Surat Thani

สุราษฎร์ธานี
Southern Thailand
530 km from Bangkok
Province of Surat Thani
Population : 134 000

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General Information about Surat Thani

Surat Thani is especially known for being the gate to Koh Samui and its neighboring islands Koh Phangan and Koh Tao. Although it is possible to reach the islands from the city of Chumphon, hundred miles upper in North. It is also faster and more convenient from Bangkok, when you want to go to Koh Tao to take the boat to Chumphon. With an airport, the city has few tourist attractions. It has several piers, the best known and the most active is Donsak 75 km from Surat Thani from where ferries leave every hour in high season (November-March). But it is also possible to take a baot from Ta Tong (5 km from Surat Thani) with Songserm or take the very slow overnight ferry from Ban Dao in the center of the city.

Practical information about Surat Thani

If the city itself is not that interesting, many travelers come back from Thailand with a bad image of Surat Thani because they got scammed by a local travel agency. When you buy a bus + ferry formula from Koh Samui, Koh Phangan or Koh Tao, you first have a big risk to have some valuable things stolen from your luggage in the bus during the ferry trip and then to get scammed by the travel agency during your transit time in Surat Thani. Most of agencies in Surat Thani are dishonest and will try to make you pay more by inventing any false reason (the bus does not go where you want or is not circuilating today or is very late but you can take another one if you pay off course...).
A interesting way to come to Surat Thani from Bangkok is to take the night train. It is quite a advendture but book your sleeper in advance to be sure to get one. You can book online on this website.