How to Get to Koh Phangan

Flying is the quick way. Bangkok Airways is the only airline into Koh Samui, with about 20 departures a day from Suvarnabhumi and three from Don Mueang, about 1 hour 10 in the air, from about ฿2,800 one way and over ฿6,000 in the peak weeks. From Samui's airport, go to Bangrak pier nearby, where Lomprayah's catamarans cross to Thong Sala roughly hourly between 08:00 and 17:30 for ฿350. The low-cost airlines fly to Surat Thani instead, about 14 times a day for about ฿1,300–1,600, and a bus-and-boat ticket from the arrivals hall gets you to Phangan in 3 to 4.5 hours.

Overland, Lomprayah's combined ticket runs from its Khao San office through Chumphon and Koh Tao. The 22:00 bus and catamaran lands at Thong Sala at 10:30 for ฿1,350 (฿1,650 with a VIP seat), the 21:30 bus with the slow ferry and a change at Koh Tao also arrives at 10:30 for ฿1,150, and the 06:00 day bus lands at 16:45. The sleeper train goes the other way round, via Surat Thani. No. 85 leaves Krung Thep Aphiwat at 19:50 and reaches Phun Phin at 06:23, and Lomprayah's 09:30 bus from the station reaches Thong Sala at 12:45 for ฿850. Our Bangkok to Koh Phangan guide has the early flights that connect and the trip back.

Samui is 15 km south of Phangan, and boats cross from six piers along its north and west coasts in 20 to 50 minutes for ฿200–500. From the airport, Chaweng or Choeng Mon, Bangrak is the nearest, with Lomprayah's catamarans and Lomlahkkhirin speedboats roughly hourly. The Haad Rin Queen from the Big Buddha pier is the only boat straight to Haad Rin beach, and everything else lands at Thong Sala. Our Koh Samui to Koh Phangan guide has every pier, boat and fare.

From Surat Thani's airport, station or town, a bus or van takes you to Donsak pier and a boat to Thong Sala, on one ticket. Raja's car ferries cross five times a day, 2 hours 30, with an airport combo at 09:00 for ฿600, and Lomprayah's catamaran is the fastest, about 3 hours from the airport for ฿950 or 2 hours 45 from town for ฿700. The last car ferry leaves Donsak at 18:00, and a night boat leaves the riverfront in town at 22:00 or 23:00 and lands at dawn. Our Surat Thani to Koh Phangan guide has every departure.

The hop from Koh Tao is about an hour. Lomprayah's catamarans leave Mae Haad at 09:15, 09:30 and 15:30 for ฿600 and its speedboats at 07:05 and 12:30 for ฿700, and the slow ferry at 16:30 is ฿450. Boonsiri sails at 08:00, 09:15 and 15:15 for ฿600, and Songserm has a 09:30 ferry for ฿500 and speedboats at 11:30 and 12:30 for ฿600.

Lomprayah sells one ticket from the Andaman side, a coach across to the Gulf and the catamaran on via Samui. From its Krabi office the trips leave at 08:00 and 11:30 and land at Thong Sala at 12:45 and 16:30 for ฿1,200, and the 09:30 with a speedboat lands at 14:50. From Phuket the 09:30 lands at 16:30 for ฿1,400, and from Tonsai pier on Phi Phi the 10:00 lands at 16:30 for ฿1,650. Bangkok Airways also flies Krabi and Phuket to Samui in about an hour, if you'd rather fly and take the short boat.

Thong Sala is the island's main town as well as its port, with ATMs at the terminal. Grab doesn't run on Phangan, so songthaews and taxis wait at the pier, about ฿100–200 a person shared to Haad Rin or Ban Tai, ฿150–250 to Haad Yao or Chaloklum, and ฿400–600 for a whole vehicle to Thong Nai Pan, 45 minutes to an hour away. On Full Moon Party dates every boat in fills, so book three to seven days ahead, and expect rooms near Haad Rin to have minimum stays.