Phuket to Koh Samui: how to get across by bus and ferry

Phuket to Koh Samui: every option compared

Three ways to link the two islands by road and sea.

All three options go through the same port, Donsak, east of Surat Thani. What changes is the comfort of the bus, the speed of the boat and the number of stops along the way. Lomprayah is the most dependable, Phantip the cheapest, and going via Surat Thani the most flexible.

Lomprayah: the fastest and most reliable

A bus and a catamaran from the same company, timed to connect.

Lomprayah runs two buses a day from its Phuket Town office, at 7 am and 10 am. The bus crosses the peninsula to the Lomprayah pier at Laem Thuat, in Donsak, where the fast catamaran waits for its passengers. The crossing to Nathon takes 45 minutes, for about 6.5 hours in total. The ticket costs 1,250 THB.

• Bus and boat belong to the same company: the connection at the pier is arranged for you, with no second ticket to buy.
• Make your own way to the Phuket Town office if your ticket does not include a hotel pickup.
• The 7 am departure gets you to Samui well before dark.

On arrival at Nathon, Samui's main town on the west coast, songthaews and taxis wait by the pier. If you are staying on the east coast, allow for one more ride across the island, or ask when you book whether your ticket includes a drop-off at your hotel. Travelling on to Koh Phangan or Koh Tao the next day? Lomprayah's own boats leave from Maenam and Nathon, so you stay with the same company.

Phantip + Seatran: the budget option

Nearly three times cheaper, a little longer.

Phantip 1970 runs a bus every day at 9 am to Donsak pier, with no stop in Surat Thani. At the pier you board the Seatran Discovery ferry to Bangrak, on Samui's north-east coast, in about 1.5 hours. The ticket costs about 450 THB.

Landing at Bangrak is a plus if you are staying in Chaweng, Bophut or Choeng Mon: your hotel is close by. To choose your area, see where to stay on Koh Samui.

Going via Surat Thani

The flexible fallback if the direct departures are full or too early.

Buses link Phuket with Surat Thani in about 4.5 hours for 230 THB. In Surat Thani, a Phantip combined ticket takes you to Samui in 3.5 hours from 250 THB. It is longer than a direct ticket, but you can leave whenever you like and even spend a night on the way.

1. 1Bus from Phuket to Surat Thani bus station.
2. 2Combined bus + ferry ticket to Donsak pier.
3. 3Crossing to Samui, then a taxi or songthaew to your hotel.

Every option from Surat Thani, with the companies, the arrival piers and the last departure of the day, is covered in our Surat Thani to Koh Samui ferry guide.

• Check the expected arrival time in Surat Thani before buying the combined ticket to Samui.
• If you arrive in the afternoon, sleep in town and cross the next morning.
• Keep the bus ticket and the ferry ticket separate: they are two different companies.
• Agencies at the bus station sell combined tickets: compare departure times, not just prices.

The advantage of going via Surat Thani is freedom. You are not tied to a single morning departure, you can leave Phuket late in the morning if you have one last night at your hotel, and you choose the moment of the crossing yourself. The drawback is that you manage the connection yourself: if the bus arrives late, the last combined departure of the day may have gone. In that case, do not force it: a night in Surat Thani costs little, and the morning crossing is often more pleasant. It is also the right option if you want to stop for a few days at Khao Sok, which lies between the two.

By rental car

Handy as a group, or if you want to stop on the way.

From Phuket to Donsak pier it is 270 km, or 3.5 to 4 hours of driving. At the pier, the Raja and Seatran car ferries take vehicles. Before you set off, check that your rental company allows you to take the car to an island, and get to the pier early: vehicles board in order of arrival.

The Khao Sok stop works by bus too: see our Khao Sok page and its tours to plan one or two nights there.

Why does the trip take longer at weekends?

A rule few travellers know about.

On Saturdays and Sundays, interprovincial bus companies have to pick up passengers along the way. Buses stop more often and the trip gets longer, sometimes by a lot. If you have the choice, travel on a weekday.

• Booking a flight or an activity on Samui the same evening as a weekend bus trip.
• Taking the Phantip bus and expecting to arrive mid-afternoon.
• Forgetting to check the arrival pier: Nathon and Bangrak are at opposite ends of the island.
• Driving a rental car across without the rental company's agreement.

On the day: what to prepare

A long day on the road, which goes smoothly with a little preparation.

• Keep your passport, money and phone in a small bag with you: your main bag travels in the hold, then at the front of the boat.
• Bring water, a snack and a warm layer, as bus air conditioning is often fierce.
• Download your ticket and your hotel address before you leave: mobile signal is patchy on the road and at sea.
• Carry cash for the taxi or songthaew when you arrive on Samui.

The bus usually stops on the way for food and toilets, but not at a fixed time, so have something to nibble on. At the pier, follow the company staff, who group passengers together and show them the right boat. The stickers or wristbands handed out at departure identify you all the way to the boat: keep them on until you reach Samui.

What about flying?

There are direct flights, but they do not suit every budget.

Bangkok Airways flies direct between Phuket and Koh Samui. It is by far the fastest way, but Samui's airport is privately owned and tickets are expensive compared with the bus + ferry. If you do fly, read our Koh Samui airport guide to plan your arrival.

When should you make the trip?

You are switching seas, and their seasons are not the same.

The Andaman coast, on the Phuket side, has its rainy season from May to October. The Gulf, on the Samui side, gets most of its rain from October to December. Moving from Phuket to Samui in summer is therefore a good way to chase the sunshine. More in our rainy season guide and the Koh Samui weather page.

After Samui: the other Gulf islands

Once on Samui, Phangan and Tao are a catamaran ride away.

• Koh Phangan: see our Koh Samui to Koh Phangan ferry guide.
• Koh Tao: see our Koh Samui to Koh Tao guide.
• To build the whole route: see our Thailand island hopping guide.
• Every ferry route in the country, with operators and seasons: see our Thailand ferries overview.