Your Travel Guide to Thailand
All information & tips to prepare your trip in Thailand
Transport to go to Koh Phangan / leave Koh Phangan
To go to Koh Phangan ?
You can get to Koh Phangan island either by taking a boat from Chumphon or Surat Thani (Donsak pier) or taking a flight to Koh Samui and then a boat to Koh Phangan. Note that there are bus + ferry packages offered by some companies with departures from the Khao San Road district with Lomprayah (online reservations HERE) or from Bangkok South Bus Terminal. Nok Air and Air Asia offer packages from Bangkok including flight + transfer by bus or van to the pier and then ferry. Usually these are flights to Surat Thani but there are also options via Nakhon Si Thammarat or Chumphon. From Surat Thani, ferries depart from Donsak which is an hour and a half by bus from the city, the airport or railway station. The plane + bus + ferry packages via Surat Thani are often chosen by travelers because it is a good compromise between price and travel time. Flights to Koh Samui are expensive compared to other domestic flights in Thailand because Samui airport belongs to the Bangkok Airways which has a monopoly and intends to make it profitable. There are almost hourly ferrys that connect Koh Samui and Koh Tao or Koh Phangan. From Koh Samui, especially if you are aiming to stay at Haad Rin beach, I advise you to take the boat from Big Buddha Pier.Note that since Air Asia's direct flight Chiang Mai - Surat Thani has been moved and take off in the evening, it is no longer possible to connect their flight with a ferry to Phangan island. The best option, except if you're ok to spend the night in a hotel in Surat Thani< /a>, is to take 2 seperate flights with a stopover in Bangkok. Plan enough time between the 2 flights and take a flight from Bangkok which leaves from the same airport as the one where your flight from Chiang Mai will land (there are more flights to and from Don Muang). I would say count 2h30 between the 2 flights if you do not change airport. If you take the same company for both flights, they will probably be able to transfer your checked baggage automatically during your stopover if you specify it when checking in at the company's counter.
Buses and minivans to Koh Phangan
WARNING: many buses can only be booked 30 days before depature tops. They won't be displayed in the results on our transportation booking partner's website if not bookable yet.
Boats and ferries to Koh Phangan
Leave Koh Phangan ?
To leave Koh Phangan you will have to take the boat. To go to Koh Samui, Surat Thani or Chumphon airports, if you want to continue by plane or to the same two cities on the continent to continue your journey by bus or train. Of course you can also easily reach the neighboring islands of Koh Tao or Samui by boat. If you buy a bus + ferry join ticket to Bangkok (online booking here), be carefull valuable things are often stolen from the luggage in the bus during the ferry trip especially if you go via Surat Thani. If you are just in transit in Surat Thani, travel agencies there will probably try to scam you and make you pay more to continue your trip to your final destination by telling you a false story about your bus not circulating or being broken ect... So be careful !Buses and minivans from Koh Phangan
WARNING: many buses can only be booked 30 days before depature tops. They won't be displayed in the results on our transportation booking partner's website if not bookable yet.
Boats and ferries from Koh Phangan
Transportation in Thailand
Travelling by train in Thailand
The train is the cheapest way to travel in Thailand especially in 3rd class. This is also where the contact with the population is the most interesting and incredible...
Domestic flights in Thailand
Taking the plance to travel in Thailand is often not that much more expensive than the bus especially with the numerous specials offers and it is so much faster !
Travelling by bus in Thailand
The train does not go everywhere in Thailand. It does not serve some destinations tourists love. But by bus you can get almost anywhere in Thailand...
Boats to the islands of Thailand
Thailand has many many islands with beautiful beaches and except for Koh Samui and Phuket, the boat is the only option to get on the islands.
