Offering an enticing combination of the world’s most beautiful beaches and Thailand’s best nightlife, it’s easy to see why the islands of Koh Phangan and Phuket are among the country’s most popular destinations. Long popular with backpackers, these two islands also offer plenty for couples and families, whether you enjoy lazy days at the beach, diving, snorkeling, shopping or dining, there’s a little bit of everything here. Experience the best Thai island life by traveling from Koh Phangan to Phuket; This is one of tourists’ favorite routes, offering many transport options to choose from.
Read about:
• Travel options from Koh Phangan to Phuket
• Flight from Koh Phangan to Phuket via Koh Samui Airport
• Independent ferry and bus from Koh Phangan to Phuket
• From Koh Phangan to Phuket by speedboat and minibus
• From Koh Phangan to Phuket by ferry and bus
• Taxi from Koh Phangan to Phuket
Bangkok Airways ATR 72-600 flying over the beach near Phuket Airport © Phuong D. Nguyen / Shutterstock.com
Travel options from Koh Phangan to Phuket
The straight-line distance from Koh Phangan to Phuket is only about 265 kilometers if you could get directly from one island to the other by crossing mainland Thailand. Koh Phangan is located on the eastern coast of the Gulf of Thailand, while Phuket is on the western coast of the Andaman Sea, so you have to travel across the entire continent, because there is no other way to do it. Phuket is connected to the mainland by a bridge, so it is easy to get to this island; However, Koh Phangan is too far from the coast to be connected by a bridge, so traveling by car from here is not possible. Koh Phangan, Koh Samui’s smaller sister island, also does not have its own airport, so the only way to leave Koh Phangan is by boat. Still, there are plenty of options for getting from Koh Phangan to Phuket, including flying from Koh Samui and all-inclusive tickets that include ferries, buses and hotel transfers.
Flight from Koh Phangan to Phuket via Koh Samui Airport
Koh Samui Airport
Koh Phangan is too small to have its own airport, and since it’s a short drive from Koh Samui (where Samui International Airport is located), it’s easy to get to and from Koh Samui by boat for flights back and forth. One of the most popular and frequent flights from Koh Samui is to Phuket, so there are several flight options per day, but you will need to choose a ferry from Koh Phangan to Koh Samui that will get you there in time to catch your connecting flight. .
Lomprayah Ferry at Mae Nam/Pralarn Pier
The good news is that the Lomprayah speedboat ride to Koh Samui takes just 30 minutes. This company has five speedboats that depart daily, spread out throughout the day, so you can easily find one that fits your schedule. They leave at 08:00, 11:00, 12:30, 15:00 and 16:30 and as we said, it only takes 30 minutes to reach Koh Samui. Most speedboats arrive at Koh Samui’s Maenam Pier, which is located a short distance north of Koh Samui Airport. You can also go to Nathon Pier, but it is located on the west coast of the island and from there it would take longer to get to the airport. Once in Koh Samui, you should be able to easily get transport to Koh Samui Airport, either by shared minibus or taxi.
Direct flights to Phuket are with Bangkok Airways and there are six departures daily at 08:00, 11:25, 14:30, 15:30, 17:55 and 19:00, so an afternoon flight will be best if you are coming from Koh Phangan. The flight itself takes just under an hour, so it’s certainly a quick way to get from Koh Phangan to Phuket, but since flights cost more than buses, it’s also the most expensive way. The best fast ferry will be the 12:30 pm ferry, which will take you to Koh Samui at 1:00 pm, leaving enough time to get to the airport and check in. You’ll notice that this means you’ll have to wait a little longer than usual at the airport to check in, etc., and with that delay, flights into Phuket Airport aren’t necessarily the fastest way to get there from Koh Phangan. It just depends on how you like to travel and what budget you have set aside.
Independent ferry and bus from Koh Phangan to Phuket
Raja Ferry runs between Koh Phangan, Koh Samui and Donsak Pier near Surat Thani © OlegD / Shutterstock.com
If you want to save as much money as possible, the most economical option for traveling from Koh Phangan to Phuket is to take a ferry, bus or minibus yourself. You can buy combined tickets if you prefer to have everything handled for you, including transfers, but these will cost slightly more. Purchasing a ferry ticket and then taking a bus or minibus from the mainland to Phuket is a solution for travelers on a budget.
There are many ferries leaving daily from Thong Sala on Koh Phangan to the mainland and reaching the Surat Thani area. Tickets can be booked at Thong Sala Pier or online via 12Go. The Raja Ferry runs five times a day and arrives at Donsak Pier. From here you can transfer at Surat Thani and then buy a public bus or minibus ticket to go to Phuket. The Raja ferry takes 2.5 hours, then you have time to transfer to Surat Thani and time to get to Phuket, so it can be a very long journey. Phantip Travel is another ferry operator to Surat Thani offering an additional option, and both Raja and Phantip offer bus station transfers, which can speed up journey times and may be included in the ferry ticket price. It is undoubtedly worth spending a little more and having the transfer included in the price. Both companies depart from Thong Sala Pier throughout the day; The first departure departs at 05:00 in the morning and the last departure on the night ferry at 22:00.
From Koh Phangan to Phuket by speedboat and minibus
Lomprayah motorboats in Surat Thani © Miew S / Shutterstock.com
If you would rather spend a little more on a full service trip from Koh Phangan to Phuket, a combined speedboat and minibus ticket is your best bet. They are cheaper than flying and potentially faster than flying when you factor in door-to-door travel times. This package can be booked via the 12Go travel website and all connections on the trip are guaranteed.
Lomprayah will get you from Koh Phangan to Phuket in just 6.5 hours if you take a speedboat to Surat Thani on the mainland and then a minibus to Phuket. The journey to Phuket is still long, about 240 kilometers, and the roads are not fast, so the journey will take about 4 hours. Estimated arrival time in Phuket (Lomprayah Office in Phuket Town where the minibus stops) is at 5:30 p.m.
This combined ticket from Koh Phangan to Phuket is cheaper than flying, but if you want to save more money while still enjoying the full service, you can travel by ferry and bus.
From Koh Phangan to Phuket by ferry and bus
Phantip bus in Surat Thani © kyozstorage_stock / Shutterstock.com
The ferries we mentioned above, operated by Raja Ferry and Phantip Travel, also offer an all-inclusive ticket that will take you from Koh Phangan to Phuket. The best part is that they are incredibly affordable: they cost more than the self-drive option, but less than the speedboat option: these tickets cost around half the price of Lomprayah speedboat and minibus tickets. The downside is that they take longer because the ferry travels at a slower speed than the speedboats and the buses take a slightly different route to the Lomprayah minibuses.
Phuket city
Arrive at Phuket Bus Terminal 1 or 2
If you like getting up early in the morning and like the idea of arriving in Phuket late in the afternoon, you can take the Raja Ferry which departs from Thong Sala Pier at 05:00 in the morning and arrives at Phuket Bus Terminal 1 at 16:00 in the afternoon. Therefore, it will take you 11 hours, which is actually the longest journey time from Koh Phangan to Phuket. You might prefer to stay in bed a little longer and catch the next ferry, which operates Phantip and leaves at 08:00 in the morning, but it only takes 9 hours in total and takes you to Phuket Bus Terminal 2 at 17:00, only 1 hour later than the previous one ferry.
There are two other ferry options to reach Phuket in the afternoon: the 08:00 18:00 Raja Ferry arrives in Phuket and the 11:00 Raja Ferry arrives in Phuket at 20:00. Phantip also has two departures: at 08:30 and 11:30. There really isn’t much difference in ticket prices between these two companies and between the different ferry timetables, so choose the one that best suits your schedule. All of these combined ticket options can be purchased via 12Go in advance if you want your booking processed before your travel day.
Taxi from Koh Phangan to Phuket
Bangkoktaxi24 SUV can be booked via 12Go
This last option is worth mentioning. It’s the most expensive, but also the most convenient, so it’s great if you have money to spend and want more VIP services.
BangkokTaxi24 private taxi will take you throughout your journey, picking you up from your hotel in Koh Phangan and dropping you right at your hotel door in Phuket. For convenience, this is the absolute best service, and if you split the cost among several people, the price actually won’t be that crazy. However, it takes a lot of time, as the estimated travel time is 12 hours. The actual time will depend on your departure date, ferry connections and where in Phuket you are traveling to. You can also book this service online through 12Go.
So there are many good options for traveling from Koh Phangan to Phuket: flights, ferries, combined tickets and private taxis can take you from one island to the other.