Flying direct
Samui International Airport (code USM) is privately owned. Bangkok Airways built it and opened it in April 1989, and it is still the main carrier from the mainland. Flights from Bangkok Suvarnabhumi take a little over an hour, and Thai Airways sells seats on them under its own flight numbers. There are also domestic flights from other Thai cities and a small number of international routes, which change from season to season.
The terminal is mostly open-air and sits in Bo Phut, about 2 km north of Chaweng. Fixed-price minibuses and taxis wait outside arrivals; many hotels arrange pick-ups if you ask in advance.
Current schedules: Bangkok Airways and the airport's own site. Check them directly, as routes are cut and restored between seasons.
Flying to the mainland, then the ferry
A cheaper route is to fly to an airport on the mainland and continue by road and boat:
| Airport | Then |
|---|---|
| Surat Thani (URT) | Combined bus and ferry tickets sold at the airport, via Donsak pier to Nathon or Lipa Noi on Samui. Allow about three hours in total. |
| Chumphon (CJM) | Bus to the pier and a Lomprayah catamaran, which calls at Koh Tao and Koh Phangan on the way. |
| Nakhon Si Thammarat (NST) | Bus and boat combinations sold by the ferry companies. |
Trains from Bangkok stop at Surat Thani's station (Phun Phin), where agents sell the same bus-and-ferry tickets.
Ferries from Donsak
Donsak pier, east of Surat Thani, is the main crossing point. Two companies run large ferries from there, each with roughly hourly departures through the day:
- Seatran to Nathon pier, about 1.5 hours.
- Raja Ferry, slower car ferries, mostly to Lipa Noi pier on the west coast, about 9 km south of Nathon.
Raja carries cars and motorbikes, so it is the option if you are driving. When you buy a package with bus transfer from an agent, ask which ferry company it includes and have it written on the ticket.
From Koh Phangan and Koh Tao
Lomprayah catamarans link Samui with Koh Phangan, Koh Tao and Chumphon, mostly from Mae Nam (Pralarn) pier on the north coast, with some sailings from Nathon. Other boats run from Big Buddha pier to Koh Phangan. See Koh Phangan and Koh Tao.
Getting around the island
- Songthaews, pick-up trucks with two benches, run along the ring road in the daytime at fixed fares per person. After dark they work as taxis and the price is agreed first.
- Taxis are plentiful but seldom use the meter. Agree the price before you set off.
- Grab works on Samui and gives a fixed price in advance.
- Motorbikes and cars can be hired almost anywhere. Rental motorbikes are often uninsured; read the agreement and photograph existing damage. An international driving permit is required.