Surat Thani to Koh Phangan

The combo counters are in the arrivals hall, and the airport is 92 km from Donsak, about an hour and a half by road. Lomprayah's buses leave at 09:30 and 12:30 for the catamaran, landing at Thong Sala at 12:45 and 16:30 for ฿950, and at 11:00 for the speedboat, landing at 14:50 for ฿1,050. Raja's own combo leaves at 09:00 and lands at 13:30 for ฿600, and the booking sites list more Raja and Seatran departures through the day until about 16:00. Songserm's van at 14:15 meets its 16:30 boat from Donsak.

Land after about 16:00 and the day combos are done. A taxi can still get you to Donsak for Raja's 18:00 ferry if you agree the fare first, or go into town, 28 km away, for the night boat.

The overnight trains from Bangkok reach the station at Phun Phin, west of the town, in the early morning, and Raja's buses leave the station from 05:30 for the ferries. Lomprayah's station bus leaves at 09:30 and lands at Thong Sala at 12:45 for ฿850, and its 11:00 speedboat bus lands at 14:50 for ฿950.

In town, Lomprayah leaves from Tapee pier on the river, with buses at 10:00 and 13:00 to the Donsak catamaran, landing at 12:45 and 16:30 for ฿700, and a speedboat from the pier itself at 12:00, landing at 14:50 for ฿800. Raja's coaches leave its town office from 06:30, Seatran's from 06:30 to 16:00, and Phantip's from its office at the lowest fares on the route. Starting at Donsak itself, the Lomprayah catamaran alone is ฿550 at 11:00 and 15:00.

Raja's car ferries sail from Donsak to Thong Sala at 05:00, 08:00, 11:00, 14:00 and 18:00, taking about 2 hours 30, for about ฿270–290 on foot, and they carry cars and scooters too. Lomprayah's catamarans leave at 11:00 and 15:00 and call at Nathon on Samui first, landing at Thong Sala at 12:45 and 16:30, and Songserm's one boat leaves at 16:30 and lands at 17:45. Seatran also runs ferries to Phangan, sold with its coaches from town. The piers at Donsak are about a kilometer apart, so match the pier to your ticket.

The night boat leaves the Ban Don riverfront in town, a slow ferry with mattresses, pillows and blankets on an open deck. The booking sites list departures at 22:00 and 23:00, landing at Thong Sala around 05:00 to 06:00, for about ฿500 to ฿750 depending on the seller, so check the time on your ticket. It runs back the other way too, leaving Thong Sala at 22:00.

It's the answer to a late flight or train, and it saves a night's room. On Full Moon Party dates every boat into Thong Sala fills, so book three to seven days ahead, and in the rainy season from October to December rough seas can cancel sailings.

Almost everything lands at Thong Sala, the island's main town and port on the southwest coast. Songthaews wait at the pier and run shared to Haad Rin and Ban Tai for about ฿100–200 a person, and a whole vehicle to Thong Nai Pan, on the far northeast, costs about ฿400–600. Lomprayah's and Seatran's hotel drops cover most of the island but not Thong Nai Pan, so book a songthaew or a taxi for that leg.

Going back, Raja's 05:00 ferry from Thong Sala connects with a bus that reaches Surat Thani airport at 10:00 for ฿600. Lomprayah leaves at 08:00 and reaches the airport at 11:30, and at 11:00, reaching it at 15:00. Seatran leaves at 05:30, 08:30 and 11:30, and Songserm's 12:40 boat lands at Donsak at 13:55. For a flight before about noon, take Raja's 05:00 or spend the night before in Surat Thani, and in the rainy season leave a full day spare.