Koh Samui is one of the most popular destinations in Thailand, offering a wide range of activities, nightlife, accommodation and dining options. It’s the only Thai island with its own airport so it might be tempting to fly there from Bangkok, but by far the most relaxing way to travel is via the overnight train from Bangkok to Surat Thani, from where well-established bus and ferry companies take you the rest of the way.
Travelling the other way? Check out our guide for taking the train from Koh Samui to Bangkok.
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Route map and details
The first leg is via train from Bangkok’s Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal Station to Surat Thani. The journey takes around ten hours, with sleeper service available. From Surat Thani, you complete the rest of the journey via bus and ferry/speedboat.
Timetables
There are ten trains per day from Bangkok to Surat Thani, all of which have Sleeper carriages apart from SP43 and SP39.
Note that the final departure of the day from Surat Thani to Koh Samui leaves at 4.00pm, so the SP43 service from Bangkok isn’t a viable option unless you fancy spending a night in Surat Thani (not particularly recommended).
| Train number | Depart Bangkok | Arrive Surat Thani |
|---|---|---|
| SP43 | 07:30 | 16:20 |
| RP171 | 15:10 | 01:11 |
| SP37 | 16:10 | 01:49 |
| SP45 | 16:10 | 01:49 |
| SP31 | 16:50 | 02:20 |
| RP169 | 17:30 | 04:06 |
| EX83 | 18:50 | 04:58 |
| EX85 | 19:50 | 06:23 |
| RP167 | 20:30 | 07:16 |
| SP39 | 22:50 | 07:50 |
Average journey time: 9 hours 52 minutes
Once you arrive in Surat Thani, a fleet of buses, vans and taxis swing into operation to take you onwards to the ferry terminal, from where you continue to the island. It’s a well-oiled operation and you should feel entirely safe throughout the entire trip. If you’ve booked in advance, keep an eye out for your company’s signboard when you disembark from the train, it could either be on the station concourse or in the car park.
Some of the available options are listed below, although you’ll see many more to choose from when you’re on the 12Go website.
| Depart Surat Thani | Arrive Koh Samui |
|---|---|
| 05:00 | 10:00 |
| 05:30 | 09:30 |
| 07:00 | 11:30 |
| 08:00 | 12:30 |
| 09:30 | 11:45 |
| 10:00 | 14:30 |
| 11:00 | 15:30 |
| 13:00 | 17:30 |
| 15:00 | 19:30 |
| 16:00 | 20:30 |
Average journey time: 4 hours 30 minutes (some more expensive options only take 2 hours and 30 minutes)
How to buy tickets
The easiest way to buy train tickets in Thailand is online rather than going to the station. You do pay a very small commission but the ease and convenience makes it worthwhile in our opinion.
Baolau is the best site to use for buying train tickets, they have access to the live Thai Railways booking engine, so you can easily see availability, timetables and prices.
Payment can be made using international credit card and PDF confirmation tickets are sent to your email address within a few minutes. This is the actual ticket you need to board the train, so there’s no need to exchange it at the station before travel. You may prefer to print the pdf out, but it’s also fine to show it on your mobile phone to the conductors and station staff.
For onward bus and ferry tickets, Baolau is still an option but they tend to have fewer services on offer than 12Go. If you see a service that suits your schedule on Baolau, it’s best to book with them, as they have a much better user-interface, but 12Go is perfectly fine to use as well.
How much does it cost?
The journey is split into two separate legs, and it’s cheaper to book each one separately, plus you’ll have more choice.
Bangkok to Surat Thani
On the Bangkok to Surat Thani train, you have several different classes to choose from, although our recommendation is a second class berth (AC):
| Train | 1st class berth (AC) | 2nd class berth (AC) | 2nd class seat | 3rd class seat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP43 | – | – | ✓ 1 | – |
| RP171 | – | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| SP37 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| SP45 | – | ✓ | – | – |
| SP31 | ✓ | ✓ | – | – |
| RP169 | – | ✓ 2 | ✓ | ✓ |
| EX83 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| EX85 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| RP167 | – | ✓ 2 | ✓ | ✓ |
| SP39 | – | – | ✓ 1 | – |
1 Air-conditioned carriages
2 Non-AC berths also available
The prices for each class are:
| Class | Cost |
|---|---|
| First class berth (A/C) | 1370 |
| Second class berth (A/C) | 720 – 1010 |
| Second class seat (A/C) | 520 |
| Second class seat | 350 – 440 |
| Third class seat | 210 – 300 |
Surat Thani to Koh Samui
Continuing on to Koh Samui from Surat Thani, the fares for the combined bus and ferry vary from around THB400 to THB900, depending on the mode of transport.
| Class | Cost (THB) |
|---|---|
| Minivan and speed boat | 900 |
| Bus and slow ferry | 400 |
The more expensive tickets involve a minivan transfer from the train station to the ferry terminal and then a speedboat. The cheaper tickets are via bus and slow ferry.
Total cost ranges from THB2000 for first class berth and fastest transfer, down to THB700 for a third class seat and slower transfer.
Useful reads before you go:
Top 10 tips for Southeast Asia train travel
7 reasons why you should travel by train around Southeast Asia
5 AMAZING train journeys in Southeast Asia
10 essentials experienced travellers always take on trains in Southeast Asia
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