Surat Thani to Koh Phangan — Bus + Ferry via Don Sak ฿330–410, Lomprayah, Night Ferry, Times (September 2026)
Raja Ferry and Phantip sell bus-and-ferry tickets from Surat Thani town, the railway station and the airport to Koh Phangan for ฿330–544, about 4.5–5.5 hours via Don Sak; Lomprayah's catamaran does it in 2 h 45; the night ferry leaves Surat town pier late evening. Which pier, which ticket, and what to do about the 03:00 train arrival.
Quick answer: buy a bus + ferry ticket — Raja Ferry (06:00–11:00 departures, ฿360–410, arriving Thong Sala 10:30–16:30), Phangan Tour 2000 (06:30, ฿330) or Phantip (from ฿344) — from the railway station, town or airport; the bus goes to Don Sak pier, 60 km east, and the ferry takes 2.5 hours. For speed, the Lomprayah catamaran at 10:00 (฿385, 2 h 45). Arriving on the night train at 03:00–05:00, the 06:00–07:00 buses are the ones to take.
The route in numbers
| Surat Thani → Koh Phangan | checked September 2026 |
|---|---|
| Road + sea | 60 km to Don Sak pier, then about 45 km by sea to Thong Sala |
| Raja Ferry bus + ferry | 06:00, 07:30, 08:00, 08:30, 09:00, 10:30, 11:00 · ฿360–410 · 4.5–5.5 h (bus 1–1.5 h, ferry 2.5 h) |
| Phantip / Phangan Tour 2000 | 06:30 (฿330), 07:00 (฿544), 09:30, 11:30 (฿344) · similar timings |
| Lomprayah catamaran (with bus) | 10:00 → 12:45 · ฿385 |
| Speedboat (Lomlahkkhirin) | 12:00 → 14:50 · ฿650 |
| Night ferry | Surat Thani town pier (Ban Don) → Thong Sala · departs late evening (12Go's latest listing 23:00), arrives early morning · about ฿400–500 |
| Pick-up points | Phun Phin railway station · Surat Thani town (Talat Kaset) · Surat Thani airport |
| Arrival | Thong Sala pier, Koh Phangan — songthaews to Haad Rin (฿100–150), Thong Nai Pan and the north (฿200–300) |
How the combined ticket works
Surat Thani is a transit town with three arrival points — the railway station at Phun Phin (14 km west), the town bus terminal and the airport (north) — and none of them is near the sea. Ferries to Koh Phangan leave from Don Sak, an hour east. So every operator sells the road leg and the boat together:
- Raja Ferry — the big car ferries. Coaches leave Phun Phin and town roughly hourly from 06:00 to 11:00, ฿360–410 including the 2.5-hour crossing; arrive Thong Sala 10:30, 13:30 or 16:30 depending on which ferry the bus meets. Slow, steady, plenty of luggage room, and the least affected by rough sea.
- Phantip 1970 and Phangan Tour 2000 — the same road-and-ferry pattern with Seatran or Raja boats; ฿330–544 depending on departure and which bus.
- Lomprayah — its bus from town meets the catamaran; on the listing 10:00 → Thong Sala 12:45, ฿385. The fastest sensible option, and the one to pick if you arrive by air late morning.
- Lomlahkkhirin speedboat — 12:00 → 14:50, ฿650; small boat, bumpy, fine in calm months.
From the airport, the same companies have counters in arrivals with buses timed to the low-cost flights from Bangkok; a "flight + ferry" combination on 12Go books the whole thing. Allow 5–6 hours from landing to Thong Sala.
Arriving on the night train
The Bangkok sleepers reach Phun Phin between about 03:00 and 06:40 (see the Gulf islands guide). The station forecourt is where the ferry companies' buses collect: the 06:00–07:00 Raja and Phantip buses put you on Koh Phangan around 10:30–11:00. The waiting room is open; there are food stalls from 05:00. Touts sell the same tickets at a mark-up — buy from the counters or online.
The night ferry
An old cargo-passenger boat leaves Surat Thani town pier (Ban Don, on the river) late in the evening and arrives at Thong Sala early morning: mattresses on a shared deck, about ฿400–500. It appears on the 12Go listing with a 23:00 departure. It suits people arriving in Surat in the evening who would rather not pay for a room, and it is not for the seasick.
Full Moon Party
In the week around each full moon, Koh Phangan boats fill and Haad Rin doubles its prices. Book the ferry first, then the room, then the train or flight — and expect Thong Sala to be chaos the afternoon before the party.
Onward and back
- Koh Phangan → Koh Tao: Lomprayah and Seatran catamarans, 1–1.5 hours — see Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao ferries.
- Back to Surat Thani for a flight: the ferry companies sell ferry + bus to the airport; allow 5 hours before departure.
Flights
Compare fares across all airlines in one search (prices depend on the date; last-minute is the expensive way): Bangkok → Surat Thani
Where to stay
Compare hotels and guesthouses along this route (prices change by season; check the live price on the booking page): Koh Phangan · Surat Thani
Sources and last check
Checked 15 September 2026 against: 12Go listings for Surat Thani → Koh Phangan (Raja Ferry, Phantip, Phangan Tour 2000, Lomprayah and Lomlahkkhirin departure and arrival times and fares; night-ferry departure). Songthaew fares on Koh Phangan, night-ferry price and Full Moon Party effects are traveller-reported details, not official tariffs.