Travel Information

All passengers to Koh Phangan arrive by boat, either scheduled or charted. A chartered speed boat  from Koh Samui takes about 15 minutes. A charter costs between 10,000 THB and 15,000 THB. Less expensive and just as quick is the speed boat service from Maenam in Koh Samui to Ban Tai in Koh Phangan, which is near Koh Thong Nai Pan (12kms). Boats go every 30 minutes at each end between 9am and 5pm. Below are the timetables for the other scheduled boat services.

The Thong Nai Pan express is a small boat leaves from the beach near Star Huts in Thong Nai Pan Noi and then proceeds to Thong Nai Pan Yai. It chugs down the east coast of Koh Phangan stopping at remote beaches such as Haad Thien before making it to Haad Rin. From Haad Rin it goes to Meanam on Koh Samui. It waits an hour in Koh　Samui before making the return journey by the same route. It costs 300 THB to make the journey from Thong Nai Pan to Maenam in Koh Samui. It is the most convenient ferry service for the beach, but often passengers have to wade into water waist high to embark and disembark.

 

 

The Lomprayah Catamaran is the quickest boat leaving Koh Phangan to the mainland. It goes from the Tongsala pier opposite the 7-11 convenience store. In Bangkok it starts from the street behind Kao San Road. You can buy Lomprayah tickets at the pier, at its Kao San Road office or just about any travel agent in Koh Phangan. The combined boat/bus ticket from Koh Phangan to Bangkok costs 900 thb and is good because you avoid spending a night on a bus. Unfortunately for the reverse journey from Bangkok to Koh Phangan the overnight stay on the bus is unavoidable.

 

 

The Haad Rin Queen is the cheapest way to get between Koh Phangan and Koh Samui. At 150 thb it's a bargain. Although much of its trade is taken up by the monthly invasion of Full Mooners from Koh Samui, it is a really useful ferry for doing day trips to Koh Samui because Big Buddha pier is near Koh Samui airport, Tesco Lotus, Big C Supermarket, Bangkok Hospital and trendy Bophut. This boat gets crowded and there aren't enough seats.

 

 

The Songserm is a smaller boat and can rock and roll in bad weather. However, its cheap. The cheapest bus/boat tickets from Bangkok invariably use the Songserm. Tickets from Kao San Road to Koh Phangan can cost as little as 600 thb. However, the combined travel time is 2 hours more than Lomprayah and involves a night on the bus. The Songserm stops at Nathon in Koh Samui.

 

 

Seatran plies the same route as Lomprayah, but when the weather is bad it goes to the closer port of Donsak on the mainland. On calm days the extended Lomprayah boat journey is picturesque, but on choppy waters it can be stomach churning.

 

 

The Raja Ferry is vital to the commercial life of Koh Phangan because it is the only boat which can handle trucks and lorries. The Ferry goes back and forth between Tongsala and Donsak on the mainland from early in the morning to late afternoon. A boat leaves every 2 hours.

 

 

For those wanting a really early start or don't fancy a night in Suratthani there is the night boat. There's only 1 boat a night and it takes 7 hours to get between Koh Phangan and the mainland. The real value for this transport connection for tourists is that it allows travellers to get from Koh Phangan to Burma and back in one day so they can renew their visa.

 

For information about train timetables from Suratthani on the mainland to Bangkok please click the link below:

http://www.thongnaipan-magazine.com/traininformation.html

For information about Thai Air schedules between Bangkok and Koh Samui (the neighbouring island to Koh Phangan) please click the link below:

http://www.thongnaipan-magazine.com/airplaneinformation.html