Transports

Samui : How to Get there from Bangkok

By air

Bangkok Airways flies from Bangkok to Ko Samui 13 times daily. The flight takes about one hour and 10 minutes. It also offers daily flights between Phuket and Samui. Thai Airways operates fights from Bangkok to Samui Twice daily.

For more information,

call Bangkok Airways, 0 2229 3456, 0 2229 3434, Samui office, 0 7742 2512-9 or Samui Airport Office 0 7724 5601 to 8, or Thai Airways' contact centre, 0 2356 1111.

By bus

Air-con and non-air-con buses leave Bangkok's Southern Bus Terminal for Surat Thani several times daily. The trip takes about 11 hours.

For further details,

call the Southern Bus Terminal, 0 2894 6122

For taxi : Southern Bus Terminal

By car

From Bangkok, take Highway 4 (Buddha Monthon Road) through Phetchaburi, Chumphon and then drive on to Highways 41 and 401 to Surat Thani. From Surat Thani, visitors can take their cars to Ko Samui through a vehicle ferry at Donsak pier. The trip takes 1.30 hours.

By rail

Several trains leave Bangkok's Hualamphong Station for Surat Thani daily. The trip takes about 12 hours. The train/ bus/ ferry combination tickets are also available.

For details, call

the State Railway of Thailand, 1690, 0 2223 7010, 0 2220 4444 (RSVN),

0 2220 4334, 0 2621 8701.

For taxi : Hualamphong Station

From Surat Thani to Ko Samui

1. Express boat

• An express ferry boat of Songserm Travel departs from Tha Thong pier in Surat Thani at 08.00 hrs. and arrives at Na Thon pier in Samui at 10.30 hrs. every day. For the return trip, the boat leaves Na Thon at 14.00 hrs. and reaches Tha Thong at 16.30 hrs.

• Express boats of Seatran Express operate three times a day between Ban Don - Ko Samui. Departure times are 07.00, 12.30 and 14.30 hrs. The trip takes two hours.

2. Ferry boats

Ferry boats, each accommodating 60 cars and 400 passengers, sail from Don Sak pier (Surat Thani) to Ko Samui, one per hour, from 05.00 to 19.00 hrs., and from Ko Samui to Don Sak pier (Surat Thani), also one per hour, from 06.00 to 18.00 hrs. Each trip takes about 1.30 hours.

3. Night ferry

A slow night ferry leaves Ban Don pier nightly at 23.00 hrs. and reaches Na Thon at Samui around 05.00 hrs. (6 hours). For the return trip, the boat leaves Na Thon at 21.00 hrs. and arrives at Ban Don at 04.00 hrs. (7 hours).

Getting around Koh Samui

To / from the airport : There are air-con van services between Samui airport and Chaweng Beach, Lamai Beach, Na Thon and some other places.

Public transport : Songthaeos (minibuses) ply around the island during daytime for 15 - 35 baht per person depending on the distance.

Car & Motorcycle : You can rent motorcycles and jeeps from rental shops in Na Thon, Chaweng, Lamai and at leading hotels.

Getting to Nearby Islands

1. Ko Pha-ngan

• Na Thon (Ko Samui) - Thong Sala (Ko Pha-ngan)

Songserm Travel Co. operates ferry boats and express boats between Na Thon on Ko Samui and Thong Sala port on Ko Pha-ngan, totally four times daily. The trip takes about 45 minutes for express boats, and one hour for ordinary ferry boats.

• Bo Phut (Ko Samui) -- Hat Rin (Ko Pha-ngan)

There is a ferry boat leaving Bo Phut for Ko Pha-ngan twice daily at 09.30 and 14.30 hrs. The return trips depart Hat Rin on Ko Pha-ngan at 10.30 and 15.30 hrs.

2. Ang Thong Islands

Visitors can hire a boat on Ko Samui to Ang Thong. The charge depends on the boat size and number of passengers. The trip takes 1.30 hours. You can also join a full-day excursion organized by tour operators in Ko Samui.

3. Ko Tao

Boat services for Ko Tao are available at Na Thon pier of Ko Samui.

For more information, contact TAT Samui Office, 0 7742 0720-2