How to get from Bangkok to Koh Samui

Koh Samui is an island in the Gulf of Thailand, and the province of Surat Thani lies on the mainland opposite it. From Bangkok you reach the island by plane or on a combined ticket: a bus or train to the coast, then a ferry or catamaran. Below are timetables and fares from the carriers and the 12go aggregator, checked on 19 October 2026.

All options in one table

Minimum flight fares are taken from listings for the nearest dates and are higher around New Year. 12go prices include the aggregator’s fee.

By plane: direct flights from Suvarnabhumi

A direct flight takes 1 h 10 min to 1 h 15 min. In AirAsia MOVE listings on 19 October 2026, Bangkok Airways and Thai Airways fly to Samui from Suvarnabhumi (BKK), and the Thai Airways flights leave at the same time as Bangkok Airways (06:00 and 06:25), so it is probably one aircraft under two codes. The official Thai Airways page shows no fares for this route and the Bangkok Airways site blocks automated access, so the fares below come from AirAsia MOVE. On 1 November there are departures at 06:00, 06:25, 07:00, 08:05 and 19:15, with fares from 2,721 to 3,858 baht, while on other November dates the 06:00 flight is 2,745-2,761 baht and one flight on 24 November is 4,850 baht. On 12go flights from Bangkok to Samui start from 2,155 baht, and from Don Mueang there are only self-connect itineraries of 8 hours 10 minutes or more. It is dearer than Phuket: flights from Bangkok to Phuket cost 1,150-1,700 baht.

Lomprayah bus and catamaran

Lomprayah sells a ticket combining a bus from Bangkok with a high-speed catamaran from the coast. The 2026 timetable is effective from 25 August 2026 (as stated in the file itself):

• From Khao San by day. Bus and catamaran at 06:00, arriving at Pralan Pier at 17:30, ticket 1,450 baht, or 1,750 baht on the VIP bus. With a minivan to any hotel, arrival is at 18:30 for 1,600 baht and 1,900 baht
• From Khao San at night. Departure at 22:00, arrival at 11:30, ticket 1,450 baht or 1,750 baht on the VIP bus, with a minivan 12:30, 1,600 and 1,900 baht
• From Pinklao. Departure at 21:30, arrival at 11:30, 1,450 baht or 1,750 baht, with a minivan 12:30, 1,600 and 1,900 baht
• To Bangrak Pier. A bus and night ferry with a change to a catamaran at Koh Tao: from Pinklao at 21:00, arriving 11:15, 1,250 baht; with a minivan 12:15, 1,400 baht. From Khao San at 21:30, arriving 11:15 for 1,250 baht

In the carrier’s table the bus and catamaran are one line with one price. The “Any Hotel” variant with a minivan at the end includes the ride to your hotel, and in the other cases you travel on from the pier yourself.

Raja Ferry or Seatran bus and ferry

These tickets are sold by Raja Ferry itself and by aggregators such as 12go. On the Raja Ferry site for 22 October 2026 the Montanatip bus at 19:00 from Khao San arrives at Lipa Noi Pier on Samui at 09:30 the next day (14 h 30 min, the ferry leaves Don Sak at 08:00), and the ticket is 1,055 baht; the Nara Travel bus at the same time costs 1,290 baht (the price covers the bus and the ferry, with check-in at the operators’ offices on Khao San). On 12go the same Montanatip on the same date costs 945 baht and arrives at 10:00 (15 hours). The Sapthaweephol bus at 19:00 runs with a minivan to Don Sak Pier and a Seatran ferry, arriving at 09:30 (14 h 30 min, 1,015 baht). A Lomprayah trip from Khao San at 21:30 costs 1,319 baht in the same listing, which is more than the carrier’s own timetable (1,250 baht).

Raja Ferry runs from Don Sak Pier to Lipa Noi Pier on Samui every hour from 05:00 to 19:00, taking about 1 h 30 min (this is the timetable on the Raja Ferry site, which is dated 11 October 2021 and was still the only one on 19 October 2026: there is no newer timetable on the site, and we did not check the official Facebook page, so check the times before you travel). The road from Krung Thep Aphiwat to Don Sak Pier is 718 km, and from Surat Thani station 80 km, about 71 minutes without traffic (OSRM). The list of departure points on the Raja Ferry site includes Surat Thani station, so you can take the bus and ferry straight from the train.

Train to Chumphon or Surat Thani

There is no train to the island, but you can cover the longest stretch in a carriage. The SRT timetable from Krung Thep Aphiwat station, taken on 19 October 2026:

At Chumphon, after the night train you can catch the Lomprayah bus and catamaran at 06:00 from Chumphon station for 1,350 baht, arriving on Samui at 11:30 (per the Lomprayah timetable). If the train is late, you wait for the 12:00 departure. This is the most comfortable way for anyone who wants to lie down in a carriage, but it takes almost as long as the bus and costs about 1,780 baht in total.

How far

The road distance from Bangkok Southern Bus Terminal to Don Sak Pier is 706 km, about 8 h 36 min without traffic, plus the ferry (OSRM). This is a calculation for a car, without ferry queues or stops. Raja Ferry also takes cars, and the carrier publishes fares by route on its fares page.

After you arrive

The island’s areas are covered separately: Chaweng, Bophut and Lipa Noi, where the Raja Ferry pier is. For the season, weather and what to see, read holidays in Koh Samui, and for an overview of the island, Koh Samui. Getting to Samui from Phuket follows a different route, covered in Phuket to Koh Samui.

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