Let's face it, getting from one place to another won't be easy for various reasons. This is not the most popular option.
Typically, tourists determine in advance for themselves any one place of rest. Or Pattaya or Koh Samui. But if you still want to visit both places, then we will tell you about all the possible options.
Airplane
Of course, this is the fastest and most convenient way, but also the most expensive. 1 ticket in economy class will cost at least 6500 rubles(according to the well-known service as of January 2017). If you are willing to pay that kind of money, then everything becomes easier for you. Both Pattaya and Koh Samui have local airports. A direct flight will take just over an hour.
Those who cannot afford such expenses will have to go around the Gulf of Thailand. After all, this is how the road goes. It will turn out to be about 900 kilometers. Moreover, the straight distance is 2 times less.
Bus to Surat Thani (Donsak Pier) + ferry
You can find company buses Yellow bus- they are really bright yellow. Route number - 393. In Pattaya, they go from Rayong. Depart from Nua Bus Station located on Banglamung Road. Flights are made 3 times a day. You will spend about 16 hours on the way.
Upon arrival at Donsak pier, you will take a ferry and sail to Koh Samui for about 1.5 hours. Here you need to be careful and calculate the travel time so as not to get into the night gap when the ferries are not running.
The cost of such a trip is about $ 35 per person. If the ferry is not included in the ticket price, then you will have to pay for it separately. That's $ 5 per person. You can take a speed boat. It costs $ 8 and goes much faster. On Koh Samui, ferries arrive at Nathon.
Bus to Chumphon + boat
This option is 1.5 times more expensive, but also faster. By bus, you will travel 300 kilometers less, which shortens the journey by 4 hours. But from the Chumphon bus station to the pier, it will take 40 minutes to go by a passing bus or taxi. Boats leave the pier, which sail for about 2.5 hours on the sea and sail to Maenam.
When buying a bus ticket in Pattaya, be careful. The route with the same number 393 and from the same bus station departs to Chumphon.
- The ticket price is 15-25 dollars.
- The cost of a boat ticket is $ 25.
- The taxi fare to the pier is $ 10.
In total, you will spend 2 hours less on the road and $ 25 more.
Train + bus + ferry or boat
This method is suitable for those who like transfers and travel by different types of transport. Here the route will be divided into several sections. But there is no need to be intimidated in advance.
The Thai ticketing system is very convenient. At the very beginning of the journey, you can purchase all the necessary tickets for all types of transport to get from Pattaya to Koh Samui. That is, at the Pattaya railway station, you will be sold tickets for all stages:
- Pattaya-Bangkok;
- Bangkok-Surat Thani;
- Suratthani - Donsak pier;
- Ferry or boat to Koh Samui.
Pattaya-Bangkok- it is better to take this route by commuter train. The cost is $ 2. It takes 3.5 hours and arrives at the railway station, from where the train departs southward to Surat Thani. You don't have to run around Bangkok looking for a starting point.
Bangkok-Surat Thani - here the ticket price will depend on the level of the carriage. It is better to choose a high-speed express train, it will not make stops at every station. The cost of a reserved seat is about $ 25. There is also a compartment. Get warm clothes in advance. In Thailand, it is customary to turn on the air conditioner "to the fullest." The road will take about 10 hours. Convenient in that you can lie down and relax comfortably. On the bus, you will be deprived of such an opportunity.
Donsak Surat Thani Pier - you will be taken by special buses. Travel time is about 1 hour. Price $ 5. Then you just have to take the ferry. The cost is $ 5, 1.5 hours by sea, and you are on Koh Samui.
As a result, the whole journey will take about 15 hours and no more than 35-40 dollars.
Car + ferry
You will cover the same distance as on the bus, only in a more comfortable mode. First, you must drive from Pattaya to Bangkok, then turn south and drive to Ratchaburi, Chumphon or Surat Thani. There, turn towards Donsak pier. Upon arrival at the pier, you and your car will board the ferry and get to Koh Samui by sea.
By the cost of time. You will travel about 9-11 hours by car and 1.5 hours by sea by ferry. In terms of money, it will be slightly cheaper than an airplane, but if you have several passengers, then the savings are obvious. You will pay about $ 100 for the car. Of these, $ 70-80 will go for gasoline, $ 20 for the crossing of 1 person and a car. Each passenger will pay another $ 5. But consider the cost of renting a car and calculate whether it will be profitable for you or not.
It is better to rent a car from large firms that have offices in Pattaya and Koh Samui.
We hope that our article will help you along the way.
Enjoy your travels!
There are several ways how to get from Pattaya to Koh Samui. You can travel by plane, bus, train, or your own car. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages. But before choosing a method of transportation, you must understand that you will have to cover quite a long distance. From Pattaya to Koh Samui is almost 1000 kilometers. Let's take a closer look at each of these methods so that you can make an informed choice.
One of the best options to travel from the popular resort of Pattaya to Koh Samui is by plane. And this is not surprising, since there are no obstacles for air transport in the form of mountains, rivers and bays.
To get to Koh Samui, you first need to not miss the moment and get on the only flight from Pattaya (there is only one return flight) operated by Bangkok Airways. Such a flight will cost you on average 100 dollars and will take a little over an hour. In addition, initially you need to get from Pattaya itself to the airport, which can cost either $ 7 if you use the bus, or $ 15 if you call a taxi. The plane departs from U-Tapao Airport, which is 42 kilometers from Pattaya. In total, the entire journey may take a little more 2 hours, if you also consider that you have to get from to your destination.
If you decide to get to Koh Samui by plane, then I suggest using this convenient form to find a suitable ticket.
Bus and ferry
There are two ways to get to Koh Samui by bus.
The first way is through Surratkhani
It will not be possible to get directly to Koh Samui by bus, you will have to change to a ferry at the Donsak pier, which is located in Surratkhani. In this case, the total length of the route will be about a thousand kilometers. But the frequency of buses is much higher than flights: 3 times a day. From the bus station Nua Bus Station, the so-called "yellow buses" follow on route 393. A ticket for the "yellow bus" costs about $ 30, travel time is about 15 hours.
It is worth considering that not every flight leaving Pattaya will take you directly to Koh Samui. Sometimes you have to take the ferry yourself. This feature is due to the fact that the ferry crossing to Surratkhani does not operate around the clock.
A ferry ticket will cost $ 5, and the crossing itself can take a little over an hour and a half. But the crossing time can be halved if you buy a $ 8 private boat ticket. The total amount for the road in this way is 35-38 dollars.
The second way is through Chumphon
You can use another available route, it is not much different from the previous one, but it does not go through Surratkhani, but through Chumphon. To do this, leave the Pattaya bus station with the same bus route 393, but in the direction of Chumphon. The average ticket price is $ 20. In Chumphon, take a bus and get off at Tahng Makhan Noi pier. Next, you need to transfer to a boat sailing to Koh Samui, while paying another $ 9. The journey by sea takes 3 hours. In this case, the travel time is reduced to 14 hours... Total ticket price on average 50 dollars.
Train and ferry
One of the cheapest and, at the same time, one of the most rational ways to get to Koh Samui is by train.
If you decide to get to Koh Samui by train, then you should:
- Take the train from Pattaya to Bangkok for a $ 2 ticket. The train leaves from the railway station on Sukhumvit Road. Travel time is 3.5 hours.
- Then you need to change to the Bangkok-Surrathani train, a ticket for which costs about $ 20, travel time is on average 10 hours. The train from Bangkok to Surrathani departs from Hua Lamphong Station. You will also come here by train from Pattaya, so you won't have to look for a train station in Bangkok.
- When you reach Surratkhani, you change to the bus and drive to Donsak pier.
- And from the very pier you take a ferry or boat to Koh Samui.
Total travel time 16 hours, the total cost of the ticket is approximately 35 USD
While seemingly confusing, this method is no more complicated than a bus route. In addition, the total cost and travel time are approximately the same, but on the condition that there are places on the train for a relatively comfortable stay.
Going to Koh Samui by land transport, you can immediately buy a comprehensive ticket from Pattaya to Koh Samui. And for a tourist, this is just the right thing to do: convenience without unnecessary delays.
How to buy ground transportation tickets online?
At the moment, you can purchase a ticket for any land transport in Thailand on the website. This will save you time, as you do not have to go to the train station for a ticket. The only thing that I did not find on the website of a comprehensive ticket from Pattaya, all routes to Koh Samui only from Bangkok. I recommend that you familiarize yourself with the site. He is a real godsend for those who love to travel around Thailand and do not want to overpay for air tickets. You can also use this convenient form to search for tickets.
Automobile
If you have a car, then you can get to Koh Samui by it. You can also rent a car on the website. It contains offers only from reliable rental companies. To get to the island, you need to move as follows:
- First get to Bangkok by track number 3.
- From Bangkok itself, take 35 track.
- Once in the Ratchaburi province, go to highway 4.
- Once in Chumphon province, take a 41 highway.
- Once in the province of Surratkhani, go to 420 track.
- From Route 420, turn onto 401 tracks.
- And from 401 go to track number 4142 and drive to Donsak pier.
- Take the ferry.
Such a route will require an amount of gasoline at a cost of $ 75. Plus, routes 5 and 41 are paid. You will have to pay $ 20 to get you and your car on the ferry. In total, the route will have to spend about 100 dollars... But of the land methods, this will be the fastest - of all 12 hours.
As you can see, any tourist can get from the famous resort of Pattaya to Koh Samui without any problems, paying quite an adequate price, but sacrificing comfort and time. If there are no financial restrictions, then by paying almost 3 times more, you can get to Koh Samui by plane in a relatively short period of time with all the amenities.
Bus from Pattaya to Koh Samui - in this article I will tell you how you can get from Pattaya to Sumui Island by land.
For many, this may be a revelation, but buses from Pattaya go to Koh Samui. I will try to tell you everything in great detail. And he will also share his impressions of the bus, which I managed to visit.
IMPORTANT! This bus will take you to the pier where ferries leave. Therefore, you do not need to go out to Suratani and spend money on a taxi to get to the pier.
Bus ticket price from Pattaya to Koh Samui
Let's start with prices. There are two types of seats - VIP and regular seats. It is better, of course, to take a VIP, as long distance is expensive, and it will be difficult to sleep on ordinary ones. And VIP has a lot of pluses, but more about them below.
Ticket prices for 2012:
- The price for a regular seat is 841 baht (as far as I remember)
- Price for VIP seat - 1168 baht (exactly)
The ticket price includes water + sweets, as well as dinner at a special stop.
Bus ticket Pattaya - Koh Samui
Important! This price does not include ferry fees. The price of one ticket for the ferry from the pier to the island is 150 baht.
Bus departure times to Koh Samui
If earlier the bus ran 1 time, now there are more flights. Now there are three of them:
- First flight (does not go to the pier): Departure time 4:00 pm, arrival at Surattani around 04:00 am
- Second flight (goes to the pier): Departure time is 18:00, arrival at Seatran Ferry is 07:00.
- Third flight (goes to the pier): Departure time is 20:00, arrival at Seatran Ferry is 09:00.
I chose the third flight, since the check-in at hotels is usually at 12:00, and I had already booked it. The exact calculation did not disappoint me and I arrived at Chaweng (this is a beach on Koh Samui) at 11:50 am. At the same time, I did not have to sit in the lobby and wait until they would let me into my room.
How long does it take to get from Pattaya to Koh Samui
Travel time is about 13 hours, sometimes a little less. In my case, I arrived at the port at about 8:30 am.
Photos and descriptions of the Pattaya - Koh Samui bus
The bus will be yellow - this is the color of the company.
Bus Pattaya - Koh Samui
Inside there are about 26 seats out of the bottom 20 ordinary and 6 VIP, all of them are on the same floor.
Bus Pattaya - Koh Samui - inside, usual places
An ordinary place - not to say that it is very terrible and not comfortable, but in comparison with VIP, heaven and earth. You only have a blanket at your disposal.
Pattaya-Samui bus - usual place
The VIP seat is a very comfortable chair, electronically controlled, with a private TV and a blanket.
Another nice feature is that it unfolds to an almost full, recumbent position. I would also like to note that you will have your own TV and you will decide for yourself what to do. Watching films - surprisingly, new items of 2012 are also in English. Listen to music, not Thai, but foreign. Watching photos or playing games, they didn't work for me.
Private TV on the Pattaya - Koh Samui bus
In my entire history of traveling in Thailand, I have never seen such a bus.
IMPORTANT! It's chilly on the bus despite the blanket, so dress warmly.
Video inside the Pattaya-Koh Samui bus
Bus station Pattaya - Koh Samui on the map
On the map, I marked where the buses to Koh Samui depart from and where you can buy tickets.
This route is not common, as most tourists prefer to stay and relax in the same resort. When someone goes outside the resort, it is most often for the purpose of visiting excursions. Of course, cities of historical and cultural value, as well as beautiful landscapes and nature, are the most popular.
These two resorts are equally popular for tourists, despite the high cost. The route from Pattaya to Koh Samui is not the most popular, but there are still transport links between these resorts.
Pattaya is located on the east side of the Gulf of Thailand, and since Koh Samui is an island, you can bypass it by land, breaking the road in the form of the letter "C". It is impossible to get to the island by land alone, so you can cross the sea by boat or ferry. The best option to get to Koh Samui is by plane and the advantage is not only speed, but also convenience.
Airplane
Since the direction from Pattaya to Koh Samui is not very popular, there is only one flight to the island, and in the opposite direction as well. To more accurately represent the lack of demand for a flight, we suggest you compare the departure of aircraft from neighboring Bangkok: more than 20 aircraft depart from there to Koh Samui every day.
A plane ticket will cost about $ 100, and the flight time will be just over an hour. Bangkok Airways' aircraft departs from Utapao. To get to the airport, you need to spend about 40 minutes of your time. If you get by bus, you will have to pay 7 dollars, by taxi - all 15. In a street travel agency you can buy a ticket for a minibus shuttle, where you can also find out the time and place of its departure. On Koh Samui, you also have to spend a little time on the road, since it will take about half an hour to get from the airport to the desired place.
In total, you will spend about $ 120 on the road and 2.5 hours of your time.
Road to Surat Thani by bus, then by water transport
Such a journey - over 850 km by land, and 40 by water. This route is suitable for those tourists who agree to travel about 1000 km by bus and this route is impressive in its duration. “Yellow buses” follow to Koh Samui, they are the most famous (the carrier company is Yellow Bus). Route 393 covers a considerable distance. Buses leave the resort town 3 times a day.
Not every flight can take you to Koh Samui and in some cases it is possible to arrive only to Donsak, because the ferry does not work all day long. It is for this reason that you have to buy the ferry tickets yourself and wait. This is the norm, and the pier is a crowded place and here you can find cafes and shops. It will take 1.5-2 hours to get to the island, the ticket costs $ 5. If you travel by private boat, you will have to pay $ 8, you will be brought to your destination in 45-90 minutes. Both types of water transport arrive at Nathon Pier.
In total, you will have to spend 15-16 hours on the road and about 35 dollars.
The road by bus to Chumphon and ferry by boat
This option will force you to cover 590 km by land, 150 km by water. If you compare this route with the one through Surat Thani, then this one allows you to save your time. If you get through Chumphon, then you will have to travel by bus 300 km less by land, while the sea route will increase by 120 km. It is this feature that allows you to save about 170 km of the way, and this is as much as 2 hours of your time.
The bus also departs from the bus station in the northern part of Pattaya, to Chumphon you also need to look for a bus with number 393. The ticket will cost 15-25 dollars, the journey will take 10.5 hours. At the Chumphon bus station, you will have to take a bus or take a taxi - the latter option will cost $ 8-10. You need to drive up to Thang Makhan Noi pier, it will take about 40 minutes of your time. The boat leaves on schedule. The sea trip will cost you $ 25 and will take 3 hours.
In general, you will spend 14 hours and about $ 50 on travel and ferry to Koh Samui.
We get there by train, bus, and then by water transport
Following this route, you will have to overcome 853 km by land and 40 km by sea. In Thailand, the railway has the following features:
- Firstly, all railway lines pass through the capital.
- Second, the southern branch of the railway ends at Surat Thani.
If you get there in this way, then what will the route be like:
- The road by train from Pattaya to Bangkok.
- Train travel from Bangkok to Surat Thani.
- Travel by bus from Surat Thani to Donsak pier.
- Crossing by boat or ferry from the pier to Koh Samui.
It may seem that this route is the most difficult, but when compared with the bus route, it is not much. In Thailand, the transport interchange has a complex principle: when you buy tickets at the railway ticket office, you can take care not only of the train ride, but also get a ticket for any transport that you need to arrive / arrive at your destination. This will not only save you time, since you will not need to stand in lines at the train stations, but you will also be sure that you can get to Koh Samui. At the railway ticket office you have the opportunity to buy a train, bus and even ferry ticket right away.
The train, which leaves Pattaya, arrives in Bangkok in 3.5 hours. The place of departure of the train is the railway station on Sukhumvit Road, the journey costs $ 2. The train goes to the central station in the capital. It is from here that you can take any southbound train. By the way, all trains in this direction move along the same track. When you choose a train, you are guided by the level of comfort and the speed of movement of the given transport. If you go by the fastest train (special express), then you will have to pay from $ 20 for a trip in a reserved seat carriage, the journey will take about 10 hours. Upon arrival at the station in Surat Thani, you can get there by bus, the train conductor will tell you where you need to go. To get to Donsak pier, you need to cover 70 km, by bus the trip will take 1 hour and will cost about $ 5. The same amount will have to be paid for the ferry to Koh Samui, and it will take 1.5 hours.
Samui map in Russian
Car trip with ferry crossing
To get there by this route, you will have to overcome 850 km on land, and 40 km by water. This route assumes movement along highways. You will have to drive from Pattaya to the capital, from there to Ratchaburi, then to Chumphon, already in Surat Thani province, you need to turn onto highway 420, then 401, and 4142 is the last road on this route.
If you count, then for a modest gasoline you will have to spend about $ 80. The price also includes movement on 2 toll highways - numbers 4 and 41. These sections of tracks are not long, but there are a lot of them in Thailand. The crossing of cars and people by ferry is about $ 20, you need to pay extra for this. Of course, this does not include the rental amount of the car itself.
In general, such a route will have to spend about $ 110, while in time it will take 12 hours.
Suddenly someone from Bangkok decides to take a bus to Koh Samui, here is a list of buses with a schedule of their route.
Buy Pattaya property without intermediaries on the site
Many resort settlements are characterized by well-functioning transport links. But if you have to ply from Pattaya to Koh Samui, where there are nuances in the route, it will be useful to find out how to get there on your own.
Google Maps / google.ru
What immediately catches your eye is that when choosing land transport, you cannot avoid crossing the water. And, it would seem, you can immediately decide that the best option would be to fly by plane. But first things first.
Airplane
We will talk about a direct flight, as there are other options with a stopover in Phuket. But this is extra time and financial waste.
Although this method (direct flight) is the fastest, it is not the cheapest. The ticket price will be about $ 100. In addition, there is only one round-trip flight in the direction of Koh Samui, while there are about 20 flights daily from Bangkok. The flight time will take just over an hour. According to the schedule, the plane takes off at 17 hours 15-20 minutes, depending on the season.
Joseph Hunkins / flickr.com
U-Tapao Airport is a 40-minute bus ride from Pattaya. The distance is 42 kilometers. You will have to pay about $ 7 for travel. The coupon is sold at travel agencies located right on the streets. But you can also use a taxi, and the driver will ask you to pay $ 15.
After you manage to get to Koh Samui by plane, it will take some time and some part of the money to get to the city itself. Because the airport is also located a few kilometers from the village.
If we talk about the way back, then the departure time is 11 hours 10 minutes. The flight from Koh Samui to Pattaya takes 10 minutes longer than the return flight.
Bus - ferry (boat)
If there is a fear of flying on an airplane or you just want to see local sights of nature, then you can choose the option to travel by bus. But in this case, there are two ways how to get from Pattaya to Koh Samui:
- by land to Surratkhani, then by ferry;
- by land to Chumphon, then by ferry.
The first way
In order to leave by bus, you need to get to the bus station Nua Bus Station. From here 3 times a day buses of the company "Yellow Bus" leave on the route number 393 in the direction of Koh Samui. The trip will cost about $ 30. And the travel time will be about 14-15 hours, since the ground distance is more than 850 kilometers.
calflier001 / flickr.com
But the bus from Pattaya to Koh Samui does not reach the island itself, but only to Surrathani, where you will have to change to a boat or ferry at the Donsak pier. But right away it is worth taking into account that the operating time of the ferry crossing is limited, that is, not around the clock.
If you buy a pass directly on the ferry after arriving from Pattaya to Koh Samui, then its cost will be about $ 5. At the same time, it will take more than 1 hour and 30 minutes to cross the river. But if you allow yourself a little extra waste, then you can hire a boat for $ 8, as a result of which the time on the water will be halved. The length of the sea route will be 40 kilometers. In Koh Samui, water transport arrives at Nason Pier.
Second way
Unlike the first method, the bus journey is reduced to 590 kilometers. But the sea route increases to 150 kilometers.
In this case, you still need to leave the bus station on the yellow bus on route 393. But the driver will take you to Chumphon in 10 and a half hours. You will have to pay about $ 20 for a ticket.
Further from the bus station in Chumphon, you need to get to the Thang Makhan Noi pier. This can be done by sitting on one of the passing regular buses, for example, Bangkok. You can, of course, hire a taxi, but you will have to pay about $ 10 for this. The time for this segment of the route will be approximately 40 minutes.
invictaathome / flickr.com
Then you need to take one of the boats that leave regularly, and after 3 hours be on Koh Samui, namely on the Maenam pier. Such a sea trip will cost $ 25.
In general, there are 3 flights from Pattaya North Bus Station in the direction of Koh Samui, departing at 16, 18, 20 hours. The ticket price includes food and drink when stopping at a special place. According to tourists, it is better to buy VIP seats on the bus, since in this case a comfortable chair is provided, on which you can even lie down, having previously unfolded it. Personal TV with video selection and blanket.
Train - bus - ferry (boat)
At first glance, it may seem that this route would be easy to get confused and go astray. But if you understand it well, it becomes clear that there is even some financial benefit in it.
In Thailand's rail network, the city of Bangkok is a major junction where many branches converge and diverge. Therefore, first you need to take a local train from Pattaya to Bangkok. The ticket will cost about $ 2. Such a composition looks more like an ordinary electric train. Departure takes place from Sukhumvit Road Railway Station. Travel time will take about 3.5 hours.
Harsha K R / flickr.com
The next step is to transfer in Bangkok to a train on the Bangkok - Surrathani route. To do this, you need to try to buy a ticket for a high-speed train worth $ 20 at the Hua Lamphong railway station, where, in principle, the train from Pattaya will arrive, because other trains that move along the same line in the direction of the south of the country may be of a smaller class and comfort.
In 10 hours the train will take you to Surratkhani, where by transferring to the bus you will have to get to the Donsak pier.
In general, the time from the starting point to the final point will be approximately 16 hours, while the land route will be just over 850 kilometers, and the walk on the water will stretch for 40 kilometers.
An interesting and tempting offer when traveling by land is that at one ticket office, for example, a railway station, you can buy a complex ticket. This means that with one ticket it is possible to get from point "A" to point "B", while not standing in exhausting queues several times and saving some time and material well-being.
Video: from Tattai to Koh Samui by bus.
Car - ferry (boat)
If someone decides to either go on their own, they will need to know how to get from Pattaya to Koh Samui by highway.
Again, all roads in Thailand lead to Bangkok. Therefore, the first step is to move along the highway number 3 from Pattaya to Bangkok. When leaving the city, take the road number 35 and rush to the Ratchaburi province. From here, move to Highway 4 and to the already familiar province of Chumphon. From there get onto the highway number 41.
When entering the province of Surratkhani, move to Highway 420. Then turn onto the road No. 401, from which you will subsequently need to turn onto the road No. 4142. And when the speedometer of the car from the city of Pattaya shows 840 kilometers, it will lead to the Donsak pier.
It should be borne in mind that highways number 4 and number 41 are toll. Therefore, you need to have financial training to pay for them. In addition, you will have to pay about $ 80 for fuel. And all this without taking into account the payment for the rented car. But in terms of travel time from the starting point to the final, the road will take about 12 hours.
So, as you can see, each of the above methods has its pros and cons. But if there is a good material base, and you need to get to Koh Samui from Pattaya as quickly as possible, then the choice of travel by plane will be the best option. But on the other hand, when traveling by land transport, you can enjoy with your own eyes the exotic surrounding nature.