Pattaya to Koh Samet

For two or more people this is the way I'd go. Ban Phe pier is about 81 km from Central Pattaya, around an hour on the road down Sukhumvit and the coast through Rayong. Grab and Bolt quote about ฿700–1,000 for a standard car, and a booked taxi from a Pattaya firm is about ฿1,100 for a sedan or ฿1,300 for a seven-seater, tolls included. Set the destination as Nuan Thip pier, the main pier at Ban Phe, where the ferry counters are.

At the pier you buy the boat yourself, so you can choose the wooden ferry, the catamaran or a speedboat to your beach. 12Go also sells a private car with a seat on the shared speedboat to Na Dan as one booking, from about ฿2,900 for a small sedan, which saves the pier counter but costs more than a Grab and the ferry.

For one person, a shared van with the boat on the same ticket is cheaper than a car. 35 Group picks you up at your Pattaya hotel at about 08:00 and puts you on the boat from Nuan Thip pier to Na Dan, landing about 12:15, for ฿645 on 12Go. It also sells seats from its office on Third Road for about ฿350, by phone, Line or its Facebook page. Andaman Shuttle collects from hotels in Pattaya and Jomtien in the morning and crosses by speedboat, about two hours to Na Dan, from ฿750.

These are shared vans, so expect a pickup window rather than a time and a few stops to collect other passengers. 12Go reviews of Andaman Shuttle mostly say the trip runs smoothly, and a couple mention a late van. I'd book the day before and keep your phone on in the morning.

Nuan Thip is the main pier at Ban Phe. The wooden ferries run roughly hourly to Na Dan, the island's main pier in the north, and take about 40 minutes for about ฿50 to ฿70 one way or ฿100 to ฿120 round-trip. The Khokaew Phitsadan catamaran crosses to Na Dan in about 10 minutes for ฿150, from a ticket office opposite the police station near Tarua Phe pier. Shared speedboats take about 15 minutes, from about ฿200 a seat to Sai Kaew up to ฿500 to the beaches further south, and a private charter costs ฿1,800 to ฿3,000.

The ferry is fine for Sai Kaew, Ao Phai and anywhere near Na Dan. For Ao Wong Duean, Ao Prao or further south, a speedboat straight to your beach saves a bumpy songthaew ride. Sources disagree on the last ferry by an hour or two, so I'd aim to be at Ban Phe by mid-afternoon.

When you land, foreigners pay the ฿200 national park fee (฿100 for children) in cash at the checkpoint past Na Dan pier. Songthaews wait at the pier, about ฿20 to ฿60 a person shared to Sai Kaew and Ao Phai, and ฿200 to ฿600 to charter one to the southern beaches.

Yes, by car, and it's a much easier day than from Bangkok. Leave Pattaya at about 07:00, take the catamaran or a speedboat from Ban Phe, and you can be on the beach at Sai Kaew by about 09:00. Catch a boat back in the late afternoon and you're in Pattaya by early evening, with about six or seven hours on the island. Taxis don't wait at Ban Phe, so book the car back ahead or ask an island travel desk to arrange it.

Day tours from Pattaya do the same thing with the logistics handled, a hotel pickup, the speedboat and about five hours of free time, usually with a two-person minimum. For two or more, a Grab each way and the boat costs less than two tour seats. The shared vans don't suit a day trip, because they land you around midday and the earliest one back leaves at 11:00.

One night is still the better plan if you can, because the last boats back set the end of the day.

Going back, take any boat from Na Dan to Ban Phe and a car from the pier, about an hour to Pattaya. Taxis don't queue at Ban Phe, so I'd have the car booked or ask your hotel or a travel desk on the island to arrange one.

The shared vans run the other way too. PN Group leaves Na Dan at 13:00 and reaches Bali Hai pier at about 15:40 and Central Pattaya at 16:00, for ฿595 with the boat included. 35 Group leaves Na Dan at 13:00 and drops at your Pattaya hotel at about 16:30 for ฿645, and Andaman Shuttle has departures from 11:00 with a hotel drop, about two and a quarter hours, from ฿750. A private car with the boat back starts at about ฿3,900 on 12Go.

For a flight from U-Tapao, the airport between Pattaya and Rayong, it's about 70 km from Ban Phe, roughly an hour by car, which is closer than Pattaya.