Travel from Surat Thani Airport to Koh Samui

There are six companies which travel direct from Surat Thani Airport to Koh Samui. The alternatives to taking a direct service are: (1) get a taxi direct to the ferry port in Donsak or (2) go to Surat Thani city to get a bus to the ferry terminal or (3) take the Night Boat which leaves from a pier in Surat Thani city.

Bus and Ferry Times from Surat Thani Airport to Koh Samui

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Option 1: Raja Ferry from Surat Thani Airport to Koh Samui

The Raja Company operates a car ferry service and has a fleet of minivans which it uses to take passengers from the airport to the car ferry port. The journey to Donsak Raja Ferry Port takes 1 hour 30 minutes by minivan. The ferry journey from the mainland to Koh Samui also takes around  1 hours 30 minutes. If, for whatever reason, you miss your connection for a ferry or arrive early, Donsak Raja Ferry Port is pleasant enough place to wait: in addition to some scenery, there is a fairly cheap restaurant (the food is generally OK), clean toilets and a small shop. The last Raja ferry from Donsak to Koh Samui is at 19.00.

• Service: The Raja Ferry Company will take you all the way from Surat Thani Airport to Koh Samui, first by minivan and then by ferry.
• Journey Time: 3 hours 15 minutes to 4 hours 10 minutes.
• Cost: 400 THB (excluding transfer to your hotel on Koh Samui).
• Arrival Point for this Service: Lipa Noi Pier in Koh Samui. Lipa Noi is on the other side of Island to major resorts towns of Bophut, Chaweng and Lamai.
• Raja Ferry travel times from Surat Thani Airport to Koh Samui:

Option 2: Seatran Discovery from Surat Thani Airport to Koh Samui

There are 3 differences between the Seatran Discovery service and the Raja Ferry service:

• 1) The Seatran Discovery is a bit more expensive (620 THB for the one way journey from Surat Thani Airport to the ferry pier in Koh Samui or 720 THB per person if pay for a transfer from the ferry port to your hotel).
• 2) Seatran Discovery boats are more comfortable than the the Raja Car Ferry.
• 3) The Seatran Discovery services arrives at Bangrak Pier, which is on the North East Side of the Island and close to the tourist centres of Bohput, Lamai and Chaweng as well as Koh Samui airport. For most travellers it is more convenient to arrive at Bangrak Pier than Lipa Noi (the pier used by the Raja Ferry Company).

• Service: Seatran Discovery ferries are comfortable with an air-conditioned cabin and comfortable seating.
• Journey Time: 4 hours 00 minutes to 5 hours 15 minutes.
• Cost: 620 THB
• Seatran Discovery travel times from Surat Thani Airport to Koh Samui:

• Arrival Point for this Service: Bangrak Seatran Pier in Koh Samui

Option 3: Lomprayah Ferry from Surat Thani Airport to Koh Samui

You can buy your ticket for the Lomprayah High Speed Ferry service on arrival at Surat Thani Airport: they have a ticket kiosk on the Ground Floor near where you exit after clearing customs. However, this service is the most popular one out of the four between Surat Thani Airport and Koh Samui and often sells out before day of travel in high season, so booking in advance is advisable. The same boat which travels to Koh Samui then carries onto Koh Phangan. This means that for a week before the monthly Full Moon Party on Koh Phangan and a week after the Lomprayah ferry becomes very busy transporting the tens of thousands of party goers making their way to and from the Full Moon Party. The closer your dates of travel coincide with the date of the monthly Full Moon Party the more important it is that you book in advance. Lomprayah ferries has very recently started departing from a pier close to Surat Thani City which means passengers using the Lomprayah ferry avoid the very long drive (90 minutes) to get from the airport to Donsak, where other ferry services depart.

• Service: This is a much quicker and more comfortable service than the other services from Surat Thani Airport to Koh Samui.
• Cost: 750 THB.
• Journey Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
• Travel Tip: The most popular of the four services.
• Lomprayah Ferry travel times Surat Thani Airport to Koh Samui:

• The Arrival Point for this Service: Na Thon Lomprayah Pier in Koh Samui

Option 4: Phantip Travel from Surat Thani Airport to Koh Samui

The bus journey from the airport to the ferry terminal takes around 1 hour 30 minutes and the sea crossing also takes around 1 hour 30 minutes. Neither the bus or the ferry is particularly luxuriously but this is a cheap, quick and efficient service and it represents excellent value for money. Phantip Travel is a reliable company which has been in business since 1970 transporting visitors to and from the islands of the Samui Archipelago and more recently from Surat Thani to destinations further afield such as Koh Phi Phi and Hat Yai.

• Service: This is a ‘no frills’ service taking passengers rapidly and cheaply by bus to Donsak Seatran Pier and then over to Na Thon Pier on the Seatran Car Ferry.
• Cost: 400 THB
• Journey Time: 3 hours 15 minutes to 4 hours 15 minutes
• Phantip Travel travel times from Surat Thani Airport to Koh Samui:

• The Arrival Point for this Service: Na Thon Seatran Pier in Koh Samui

Taxi to the ferry terminal

You can also take a Taxi from the Airport to Donsak ferry terminal for around 1,500 THB – you need to agree the price with the driver in advance. The journey time is quicker than the bus at around 1 hour. A word of caution though with relying on taxis as it is not always possible to find a taxi at Surat Thani Airport. If there are taxis available you will find them in the car park in front of the entrance to the Ground Floor arrival hall.

The Raja and Seatran ferry companies operate from piers a couple of kilometres apart from each other. Raja ferries run on the hour every from 05.00 to 19.00 at night from Donsak to Koh Samui. Seatran also runs every hour, on the hour every hour from 06.00 to 19.00 from Donsak to Koh Samui.

Route to Donsak ferry pier

• • Distance from Surat Thani Airport to Donsak ferry pier: 95.5 Kilometres
  • Travel time from Surat Thani Airport to Donsak ferry pier: 1 hour 44 minutes

Arrival after 16.30

If you are arriving at Surat Thani Airport after 16.30 you are better off spending the night in Surat Thani as it is too late to travel to Koh Samui, Koh Phangan or Koh Tao unless you take the Night Boat. The accommodation near the Donsak ferry terminals is not very good and not near any restaurants or bars. By far the best hotels are in the centre of Surat Thani are:

• • • Diamond Plaza
    • 100 Islands Resort
    • Wang Tai Hotel

A minivan is the best way to travel from Surat Thani Airport to Surat Thani Town. Minivans depart from Surat Thani Airport to Surat Thani town (Bus Station) at 07.40, 08.30, 10.30, 11.30, 12.20, 14.00, 16.00, 17.20, 19.20 and 21.15 and cost 100 THB per person.