A ticket for bus and ferry
All connections from Surat Thani to Koh Samui end with a ferry from Donsak, the port town on the coast east of the city. The easiest way is to buy a combination ticket, which includes the bus or minibus ride to the port and the ferry crossing. These tickets are available in the arrivals hall of the airport, outside the train station in Phun Phin, and in the city. They cost between 330 and 1,000 baht, depending on the operator and ferry, and the journey takes 3 to 4 hours.
Check the latest flight times and seat availability from Surat Thani to Koh Samui on 12Go.
Raja Ferry's car ferries dock in Lipa Noi on Koh Samui's southwest coast, while Seatran's arrive in Nathon on the west coast. The faster catamarans operated by Lomprayah and Boonsiri are more expensive. Timing is crucial when planning your trip. The last combination tickets depart around 4:00 PM, and the last car ferries leave Donsak around 7:00 PM. A late flight or train journey therefore usually necessitates an overnight stay in Surat Thani.
Accommodation in Koh Samui
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Key facts
Combined bus and ferry tickets cost approximately 330–1000 Baht.
Phantip is cheapest by ferry from Seatran, Raja costs about 550 Baht, and Lomprayah and Boonsiri cost 600–1000 Baht by fast catamarans.
It takes 3 to 4 hours from start to finish.
About 1 to 1.5 hours by car to Donsak, waiting time at the pier, then 1 hour 30 minutes by car ferry or about 45 minutes by catamaran.
Raja's ferries depart hourly from Donsak between 5:00 and 19:00.
You can reach Lipa Noi on foot for 220 baht. Ferries from Seatran to Nathon run approximately hourly during the day for 170 baht.
The last combination tickets depart around 4:00 PM.
After arriving on land, you will either need a taxi to Donsak before the boat departs at 7:00 PM, or you will spend the night in the city of Surat Thani.
The airport is 92 km from Donsak.
The journey takes about an hour and a half. The town is 66 km from the pier and 80 km from Phun Phin railway station.
There is no bridge and no regular overnight ferry to Samui.
Night boats from Surat Thani go to Koh Phangan and Koh Tao. To reach Samui, a day trip from Donsak is required.
All routes from Surat Thani to Koh Samui compared
The prices for combination tickets are taken from the operators' lists (Raja Ferry, Lomprayah timetable 2026, Boonsiri) and from booking portals, unless information is provided by the operator. The ferry fares correspond to the prices at the ticket office in Donsak. The rental car prices are from 12Go for November.
Check the current bus and ferry tickets from Surat Thani to Koh Samui.
12Go displays all combined tickets from the airport, train station and city center with today's departures and seat availability.
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From Surat Thani Airport
Surat Thani Airport is 92 km from Donsak, about an hour and a half's drive away. Combination tickets are available in the arrivals hall, so you can book your entire trip as soon as you leave the airport. Rajas Bus departs at 9:00 AM and arrives in Lipa Noi at 12:30 PM (approximately 550 Baht). Lomprayah's Bus departs at 9:30 AM and 12:30 PM and offers a 45-minute catamaran ride to Nathon for 850 Baht (1,000 Baht with hotel transfer). Boonsiri's Van departs at 11:30 AM and takes the catamaran to Nathon, arriving at 2:15 PM (850 Baht, 1,000 Baht with hotel transfer). Phantip's buses, which connect with the Seatran ferry, operate throughout the day until the afternoon and offer the best fares. Tour operators offering through tickets will keep you on board for the next ferry if your flight is delayed, which is not the case with separate tickets.
After arrival around 4:00 PM, no more combined train and bus services are available for the day. A taxi from the arrivals area will get you to the 7:00 PM ferry to Donsak (Raja ferry) in time, provided you agree on the fare before boarding. Alternatively, you can rent a car in advance and take the car ferry to your hotel. Another option is to stay overnight in Surat Thani (28 km away) and take a combined train and bus service from there the following morning.
Combined tickets from Surat Thani Airport, train station and city
The prices are taken from the operators' price lists and booking portals that do not display prices. The fare of 420 baht shown at the ticket counter was filmed in 2025. The Lomprayah and Boonsiri catamarans are the speedboats; the car ferries take 1 hour 30 minutes but run all day.
From the train station in Phun Phin
Surat Thani train station isn't actually in Surat Thani itself, but in Phun Phin, about 14 to 16 km west of the city. Night trains from Bangkok arrive there early in the morning. Ticket sellers offering combination deals are already waiting in the station square when the trains arrive. Buses to Donsak start running from around 5:30 am. Phantip and the Seatran ferry depart from the station square for around 420 baht, and Rajas buses run every few hours until the last one at 4:00 pm, which arrives in Lipa Noi at 8:30 pm. The pier is 80 km away, so you should allow about 3.5 to 4 hours for the journey to Koh Samui. You can find all train connections from Bangkok in our Bangkok to Koh Samui travel guide.
From the city of Surat Thani
It's 66 km from the city to Donsak, a journey of about an hour. Lomprayah buses depart from Tapee Pier at 10:00 and 13:00. Phantip and Raja's combined buses stop at their offices in the city and at hotels. Buses also run from the city bus station to the pier. If you arrive late the night before, the city is the ideal place to stay overnight, offering significantly more options than Donsak. A morning combined bus will get you to Koh Samui by midday.
The ferries from Donsak
Two car ferry companies, two catamaran lines, and Songserm operate from Donsak. Raja Ferry runs hourly daily from 5:00 AM to 7:00 PM to Lipa Noi on Koh Samui's southwest coast, with additional sailings from late December to April. The crossing takes 1 hour 30 minutes and costs 220 baht (for pedestrians). Seatran runs approximately hourly from early morning until early evening to Nathon, the town on the island's west coast. This crossing also takes 1 hour 30 minutes and costs 170 baht. Lomprayah's catamaran runs twice daily to Nathon, at 11:00 AM and 3:00 PM, taking 45 minutes. Boonsiri's ferry departs at 1:15 PM and arrives in Nathon at 2:15 PM. Songserm's single crossing departs at 4:30 PM and arrives in Nathon at 5:15 PM. The two companies' docks are about one kilometer apart. Therefore, make sure to choose the dock that corresponds to your ticket.
If you're traveling independently to Donsak, buy tickets at the ticket office and take the next boat. Outside of the New Year and Songkran weeks, the car ferries are rarely full. From Nathon or Lipa Noi, songthaews and taxis wait for the boats that will take you across the island.
Ferries from Donsak to Koh Samui
Raja's departure times are based on the published timetable. The Seatran website was offline during our check, so times are given as a timeframe; please check the display board at the pier or the 12Go website for your travel date.
Flight from Koh Samui to Surat Thani Airport
The first Raja ferry departs from Lipa Noi at 5:00 AM. Combination tickets to Surat Thani Airport run from approximately 5:00 AM until early afternoon and take 3 to 4 hours. The Lomprayah ferry departs from Nathon at 8:30 AM and arrives at the airport around 11:30 AM. During the monsoon season, weather conditions can cause delays. Therefore, for flights before 11:00 AM, it is recommended to take the ferry the evening before and stay overnight in Surat Thani. For later flights, a combination ticket in the morning is advisable to allow one to two hours for travel.
Watch the crossing
The journey from Surat Thani to the islands and the return journey to the airport and train station.
Are you planning the rest of the golf region?
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently asked questions about traveling from Surat Thani to Koh Samui.
Take a bus or minibus to Donsak Pier and catch the ferry from there, ideally with a combination ticket. Tickets are available at the airport, in front of the train station, and in town for approximately 330–1,000 baht, and the crossing takes 3 to 4 hours. Raja's car ferries dock at Lipa Noi, while Seatran's dock at Nathon. The Lomprayah and Boonsiri catamarans are faster.
The car ferries from Donsak to Lipa Noi or Nathon take about 1 hour 30 minutes, the catamaran from Lomprayah about 45 minutes. Allow an additional hour to 1.5 hours for the journey from Surat Thani to Donsak.
Donsak Pier is located 66 km from Surat Thani, 80 km from Phun Phin Railway Station, and 92 km from the airport. The car ferry crossing from Donsak to Samui takes approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes.
The last car ferry from Raja to Lipa Noi departs from Donsak at 7:00 PM, and the last boats from Seatran to Nathon leave in the early evening. The last combined bus and ferry tickets from the airport and train station are available around 4:00 PM.
No regular service. The overnight ferries from Surat Thani go to Koh Phangan and Koh Tao. The first car ferries to Samui depart from Donsak at 5:00 AM. Therefore, the usual plan after a late arrival is to spend the night in the city and take an early excursion.
With a combined ticket, the crossing takes about three to four hours, including approximately one and a half hours to Donsak, waiting time at the pier, and the crossing itself. For example, the airport bus and catamaran from Boonsiri at 11:30 a.m. arrives in Nathon at 2:15 p.m.
Fly to Surat Thani to save money – often for half the price of a direct flight to Koh Samui. However, this adds about three hours to the journey by car and ferry. If time is of the essence, fly directly with Bangkok Airways. Our Bangkok to Koh Samui travel guide compares both options.
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The journey continues from Koh Samui
The next stage, with the fastest and cheapest way to get there.
All 8 routes from Koh Samui
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