Koh Samui to Koh Phangan ferry: which boat, which pier?

Koh Samui to Koh Phangan: the boats compared

Every scheduled departure from Samui to Phangan at a glance.

Seatran Discovery has the most departures and the cheapest ticket to Thong Sala. Lomprayah costs a little more but leaves from Maenam, which is handy if you are staying on the north coast. The Haad Rin Queen is slower, but it is the only scheduled boat that drops you straight at Haad Rin.

Seatran Discovery from Bangrak

The default choice if you are staying in Chaweng, Bophut or Choeng Mon.

Seatran Discovery leaves from its own pier at Bangrak, in the Big Buddha area, a few minutes from the airport. Three departures a day (8 am, 1 pm and 4.30 pm) and tickets from 300 THB make it the most flexible option. The boat arrives at Thong Sala, Koh Phangan's main port on the west coast.

• Get to the pier early: you need to check in and tag your luggage before boarding.
• The 4.30 pm departure is the last scheduled catamaran of the day to Thong Sala.
• Flying into Samui? Bangrak is the pier closest to the airport, see Koh Samui airport.

Depending on the area, the ticket can include a pickup from your hotel: look for the option when you book, as it saves you haggling for a taxi early in the morning. If you are staying in Chaweng, it is often the easiest way to catch the 8 am boat without any stress.

Lomprayah from Maenam

The north coast catamaran.

Lomprayah leaves from Maenam pier with two departures a day, at 8 am and 12.30 pm, and also arrives at Thong Sala. Tickets start at 400 THB. It is the right choice if you are staying in Maenam or Bophut, or if you are carrying on to Koh Tao with the same company.

Lomprayah also sells through tickets that combine the crossing with onward boats and buses, so if Phangan is only one stop on a longer trip, check the combined option before buying two separate tickets. Keep your ticket and luggage tag until you have left the pier on arrival: staff sometimes check them at the exit.

Haad Rin Queen: straight to Haad Rin

The Full Moon Party boat.

The Haad Rin Queen links Big Buddha pier with Haad Rin, the beach of the Full Moon Party, in 50 to 60 minutes. There are four departures a day, at 10.30 am, 1 pm, 4 pm and 6.30 pm, for 200 THB. Tickets are not sold online: you buy them at the pier, ideally in cash.

If you are staying in Haad Rin, this boat spares you the winding, hilly road between Thong Sala and the island's south-east. For a single night of partying while staying on Samui, it is also the most direct option.

Thong Nai Pan Express: for north-east Phangan

A handy boat, but only when the sea allows.

The Thong Nai Pan Express serves the Thong Nai Pan bays on Phangan's north-east coast for 200 to 400 THB depending on the stop. It only sails in good weather, so do not build your plans around it in the monsoon. When it does not run, take a catamaran to Thong Sala and then a taxi.

• Ask your hotel the day before whether the boat is running.
• Keep a fallback plan via Thong Sala.
• The northern beaches are more remote: bring cash when you arrive.

The northern bays are beautiful but cut off: once you are there, most people stay put and rely on the hotel shuttle or a shared songthaew to reach Thong Sala for the market or the boat out.

Arriving at Thong Sala and getting to your hotel

Thong Sala is the island's centre, with banks, a market and taxis.

Songthaews wait for the boats at Thong Sala: expect 100 to 200 THB depending on the beach. Scooter rental is around 150 THB a day, but Phangan's roads are steep: only rent with a valid motorbike licence, a helmet and travel insurance that covers riding. To pick your beach, see where to stay on Koh Phangan.

• To leave Phangan, the same companies link Thong Sala with Samui: buy your return as soon as you arrive on party days.
• Check on the ticket whether the return boat lands at Bangrak or Maenam, depending on your hotel or flight.
• If you are flying out of Samui, pick Bangrak pier, the closest to the airport.
• Leave a margin on the day of a flight: in rough seas a departure can be delayed or cancelled.

Thong Sala is worth lingering in for a moment before you head to your beach. It is the island’s little capital: banks, pharmacies, minimarts, rental shops and travel agencies are grouped around the port. Use the stop to withdraw cash if you are heading to the north or to Thong Nai Pan, where cash machines are rarer. On Saturday evenings the pedestrian street turns into a night market, one of the most pleasant in the Gulf. And if you arrive without a booking, the agencies at the port can point you to hotels that still have rooms on each coast: the island is small enough to switch beaches after a first night.

Can you visit Koh Phangan as a day trip from Samui?

Yes, and it is a good idea if you do not want to change hotels.

With the 8 am Seatran out of Bangrak and the 4.30 pm boat back, you get a long day on the island. In Thong Sala, share a songthaew for the day rather than renting a scooter: you will see Sri Thanu, the north coast viewpoints and a north-west beach without worrying about the roads. On Saturday evening the Thong Sala walking street market is worth staying for, as long as you sleep on the island.

• Buy the outward and return trips with the same company so you leave from and return to the same pier.
• Carry cash: the small northern beaches do not always have a cash machine.
• Travel light, as catamarans stow big bags in the hold or at the front, away from you.

If you are moving islands for good with large bags, choose Seatran or Lomprayah over the Haad Rin Queen: the catamarans have a proper luggage tagging system, and taxis wait at Thong Sala. For the return to Samui, the same boats run the reverse route from Thong Sala.

When is the crossing rough?

Short or not, the crossing depends on the Gulf monsoon.

From October to December, the north-east monsoon makes the sea choppier: small boats like the Thong Nai Pan Express stay in port, and the catamarans may cut departures. The rest of the year the crossing is usually calm. More in our rainy season guide.

• Booking a boat from Maenam when you are staying in Chaweng, at the other end of the coast.
• Counting on the Thong Nai Pan Express in November.
• Turning up at Big Buddha pier without cash for the Haad Rin Queen.
• Renting a scooter on Phangan without a motorbike licence or insurance.

Samui, Phangan, Tao: in which order?

Phangan is the middle stop between Samui and Koh Tao.

The catamarans that stop at Thong Sala carry on to Koh Tao, so you can do Samui, then Phangan, then Tao without backtracking. If you are torn between the first two, read our Koh Samui vs Koh Phangan comparison, and for the next leg our Koh Samui to Koh Tao guide.

• Coming from the mainland: see Surat Thani to Koh Samui by ferry.
• Coming from the capital: see Bangkok to Koh Samui.
• For the whole island route: see our Thailand island hopping guide.
• Every ferry route in the country, with operators and seasons: see our Thailand ferries overview.