Just 15 kilometers (9 miles) north of Koh Samui, near the western coast of the Gulf of Thailand, lies the beautiful island of Koh Phangan. Although it is smaller than Koh Samui, Koh Phangan has a very good reputation among travelers and is in fact one of the main tourist destinations in Thailand, as the well-known Full Moon Party is held on this island every month. But it’s not just a party place, as Koh Phangan also has several family-friendly attractions, as well as fantastic beaches and beautiful scenery.
Surat Thani is a popular starting point on Koh Phangan, so if you’re thinking of exploring this island paradise, read about Surat Thani to Koh Phangan travel options.
Ways to travel from Surat Thani to Koh Phangan
Koh Phangan is an island, so of course you can’t get to it by road. Since there is also no airport on this island, the only possible option is to travel by sea. The good thing is that being a very popular route, there are many travel agencies and ferry operators that offer trips from Surat Thani to Koh Phangan, so it’s not hard to find one that suits your plans and budget. That being said, if you’re planning a trip to Koh Phangan for a full moon party, you should book everything as far in advance as possible, including accommodation, as both ferries and hotels are usually full at this time of the month.
You will find many options to get to Koh Phangan from Surat Thani by ferry. You can take a ferry directly from Surat Thani town or go to the larger ferry terminals in Don Sak. Donsak is 60 kilometers (37.5 miles) east of Surat Thani and can be reached in 90 minutes by car. While you can get there on your own, all operators offer combo tickets that include the bus and ferry, so if you’re going to Koh Phangan from Surat Thani airport, from the city or from the train station, you can always buy a combo ticket for the entire journey.
The cheapest ferry from Surat Thani to Koh Phangan
If you are a tourist or just traveling on a budget, you might be interested in finding the cheapest way to travel from Surat Thani to Koh Phangan. The good thing is that whatever route you choose, all ferries to the island are reasonably priced, so you won’t have to spend a fortune. That said, there is one service that will save you some money and that is the route offered by Raja Ferry. Your ticket covers travel from the city, departing at the intersection of Si Wichan Road and Soi 16 Si Wichai, and departing three times a day, around noon or early afternoon.
Raja Ferry from Surat Thani to Koh Phangan © OlegD / Shutterstock.com
You will take a van to the Raja Ferry port in Donsak and board a large ferry that will take you to the island. These ferries are older and offer fewer amenities than others, although they do have basic services, but the price and duration of the trip (around 90 minutes) are unbeatable.
If the departure times from the city do not suit your plans, there are many Raja Ferries departing from Donsak every day. You can get to the port on your own and choose one of those that depart every hour between 6:00 AM and 6:00 PM, or you can buy a combined ticket from Surat Thani Airport or Surat Thani Railway Station with the Raja Ferry.
The fastest way to travel from Surat Thani to Koh Phangan
If you’re on a tight schedule and want to head to Koh Phangan to unwind as soon as possible, read on to find out how to get there as soon as possible. This tour is a good option if you are already in the Surat Thani area, especially if you are in the northeastern part of the city in the Tapee district.
Lomprayah high-speed catamaran en route from Surat Thai to Koh Samui © OlegD / Shutterstock.com
The well-known tour operator Lomprayah has a port in Tapee where its high-speed ferry departs. It is a newer, more comfortable and faster ferry than Raja Ferry, and services such as air conditioning, snacks, toilets and hostesses are available on board. It is more expensive than the Raja Ferry but you will pay for speed, convenience and convenience. The ferry takes approximately 2.5 hours and goes directly from Tapee Harbor to Thong Sala on Koh Phangan. Leaving Surat Thani, you won’t have to worry about buses to the port. There are three departures a day, usually around 9:00 AM, 11:30 AM and 3:30 PM.
I am flying to Koh Phangan from Surat Thani airport
If you’ve already moved around Thailand, you probably flew into Surat Thani International Airport. As the airport is 30 kilometers (19 miles) west of Surat Thani by road, the journey may take a little longer. Fortunately, there are several companies that offer combo tickets from the airport to Koh Phangan.
Seatran Discovery offers one of the combination tickets to go from Surat Thani Airport to Koh Phangan.
Lomprayah is one such company. Their tickets are usually the most expensive and the journey time is shorter, around 3.5 hours. Seatran Discovery is slightly cheaper, but as they depart from Donsak Port, the journey is longer. Songserm is an even cheaper and faster option than Seatran. Raja Ferry, as we mentioned, offers a shuttle bus from the airport to the ferry, and the cheapest option to get from Surat Thani Airport to Koh Phangan is the Phantip.
If you are traveling from Surat Thani railway station, you will have basically the same options: Phantip, Songserm, Lomprayah and Raja Ferry. As we mentioned, prices and departure times vary with each operator, so you can choose the one that suits you best.