Chiang Mai To Koh Samui

There are a number of ways to get from Chiang Mai to Koh Samui including taking a bus, overnight train, a flight or a combination of all these options.

Overnight bus and train travel offer the most affordable options, with flights being the quickest and most efficient way to travel.

There are daily domestic flights from Chiang Mai to Koh Samui and Bangkok Airways offers the only direct flight between these locations. All other flights include a stopover in Bangkok.

It is, however, an amazing way to get across the two towns if you are on a time-strapped holiday. There are a couple of airlines that operate flights to Koh Samui, with a number of them making stopovers at Bangkok. The direct flight will take 1hr 45 minutes and will cost anywhere between $200-250 AUD each way. Other flights stopping in Bangkok can take between 3-5 hours (including stopovers) and cost between $100-200 AUD each way.

Travellers can also opt to take a bus or train from Chiang Mai to Bangkok, and then take a flight from Bangkok to Koh Samui. This shorter flight will only take 1 hour and will cost about $150 each way. A train is also another option from Bangkok to Surat Thani and they leave frequently and take around 14 hours to make the journey.

From Surat Thani, you will need to catch a bus from the train station to the ferry terminal, and a ferry to Koh Samui Island. The ferries are very frequent, leaving on the hour and only cost around 150 THB each way. The ferries will take around 3hrs to get from the mainland to the island (Nathon Pier).