About 2½-4 hours · The main ferry run

Surat Thani to Koh Samui

The workhorse crossing: buses from town, train and airport meet the Donsak ferries all day long - and a night boat for romantics.

Part of the guides for: Surat Thani · Koh Samui
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Combined ticket, big ferry

Buy the bus-and-ferry combo from the station, airport or town and everything connects: the coach rolls onto the pier as the ferry loads. The big car ferries are steady, cheap and frequent - the default answer for reaching Samui from the mainland.

Lipa Noi beach on Koh Samui
Transport

Tickets & connections

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Route at a glance

Surat Thani to Koh Samui

  • Donsak pier is about 1½ hours from town by bus
  • Seatran/Raja car ferry: about 1½ hours crossing
  • Lomprayah catamaran: about 45 minutes from Donsak
  • Night boat from Surat town: about 6 hours, arrives at dawn
Good to know

Good to know

  • Trains land at Phun Phin - the combo buses pick up right at the station.
  • Ferries run in almost any weather; small speedboats are the ones to skip in swells.
  • Keep your ferry ticket handy - it's checked at the ramp.
  • Night-ferry luggage rides below; bring a light blanket.
Your options

Your options

Bus + car ferry - the standard

Hourly-ish departures all day. About three hours door to door from the city, longer from the airport with the transfer.

Catamaran from Donsak

Faster on the water for a little more - worth it if your combo ticket offers the option.

The night ferry - about 6 hours

The old wooden boat leaves Surat town pier around 11 pm with mattresses upstairs, landing at Nathon before dawn. A backpacker institution.

Travel guides

Travel guides

Step-by-step transport guides for this stretch of the Gulf coast.

Part of the guides for

Surat Thani · Koh Samui