay park staff on the island, not an agent on the mainland.
How long does it take to get from Bangkok to Koh Samet?
Allow a half day. The bus from Ekkamai to Ban Phe takes about three to four hours depending on traffic, then the slow ferry to Na Dan takes around 40 minutes, plus waiting time at the pier. A speedboat shortens the crossing but not the road trip.
Which beach on Koh Samet is best?
It depends on what you want. Hat Sai Kaew, next to the pier, has the most restaurants and the most people. The smaller bays in the middle and south of the east coast are quieter, and Ao Phrao is the only west-facing beach, which makes it the place for sunsets.
Is Koh Samet good in the rainy season?
Samet is drier than most Thai islands, with about 1,400 mm of rain a year at the Rayong station, but May to October is still its wet season, peaking in September. Expect showers rather than days of rain, and check the forecast before you book a boat.
Do I need to book Koh Samet ferries in advance?
Usually not. Ferries leave Ban Phe through the day, and tickets are sold at the piers. Book a room ahead for Friday and Saturday nights and for Thai long weekends, when the island is busiest and boats can be full.
Sources
- Tourism Authority of Thailand – Ko Samet (checked October 2026)
- Tourism Authority of Thailand – DNP notice on special-zone fees (in Thai, 26 September 2022) (checked October 2026)
- Department of National Parks – New park fee categories from 7 June 2022 (in Thai) (checked October 2026)
- Kapook – National park fees by category, citing the DNP (in Thai) (checked October 2026)
- Thai Meteorological Department – Climatological data 1991–2020 (Rayong and Trat stations) (checked October 2026)
- Travelfish – Ban Phe: buses, piers and ferries to Ko Samet (checked October 2026)
- UK FCDO – Thailand: safety and security (sea travel, swimming) (checked October 2026)