Samui Airport to the Ferry: Making the Boat to Koh Phangan or Koh Tao, and Back

Most people who land at Samui and go straight on to Koh Phangan or Koh Tao are asking the same thing in different words. I land at seven, my boat is at noon, what do I do with the morning? Or the other way round: my flight is at one, what is the earliest boat that gets me there? The answer is simpler than the forum threads make it, because the pier you want is eleven minutes from the terminal.

The pier is closer than you think

Samui has five ferry piers. For the airport, one matters most of the time: Bangrak, on the north coast, where both Seatran Discovery and Lomprayah sail to Koh Phangan and Koh Tao.

Lomprayah also sails from Pralarn pier at Maenam and from Nathon, and its own pier guide says the same thing: Bangrak is the closest pier to the airport. Lipa Noi is the car ferry and only makes sense if you have a vehicle with you.

Two ways to do it

Buy a through ticket at the airport. Both operators sell tickets that start at the airport with the van to the pier included. Seatran has a counter in arrivals, listed on its site as the Smack One counter. Lomprayah's timetable has a whole page of departures headed "from Koh Samui (Airport)", and the small print says the transfer is included. To Koh Phangan you pay 500 THB instead of 350 at the pier. The extra 150 buys the van and one less thing to arrange with bags in the heat.

Take a taxi or Grab to Bangrak and buy at the pier. Cheaper, and you choose the boat when you get there. Allow the drive plus the operator's cutoff: Seatran closes check-in 30 minutes before departure, and Lomprayah asks you to be at its office an hour before.

Airport to Koh Phangan: the 2026 times

Checked against Seatran's booking system on 23 September 2026 and Lomprayah's published 2026 timetable on 19 September 2026. Both operators say times move with the weather and the season, so read this as the shape of the day and confirm the sailing you want.

Seatran, from the airport, transfer included, 500 THB: 07:30, 09:00, 12:00 and 14:00. You are at Thong Sala pier on Koh Phangan at 08:30, 10:15, 13:00 and 15:15.

Seatran, from Bangrak pier, 350 THB: 08:00, 09:30, 12:30 and 14:30. The crossing is 30 to 35 minutes.

Lomprayah, from the airport via Bangrak, 500 THB: 07:30, 09:00, 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00 and 17:00, each at Thong Sala an hour later. There is also an 11:45 at 400 THB.

Lomprayah via Pralarn: a 10:00 ferry at 400 THB, arriving 11:30, and an 11:30 catamaran at 500, arriving 13:00. Worth it only if the Bangrak sailings are full.

Airport to Koh Tao

Seatran, from the airport, 850 THB: 07:30 arriving 10:00, and 12:00 arriving 14:30, on its partner Boonsiri boat to Mae Haad. From Bangrak pier the same boats leave at 08:00 and 12:30 for 700.

Lomprayah, from the airport via Bangrak, 850 THB: 07:30, 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 14:00 and 15:00. The quick ones are at Mae Haad in about two and a half hours. Some change boat at Koh Phangan and take up to three and three-quarter hours, so ask which one you are buying.

How much time to leave after landing

Nobody publishes how long it takes to get from the plane to the kerb at Samui. The airport is small and open-sided and bags usually come off fast, but a plan built on the best case fails on the day it matters. Pick an airport departure at least 90 minutes after your scheduled landing.

• Land at 07:00: the 09:00 Seatran airport departure, Thong Sala at 10:15. The 07:30 is not realistic with checked bags.
• Land at 10:40 and hoping for the 11:30 from Bangrak: no. Take the 12:00 from the airport with either operator and be on Koh Phangan at 13:00.
• Land after 15:00 heading for Koh Tao: Lomprayah's last airport departure for Koh Tao is 15:00 and Seatran's is 12:00. Either sleep on Samui and take a morning boat, or go to Koh Phangan on the 17:00 and carry on the next day.

Coming back: Koh Phangan to Samui airport

Seatran, Thong Sala to the airport, transfer included, 500 THB: 10:30 arriving 12:00, 11:00 arriving 12:30, 16:00 arriving 17:30, and 16:45 arriving 18:15. Nothing earlier in the morning. Or to Bangrak pier for 350 and a taxi from there.

Lomprayah, pickup from your Koh Phangan hotel to the airport, 700 THB: pickups at 07:05 (at the airport 09:30), then 09:30, 11:30, 12:40, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00, 16:00 and 17:00, each about two hours door to terminal.

Now the airline. Bangkok Airways closes check-in 40 minutes before a domestic flight and 50 minutes before an international one. So Lomprayah's 07:05 pickup, at the airport by 09:30, works for a flight from about 10:45. Seatran's first boat lands you at the airport at 12:00, which works for a flight from about 13:15. The two-hour question people ask in the forums has a plain answer: the drive from Bangrak to the terminal is eleven minutes, so two hours between your boat's scheduled arrival and your departure is comfortable, ninety minutes is workable, and under an hour is a bet on the sea.

Coming back: Koh Tao to Samui airport

Lomprayah's earliest is the 07:05 speedboat to Pralarn with a van on to the airport, arriving 09:30, for 950 THB. After that: 09:15 catamaran via Bangrak, at the airport 12:15, 850. 11:30 direct speedboat to Bangrak, airport 13:30, 950. 12:30 speedboat, airport 14:40, 950. The afternoon sailings via Pralarn reach the airport at 19:00 and 20:30. Seatran has no boats of its own from Koh Tao. For a morning flight out of Samui, spend the last night on Samui.

Do you need to book ahead?

In peak season, December to February and July to August, popular departures sell out. It is not only peak season. On a Wednesday in September this year, Lomprayah's 11:00 from Koh Phangan was showing full by the afternoon. Booking online the day before costs nothing extra and removes the question. Lomprayah tickets are non-refundable with one free date change if you are two or more days out. Seatran gives no refund if you miss check-in. The operators, piers and routes are compared in our Koh Samui ferry guide.

Luggage

• On the boats: Lomprayah carries 20 kg free, then 200 THB. Seatran allows two pieces up to 30 kg in total.
• If your gap is long: Chaweng is thirteen minutes from the airport, and we store bags by the day at the shop in the middle of it, so the wait can be a beach or a meal rather than a pier.

Weather

Cancellations are rare from January to April and common from October to early December, with October the worst month for storms in the Gulf. If your flight is the day after a crossing in those months, cross a day early and sleep on Samui.

Quick answers

Which ferry pier is closest to Samui airport? Bangrak, 3.3 km and about eleven minutes by road. Seatran and Lomprayah both sail from there to Koh Phangan and Koh Tao.

Can I buy a ferry ticket at Samui airport? Yes. Seatran has a counter in arrivals, and Lomprayah sells departures from the airport with the van included. To Koh Phangan it is 500 THB with either.

I land at 10:40. Can I make an 11:30 boat? Not with checked bags. Take the 12:00 from the airport and you are on Koh Phangan at 13:00.

What is the earliest boat from Koh Phangan to Samui airport? Lomprayah's 07:05 hotel pickup, at the airport at 09:30 with the transfer included. Seatran's first is the 10:30 from Thong Sala, at the airport at 12:00.

Times and prices checked against Seatran's booking system on 23 September 2026 and Lomprayah's 2026 timetable on 19 September 2026. Both change with weather and season. Confirm your sailing when you book.