Fly if you have a connection, take the Lomprayah at 8:00 AM, if not.
The journey from Koh Samui to Bangkok is the reverse, with one key difference: on departure, you choose your boat based on your connecting flight at your destination. Bangkok Airways flies approximately 20 times daily from Koh Samui to Suvarnabhumi and three times to Don Mueang, from around 2,800 baht each way. This is the best option for those with an international flight on the same day. Most others book a combination of ferry and bus.
Check the latest flight times and seat availability for Koh Samui → Bangkok on 12Go.
Lomprayah's catamaran and bus leave the island at 8:00 AM and 12:30 PM, taking you to Khao San Road at 8:30 PM or 12:45 AM for 1,450 baht. The government bus runs overnight from the Donsak ferry terminal to the South Terminal. With ferry and van tickets to Surat Thani, you can reach the airport for a flight with AirAsia or Nok for 1,000–2,000 baht, or Phun Phin railway station for the nine evening trains heading north, departing between 6:25 PM and 11:28 PM.
The catch lies in the timing, as the journey to Surat Thani Airport takes between 2.5 and 5.5 hours, depending on the boat. A flight before approximately 11:00 AM therefore means you must arrive the evening before. Below you will find all departure times, the respective departure ports on Koh Samui, and your arrival address in Bangkok.
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Key Facts (2026)
Bangkok Airways is the fastest option: 50–75 minutes flight time and 3–4 hours door to door.
There are approximately 20 daily departures to Suvarnabhumi and three to Don Mueang. Prices are around 2,800 baht each way, rising to over 6,000 baht during peak season. Suvarnabhumi offers connecting flights abroad, while Don Mueang allows onward travel with AirAsia or Nok. Allow 90 minutes for boarding at the small terminal on Samui; the journey from the west coast takes 45 minutes.
The boat and bus from Lomprayah depart from the island at 08:00 and 12:30 and cost 1,450 Baht.
Take the catamaran via Koh Phangan and Koh Tao to Chumphon, then the Lomprayah bus to Khao San (8:30 pm or 12:45 am) for 1,450 baht, VIP 1,750 baht; or go directly to Suvarnabhumi or Don Mueang (11:00 pm) for 1,950–2,250 baht. Tickets are available at the offices in Nathon and Bangrak, on the website, and on Klook.
Surat Thani Airport is 2.5–5.5 hours away by ferry and minivan (550–900 Baht).
The Raja Ferry departs Lipa Noi at 5:00 AM and, according to its own timetable, will get you to the airport at 10:00 AM (550 Baht). Lomprayah's catamaran and van take approximately 3 hours (897 Baht online). The combination of Phantip and Seatran costs 604 Baht. A flight before approximately 11:00 AM requires arrival the evening before.
Nine night trains depart from Phun Phin heading north between 18:25 and 23:28.
Ferry and van tickets from all piers on Samui arrive at the train station in the early afternoon. Express trains No. 86 (7:31 p.m. to 6:10 a.m.) and No. 84 (8:23 p.m. to 7:05 a.m.) offer first and second class seats; railcar No. 40 (departs at 9:00 a.m., second class, air-conditioned, 524 baht) arrives at 6:05 p.m. Most seats can be booked 90 days in advance.
The last boats to leave the island depart from Nathon at around 5:00 PM and from Lipa Noi at around 7:00 PM.
Seatrans' last departure to Nathon is around 5:00 PM, and Raja's last departure from Lipa Noi is at 7:00 PM. The Lomprayah is the last speedboat at 12:30 PM, connecting with a bus to Bangkok. Nothing leaves the island after dark, so overnight planning should begin with an afternoon ferry.
All routes from Koh Samui to Bangkok compared (2026)
Airfares correspond to those on booking portals for the next three months. Lomprayah and Raja fares are taken from the respective operators' price lists; bus and train fares are the station and ticket office fares shown on 2025/26 tickets, plus the cost of the ferry and minibus. Online providers add 100–200 baht. Northbound trains are overnight trains from the far south to Bangkok, so a delay upstream can postpone the departure from Phun Phin by an hour.
Check the current flight times and seat availability from Koh Samui to Bangkok.
12Go lists flights from Samui to Bangkok as well as the combination of ferry, minibus, and bus to the South Terminal with seat reservations and e-tickets. Tickets for the Lomprayah ferry and bus can be purchased from Lomprayah or Klook; tickets for the trains (ferry and minibus) are available at the pier and on the platform via D-Ticket or 12Go.
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If you are flying, which airport in Bangkok and how much the flight costs
Suvarnabhumi for connecting flights, Don Mueang for budget airlines
Bangkok Airways is the only airline flying from Koh Samui to Bangkok. There are approximately 20 daily departures to Suvarnabhumi Airport between 6:00 AM and 9:00 PM and three to Don Mueang. Prices range from around 2,800 baht each way in the off-season to 6,000–6,800 baht between December and January and during the Songkran festival. One piece of checked baggage is included. The cheapest option is to book three to six weeks in advance. For connecting flights abroad, flying to Suvarnabhumi is recommended. Allow three hours for your layover. Bangkok Airways offers through tickets with partner airlines; therefore, delays on these tickets are the responsibility of the airline. If your connecting flight is with AirAsia or Nok Air, flying to Don Mueang will save you the 300–400 baht taxi fare and the one-hour drive through the city.
The flight itself takes 50 to 75 minutes on an A319 or an ATR 72. Samui's terminal is small and open, security is quick, and arriving 90 minutes before departure is perfectly sufficient; the airport is 10 to 15 minutes from Chaweng and Bophut, but 45 minutes from Nathon, Lipa Noi, and Taling Ngam, and Grab and Bolt are rarely seen on the west coast before 7:00 a.m.
Take the Lomprayah boat or bus at 8:00 or 12:30 to Khao San or directly to the airport.
The most reliable ticket for overland travel and the only one that leads to Suvarnabhumi.
My recommendation for overland travel is the combination of boat and bus offered by Lomprayah. The catamaran departs from Pralarn Pier in Maenam at 8:00 AM and 12:30 PM, stops at Koh Phangan and Koh Tao, and arrives in Chumphon, where the bus takes over. The 8:00 AM boat arrives at the Lomprayah office on Khao San Road at 8:30 PM, and the 12:30 PM boat arrives at 12:45 AM. The fare is 1,450 baht for a standard bus or 1,750 baht for a VIP bus. The same ticket is valid for Suvarnabhumi or Don Mueang Airport (arriving at 11:00 PM by boat at 8:00 AM) for ฿1,950–2,250 or for the Airport Rail Link at Phaya Thai and Hua Lamphong MRT stations for ฿1,750–2,050. This is the only land connection that will take you from Bangkok to an airport without a taxi.
Two things to note: Arriving at 0:45 on Khao San Road is the middle of the night; while taxis are available, buses are no longer running. Therefore, it's best to take the 8:00 ferry, unless your hotel is directly on Khao San Road. Since the ferry passes two islands before reaching the mainland, it is most likely to be canceled during the rough sea months of November and December; however, the car ferries to Donsak continue to operate.
To Surat Thani airport for a cheap flight and which boat departs which departure.
2.5 to 5.5 hours from the pier to the terminal and the 11 o'clock rule
AirAsia, Nok Air, and Thai Lion fly from Surat Thani (URT) to Don Mueang. There are also flights from Suvarnabhumi, costing between 1,000 and 2,000 baht on most days. Travel to the airport is by ferry and van combination ticket, available at any pier office on Samui and online. According to the Raja Ferry timetable, the ferry departs Lipa Noi at 5:00 AM and arrives at the airport at 10:00 AM for 550 baht – the earliest option. Lomprayah's catamaran and van take approximately 3 hours and cost 897 baht online. The Seatran ferry and van costs 604 baht (Phantip), Samui Tour 675 baht, Boonsiri 864 baht, and Seatrans' own combination 812 baht. Approximately 39 flight combinations depart daily between 05:00 and 14:00 and land between 09:00 and 19:00.
As a rule of thumb: Deduct 3.5 to 5.5 hours from your flight time, add the 60 to 90 minutes of airport time, and if your boat then departs before 5:00 AM, it doesn't exist. In practice, a flight before approximately 11:00 AM means you should take an afternoon boat the day before and stay overnight in Surat Thani (hotels near the airport and train station cost between 500 and 1,000 baht). You can then take the first boats from early afternoon onwards.
Ferry and van tickets from Koh Samui to Surat Thani Airport (2026)
The Raja fare of 550 baht is based on its own schedule; the other prices are the resellers' online prices, including their fees. All boats terminate at the terminal, not in the city. The first departures are crucial, as the 5:00 AM Raja boat is the only way to catch a late morning flight that day.
Ferry + minibus + night train on one of nine evening trains north of Phun Phin
Any boat until early afternoon, then No. 86 or No. 84 if you want a berth with a door.
The return journey by train is on the night train to Surat Thani in the opposite direction, which is easier as the timetable is more convenient. Nine northbound trains depart Phun Phin between 6:25 PM and 11:28 PM, arriving at Krung Thep Aphiwat the following morning between 3:45 AM and 10:50 AM. This ensures a connection for any boat leaving the island in the early afternoon. Tickets for the ferry and minibus to the train station are available at any pier office (same operators and prices as for the airport connection, approximately 500–900 baht). The minibuses will take you to the cafes in front of the station, which are open until the evening.
Which train? Express train No. 86 from Nakhon Si Thammarat (7:31 PM, arriving 6:10 AM) and express train No. 84 from Trang (8:23 PM, arriving 7:05 AM) offer both first-class two-berth compartments and second-class air-conditioned sleeper cars and arrive at a convenient time. Special train No. 32 from Hat Yai (10:24 PM, arriving 8:10 AM) has the newest carriages and the latest sensible departure time. Fast train No. 170 from Yala (11:28 PM, arriving 10:50 AM) is the cheapest train with sleeper cars equipped with fans. Railcar No. 40 at 9:00 AM (second-class air-conditioned seats, 524 baht, arriving 6:05 PM) is the only comfortable daytime train and requires taking the first ferry. Fares at the station are the same as for southbound journeys: approximately 700–900 baht for a 2nd class sleeper berth with air conditioning, 1,300–1,500 baht in 1st class, and 250 baht in 3rd class. Online providers charge an additional 100–200 baht. Seats can be reserved for all trains up to and including the two trains departing from Sungai Kolok, Nos. 172 and 38 (30 days in advance), and 90 days in advance. Remaining seats are sold at the Phun Phin ticket office on the day of departure.
The best-rated hotels in Bangkok
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Surat Thani (Phun Phin) → Bangkok train timetable (2026)
Departure times are from siamtickets.com (timetable dated December 5, 2025). According to 12Go's sales list, four of these trains are running 10–20 minutes late (18:53, 19:40, 20:10, 20:45). Therefore, please check your ticket and be on the platform in good time. These trains travel from the far south to Bangkok and may arrive in Phun Phin up to an hour late. Seat availability is based on our calculations according to the SRT fare levels as of April 2026 (90 days where your journey covers at least 60% of the train route). The route from Surat Thani to Bangkok is 635 km, and only the trains to Sungai Kolok (km 1,143) fall below the 60% threshold.
See Samui Airport and the flight with Bangkok Airways as well as the overland route.
Two flights were filmed from the island, as well as a journey overland: the ferry from Nathon, the Phantip van and the night bus to Khao San.
Arrival at the pier or airport on Samui
Songthaews, Grab and Bolt, and the advantages of a car booked at 5:00 am
All package tour operators sell a hotel transfer for approximately 150–250 baht in addition to the ticket price. This is the easiest solution for the early boats, as minivans start running from Chaweng, Lamai, and Bophut around 4:00 AM to catch the 5:00 AM Raja ferry. Alternatively, you can take the red songthaews from Chaweng to Nathon during the day (but not before sunrise) for 100 baht per person. Grab and Bolt vehicles cost 200–600 baht for trips around the island, depending on the distance and fare. Lomprayah Bangkok boats depart from Pralarn Pier in Maenam, while Donsak boats from Nathon, Seatran, and Boonsiri also depart from Nathon, and Raja boats depart from Lipa Noi, 8 km south of Nathon. Therefore, check your ticket to see which pier is indicated. The departure times are 40 minutes apart.
For the first flight from the airport from a villa on the other side of the island (Lamai, Taling Ngam, Lipa Noi), a booked car with a fixed price is better than hoping that a Grab driver will be awake at 5:30 am.
Your hotel on Samui → Samui Airport
The first 45 minutes after leaving the island
Grab and Bolt are available on Koh Samui, however, demand is low before 7:00 AM, and the airport is 45 minutes from the west coast. For an early morning departure from Lamai, Taling Ngam, or Lipa Noi, I recommend pre-booking a car through 12Go and picking it up at the villa at 5:30 AM. The price should be agreed upon the evening before.
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Where you will land in Bangkok and how to get into the city
Two airports, Khao San at midnight, the South Terminal and a train station with the MRT line underneath.
Suvarnabhumi Airport is accessible via the Airport Rail Link to Phaya Thai (45 ฿, 26 minutes, BTS connection) and by metered taxi at the taxi rank on the ground floor (300–400 ฿ to Sukhumvit or the Old City, plus a 50 ฿ airport surcharge and a 75 ฿ toll). Don Mueang Airport offers an SRT Red Line from its own station to Krung Thep Aphiwat for connections to the MRT Blue Line, airport buses A1 and A2 to Mo Chit BTS (30 ฿), and the same taxi rank. Lomprayah buses stop at 8:30 pm in front of the office on Rambuttri Road behind Khao San Street; a taxi departs at 12:45 am. State buses terminate at the South Terminal (Sai Tai Mai), 12 km west of the old city in Thonburi, where there is a taxi rank and local buses, as well as in Mo Chit. Trains terminate at Krung Thep Aphiwat, where the MRT Blue Line is located directly beneath the station concourse. A taxi ride to Sukhumvit costs approximately 150–250 baht.
Landed in Bangkok? This is the city's end.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently asked questions about the connection from Koh Samui to Bangkok.
Fly with Bangkok Airways (about 20 flights daily to Suvarnabhumi, three to Don Mueang, from about 2,800 Baht), take the catamaran and bus from Lomprayah from the island at 8:00 or 12:30 to Khao San (1,450 Baht, 12.5 hours), take the car ferry to Donsak and a government bus overnight to the South Terminal (700–1,300 Baht), or buy a ticket for ferry and van to Surat Thani for a cheap flight for 1,000–2,000 Baht or one of the ten trains heading north.
The car ferry from Nathon or Lipa Noi and the government bus from Donsak to the South Terminal cost around 700 baht in total, and the journey takes 13 to 16 hours. A ferry, minivan, and a third-class train seat cost about the same. The cheapest option is a combination of ferry and minivan to Surat Thani Airport (from 550 baht) plus a flight with AirAsia or Nok for about 1,600–3,100 baht and 6 to 8 hours.
Flight time with Bangkok Airways is 50 to 75 minutes, scheduled flight time is approximately 1 hour 10 minutes. From door to door, from a hotel in Chaweng to a hotel in Sukhumvit, you should allow 3 to 4 hours, including the 90 minutes at Samui Airport and the onward journey from Suvarnabhumi.
There is a direct ferry service, the Seahorse Ferry, a car ferry with cabins, that runs from Nathon to Saengthong Rice Pier in Rat Burana, Bangkok. The crossing takes 20 to 22 hours on the specified dates (check-in at 12:00 for a 14:00 departure). Prices range from 1,500 baht for a sleeper cabin to 22,500 baht for a suite; cars cost 2,250 baht. All other ferry connections to Bangkok consist of a boat to Donsak or Chumphon followed by a bus transfer.
Allow 3.5 to 5.5 hours less than your flight time and 60 to 90 minutes for airport transfers. The Raja Ferry departs Lipa Noi at 5:00 AM and arrives at the terminal at 10:00 AM (550 Baht) – the earliest available connection. It is therefore suitable for flights departing from approximately 11:30 AM onwards. The Lomprayah catamaran and van take about 3 hours from Nathon. For flights before approximately 11:00 AM, it is recommended to arrive the day before and stay overnight in Surat Thani.
Not directly from the island, but with a ferry and minibus ticket from any pier (500–900 baht), you can reach Phun Phin Station in Surat Thani in the early afternoon. From there, ten trains depart north: railcar No. 40 at 9:00 a.m. (arriving at 6:05 p.m.) and sleeper cars from 6:25 p.m. to 11:28 p.m. (arriving between 3:45 a.m. and 10:50 a.m.). Express trains No. 86 (7:31 p.m.) and No. 84 (8:23 p.m.) offer first-class compartments; an air-conditioned second-class sleeper berth costs approximately 700–900 baht at the station.
Suvarnabhumi Airport is ideal for connecting flights to international destinations or for stays in Sukhumvit, Silom, or the Old City (airport train, 45 baht). Don Mueang Airport is the right choice if your connecting flight is with AirAsia, Nok Air, or Thai Lion, or if you are staying in the north of the city; Bangkok Airways flies there three times daily. Both airports are about an hour by taxi from the city center.
Yes. According to Lomprayah's 2026 price list, the boat and bus connection from the island to Suvarnabhumi or Don Mueang costs 1,950–2,250 baht (arriving at 11:00 PM, with the 8:00 AM ferry) and onward to the Airport Rail Link at the Phaya Thai or Hua Lamphong MRT stations costs 1,750–2,050 baht. It's the only overland ticket that terminates at an airport, and the only one I would trust for a late evening or overnight international flight.
The last Seatran car ferry departs from Nathon around 5:00 PM, and the last Raja ferry departs from Lipa Noi at 7:00 PM, both bound for Donsak. The Lomprayah catamaran at 12:30 PM is the last speedboat connecting to a bus to Bangkok. The evening ferries from Songserm and Haad Rin go to Koh Phangan, not to the mainland. An overnight trip to Bangkok begins no later than an afternoon ferry.
Ninety minutes is perfectly sufficient for a domestic flight; the terminal is small, open, and security is quick. Allow 15 minutes from Chaweng or Bophut, 30 minutes from Lamai, and 45 minutes from Nathon, Lipa Noi, or Taling Ngam. Book a car the evening before if your flight departs before 8:00 a.m., as Grab and Bolt are less readily available on the west coast at that time.
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Continue your journey from Bangkok
The next stage, with the fastest and cheapest way to get there.
Return journey? From Bangkok to Koh Samui – All 27 routes from Bangkok
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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.
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