How Do You Get From Bangkok to the Islands?

Fly if you are heading to Phuket, Krabi or Koh Samui, and take the overnight train or bus plus ferry if you are going to Koh Phangan or Koh Tao and have a spare day. Flights are fastest, while the overland routes are slower, more tiring and more of an adventure.

Bangkok has no sea, so every island trip is a chain: an airport or station, sometimes a bus, and almost always a pier. The chain only works if the links connect, which is why most delays come from a missed ferry rather than a late train.

Which Bangkok airport should I fly from?

Both work. Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang have flights to Krabi, and the flight takes about an hour and twenty minutes. Phuket is also served by flights from Bangkok. Which airport you use mostly depends on the airline, so check the departure airport before you pay.

Koh Samui is the odd one out. Samui Airport is reached by Bangkok Airways flights from Suvarnabhumi, which take roughly an hour and a half. It is the quickest way to reach the Gulf islands, because you can then take a short ferry to Koh Phangan or Koh Tao.

Koh Tao and Koh Phangan have no airport of their own, so a flight always ends on another island or the mainland.

Is the overnight train a good way to reach the islands?

It is, if you like sleeping horizontally and do not mind arriving in the early morning. Long-distance trains no longer leave from Hua Lamphong. Since January 2023 the main terminal is Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal, the former Bang Sue Central Station, and the southern line services leave from there. Check which station your ticket lists, because older guides still mention the old one.

For the Gulf islands, the usual train destinations are:

• Surat Thani: roughly 8.5 to 12 hours depending on the service. The station is outside town, so you continue by bus to the ferry pier.
• Chumphon: roughly 6.5 to 9.5 hours. This is the shortcut for Koh Tao, though boats from here are less frequent than from Surat Thani.

Sleeper berths are the comfortable choice. Seat classes exist, but twelve hours upright is a long time. Timetables change, so confirm the train numbers and times with State Railway of Thailand before you plan around them.

What about the bus and ferry combined tickets?

Many operators sell one ticket covering the bus and the boat, which saves you from working out connections at 4 am. Buses leave from Bangkok's southern terminal at Sai Tai Mai and some other points, and tickets are sold through the operators and booking platforms. Raja Ferry also has its own joint bus option.

Typical journey times, door to island, run from about nine to eleven hours for Samui, and a couple of hours more for Koh Phangan and Koh Tao. Treat these as rough: night buses often arrive well before the first boat, so you may be waiting at a pier or bus stop in the dark.

The bus is the cheapest route but the least restful. If you are travelling with large bags or sleep badly on moving vehicles, the train is kinder.

Which ferry company goes where?

The big names are worth learning, because they are split by island.

• Raja Ferry and Seatran run car ferries from Donsak Pier near Surat Thani to Koh Samui and Koh Phangan. They are slower and cheaper than the catamarans.
• Lomprayah runs fast catamarans from Donsak to Samui, Phangan and Tao, and from Chumphon to Tao.
• Songserm and a few speedboat operators link the islands with each other.

Piers also differ: Samui has several (Pralarn and Bangrak among them), and Koh Phangan's main arrival point is Thong Sala. Check the pier name on your ticket, because a wrong pier can cost you a long taxi ride.

What should I book ahead, and what can wait?

Book flights as soon as you know your dates, especially for November to April, the busy season, and around public holidays.

Ferries are worth booking early in peak season and around Full Moon Party dates on Koh Phangan, when boats can sell out. Seatran, Lomprayah and Raja all sell tickets online, and some also via LINE or at 7-Eleven. Outside peak times you can usually buy at the pier counter, but there is no prize for gambling.

Overnight trains and sleeper berths also sell out. A few other tips:

• Add a buffer night in Surat Thani if you have a flight home soon after your island stay.
• Ask your hotel about early check-in if you arrive at dawn.
• Carry a sweater, since night buses and trains run cold.

Which route suits which island?

Here is the short version, island by island.

1. Phuket and Krabi: fly. The overland journey is long, and the flight is short.
2. Koh Samui: fly with Bangkok Airways from Suvarnabhumi, or take a train or bus to Surat Thani and a ferry from Donsak.
3. Koh Phangan: fly to Samui and hop across, or go overland to Donsak and take a ferry directly.
4. Koh Tao: take the train or bus to Chumphon and a Lomprayah boat, or go via Surat Thani and Donsak.

Seasons matter on the Gulf coast. Sea conditions can disrupt boats, so keep a spare day in your plan.

How do I stay connected on the way to the islands?

Signal in Thailand is generally fine in cities and on the larger islands, but expect gaps on remote stretches of road and on some boat crossings. Having data for ticket QR codes, pier changes and hotel messages makes the whole chain far less stressful. Check these on your phone first:

• It supports eSIM.
• It is unlocked, not tied to one carrier.
• Its software is up to date.

Install the eSIM before you leave Bangkok, while you still have Wi-Fi, and keep it switched on as your data line once you land. A MochiSim eSIM is data only, so it has no phone number and cannot receive calls or SMS. Keep your home SIM active in the second slot if your bank or an app sends verification codes by SMS, and set mobile data to the eSIM only.