The Thai island of Koh Samui, in contrast to the densely populated cities, has retained its primordiality and uniqueness, so fans of Thailand, fed up with Bangkok and Pattaya, will certainly get new sensations on the island. To do this, you just need to find the best way from Bangkok to Koh Samui.
There are several ways to get to the cherished island:
- by plane;
- by plane, bus, ferry;
- by bus and ferry;
- by bus and catamaran;
- by car and ferry;
- by train, bus, ferry;
- by train, bus, catamaran.
- exotic ways.
Airplane
The fastest but most expensive way. The plane departs directly from Suvarnabumi Airport, where all planes arrive from Russia. Bangkok Airways, which is a monopolist in this direction, will take you to Koh Samui. An hour of flight - and you are there. You can save on your ticket if you manage to book a cheap ticket, which can be found in the “low prices calendar”.
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Airplane - bus - ferry
A more budgetary way, but less comfortable and time consuming. You can fly to the nearest place to the ferry, namely the city of Surat Thani, with the inexpensive low-cost airlines Airasia and NokAir, which depart from the second Bangkok airport, Don Muang. Therefore, if you have chosen this route, have an hour and a half in reserve to move between airports. It is better to buy an air ticket with the included transfer from Surat Thani airport to the ferry by bus, and directly by the ferry crossing. By time: 1 hour by plane, 1, 5 by bus, plus two hours by ferry, in addition, you should take into account the waiting time between transfers.
Bus - ferry
The most inexpensive, popular, but time-consuming method. Buses in Bangkok leave from Sai Tai Mai Bus Station, which is best reached by taxi from the airport. When buying a bus ticket to Donsak, from where the ferry will be crossing, do not save on the ticket and buy a VIP, since the journey will be long, about 13 hours, and the VIP seats are comfortable, folding almost to a horizontal position. Do not forget to take warm clothes on the bus, the air conditioners work at full capacity here.
In Donsak, you will be taken to one of two ferry crossings, where you will be transferred to the ferry in an hour and a half and you will find yourself on the long-awaited Koh Samui.
Bus - catamaran
Another inexpensive way to get to the island is by purchasing your ticket from Lomprayah. It is better to take care of the complex ticket in advance, and buy it online, the Bangkok office may not have tickets. By the way, ticket booking is possible only in English.
The trip by bus from Bangkok to Chumphon lasts 9 hours, then transfer to a catamaran, 3, 5 hours - and you are on the island. This route is fine-tuned to perfection, a little shorter and cheaper than taking the bus. But three and a half hours of sea travel can cause seasickness, so the trip organizers will certainly provide you with packages. You will need warm clothes on the catamaran.
Car - ferry
This method is only suitable for holders of international rights. The safest way to rent a car online is from a reputable company. A serviceable and refueled car with insurance will be delivered to you at the appointed place and time. The road to the crossing with an excellent surface and left-hand traffic will be about 730 km. This method can hardly be called inexpensive, but the experience of independent travel will be unforgettable. Another significant plus is the independent planning of the trip with the necessary stops for rest and snacks, which no carriers will regulate for you.
You can rent a car in Bangkok, and return it to Koh Samui, having already crossed with it by ferry.
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The automobile route Bangkok - Donsak mainly runs along highways number 4 and number 41, it is simply unrealistic to get lost in this direction, the main thing is to get to the pier during the day in order to catch the ferry.
Nine hours of travel by car, then an hour and a half by ferry - and you are on the spot with a lot of impressions.
Important: you need to sleep well before the trip in order to recuperate after a tiring flight.
Train - Bus - Ferry
Dozens of trains of different classes depart from Bangkok southward. These are ordinary and branded trains, and express trains, and those equipped mainly with seats. The higher the class of your ticket, the correspondingly higher the price. The most comfortable way will be in a first-class compartment carriage, but it will not be cheap, optimal - a reserved seat with wide shelves and curtains on each shelf. Thinking about a comfortable night's rest when traveling by train is a must, since all trains leave at night.
There are three ways to buy this route with all transfers:
- through the Internet;
- in Bangkok;
- in Bangkok and Surat Thani.
The most convenient way to buy a train-bus-ferry ticket via the Internet is 12Go.asia. At the same time, electronic bus and ferry tickets are possible, but you must have a train ticket on hand, otherwise you will not be allowed on the train. It is possible to get a train ticket at the office or by mail.
In Bangkok, you can buy a complex ticket at any street agency, and pick it up here. You can buy a ticket in Bangkok only by train, and, having already reached Surat Thani, buy tickets for a bus transfer to the ferry and the crossing itself at the city station. The train journey takes 13 hours, then the bus to the ferry takes an hour, and the crossing takes an hour and a half.
Train - bus - catamaran
This direction to Chumphon, choosing this method, you should take into account that ferries leave twice a day: at 7.30 and 13.00. Trains in this direction run from 13.00 every hour and a half. The time of arrival in the city should be planned before 6.00 in order to have time to get to the catamaran.
It is better to buy a bus + ferry in advance on the Lomprayah website, as already mentioned, and rely entirely on a responsible sea carrier.
And again, when traveling by train, the equipping of cars with air conditioners, which can become sources of colds and spoil your rest, should be taken into account, so - warm yourself!
Exotic ways
These are travel modes for those who are not looking for easy routes.
By taxi or private car
The "extreme" of this method is that it is at least three times more expensive than an independent car trip to the crossing. And this is a reasonable high cost: the driver needs to return to Bangkok and "cook" something else.
The beauty of this trip is that you will not have to sit for nine hours behind the wheel and still enjoy the views calmly. Again, you can always stop as you wish.
Night ferry
And here is a really exotic way! The fact is that a ferry leaves directly from the city of Saruttani! From the Bandon pier, where you buy a ticket for 23.00, and along an extensive network of rivers, you get into the ocean, and after 7 hours of sleep - on Koh Samui. By the way, this ferry departs from Koh Samui at 21.00 and arrives at 3.30. So this way of travel is only for the hardiest!
Whichever way to get to Koh Samui you choose, the main thing is to be on a fabulous island, where pristine tropical life awaits you!
