Fly or take the ferry
| Option | From | Samui arrival | Journey | Sold online for November 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direct flight | Suvarnabhumi (BKK) | Samui Airport (USM) | 1 hr 10 min | From about 3,250 THB |
| Raja Ferry | Donsak pier | Lipa Noi | About 1 hr 30 min | 220 THB, operator's fare |
| Lomprayah boat with transfer | Surat Thani Airport | Lomprayah's Nathon pier | About 2 hr 15 min | From 897 THB |
| Bus and ferry | Surat Thani Airport | Nathon | About 3 hr 30 min | From 570 THB |
Flying is quick but costs far more than the ferry. If you are already travelling overland, or flying into Surat Thani, the ferry from Donsak is the budget route. The ferry guide compares the island operators.
Ferries from the mainland
Raja Ferry lists a Donsak to Lipa Noi crossing of about 1 hr 30 min at 220 THB, with an example sailing at 05:00 in its timetable. Raja also carries vehicles.
From Surat Thani Airport, combined tickets were sold for November 2026: Lomprayah's boat package to its Nathon pier from 09:30 for 897 THB, about 2 hr 15 min, and bus-and-ferry tickets to Nathon or Lipa Noi from 570 to 712 THB. These include the road leg to the pier, so they are not comparable with a boat-only fare.
Lomprayah asks passengers to check in at least 60 minutes before departure, with a 20 kg large-luggage allowance.
Samui's piers
Samui has several piers, and each serves different boats:
| Pier | Boats |
|---|---|
| Lipa Noi | Raja Ferry from Donsak |
| Nathon | Lomprayah and Songserm; Songserm to Koh Phangan |
| Bangrak | Lomprayah and Lomlahkkhirin to Koh Phangan |
| Pralarn, Maenam | Lomprayah to Koh Phangan and Koh Tao |
Before booking a hotel transfer, check which pier your boat uses: arriving at Lipa Noi and leaving from Bangrak means a road transfer between two different piers.
Onward to Koh Phangan and Koh Tao
Boats to Koh Phangan leave Bangrak ten times a day with Lomprayah, 30 minutes to Thong Sala, or Nathon once a day with Songserm. Lomprayah's own table lists 350 THB by catamaran and 250 THB by ferry. See Koh Samui to Koh Phangan.
For Koh Tao, the Koh Tao guide and Koh Tao to Koh Phangan give the boat options.
Getting around the island
The arrivals-hall transfer counter (Samui Accom) lists these 2026 prices; confirm them at the counter:
| From Samui Airport to | Private car | Private minivan | Shared minivan, per person |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bangrak, Bophut, Chaweng | 400 THB | 600 to 700 THB | 100 THB |
| Maenam | 600 THB | 800 THB | 150 THB |
| Lamai | 700 THB | 1,000 THB | 150 THB |
| Nathon pier | 800 THB | 1,000 THB | 200 THB |
| Lipa Noi, Taling Ngam | 1,000 THB | 1,200 THB | 600 THB for 1 to 2 people |
Shared minivans wait to fill before leaving. Around the island, travellers in August 2026 report taxis asking about 400 THB as a minimum and app rides costing 300 to 400 THB even for a short trip; treat these as user reports and agree the fare first.
Questions before you go
Which pier does the ferry from the mainland use?
It depends on the operator. Raja Ferry sails from Donsak to Lipa Noi. Lomprayah's package from Surat Thani Airport ends at its Nathon pier, and bus-and-ferry tickets also land at Nathon or Lipa Noi. Check the Samui pier on your ticket.
Where do boats to Koh Phangan leave from?
Mostly Bangrak, where Lomprayah had ten departures a day for November 2026, 30 minutes to Thong Sala. Songserm sails once a day from Nathon. See the Koh Samui to Koh Phangan guide for times.
Is flying much more expensive than the ferry?
For November 2026, direct Bangkok flights were sold online from about 3,250 THB one way. A combined bus-and-ferry ticket from Surat Thani Airport to Nathon started at 570 THB, before the cost of reaching Surat Thani.
Thailand Transport Hub
Written and maintained from Bangkok. The people behind this site have lived in Thailand for two decades and cross these borders themselves. Routes and visa rules get rechecked whenever something changes, not on a fixed schedule that lets stale information sit for months.
