Koh Samui Islands

The day trips to Koh Tean and Koh Mat Sum depart from the pier in Thong Krut village located in the southernmost tip of Koh Samui. Usually the trip includes the visit of both islands in one day, in the morning Koh Tean and afternoon in Koh Mut Sum. Most of these tours include the transfer by minivan from your hotel, the roundtrip by long-tail boats, lunch buffet, snorkelling equipment, tour guide and insurance. Prices of tours range from 1,300 to 1,700 THB depending on the company and on the type of boat you choose.

The climate of Koh Samui is a little different from the rest of Thailand. The best time to visit the whole archipelago is definitely from mid-December to mid-April. A cool dry period, characterized by a constant sunny weather, in fact, rare are the days when you can not go to the sea. The temperature does vary depending on the month. December, January and February have average between 27° C and +32° C, while the temperature rises between 29° C and 35° C in March and higher in April. The surface conditions are generally calm and the water temperature is between 27° C and 29° C. From mid-April and August in contrast to the Andaman sea coast, where the southwest monsoon brings heavy storms already, Koh Samui at this time still enjoys a relatively dry period with few precipitations. Most of the rain in this region falls between September and mid-December. Average temperatures during this time range between 27° C and 32° C and the humidity increases to over 70% with peaks that reach 90%.

Koh Samui is situated 500 km south of Bangkok, about 700 km away following the Asian Highway AH2. To get there you can choose between two travel options, one that provides the use of planes and a more economic that provides the use of the buses or trains, plus the ferries of course. The island has its own international airport with several national connections and a few international flights. Koh Samui International Airport is privately owned and is located about 4 km north of Chaweng, the main seaside resort of the island. It was built by Bangkok Airways; the construction began in 1982 and the airport was officially opened in April 1989. Samui Airport is an unusual airport because there is no indoor area, except for the gift shop. This is the sixth busiest airport in the country, with more than one million passengers annually. The airport has two terminals, a domestic and an international one. They are located approximately 50 meters from each other. Bangkok Airways airline connects the mainland to Koh Samui with more than 15 daily flights. Thai Airways operates two daily flights from Bangkok. Koh Samui is also connected with international tourist destinations, such as Singapore, Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur by Bangkok Airways and some low cost airlines. Samui Airport is located near the Big Buddha Pier, where ferries depart for Koh Pha Ngan. The fast ferries to Koh Tao and Chumphon depart from the Maenam Beach Pier, about 6 km north-west from the airport. Great choices of transfer options are available at Samui Airport’s transportation desk that will carry you to your final destination. The cost of taxi, limousine and minivan service vary according to the distance and the time of the year. Taxi Meter from the airport to Chaweng costs approximately 500 THB, 700 THB for furthest Nathon or Lamai. Private minivan, for up to six passengers, from the airport to Chaweng costs about 800-1,000 THB; a shared minivan transfers for the same destination costs about 150 THB, but you’ll have to wait for up to 20 minutes until the minibus has at least six passengers.

Buses are a good alternative to air travel if you want to reach Koh Samui from Bangkok. A flight to Koh Samui can cost a lot if not booked in advance and in high season seats often sell out quickly. A package trip comprising a bus and ferry service, can cost four times less than a flight ticket in high season. Transit times are, of course, hardly comparable but the inconvenience is well compensated by considerable savings. Since the introduction of night lines many tourists have opted for bus transfer. VIP no-standing buses equipped with air conditioning and comfortable seats suitable for overnight sleeping provide direct connection between Bangkok and Don Sak Pier in Surat Thani. The trip lasts nine hours; no stops are made at the bus terminals in the city. After an hour’s wait, the time required to complete the boarding procedures, and a two-hour ferry crossing you’ll get to Nathon, the main ferry dock in Koh Samui. You can purchase a combined bus and ferry ticket, commonly called Joint Ticket, at the Southern Bus Terminal and Mo Chit Terminal or through any travel agent in Bangkok. The package ticket, offered by several private bus companies, is also available at the seaside resorts of southern Thailand, such as Krabi and Phuket. A Joint Ticket to Koh Samui from Bangkok through Surat Thani costs from 600 to 1,100 THB, depending on the class of bus and company, about 500-800 THb from Krabi and 600-1,000 from Phuket. Lomprayah offers the usual service from Bangkok but with ferry's departures from Chumphon, more close to the capital, while from other southern beach resorts instead uses the Don Sak Pier. From capital the VIP buses depart from its terminal in Khao San Road. Reached Chumphon the journey continues on fast catamarans stopping at Koh Tao and Koh Phangan, before reaching Samui in about eleven hours. Ticket costs between 1,100 and 1,400 THB depending on destination.

Koh Samui is also easily accessible by train from Bangkok thanks to the southern line of Thai railways. All southbound trains stop at Pumpin the railways station of Surat Thani where, once reached the Don Sak piers, you can continue the journey to Nathon on Koh Samui by ferry. Trains are much cheaper of flights, two or three times less, and are a good alternative in high season, when flights to Koh Samui are full and hard to find if not booked in advance, and travelling during the night allow recovering the excess time respect to flights. A package trip, train plus ferry usually named Joint Ticket, can cost a little more of bus plus ferry, but the combination is definitely more comfortable, and if you opt for the first class you will sleep in a comfortable bunk bed. The night trains towards Surat Thani depart from Bangkok Railway Station, unofficially known as Hua Lamphong Station, which is located within walking distance of Chinatown near the bank of the river, easily accessible by taxi or subway. A Joint Ticket to Koh Samui costs from 1,000 to 1,850 THB depending on the class. The train trip lasts nine hours. Tickets can be bought or reserved in advance, recommended in high season, directly to the Hua Lamphong Station or in all travel agencies of Bangkok. You can also buy tickets online on the unofficial website Thailandtrainticket.com, which also offers ticket delivery service to your hotel. Joint Ticket includes the free transfer by bus from the Pumpin Station to the ferry piers in Don Sak, about 66 Km. On buses, waiting outside the station, also tourists without Joint Tickets can buy tickets for ferries to Koh Samui or Koh Pha Ngan.