Take the bus to Donsak, then the boat to Thong Sala.
Almost all journeys from Surat Thani to Koh Phangan involve taking a bus or minibus to Donsak Pier and then a boat to Thong Sala, Koh Phangan's main port. Tickets are available at the airport, outside the train station, and in town. Raja's car ferries offer a reliable option with five daily departures from Donsak. The crossing takes 2 hours and 30 minutes, and a combined ticket from the airport costs 600 baht. Lomprayah's catamaran is the fastest option: approximately 3 hours from the airport for 950 baht or 2 hours and 45 minutes from town for 700 baht. Phantip is the cheapest option from town, at around 500 baht.
Check the latest flight times and seat availability from Surat Thani to Koh Phangan on 12Go.
The last car ferry departs from Donsak at 6:00 PM. If you miss it, there's the night boat, which leaves the Ban Don River bank in town at 10:00 or 11:00 PM and arrives in Thong Sala around dawn. If the times work out, I'd recommend taking the Lomprayah ferry from the airport; otherwise, take the Raja ferry.
Accommodation in Koh Phangan
This route ends in Koh Phangan. Search for hotels in Koh Phangan for your travel dates or narrow your search to the region you wish to visit. Filter for hotels with free cancellation if you'd like to book a room and decide later.
Open Booking.com with your travel dates · also on Expedia · Trip.com
My recommendations for every price category on Koh Phangan
Key facts
The car ferry from Raja operates five times daily from Donsak.
At 05:00, 08:00, 11:00, 14:00 and 18:00, arrival in Thong Sala 2 hours 30 minutes later, for about ฿270–290 on foot.
Tickets for bus and boat cost approximately 500–1050 Baht.
Phantip is cheapest from the city at about 500 Baht, Rajas airport combo costs 600 Baht, and Lomprayah's catamaran costs 700 Baht from the city, 850 Baht from the train station, and 950 Baht from the airport.
Lomprayah is the fastest connection, about 3 hours from the airport.
The airport bus departs at 09:30 and arrives in Thong Sala at 12:45, with the catamaran stopping at Nathon on Samui en route.
The night boat leaves the city at 10:00 or 11:00 PM.
The ferry departs from Thong Sala at approximately 5:00 to 6:00 AM from the Ban Don riverbank. The crossing costs about 500–750 baht, and mattresses are available on deck.
The last car ferry leaves Donsak at 6:00 PM.
The landing takes place at 8:30 pm. The last airport flights depart around 4:00 pm, followed by the night ferry.
Almost every boat docks in Thong Sala.
Phangan's main port is located on the southwest coast. From there, songthaews continue to Haad Rin and Ban Tai for about 100–200 baht per person.
All routes from Surat Thani to Koh Phangan compared
The timetables and prices for Raja, Lomprayah, and Songserm are taken from their own schedules. The timetables for Phantip, Seatran, Songserm's Van, and the night boat are taken from the 12Go offers for November, as the operators themselves do not publish their own timetables.
Surat Thani → Koh Phangan
Check the current bus and boat tickets from Surat Thani to Koh Phangan.
12Go displays all combination tickets from the airport, train station and city center, as well as the night boat with seats for your companion.
Sponsored link – We may receive a small commission if you book, at no extra cost to you. Learn more.
From Surat Thani Airport
The combination ticket counters are located in the arrivals hall. The airport is 92 km from Donsak, a journey of approximately one and a half hours. Lomprayah buses depart at 9:30 am and 12:30 pm for the catamaran, arriving in Thong Sala at 12:45 pm and 4:30 pm (950 baht), and at 11:00 am for the speedboat, arriving at 2:50 pm (1,050 baht). Raja's combination bus departs at 9:00 am and arrives at 1:30 pm (600 baht). Booking portals show additional departures from Raja and Seatran throughout the day until approximately 4:00 pm. Songserm's van departs at 2:15 pm and arrives in Donsak at 4:30 pm by boat.
After landing around 4:00 PM, the day trips are over. You can still reach Donsak in time for the 6:00 PM ferry to Raja by taxi, provided you negotiate the fare beforehand. Alternatively, you can travel to the town 28 km away and take the night boat.
From the train station and the city
Night trains from Bangkok arrive at Phun Phin station west of the city in the early morning. Rajas buses depart for the ferries from 5:30 am. The Lomprayah bus leaves at 9:30 am and arrives in Thong Sala at 12:45 pm for 850 baht. The speedboat bus departs at 11:00 am and arrives at 2:50 pm for 950 baht.
In the city, Lomprayah departs from Tapee Pier on the river. Buses take you to the Donsak catamaran at 10:00 and 13:00, arriving at 12:45 and 16:30 for 700 baht. A speedboat also departs from the pier at 12:00 and reaches Donsak at 14:50 for 800 baht. Raja buses depart from their city office starting at 6:30, Seatran buses from 6:30 to 16:00, and Phantip buses also depart from their office – offering the best prices on the route. The Lomprayah catamaran directly from Donsak costs 550 baht and departs at 11:00 and 15:00.
The ferries from Donsak
Raja's car ferries depart from Donsak to Thong Sala at 5:00, 8:00, 11:00, 14:00, and 18:00. The crossing takes approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes and costs around 270–290 baht on foot. Cars and scooters are also transported. Lomprayah's catamarans depart at 11:00 and 15:00, first stopping in Nathon on Koh Samui. They arrive in Thong Sala at 12:45 and 16:30. Songserm's only boat departs at 16:30 and arrives at 17:45. Seatran also offers ferry services to Koh Phangan; tickets are available from Donsak along with buses. The piers in Donsak are about one kilometer apart, so be sure to check the correct pier for your ticket.
Ferries from Donsak to Koh Phangan
According to the respective timetables of the operators. Seatran does not publish a timetable for Koh Phangan; 12Go sells its ferry tickets together with the bus from the city.
The best-rated hotels in Koh Phangan
Here is my ranking of the 10 best hotels in Koh Phangan. Each button will take you directly to the hotel's page on Booking.com, where you can enter your travel dates.
The night boat from Surat Thani to Koh Phangan
The night boat departs from the Ban Don riverbank in the city. It's a slow ferry with mattresses, pillows, and blankets on the open deck. Booking websites list departures at 10:00 PM and 11:00 PM, with arrival in Thong Sala between 5:00 AM and 6:00 AM. The price varies between 500 and 750 baht depending on the operator, so please check the time on your ticket. The ferry also runs in the opposite direction, departing from Thong Sala at 10:00 PM.
It's the perfect solution if your flight or train is delayed and saves you a hotel night. All boats to Thong Sala are fully booked on the dates of the Full Moon Party, so book three to seven days in advance. During the rainy season from October to December, rough seas can cause cancellations.
Arrival in Thong Sala
Almost all deliveries arrive in Thong Sala, the island's main town and port on the southwest coast. Songthaews wait at the pier and operate as shared taxis to Haad Rin and Ban Tai for approximately 100–200 baht per person. A private vehicle to Thong Nai Pan in the far northeast costs around 400–600 baht. The Lomprayah and Seatran hotels offer transfers to most places on the island, but not to Thong Nai Pan. Therefore, book a songthaew or taxi for this route.
From Koh Phangan to Surat Thani for a flight
For the return journey, the Raja ferry departs from Thong Sala at 5:00 AM, connecting with a bus that arrives at Surat Thani Airport at 10:00 AM for 600 baht. Lomprayah departs at 8:00 AM, arriving at the airport at 11:30 AM or 11:00 AM, with an arrival time of 3:00 PM. Seatran departs at 5:30 AM, 8:30 AM, and 11:30 AM, and the Songserm boat arrives in Donsak at 12:40 PM and 1:55 PM. For a pre-noon flight, the Raja ferry at 5:00 AM or an overnight stay in Surat Thani is recommended. During the rainy season, you should allow a full day for the journey.
Watch the crossing
The combinations of airport and train station, the Donsak ferries and the city pier, filmed on the way to Samui and Phangan.
Are you planning the rest of the golf region?
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently asked questions about traveling from Surat Thani to Koh Phangan.
Take a bus to Donsak Pier and from there a boat to Thong Sala. A combination ticket is available from the airport, train station, or the city. The Lomprayah catamaran is the fastest option, taking about 3 hours from the airport for 950 baht. The Raja car ferry costs 600 baht from the airport. The night boat departs from the Ban Don riverbank at 10:00 or 11:00 PM.
The Raja car ferry takes approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes from Donsak to Thong Sala, the Lomprayah catamaran about 1 hour and 45 minutes with a stop in Nathon on Samui, and the Songserm boat 1 hour and 15 minutes. Allow an additional hour to an hour and a half travel time to Donsak.
Yes. It leaves the Ban Don riverbank in the city at 10:00 or 11:00 PM, depending on the vendor, and arrives in Thong Sala around 5:00 to 6:00 AM, with mattresses on an open terrace, for about ฿500–750.
The car ferry from Raja departs at 6:00 PM and arrives in Thong Sala at 8:30 PM. The boat from Songserm departs at 4:30 PM, and the last catamaran from Lomprayah at 3:00 PM. The last combination tickets from the airport are available around 4:00 PM.
Approximately 270–290 Baht on foot by car ferry from Raja from Donsak, 550 Baht by catamaran from Lomprayah or Songserm. Combined tickets with bus cost from about 500 Baht with Phantip from the city and from 950 Baht with Lomprayah from the airport.
To save money, fly to Surat Thani and take a bus and boat ticket (3–4.5 hours travel time). Alternatively, to save time, fly to Koh Samui and take the ferry from there to Koh Phangan (20–50 minutes travel time) for 200–500 baht. Our Koh Samui–Koh Phangan travel guide lists all the ferry terminals.
The Raja ferry departs from Thong Sala at 5:00 AM, and the connecting bus arrives at the airport at 10:00 AM for 600 Baht. The Lomprayah boats depart at 8:00 AM and 11:00 AM, arriving at the airport at 11:30 AM and 3:00 PM, respectively. For an early flight, it is recommended to take the ferry the day before.
Compare prices on the major booking portals and filter for rooms with free cancellation if you want to book now and decide later.
Compare prices on Booking.com
Compare prices on Trip.com
We may receive a commission for bookings made through these links – this will not incur any additional costs for you. Learn more.
Further from Koh Phangan
The next stage, with the fastest and cheapest way to get there.
You might also like this
Best time to travel to Thailand
The best time to travel is from November to February; the rest of the year is best on the east coast.
Thailand on a budget
Thailand for less money, without sacrificing the best
Is Thailand safe?
What actually poses risks, what is only mentioned in the news, and what do four government advisories say – destination by destination?
Thailand Visa and Entry Requirements
Who is allowed to enter visa-free, what entry controls are in place, what is the TDAC, and how can you extend your stay?
Ethical elephant sanctuaries in Chiang Mai
No riding, no shows, and the protected areas where you watch rather than wash.
I lived in Bangkok for four years and traveled throughout the country from there. The guidebooks reflect my personal opinion and are written as I would explain things to a friend planning a trip.
Ready to create your travel itinerary?
Use our free trip planner to save places, organize days, and share your trip.
Community
Comments 0
Start the conversation.