Koh Phangan to Koh Samui

Koh Phangan to Koh Samui

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Koh Phangan to Koh Samui Schedule

Koh Phangan to Koh Samui Schedule
Transport NameRoute TimePrice
Raja Ferry Ferry 07:00 - 08:30$ 6.96
Raja Ferry Ferry 09:30 - 11:00฿ 200
Raja Ferry Ferry 11:30 - 13:00$ 6.04
Koh Tao Booking Center Speedboat 12:30 - 13:00฿ 700
Raja Car Ferry Car + driver 14:30 - 16:00฿ 650
Seatran Discovery High Speed Ferry 16:00 - 16:45฿ 350
Raja Car Ferry Car + driver 18:30 - 20:00฿ 610

How to get from Koh Phangan to Koh Samui

Crystal clear waters and idyllic beaches, lush tropical greenery and modern ‘island style’ shopping molls, fancy jewellery shops and colourful local markets – you name it – Samui has it all. No wonder that the third-largest island in Thailand, Samui has become popular amongst both luxurious holiday makers and backpackers on a budget who can each find the experience, accommodation, activities and entertainment that they come for. Whether its candle-lit dinners on post-card beaches, wild and adventurous partying through the night, treks through forests and jungles or days spent oiled up on the beach, Koh Samui is the right choice to get it.

Getting to Koh Samui from Koh Phangan

Koh Samui lies within an easy reach of Koh Phangan. When Koh Phangan is rocking with its crazy Full Moon parties and you cannot find any accommodation on the island, do not fall into despair and consider making your base on Samui. In any case, if you happen to Koh Phangan, it makes sense to visit its more glamorous brother just to understand what all that Samui fuss is about.

The fastest service from Koh Phangan to Samui is offered by Lomprayah High Speed Catamaran and Seatran Discovery. They whisk you to Samui in about 20-30 minutes for THB300-THB350.

Both Lomprayah and Seatran Discovery pick up passengers from Thong Sala pier on Koh Phangan. On Samui, Lomprayah arrives to Maenam Pier (departures from Koh Phangan at 11am and 4.20pm) or Nathon Pier (7.15am, 12pm and 2.30pm). Seatran uses its own Bangrak Seatran Pier.

If you come and go to/from Samui with your main destination being Koh Phangan’s Full Moon parties, your best bet is a small Haad Rin Queen which plies the route between Haad Rin on Koh Phangan and Big Buddha Pier on Samui. The timetable is subject to change; as a reference consider these four boats: 9.30am, 11.40am, 2.30pm and 5.30pm. Transit time is from 50 minutes to one hour. It is not possible to buy tickets or make a booking for Haad Rin Queen online. Tickets cost THB 200.

If you are staying in Haad Rin or some other east coast beaches on Koh Phangan, you can opt for a rickety Thong Nai Pan Express. Depending on where you board it, expect to pay from THB 200 to THB 400 per person. Thong Nai Pan Express runs only when the weather is good.

Can I transport my car from Koh Phangan to Koh Samui?

It is not possible to go with your car directly from Koh Phangan to Samui. You will need to sail back to Donsak from Koh Phangan and then make a new journey to Samui instead. Go to the mainland from Koh Phangan with Raja Ferry (THB 550 for a 4-wheel car) and change to Raja Ferry or Seatran heading from Donsak to Samui. Seatran delivers passengers and their vehicles to its pier in Nathon. Raja ferry uses its own port in Lipa Noi on the western coast of Samui. Choose port-wise as both services are equal in price and quality. Note that it is always wise to book in advance if you do not want to make a long queue to board the ferry with your car (or find all the ferries full on the day you want to travel).

Getting around

Koh Samui is large and you will need a way to get around easily, since doing it on foot is very limiting and uncomfortably hot, but there are many far better options available depending on how you like to get around.

Taxis (songthaews) are a great way to travel long distances on the island, or if you want to go out partying and know you shouldn't drive yourself around. While they are convenient and can get you everywhere from anywhere, this is probably the most expensive option, as you can expect to pay between 50 and 100 THB a person which adds up quickly.

Motorcycles are a fantastic way to get around. Motorcycles (and bicycles, too) can be rented from almost every resort on the island. Rentals are cheap, petrol is cheap, and they give you the freedom to go just about anywhere you want to go as you explore the island’s natural wonders. A word of caution though, you will undoubtedly see many tourists about with bandages and scrapes on their arms and legs, almost all of the time these are caused by accidents on scooters. You should be able to find a scooter for less than 200 THB a day. Most of the rental shops insist that you leave your passport behind. While this is a bit unnerving, it is also standard practice throughout Thailand, so be very careful with your scooter if you want to avoid any trouble.

Where to stay

Hat Chaweng is packed with all kinds of accommodation to suit any budget. It is the epicentre of the action, and the northern part of the beach can be quite noisy. Hat Lamai is another popular choice attracting holiday-makers both with its long stretch of white sand and a good choice of restaurants, bars and shops along the main road. In between the two beaches hides a little gem of Crystal Bay with – as the name suggests – crystal clear waters embraced with imposing boulders of a small bay. Hat Bang Rak (or Big Buddha Beach) leis relatively close to the airport (you may hear some noise), but the white sand of its western part compensate for it. Bo Phut is of particular interest not because of the beach but thanks to its trendy boutique hotels peppering Fishermen’s Village where strong Chinese influence can be felt even today. Families often opt for Mae Nam with its gentle sea. The West Coast is not a good choice if you come for the sea, but the sunsets are exceptional there.
Tip: Do not spend all your time on Samui on one and the same beach; try at least a couple of them and you will be rewarded with the diversity which this island has to offer.

Activities

Besides usual diving, snorkelling, kayaking, jungle-trekking and waterfalls find a couple of hours to visit the only rum distillery in Thailand, Magic Alambic. They produce Caribbean rum with a variety of natural flavours (obviously, they have coconut rum, too). They offer tasting sessions and sell rum, too (600-700 THB per 700ml bottle). Located in Baan Bang Kao. Travellers with the little ones in tow will love Paradise Park, which is a considerably large petting zoo, which is also one of the best viewpoints on the island.

Transportation from Koh Phangan to Koh Samui

Koh Phangan to Koh Samui Destination Reviews

CB
More than 1 hour tooooo late ! And no toilets paper ! No water to drink on board… I hoped to buy something… I was waiting around 90 minutes and was so thirsty 😰 I’m lucky that I don’t had a flight in this night… it would be to late.
Ferry Ferry, Raja Ferry (ราชา เฟอร์รี่), Mar 29, 2023
CS
All smooth and in time.
Ferry High Speed Ferry, Seatran Discovery (ซีทราน), Mar 22, 2023
NB
Big Seatran signs on Thong Sala led to a small ticket booth on a parking area which was not opened. Instead, ticket office is in the building of the pier which is very confusing. Furthermore, there are no information such as departure time etc. on the ferry port which is also non-optimal for tourists.
Ferry High Speed Ferry, Seatran Discovery (ซีทราน), Mar 18, 2023
EC
Très bien, climatisation trop forte.
Ferry High Speed Ferry, Songserm (ส่งเสริม), Mar 5, 2023
MV
everything worked and it was really easy!
Ferry High Speed Ferry, Songserm (ส่งเสริม), Mar 3, 2023
JI
Even though I made a mistake about the ticket date of the month, it went through smoothly with their support. Thank you!!
Ferry High Speed Ferry, Seatran Discovery (ซีทราน), Feb 19, 2023
CB
No caver from rain at all, pooor pier
Ferry High Speed Ferry, Songserm (ส่งเสริม), Feb 17, 2023
KR
We arrived ahead of the schedule.
Ferry High Speed Ferry, Seatran Discovery (ซีทราน), Feb 9, 2023
OK
Very good
Ferry High Speed Ferry, Songserm (ส่งเสริม), Feb 8, 2023
ML
Air conditioning was broken. My girlfriend and I experienced heat exhaustion later that evening. Otherwise overall okay. Delivered only 15 minutes later than expected and decent customer service.
Ferry High Speed Ferry, Songserm (ส่งเสริม), Feb 7, 2023
4.4
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