Surat Thani to Khao Sok

The airport is the easiest start, because it's on the Khao Sok side of town, about 100 km from the village and 34 km from the town bus station. Phantip's shared vans leave from the airport itself, and you buy a seat at the desk after baggage claim for about ฿250–300, or book ahead on 12Go for about ฿350. They take two to two and a half hours and drop at Phantip's office in Khao Sok, at the foot of the village road. The last one leaves at around 16:15, so with a late flight, plan for a car.

A car takes about an hour and a half to your hotel. Taxi desks in the arrivals hall and Grab both work at the airport, for about ฿1,300–1,700 in travelers' reports, and 12Go lists cars from about ฿1,900 with the price fixed before you fly. With two or three people and luggage, it costs little more than the van each.

Surat Thani's railway station is at Phun Phin, about 14 km west of town and already on the road to Khao Sok, so there's no need to go into town. The buses toward Phuket and Takua Pa leave from the station forecourt from about 06:15, with departures at about 06:40, 07:20, 09:20, 10:20 and 13:45, and drop at Khao Sok on Route 401 in about two hours. The counter fare is about ฿100–120, and 12Go sells seats for about ฿305 with its fee.

Coming off a night train from Bangkok, the 18:50 Express No. 83 reaches Phun Phin at 04:58, in time for the first bus, and you're in Khao Sok by mid-morning. Travel desks opposite the station also sell van seats and private cars. My Bangkok to Khao Sok guide has the train times.

In town, Phantip's vans leave its office at 293/6-8 Talad Mai Road, with departures on 12Go at about 08:30, 09:30, 11:30 and 12:30 for about ฿240, and Phangan Tour 2000 runs vans at about 10:45, 13:45 and 14:45 for about ฿250. Buses toward Phuket leave the town bus station from about 05:30 to 14:20 for about ฿150–235, and local buses leave when they're full. Either takes about two to two and a half hours.

A car from a town hotel costs about ฿1,500. Town is farther from Khao Sok than the airport or the station, about 120 km, so if you're arriving by boat from the islands, a combined ticket that drops you at Khao Sok is usually simpler than stopping in town.

Coming from the Gulf islands, you cross to the mainland at Donsak and the boat company's bus or van carries on to Khao Sok, so you don't need to change in Surat Thani. Lomprayah's 08:05 boat-and-bus from Koh Phangan reaches Khao Sok at about 12:30 for ฿1,350, and 12Go sells similar tickets from Samui. It's a long morning, but it's one ticket.

Buses and Phantip's vans stop at the van station and Phantip's office on Route 401, where the village road turns off, and the guesthouses run about 2 km up that road to the park headquarters. Many hotels collect you if you message them your arrival time; otherwise taxis at the junction charge up to about ฿80 a person. Grab doesn't work in Khao Sok, so arrange the last bit before you go.

If you're heading for a raft house on Cheow Lan Lake, Ratchaprapha pier comes before the village, about 65 km from the airport. Phantip runs vans to the pier, and most raft packages include the transfer. The boats to the rafts don't run after dark, so aim to reach the pier by early afternoon. My floating bungalows guide covers the rafts and the packages.

Phantip's vans leave Khao Sok for Surat Thani at about 06:30, 08:00, 09:00, 11:00, 12:00, 13:00 and 14:00 for about ฿225, two and a half hours, and drop at the airport, in town or at the train station. Siamese Trans has vans from 06:00 to 10:30 for about ฿320, and buses run until about 14:40 for about ฿150–230. Book through your guesthouse, which can also get you to the stop, since Grab doesn't work here.

For a flight, a car is about ฿1,600 and two hours, and I'd leave Khao Sok four hours before departure. A van works for an evening flight if you take one by late morning. For the night train to Bangkok, the 14:00 van reaches Phun Phin in time for the sleepers from 18:32, and for the islands, 12Go sells combined van-and-ferry tickets to Samui and Phangan.