General Information	Attraction	Festival
Local Products	How to get there	Dining
Hotels	Tours

How to get there

Samui is about 430 miles south of Bangkok and about 30 miles from the eastern coast of Thailand. The flight time from Bangkok is just over an hour, but there are also rail and road options to the southeastern coast followed by a boat trip to Samui.

By Bus ( to Surat thani ) While it has certain drawbacks, the bus is easily the most economical way to travel, and an adventure in itself. You can buy tickets and board at the major Bangkok public bus stations, or if you are stopping at Khao San Road, you can catch an overnight bus departing in the evening, to all southern destinations including Samui. You will stop very early in the morning at Suratthani, which is the mainland access city to Samui, where you will transfer to another bus for the trip to the ferry that crosses to the island.

By Train ( to Surat thani ) There are ten trains daily from Bangkok's Hua Lampong train station to Surat Thani leaving at 07.45, 13.00, 14,45, 15.15, 15.50, 17.05, 17.35, 18.20, 19.15, 22.50. First class tickets are available on the 14.45, 15.15, and 19.15. Second class air-conditioned tickets and above are recommended and prices start from 478 baht to 1179 baht for first class sleeper. The journey takes around 11-12 hours. Taking the overnight 19.15 train and travelling by first or second-class sleeper with air conditioning is recommended as the most comfortable and convenient option. The only extra comfort you get in first class is private cubicles. Trains in Thailand are fairly safe, but if you're a light sleeper 2nd class might not be suitable. These all actually stop in Phun Phin which is about 10kms west of Surat Thani, and taxis are always waiting.

By Air ( to Koh Samui) Bangkok Airways and Berjaya Air are currently the only two airlines that serve Samui directly. Although Bangkok Airways has a virtually monopoly on the route because they built and own the airport, flights are reasonably priced and run hourly from around 6am to 9pm to Samui from Bangkok with a similar schedule returning. Several flights arrive from Chiang Mai per week (every middday except Mondays and Wednesdays). There are often special web fares available and the price range for a one-way ticket is from around 2000-4000 baht. They also link Samui to Hong Kong, Phuket, Pattaya (U Tapao) and Singapore. Berjaya Air currently flies twice daily from Kuala Lumpur to Samui and back. It is also possible to fly to Surat Thani with Thai Airways or Orient Thai Airways (One-Two-Go) and then connect to Samui by boat, but the saving is minimal.

By Ferry If you have a car or motorcycle that you wish to bring to Ko Samui, the car ferry service starts at 06:00 and operates simultaneously from both Donsak and Samui ferry piers every hour on the hour until 18:00. The ferry crossing takes approximately one hour twenty minutes.

information provided by T.A.T (Tourism Autority of Thailand)