Surat Thani is the gateway to the islands of the Gulf, Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao, and the train from Hua Hin covers the 422 km in between 5 hours 41 minutes and 6 hours 53 minutes. Eleven direct trains run, and they are all Special Express, Express or Rapid services, so all of them can be booked in advance.
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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 cards 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.
How far ahead you can book depends on the train and how much of the route you ride. For full details on booking windows, see the when to book Thailand train tickets guide.
Hua Hin to Surat Thani train tickets
About the route
Timing matters here, because most of these trains run overnight. Departures from Hua Hin cluster just after midnight and again in the evening, from about 18:49 to 23:47, and the only daytime departure is the 10:36 Special Express. The overnight trains reach Surat Thani in the early morning, which suits the first ferries to the islands.
The station is some distance from the ferry piers, so most people take a bus or minibus transfer that is sold together with the boat ticket. Surat Thani itself is a working town and few people stay, though the night markets are lively. Khao Sok national park lies inland from here, and it is reached by road rather than by train.
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