Surat Thani Night Boat Pier

There are three night boat services which leave from Surat Thani Night Boat Pier, also known as Bandon Pier: 1. Surat Thani to Koh Tao (Mae Haad Pier). 2. Surat Thani to Koh Phangan (Thong Sala Pier), and 3. Surat Thani to Koh Samui (Nathon Pier). All three services are on large slow wooden Thai fishing boats and travel direct to their destination from Surat Thani Night Boat Pier.

Night Boat Timetable from Surat Thani to Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao

Buy Ferry tickets from Surat Thani to Koh Phangan

About the Night Boat

The night is the slowest ferry and it is also the most comfortable. On the plus side it saves you spending a night in Surat Thani and allows you to arrive early the next morning for a full day on one of the Islands. We recommend the Night Boat only for younger travellers. Families and anyone seeking a bit more comfort should book a different boat.

The way it works on the Night Boat is that passengers are allocated mattresses on the floor on the upper deck of the boat. There are lot of mattresses crammed in together in the one big room and the idea is that you attempt to sleep through the night. When the Night Boat is very busy around high season and Full Moon Party time the cabin can become very noisy with people enjoying themselves and many people move to the small areas outside the main cabin. Depending on how busy the boat is, it can be an oppressive journey crammed in with other people or on other days the Night Boat can be a pleasant if slightly monotonous experience.

Location of the Night Boat Pier

• Bandon Road, Surat Thani city centre:

Services at the Night Boat Pier

You can buy tickets at the Night Boat Pier. There is also a toilet. But best of all there is a small open air food market next door to where passengers board the Night Boat. Most passengers taking the Night Boat choose to wait at one of the tables in the food market to eat or drink a beer whilst waiting for their boat.

The food market consists of about 40 tables with food stall along the one side of the dining area. Dinners go to the stalls themselves to make their order and collect their food when it is ready. The food market is a lively place and people come here to eat and drink even if they are not planning to catch the Night Boat. It is also very cheap, hence the lack of table service.

Buy Ferry tickets from Surat Thani to Koh Tao

Tickets from Surat Thani to Koh Tao

Waiting for the Night Boat

There are several night time markets in Surat Thani which are worth visiting if you have a few hours to wait for your ferry to depart. The best of these markets is Surat Thani Night Market. Surat Thani Night Market is predominantly a food market with stalls on either side of a 190 metre long stretch of pedestrianised road. The Night Market is only 300 metres walk from the Night Boat Pier and opens every night from 15:00 to around 21:00. There is a fantastic range of foods on offer here at very cheap prices. Most of the food is take away but there are few stalls with tables and treats. You can buy non-Thai food here like European-style salads and even sushi, but the best things to try are the traditional Southern Thai foods on sale here. Southern Thai cuisine is very unusual and it is not much sold in restaurants outside of the South of Thailand, indeed, in many of the more expensive restaurants in the South of Thailand they do not serve authentic Southern Thai food. To get authentic Southern Thai food you need to either visit local people in their homes or go to a market like this one. If you have time and you are interested in food then definitely head down to the Surat Thani Night Market and experience the real local cuisine.

Location of the Arrival Port in Koh Phangan

• The Night Boat from Surat Thani arrives in Koh Phangan at Thong Sala Pier:

Location of the Arrival Port in Koh Samui

• The Night Boat from Surat Thani arrives in Koh Samui at Na Thon Ferry Pier:

Location of the Arrival Port in Koh Tao

• The Night Boat from Surat Thani arrives in Koh Tao at Mae Haad Pier: