Koh Samet (Ko Samet) lies off the coast of Rayong province and is part of Khao Laem Ya-Mu Ko Samet National Park. No transport goes all the way to the island: first a bus or car to the Ban Phe piers, 186 km by road from Ekkamai bus terminal in Bangkok, then a boat. Below are timetables and data from DNP (the Department of National Parks), the carriers and the Visit Thailand Today guide, checked on 13 November 2026. The carriers do not publish bus or boat fares on their sites, so we mark those figures: they come from the guide, not from a tariff.
All options in one table
| Option | From → to | Fare | Journey | Departures |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cherdchai Tour bus and a boat | Ekkamai → Ban Phe, then a boat to Na Dan Pier | bus about 190 baht, wooden ferry 50-70 baht | bus 3-4 h, ferry about 40 min | bus 07:00, 09:00 and 11:00, boats 06:00-17:00 |
| Another operator’s bus and a boat | Ekkamai → Ban Phe | fare not published | per DNP ordinary and air-conditioned | per DNP hourly from 05:00 to 20:30 |
| One ticket: minivan or bus and a boat | Khao San or a bus terminal → Na Dan Pier | 350-670 baht per the guide, ticket via 12Go | 4 h 10 min-5 h 40 min | mornings, 07:00-11:30 |
| Boonsiri bus and catamaran | Khao San or Suvarnabhumi → Na Dan Pier | 750 baht per the guide, not confirmed by us | 5 h 25 min, 09:00-14:25 | per the guide |
| Taxi or your own car and a speedboat | hotel or airport → Ban Phe → the island | from 3,000 baht per car per the guide | 186 km, about 2 h 17 min, speedboat about 15 min | on request |
We worked out the road times ourselves from OSRM: 185.7 km from Ekkamai to the Ban Phe piers, about 2 h 17 min without traffic; from Suvarnabhumi 176.8 km, about 2 h 6 min. DNP gives about 220 km via Highway 3 and notes that Highway 36 is 35 km shorter.
The bus from Ekkamai to Ban Phe
Buses run from Ekkamai Eastern Bus Terminal (Sukhumvit Road) to Ban Phe. DNP says they leave roughly once an hour from 05:00 to 20:30, ordinary and air-conditioned; the DNP page is undated.
- Cherdchai Tour. From Ekkamai at 07:00, 09:00 and 11:00 (the operator’s timetable on 13 November 2026), and back from Ban Phe at 12:00 and 14:00. Per the guide the bus takes 3-4 hours and ends at Nuan Thip Pier, where the boat companies have their counters. The operator’s site does not show the fare; the guide names about 190 baht
- Tickets. Cherdchai Tour sells tickets on its booking site, other buses are sold by aggregators such as 12Go; check the ticket offices at Ekkamai on the spot. Suvarnabhumi Burapha buses do not go to Ban Phe: its timetable of 13 November 2026 has no such route
One ticket, a taxi and Boonsiri
- One ticket via 12Go. A bus or minivan and a boat on a single ticket: according to the guide, which cites a 12Go listing for a November date, 350-670 baht and from 4 h 10 min to 5 h 40 min, departing in the morning. The 12Go site did not open for our automated check, so confirm the price when you buy
- Boonsiri. Per the guide, a bus and catamaran to Na Dan at 09:00 from Khao San or Suvarnabhumi, arriving at 14:25, for 750 baht. On Boonsiri’s booking page on 13 November 2026 there is no Bangkok-Koh Samet route, so we do not confirm this line
- Taxi and your own car. From a hotel or airport it is 177-186 km to Ban Phe. The guide names from 3,000 baht per car with a speedboat; we did not check the calculation
The boats: Ban Phe piers and the island
According to DNP the boats leave from three piers at Ban Phe, carry 10 to 100 people and take about 30 minutes, from 06:00 to 17:00. The island has three piers: in the north (Na Dan, where the only road starts), at Ao Wong Duean on the east and at Ao Phrao on the west. Some resorts in small bays bring guests on their own speedboats straight from Ban Phe. One road about 6 km long runs along the island (DNP).
There are no boat fares in primary sources, so these are the Visit Thailand Today guide’s figures as of 20 October 2026:
- Wooden ferry: about 40 minutes, 50-70 baht one way, 100-120 baht return
- Khokaew Phitsadan catamaran: about 10 minutes, 150 baht one way
- Shared speedboat: about 15 minutes, about 200 baht to Sai Kaew, up to 500 baht to the southern beaches
- Private speedboat: 1,800-3,000 baht
Boats leave when enough passengers have gathered, and the guide says the last sailing differs by an hour or two between sources. Be at Ban Phe by the middle of the day.
How much is the national park fee
Koh Samet is in a national park, so foreigners pay the DNP fee. The figures come from the fee table, edition of 02.06.2023: on 13 November 2026 there is no newer version on the portal, and the dataset’s metadata was changed on 14 January 2026.
| Where | Foreign adult | Foreign child |
|---|---|---|
| Koh Samet, main park area | 200 baht | 100 baht |
| Koh Talu, Koh Kudi, Koh Kham, Koh Kruai | 300 baht | 150 baht |
According to the Visit Thailand Today guide the fee is paid in cash at the checkpoint just past Na Dan Pier right after you land. Some tours from Pattaya include the fee in the price, but on your own you pay it yourself. For the trip from Pattaya see Koh Samet from Pattaya.
Where you leave from in Bangkok
- Ekkamai. Cherdchai Tour buses at 07:00, 09:00 and 11:00 and other buses to Ban Phe, hourly per DNP
- Mo Chit and Don Mueang. We found no departures to Ban Phe in the carriers’ timetables
- Suvarnabhumi (BKK). The Suvarnabhumi Burapha timetable has no route to Ban Phe; from the airport it is 177 km by taxi or a chartered minivan
- Hua Lamphong and Krung Thep Aphiwat. No trains: the SRT station list for 13 November 2026 has no Rayong or Ban Phe station. For getting from the airports to Ekkamai see Bangkok’s airports
If you land in Bangkok late
By DNP’s account the boats stop at 17:00, and the last Cherdchai Tour bus on its site leaves Ekkamai at 11:00, so with an afternoon arrival you cannot reach the island that day. What you can do:
- Take an evening bus from Ekkamai: DNP mentions departures until 20:30. You reach Ban Phe at night and sleep there, as the boats start at 06:00. Check the evening timetable before you set off
- Sleep in Bangkok and leave Ekkamai at 07:00 or 09:00
- If the boat has already gone for the day, stay in Ban Phe. We have no prices for rooms there
Season and sea
For the beach, November to March is best: under TMD normals for the Rayong station (48 478, 1991-2020) those months bring 7.5 to 70.5 mm of rain.
| Month | Rainfall, mm | Rain days |
|---|---|---|
| December | 7.5 | 1.7 |
| January | 29.3 | 3.0 |
| November | 44.3 | 5.5 |
| May | 190.5 | 13.6 |
| October | 196.3 | 17.0 |
| September | 268.8 | 18.1 |
DNP warns separately that from May to September heavy waves come about 15 days a month, and that from December to March monsoon winds and downpours can also stop trips to the island. The station is on the mainland in Rayong, not on the island, and does not replace the forecast for your travel day.
Common mistakes
- Planning a day trip with the Cherdchai Tour bus. The morning bus arrives around 10:00-11:00, and the buses back leave Ban Phe at 12:00 and 14:00
- Counting on a boat after 17:00. DNP gives the hours as 06:00-17:00, and boats run as they fill
- Not carrying cash. Boat fares and the park fee are paid on the spot, and we found no data on cards
- Missing the higher fee on the park’s small islands. On Koh Talu, Koh Kudi, Koh Kham and Koh Kruai it is 300 and 150 baht
What next
From Pattaya the island is reached by the same route through Ban Phe, 80.8 km from Central Pattaya: details in Koh Samet from Pattaya and in Bangkok to Pattaya. Other islands from Bangkok: Koh Chang is farther east, Koh Tao lies south through Chumphon.
FAQ
How do I get from Bangkok to Koh Samet on my own?
Take a bus from Ekkamai Eastern Bus Terminal to Ban Phe, then a boat. Cherdchai Tour buses leave at 07:00, 09:00 and 11:00 (the operator's timetable on 13 November 2026), and DNP says buses run about once an hour from 05:00 to 20:30. The boats take about 30 minutes from 06:00 to 17:00 and call at the island's three piers.
How much does it cost to get from Bangkok to Koh Samet?
The carriers do not publish fares on their sites. According to the Visit Thailand Today guide of 20 October 2026 the bus to Ban Phe costs about 190 baht, and the boat 50-70 baht on the wooden ferry, 150 baht on the catamaran and about 200 baht on a shared speedboat. The same guide, citing 12Go listings, puts a combined minivan or bus and boat ticket at 350-670 baht and a car with a speedboat from 3,000 baht per car. Add the national park fee on top.
How much is the entrance fee for foreigners on Koh Samet?
Koh Samet is part of Khao Laem Ya-Mu Ko Samet National Park. Under the DNP fee table (edition of 02.06.2023, no newer version on the portal) a foreign adult pays 200 baht and a child 100 baht. On Koh Talu, Koh Kudi, Koh Kham and Koh Kruai the fee is 300 and 150 baht.
When does the last boat leave Ban Phe for Koh Samet?
According to DNP the boats run from 06:00 to 17:00. The Visit Thailand Today guide says sources differ on the last sailing by an hour or two and advises reaching Ban Phe by the middle of the day. Boats leave when enough passengers have gathered, so do not count on an exact time.
Can I do Koh Samet as a day trip from Bangkok?
Not with the Cherdchai Tour buses: the morning bus reaches Ban Phe around 10:00-11:00, and the buses back leave at 12:00 and 14:00. DNP lists many buses from Ekkamai but no return timetable on its page, so find out the last bus from Ban Phe before you buy a ticket. Staying a night on the island is safer.
Where do the boats to Koh Samet leave from?
From three piers in the village of Ban Phe in Rayong province. DNP says the vessels carry 10 to 100 passengers. The Cherdchai Tour bus runs to Nuan Thip Pier, where the guide says the ferry ticket counters are. The island has three piers: in the north (Na Dan), at Ao Wong Duean on the east and at Ao Phrao on the west.
When is the best time to go to Koh Samet?
November to March. TMD normals for 1991-2020 at the Rayong station give 44.3 mm of rain in November, 7.5 mm in December, 29.3 mm in January and 268.8 mm in September. DNP warns that from May to September heavy waves come about 15 days a month, and that from December to March monsoon winds and downpours can also stop boats.
Sources
- DNP. Khao Laem Ya-Mu Ko Samet National Park: getting there, boats, wave season
- DNP. National park entrance fees (dataset, edition of 02.06.2023)
- DNP. Fee table, CSV (rows for Khao Laem Ya-Mu Ko Samet National Park)
- Cherdchai Tour. Timetable: Ekkamai → Ban Phe, Ban Phe → Ekkamai
- Visit Thailand Today. Bangkok to Koh Samet (guide updated 20.10.2026; the carriers do not publish fares)
- Boonsiri Ferry. Booking page: no Bangkok → Koh Samet route on 13.11.2026
- Suvarnabhumi Burapha. Timetable (no route to Ban Phe)
- State Railway of Thailand. Timetable: station list (no Rayong or Ban Phe station)
- Thai Meteorological Department. Climatological data 1991-2020, Rayong station (48 478)
- OpenStreetMap, OSRM route: Ekkamai bus terminal → Ban Phe Pier
- OpenStreetMap, OSRM route: Suvarnabhumi Airport → Ban Phe Pier
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