Although small, the island of Koh Tao is one of the most popular destinations in Thailand. It lies north of its bigger sisters, Koh Tao and Koh Phangan, and is just as attractive as these two. Filled with jungles, amazing little coves and some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, Koh Tao offers sanctuary if you’re looking for tranquility, but it also has great snorkeling spots and a fantastic nightlife if you feel like dancing the night away. .
After relaxing on its beaches, sampling a different Thai cuisine and enjoying the island’s bars, head north to the capital to discover why Bangkok attracts so many travelers. Here you will find an amazing change of pace and experience the city that never sleeps. Entertainment and parties are everywhere, but don’t miss temples and palaces, parks and the river, as well as shopping at impressive shopping malls and lively markets.
Find out more:
• Flights from Koh Tao to Bangkok
• From Koh Tao to Bangkok by ferry and bus
• From Koh Tao to Bangkok by train
• From Bangkok to Koh Tao
Lomprayah High Speed Ferry © OlegD / Shutterstock.com
Travel options from Koh Tao to Bangkok
If you could go from Koh Tao to Bangkok in a straight line, the trip wouldn’t be too long as the distance is about 410 kilometers (256 miles) across the Gulf of Thailand. But unfortunately there are no direct flights between these two destinations as there is no airport on Koh Tao. Flight is an option, but you’ll need to take a ferry to the nearby island airport or take a ferry to the mainland to fly out of the city. The ferry crossing is compulsory and both duration and price will vary depending on the route selected. In addition to the flight, once on the mainland, you can also take a bus or taxi to Bangkok.
Flights from Koh Tao to Bangkok
Bangkok Airways plane at Koh Samui Airport, the closest to the neighboring island © islandboy_stocker / Shutterstock.com
Flying from Koh Tao to Bangkok is expensive, but it may be the fastest option for traveling between these two destinations. That doesn’t mean you can fly from Koh Tao to Bangkok in record time, as the round trip is long, but the plane takes you there in less hours than any other means of transport.
So what are the flight options? As we said before, there is no airport on Koh Tao as it is a very small island so first of all you need to take a ferry to another place. You can take the ferry to four different destinations: Koh Samui, Chumphon, Surat Thani or Nahkon Si Thammarat. You can then continue your flight from any of these locations.
Each of these options has its advantages and disadvantages. If you don’t feel like going by boat, the shortest crossing is the ferry from Koh Tao to Koh Samui. Once in Koh Samui, you need to go to the airport to fly with Bangkok Airways to Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok. This is the most expensive way to get from Koh Tao to Bangkok, as flights with Bangkok Airways are always more expensive than with other airlines, but they are the only company operating this route. This extra cost translates into a shorter journey, so you can spend more to get to your destination in less time.
Since the distance between Chumphon and Bangkok is short, this route is covered by a propeller plane © Commentary / Shutterstock.com
After Koh Samui, the nearest destination is Chumphon. Going from Koh Tao to Bangkok via Chumphon is a great option as the price is acceptable, yet it is quite a quick solution.
Tickets for this route and some other options can be booked via 12Go.asiawhere you can compare routes and prices and book online. The best thing about 12Go is that you can book your entire trip and pay one price, making it easier to get to your destination and giving you peace of mind in case of delays. If you take this route from Koh Tao to Bangkok, you’ll depart from Mae Haad Pier in Koh Tao on the Lomprayah high-speed catamaran. You will arrive in Chumphon and board the bus which will take you to the airport where you will catch a flight with Nok Air to Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok. The entire trip takes approximately 5 hours.
You can also fly to Don Mueang Airport with Thai Lion Air via Surat Thani International Airport. This option includes a high-speed ferry from Seatran Discovery and a bus transfer to the airport. Thus, the journey takes approximately 9 hours and 45 minutes. If you choose to fly with Air Asia, you can choose between two different departures. With one of them, the entire journey would take 11 hours, and with the other 8.5 hours. Finally, you can also fly from Koh Tao to Bangkok via Nahkon Si Thammarat Airport. This option includes the longest ferry crossing (with Seatran) of no less than 6 hours and a Nok Air flight to Don Mueang Airport.
From Koh Tao to Bangkok by ferry and bus
It might seem that flying from Koh Tao to Bangkok is a big time saver, but when you add the ferry crossing, transfers and waiting, the journey becomes quite long. For this reason, many travelers choose to travel by ferry and bus to the capital. This way the cost is approximately half the cost of flying and not much slower.
It is also possible to book ferry and bus connections from Koh Tao to Bangkok via 12Go. On this page you can easily compare different ferry companies to see which are the fastest and cheapest. The truth is that they have similar prices, although Songserm is usually a little cheaper than the rest, as their schedules indicate that the journey takes 14 hours, longer than with other companies. From Lomprayah, the journey takes around 10 hours, about the same as some flights.
You can also take a ferry or taxi from Koh Tao to Bangkok. This is a good option for people traveling in a group as it is very practical. A private taxi will take you to your hotel door in Bangkok which saves transfer time but is the most expensive option on this route and also takes around 10 hours.
From Koh Tao to Bangkok by train
Chumphon Train Station © WUTTISAK PROMCHOO / Shutterstock.com
Traveling by train from Koh Tao to Bangkok is doable, although the journey is a bit complicated and slow as you’d expect with any train journey in Thailand. Nevertheless, we wanted to include this possibility, because many tourists like to travel by train and this also has its advantages.
The first thing to keep in mind is that you obviously can’t get from Koh Tao to Bangkok by train alone, as you’ll need to take a ferry to the mainland first. You can board the train at Chumphon or Surat Thani, but the latter option makes the journey even longer, so we recommend passing through Chumphon. After taking the ferry from Koh Tao to Chumphon, you need to board a bus that will take you to Chumphon Railway Station to catch the train to Bangkok. With the crossing, transfers and train journey around 7 hours, the entire journey takes at least 10 hours. As you can see, it’s not much longer than a ferry and bus trip from Koh Tao to Bangkok, and since trains in Thailand are cheap, your pocketbook won’t suffer.
When considering this option, consider taking the overnight train and purchasing a sleeper ticket. So you can travel at night, sleep and save on accommodation costs.
When wondering how to get from Koh Tao to Bangkok, keep in mind that buses, trains and taxis run to the city center. However, if you are flying, you will have to find a way to get there from the airport, making the trip longer and more expensive. For this reason and to save money, we recommend booking a combined ferry and bus ticket 12Go or take a train trip.