How to get to and from Koh Phangan?

How to get to Koh Phangan ?

You can get to Koh Phangan Island either by taking a boat from Chumphon or Surat Thani (Donsak Pier) or after going to Koh Samui by plane and taking the boat to Koh Phangan. Note that there are bus + ferry tickets offered by some companies with a departure from the Khao San Road area or the South Bus Terminal or the Pinklao Terminal online bookings HERE). But beware of business and money thefts sometimes on these buses during the night. You can also create your own flight combinations from Bangkok to Surat Thani then ferry to Koh Phangan. It is also possible via Nakhon Si Thammarat but less practical or via Chumphon but the boat journey is much longer. From Surat Thani, ferries leave from Donsak which is 1h30 by bus from the city, the train station or the airport. The plane + bus + ferry formula via Surat Thani is often chosen by travelers because it is a good compromise between price and travel time. Flights to Koh Samui are expensive compared to other domestic flights in Thailand because Samui airport belongs to the airline Bangkok Airways which has a monopoly on it and intends to make it profitable. There are boats almost every hour connecting Koh Samui and Koh Tao to Koh Phangan. From Koh Samui, especially if you are aiming for Haad Rin beach, I recommend taking the boat from Big Buddha Pier.

Please note that the direct flight Chiang Mai - Surat Thani by Air Asia changes schedule once a year on average and when it takes off in the late afternoon, it is no longer possible to follow it with a ferry to Koh Phangan. The best way to get to Koh Phagan from Chiang Mai, unless you want to spend the night in a hotel in Surat Thani, is to take 2 flights with a stopover in Bangkok. Allow enough time between the 2 flights and take a flight from Bangkok that leaves from the same airport as the one where your flight from Chiang Mai will land (there are more options from Don Muang). I would say 2h30 between the 2 flights if you do not change airports. If you take the same company for the 2 flights, your luggage will not follow, you will have to collect it and re-register on the next flight yourself.

Leaving from Koh Phangan ?

To leave Koh Phangan you will have to take the boat. To go to Koh Samui, Surat Thani or Chumphon airports, if you want to continue by plane or to the same two cities on the continent to continue your journey by bus or train. Of course you can also easily reach the neighboring islands of Koh Tao or Samui by boat. If you buy a bus + ferry join ticket to Bangkok (online booking here), be carefull valuable things are often stolen from the luggage in the bus during the ferry trip especially if you go via Surat Thani. If you are just in transit in Surat Thani, travel agencies there will probably try to scam you and make you pay more to continue your trip to your final destination by telling you a false story about your bus not circulating or being broken ect... So be careful !

Transportation in Thailand