Surat Thani to Koh Samui: which ferry to take?

Surat Thani to Koh Samui: every option compared

Three ways to buy the crossing, from the simplest to the most flexible.

Across the day there are 147 departures in all modes, from the first at midnight to the last at 7.30 pm. The fastest trip takes 1 hour 45 minutes for 88 km, and the cheapest ticket is around 12 USD. In other words, there is always a way across: the real question is where in Surat Thani you are starting from.

Which combined ticket should you choose?

The combined ticket is what most people buy, and it is what I recommend.

A combined ticket covers the van or bus ride to Donsak pier and then the crossing. Among travellers who book this route online, 22% take a bus + ferry, 15% a van + ferry and only 12% a ferry on its own: an included transfer is clearly the most practical way to go.

Prices vary mainly with the boat company and the starting point: the top of the range is for combined tickets with Lomprayah or for the latest departures. The companies running the crossing are Raja Ferry, Seatran Ferry, Seatran Discovery, Lomprayah, Songserm and Phantip 1970, with around twenty transfer providers working around them.

Raja Ferry, Seatran or Lomprayah: what is the difference?

They all leave from the Donsak area, but not from the same pier or on the same kind of boat.

Travellers describe the Raja boats as old and the Seatran ones as newer. On a calm day, the difference is mostly about seat comfort and air conditioning. In rough seas, the big car ferries roll far less than the fast boats, which matters if you get seasick.

From Surat Thani airport

The most common case if you fly in from Bangkok on a budget airline.

Van + ferry services wait for flights at Surat Thani airport, with the last departure at 5.30 pm. If your flight lands in the late afternoon, book the combined ticket together with your flight: some airlines sell it directly, and you will be waited for if the plane is slightly late. The whole journey from the capital is covered in our Bangkok to Koh Samui guide.

• Get out of baggage claim quickly: the van leaves once every booked passenger is on board.
• Keep your cabin bag with you in the van and your valuables on you.
• If your flight lands after the last van, sleep in town and take a combined ticket the next morning.

From the town or Phun Phin station

If you arrive by night train or bus, you will be leaving from town.

Surat Thani's railway station is at Phun Phin, outside the centre. Bus + ferry tickets leave from the bus station from 6 am and from the Phantip Travel office at 8.30 am: the first one suits you if your train pulls in very early. At its Surat Thani office, Phantip also sells a transfer to your hotel on Samui for 150 THB per person.

• Book a hotel near the bus station or the clock tower: the morning combined tickets leave from that area.
• Ask reception for your company’s exact pickup point, as it changes from one operator to the next.
• Eat at the lively, cheap night market in the centre, then turn in early.
• Keep your ticket printed or as a screenshot: at the counter you are often given a sticker to wear until you board the boat.

Spending a night in Surat Thani is no failure. The town is simple, practical and used to travellers passing through, with decent hotels near the centre, a night market and travel agencies on every corner. If your night train arrives very late or your flight lands after the last van, it is actually the calmest option. You then take the first combined ticket in the morning, cross when the sea is often at its calmest, and reach Samui early in the day with plenty of time to get to your beach and enjoy the afternoon. It is also a chance to buy your ticket at the counter the evening before, without any rush, comparing the departures posted by the different companies.

Taking the ferry only from Donsak

The cheapest option if you are already at the pier or driving.

A ferry-only ticket starts at 241 THB. It mostly makes sense if you have rented a car or a scooter on the mainland: the Raja and Seatran car ferries take vehicles. From town, on the other hand, a taxi to Donsak quickly costs more than the difference with a combined ticket.

• Donsak is the car ferry port, east of Surat Thani.
• Lomprayah uses its own pier at Laem Thuat, in the same area.
• Buy at the counter or online: there are plenty of departures during the day.

With a vehicle, turn up early: cars board in order of arrival, and morning sailings fill up fast at weekends and during Thai holidays. Also check that your rental contract allows you to take the car to an island, which small rental companies do not always permit. On the island, a car is handy for touring the beaches, but a scooter or a songthaew is more than enough if you are staying on one coast.

Arriving on Koh Samui

Plan one last ride between the pier and your hotel.

Songthaews and taxis wait for the boats at Nathon and Bangrak. If your ticket does not include the transfer, agree on the fare before you get in, or take Phantip's hotel transfer. To pick your part of the island, read where to stay on Koh Samui and our Koh Samui beaches guide.

If you land late in the day, there is no shame in sleeping near the pier for the first night and moving on the next morning, rested and in daylight. Nathon has simple guesthouses, restaurants and cash machines within walking distance of the boats, and songthaews leave for the rest of the island all day long.

Is the sea calm all year round?

The Gulf does not follow the same rhythm as the Andaman coast.

From January to September the crossing is usually smooth. From October to December, the north-east monsoon brings rain and choppy water: fast boats can be cancelled, while the big car ferries usually keep running. More on this in our rainy season guide and the Koh Samui weather page.

• Booking the last departure of the day with no margin after a flight or a train.
• Taking a taxi to Donsak without checking that a ferry-only ticket is really cheaper than a combined one.
• Choosing a fast boat in November if you get seasick: take the car ferry instead.

Where next after Koh Samui?

Samui is the gateway to the Gulf islands.

• Koh Phangan: see our Koh Samui to Koh Phangan ferry guide.
• Koh Tao: see our Koh Samui to Koh Tao guide.
• Coming from Phuket rather than Surat Thani: see Phuket to Koh Samui.
• Every ferry route in the country, with operators and seasons: see our Thailand ferries overview.