Koh Samui transport: Samui travel and accommodation

Getting there

By Air : This is certainly the easiest way to get to Koh Samui. However flights may be full weeks in advance during the high season from December to March and in August/September.

The airport, at the northeast corner of the island, has a small restaurant, hotel reservation desk, and air-con minibuses to the beaches.

Bangkok Airways flies from Bangkok eighttimes daily (70 minutes) and twice daily from Phuket (40 minutes) into Koh Samui Airport.

By Train or Bus :Land options include a train or bus to Surat Thani, followed by an express ferry, car ferry, hydrofoil, or night ferry to the island. Visitors can purchase an all-inclusive package that covers all transfers and boat connections. The overnight bus, plus ferry ride, will land you on the beach around noon.



By Boat : Several different types of boat go from Surat Thani to Koh Samui. The situation appears confusing since there are two boat companies (Songserm and Samui Ferry), one jetboat company (Island Jet), three piers in Surat Thani (Ban Don, Tha Thong, Don Sak), and two piers on Koh Samui (Thaton, Thong Yang).
The fastest and least expensive option is the ferry from Don Sak, 60 kilometers east of Surat Thani, though this hardly matters since most travelers simply take the first boat available.

Getting around

Getting around on Samui is a breeze.

A 50-kilometer ring road encircles Samui island, providing easy access to all of the beaches and towns. Songtaews, pickup trucks converted into non-metered taxis, circle the island day and night.

Metered taxis have recently appeared on Samui. However it always best to agree on the price before getting into a taxi or onto a songtaew as some taxis do not use the meter. On a songtaew, 20 Baht should get you from Chaweng to Nathon, 10 Baht from Chaweng to Lamai or 10 Baht from Nathon to Maenam.

Motorbikes can be rented for about 130 Baht per day, jeeps will run 800-1000. Try to arrange airport transfer with your hotel before arrival, if possible.