Many travelers who come to Thailand for a beach holiday sooner or later start thinking about visiting other popular destinations to diversify their trip. Koh Samui is the ideal destination to visit if your budget and schedule permit. In this article, we will explore how to get from Phuket to Samui independently, reviewing possible routes.
By Plane
The simplest and fastest way is by plane. Once a day, Bangkok Airways operates a flight from Phuket Airport to Samui, holding a monopoly on this route. No other airline offers direct flights here.
Although Phuket is only about 300 km away, the flight costs around 5,000 THB (as of 2025); for comparison, a flight from Bangkok—700 km away—used to cost about 3,500 THB, although current prices may be even higher.
There is also an option to travel via Bangkok, but the total cost of such a journey can turn out to be even higher than a direct flight to Samui. The main issue is that the only airport near the ferry pier to the island is in Surat Thani, and Thailand’s low-cost carriers do not fly directly from Phuket to Surat Thani — only via Bangkok.
On the other hand, this route can offer the benefit of spending extra time in Bangkok, as well as experiencing one of Asia’s most vibrant cities.
AirAsia handles these flights, arriving at Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok, after which you will need to transfer to a plane heading to Surat Thani.
Such a combined ticket can cost around 4,000–4,500 THB (as of 2025), and that price usually includes the ferry from Donsak to Samui.
Depending on which ferry service you choose in Donsak, the sea travel time can vary – some options may take slightly longer, while others are faster:
Raja Ferry
Seatran Ferry
In the first case, travelers can enjoy the view of Koh Phangan in good weather.
By Bus
Despite the convenience of flying, many travelers are put off by the high ticket price and therefore opt for the bus route, which is cheaper (though not as comfortable). There is no direct sea connection between Phuket and Samui. Such a route, if it existed, would significantly reduce travel time but would probably affect Bangkok Airways’ revenue.
As mentioned, ferry services operate through Surat Thani, which you must first reach by bus departing from Phuket Town. (Getting to Phuket Town is quite easy thanks to a well-developed network of roads and public transport.)
Buses leave daily at 8 AM, 9 AM, and 10 AM. (By the way, you can also reach the ferry to Koh Phangan using the same bus.)
There are two types of tickets:
- Combined (includes both bus and ferry).
- Individual (bus ticket only).
The combined ticket costs about 500 THB (updated for 2025), while the individual ticket is about 350 THB. The journey takes about 4.5 hours to the ferry pier plus another 2 hours on the ferry, plus waiting times.
The bus arrives in Surat Thani at around 1 PM, 2 PM, and 3 PM, and the ferry usually departs about 30 minutes after the bus arrives (schedule may vary slightly). Passengers do not need to transfer to another location; the bus goes directly to the Donsak ferry terminal, where you only need to board the catamaran.
You can buy tickets in advance online (for instance, manually on the 12go.asia website) or purchase them on the spot. Unlike Bangkok, there is usually no problem with seat availability here because passenger traffic is not as high.
The second bus option is to use Lomprayah services, which depart from the company’s office. This option is slightly faster because instead of catamarans, they use high-speed boats.
Note that because of their lighter hull, these boats can be sensitive to rough seas, and seasickness can occur in strong winds.
A combined ticket here (there is no alternative) costs around 1,300–1,500 THB (updated for 2025), and you save about an hour compared to standard ferries. Departure times are at 10 AM and 12 PM.
By Taxi
This is not the most economical option unless you’re sharing a car with several people. Such a trip costs about 14,000 THB (as of 2025), and the travel time is only a bit less than by bus — around 3.5 hours.
Car Rental
If you enjoy driving, consider renting a car. This will generally be cheaper than a taxi — roughly half the price. One day’s rental in Phuket starts from about 1,000–1,200 THB, but if you rent for more than five days, rates can go down to about 800 THB per day.
Add to this the cost of fuel (approximately 1,200 THB for 350 km, as of 2025) and the ferry crossing fee (450 THB for a car including the driver, plus 150 THB for each additional passenger).
You can return the car on Koh Samui at the airport if you don’t feel like driving back.
If you enjoy riding a motorbike, you might consider traveling from Phuket to Samui on a scooter. However, be sure to evaluate your stamina because sitting on a bike for 6–8 hours under Thailand’s hot sun can be tough. Moreover, the ferry fee for a motorbike is usually the same as for a car (450 THB), which doesn’t really save money. The main advantage is the chance to see and appreciate the unique scenery along the way, passing small villages and towns with their distinctive architecture and friendly people.
As for the most extreme way of traveling (on foot), we’ll skip that — it has little to do with a relaxing holiday and more with self-inflicted hardship.
By Train
Unfortunately, it’s not possible to get from Phuket to Samui by train because there is no railway connection to Phuket.
To Koh Phangan and Koh Tao
We have figured out how to get from Phuket to Samui, but the Samui archipelago includes several other popular islands, including Koh Phangan and Koh Tao.
It’s easy to get to Koh Phangan or Koh Tao on your own since the ferries, catamarans, and speedboats depart from the same piers used for Samui. And you already know how to reach Donsak or Surat Thani.
Additionally, there are a couple of routing options:
- Direct route.
- Route with a transfer.
Transfers to Koh Tao are available either from Koh Phangan or Koh Samui, whereas transfers to Koh Phangan are offered exclusively from Koh Samui.
The difference lies in departure times and ticket prices. Traveling to Koh Tao costs at least 500 THB per person (compared to about 150 THB to Samui).
The most budget-friendly option is the Tha Yang Pier. A catamaran ticket departing this pier costs about 300 THB, leaving daily at 11 PM except Sunday, and arriving at Koh Tao at 5 AM.
So, despite the distance, getting to Koh Samui (and the nearby islands) from Phuket on your own is entirely feasible and not as expensive as it may initially seem. Try different combinations, explore, and experiment. And be sure to share your impressions in the comments!
