Bangkok to Koh Phangan - How to Get there?
Bangkok to Koh Phangan – How to get there?
So, you’ve booked your trip to Thailand and you can’t wait to be sat on a tropical beach sipping coconuts.
But… You’ve booked your flight to Bangkok and don’t know how to get down South?
Southern Thailand is a must visit destination in your Thailand Itinerary. After living in Koh Phangan for seven months, we can say it is the most beautiful island in Thailand. With stunning beaches, tropical jungles, waterfalls, and some of the best street food in Thailand. You would be missing out if you didn’t visit.
You’re in Bangkok, so how on earth do you get to the islands?
We have made this journey from Bangkok to Koh Phangan and the rest of southern Thailand many times.
Travelling by train, bus, airplane, taxi, boat and even partially on a scooter.
Here we have compiled a list of the best, most affordable, quickest and tourist friendly ways to get from Bangkok to Southern Thailand. Koh Phangan in particular … because it’s our favourite!
Flying
Being in Bangkok has its advantages. Being the capital city, it is home to a huge international airport.
you have flown into Bangkok, you’re already ahead of the game just hop on another flight south for the quickest way to get to the islands.
Flying: Bangkok > Koh Samui
Koh Samui is the closest island to Koh Phangan.
Koh Samui also has an international airport welcoming flights from Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, and other international countries form all over the world. Also offering internal connecting flights from Phuket, Krabi, Surat Thani and other areas within Thailand.
Flying from Bangkok to Koh Samui is a short 1hr 15 minutes. Multiple flights leave daily from BKK Airport from Thai airways and Bangkok Airways.
Although flying from Bangkok to Koh Samui is by far the easiest option, as all you need to do is jump on a connecting flight. It most certainly isn’t the cheapest. A flight from Bangkok to Koh Samui could cost you anywhere from £100 one way.
Flying: Bangkok > Surat Thani
The other alternative is to fly from Bangkok to Surat Thani.
Surat Thani is the main major city to the Southern Islands of Thailand, located on the mainland.
Flying to Surat Thani takes around 1hr 10 mins, similar to the flight to Koh Samui. But is cheaper, costing around £50 one way.
Both of these options get you closer to the islands in the quickest amount of time but both require an additional ferry to Koh Phangan.
Flying: Bangkok > Koh Samui > Ferry: Koh Samui > Koh Phangan
The ferry from Koh Samui to Koh Phangan leaves multiple times a day and takes 2 hrs 45 mins.
Here is a full in-depth guide of how to get from Koh Samui to Koh Phangan by ferry, water taxi and even scooter. Make sure to read the full guide here.
Flying Bangkok > Surat Thani > Ferry: Surat Thani > Koh Phangan
There is a direct ferry from Surat Thani pier to Koh Phangan.
You can easily get a taxi or TukTuk to Surat Thani Pier from the Airport. Where you can catch the ferry to Koh Phangan.
The ferry journey is around 2hrs 30 mins. And costs around £6.
Bus
Okay, we have had some of the best times and worst times on buses in Thailand.
We LOVE travelling in non-traditional ways and sleeping on trains and buses and everything in-between. Having taken many overnight buses in Thailand before and have done the route from Bangkok to Surat Thani and the lesser travelled route, Bangkok to Chumphon and vice versa multiple times.
So here are our best tips, and do’s and don’ts on what to do when booking the bus in Thailand.
Our best advice would be to book the overnight bus.
However, ensure it is the RIGHT bus. One of the worst nights of our life was spent on the overnight bus from Bangkok to Surat Thani.
Do NOT book the ‘Government’ or ‘Private’ Bus.
Our HORRIFIC Overnight Bus Journey from Bangkok to Chumpon
After arriving in Bangkok at around 8pm on the day bus from Chiang Mai we decided we wanted to head back home down south to Koh Phangan right away. Not wanting to pay for a hotel in Bangkok just for one night. We thought it would be great to sleep on the bus, wake up nice and early, catch the ferry and be home the next day by 1pm.
Little did we know this would become the worst night of our travels ever.
Arriving at the bus station, we realised we were dropped at the wrong station to catch our connecting bus to Chumphon. Frantically booking a grab taxi we hauled ass across Bangkok at 8pm to get to the other bus terminal.
The journey took us 35 minutes to travel 10 miles. Traffic in Bangkok is no joke.
Running, sweating, crying, we made it to the terminal in time. We were told our ‘overnight’ sleeper bus was delayed and would be another hour. Relieved we sat in the terminal munching on pizza and mozza sticks.
An hour passed, then another 45 minutes. Starting to get worried as there were no other tourists and only a handful of Thai people waiting around. We walked to a lady at a small desk and asked for an update.
That's when things went wrong... fast
We were told the bus had been cancelled and if we wanted to make it to Chumphon that night, we could go on an overnight taxi for 1000 baht each. This was equivalent to £20 each. We did not receive compensation for our original booking. Distraught we paid and waited to be told where to go next.
45 minutes went by and we were told our taxi was here.
We climbed into the back of an 8-seater minibus, relieved and happy to be welcomed by air con we started to settle ready for our journey to Chumphon.
The driver then continued to load people into our taxi. We were confused as we thought we had paid £40, for a private taxi! This was incorrect and the minibus was filled with 8 of us squished tightly like sardines
Is this the end?
We were like this for 6 hours. The taxi driver drove like he had nine lives or was training for the formula 1.
Never having felt more unsafe in a car journey in our lives. Driving way over the speed limit and weaving in and out of cars the taxi took us on our way.
Me and Nik were separated as a child needed to sit next to her mother. Having no one to lean on or cuddle we both didn’t sleep a wink, that and the fact we were hanging on for dear life.
All I can say is the smell of 8 people crammed in a small Thai minibus for 6 hours straight, overnight, is not something I want to EVER experience again.
Take our advice...
If you are booking the overnight bus and it gets cancelled DO NOT agree to pay for an overnight taxi as an alternative, just get a hotel and a bus the next day.
Alternatively, we have travelled on a real sleeper bus before and had a pleasant journey and managed to get some sleep. Just ensure you are getting an actual sleeper bus with reclining seats, air con and booking from a reliable company.
After getting the bus to Chumphon this will take you to the bus terminal from here you can get a Taxi or connecting bus to the pier. Be aware of scams and overcharging of taxis and try to haggle your best price. Normally if you book with a reputable overnight bus company you will also get the transfer to the ferry included. But if you made the same mistake we did, you will then have to haggle for a taxi to get to the pier.
Then from the pier just hop on the direct ferry across to Koh Phangan. The ferry from Chumphon to Koh Phangan is around 3hrs 20 mins and costs around £10 per person.
An alternative route is taking the overnight bus to Surat Thani this is via the same methods of bus and overnight bus. But this journey takes around 8 hours and the ferry is as mentioned above in the flying section. Just 2hrs 30 mins direct to Koh Phangan.
Train
Like the Bus, the train is also a great option to travel overnight.
We love getting the overnight train and is our favourite way to travel.
We have been on overnight trains in Sweden, Norway, Russia, and Thailand. There’s nothing better than being rocked to sleep by the gentle swaying of the train on its tracks.
The journey from Bangkok to Surat Thani is 10 hours 40 mins. A great way to pass the time and get some shut eye on the overnight train.
This is a great affordable way to travel, with that added upgrade of comfort compared to the night bus. Guaranteeing you some sleep.
There are two main options, 1st and 2nd class. 1st class offers a private bunk room with your own sink area. 2nd class is in an open carriage with the choice of AC or a cheaper option again with just fan. We wouldn’t recommend the fan option and to go with AC.
Then just as before catch the direct ferry from Surat Thani to Koh Phangan.
We would recommend booking train tickets in advance. On multiple occasions we have tried to book tickets a day or two before and they have all been sold out. Especially around full moon. So, we would say to make sure to book at least 7-5 days in advance.
In Conclusion...
The easiest way to get to Koh Phangan from Bangkok is to Fly to Koh Samui and get the Ferry.
However, this is also the most expensive.
The most affordable way to travel from Bangkok to Koh Phangan is via bus, however this is also potentially the trickiest.
Our recommendation is to travel via overnight train for a mid-range affordable journey with less complications.
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