How to get from Phuket to Koh Phangan | Ultimate Guide – Ferries and Buses

Want to know how do travel from Phuket to Koh Phangan?

You’re in the right place because we’ve done this trip a few a times. In this article we’ll show you exactly how to get from Phuket to Koh Phangan no matter your budget.

Koh Phangan is an island on the east coast of Thailand while Phuket is on the west. Basically, there is 2 different types of travel options to reach Koh Phangan from Phuket; either travel by land or by air. Both options involve taking a ferry at the end to finally reach Ko Phangan.

Ferries to Koh Phangan depart from Surat Thani, a city on Thailand’s west coast and approximately 3 hours drive from Phuket. There’s frequent buses and minivans doing the journey from Phuket every day. A taxi could be an expensive option which wouldn’t be much faster. Another option is to book a flight from Koh Phangan to Koh Samui and then take a ferry from there to Phangan.

The best way to get from Phuket to Koh Phangan?

Route: Phuket → Surat Thani → Koh Phangan

The easiest and most hassle free way to get from Phuket to Koh Phangan is to purchase a bus+ferry all-inclusive combo ticket. This is an organized trip where the bus goes directly to the ferry pier where you’ll board the ferry to Phangan →reserve combo tickets online here

How to get to Koh Phangan from Phuket

Getting from Phuket to Koh Phangan is quite a journey. These 2 destinations are located on opposite sides of the country with a distance of around 300km between them. However, there is a couple of transport options that make the journey straightforward like the bus+ferry combo tickets or a flight to Koh Samui and then a 30 minute ferry.

Below are all the options to get from Phuket to Koh Phangan. But before we begin, let’s take a look at the options along with prices and travel duration. Prices may change due to seasonality and offers.

Phuket to Koh Phangan Travel Planning

Bus + Ferry Combo

The bus + ferry combo tickets are an easy and hassle free way to get from Phuket to Koh Phangan at an affordable price. Lomprayah is arguably the most popular ferry company offering bus+ferry all inclusive tickets. This option takes you directly from Phuket to the pier in Surat Thani. Here you’ll board the ferry or catamaran (depending which company you decide to travel with) which goes to Koh Phangan.

It’s an organized trip that connects land and sea transport. You don’t need to plan any logistics or transfers from bus to boat. It’s easy, convenient, hassle free and most importantly affordable.

If you book your tickets online, my advise is to be at the meeting point (this will be provided upon online booking) an hour ahead of departure so you can do the check-in, make sure everything is in order and also secure a spot for your luggage in the bus storage compartment.

The bus journey from Phuket to Donsak pier in Surat Thani city is between 4.5 hours and 6.5 hours and the ferry or speedboat will be 3 hours or 6 hours. These travel durations vary because it will depend which tickets you buy. You can view all options, →schedules and reserve tickets here.

By Air

If you’re on a short holiday and want to make the most out of your time In Thailand, my advise would be to book a flight from Phuket to Koh Samui and then take a 30 minute ferry/speedboat to Koh Phangan. Yes, this is also the most expensive option partly due to Bangkok Airways owning the airport in Koh Samui and thus having a monopoly which allows them to charge expensive flight tickets.

There’s regular daily flights and the travel duration is under 1 hour. →Check flight schedules and availability here.

There’s regular ferries to Koh Phangan departing from Bangrak pier which is just a 10 minute drive from Koh Samui airport. Ferries cost between ฿175 ($5) to ฿700 ($20) depending on the company. Make sure to book a ferry that departs at least 2 hours after you scheduled arrival time in Koh Samui. →You can check ferry schedules and prices here.

Bus or minivan and Ferry (independently)

You could also do the trip independently. Meaning you’ll book the bus tickets and boat tickets separately and handle all the logistics and transfers.

There are regular buses departing from Phuket terminal 2 and the travel duration is around 6 hours. Tickets cost ฿350 ($10). The journey ends in Surat Thani either at the train station or at Talad Kaset bus terminal. Keep in mind, there are no regular buses that go to directly to Donsak pier which is where the ferries to Koh Phangan depart and is a 1 hour drive from both the bus and train station in Surat Thani.

If you arrive in Surat Thani bus terminal, it’s a chaotic place. Loads of touts will swarm you and try to sell you tours, and just keep asking “where you goin”. We know because we’ve passed through this terminal a few times and its really tiring after a long bus ride. Just ignore them and walk inside the terminal. There are booths inside where you can buy the ferry tickets which will also include transport to the pier. However, these booths are just resellers and tickets will have a markup. Ferry tickets can also be purchased online and most include transport from the bus station or train station in Surat Thani to the pier in Donsak. You can →check schedules and availability here.

Taxi/Transfer and Ferry

Similar to the previous option, this journey follows the same course. If you’re traveling as a group and splitting the cost, this could be a way to travel part of the journey privately in the comfort of either a minivan or a car. The option you choose will depend on your group size.

You will need to book a transfer from Phuket to Donsak pier where most of the ferries depart from. If you’re traveling via Songserm or Lomprayah ferries you will need to go to Laem Thuat pier which is a few kilometers west from the main pier in Donsak.

While a transfer from Phuket to the piers in Surat Thani isn’t going to be cheap and will cost around $120 to $150, it’s a reasonable price considering it’s a 4 hour drive. And if you’re traveling as a group, the price is quite affordable after splitting the cost. →Click here to check transfer options and prices.

For the ferry tickets you can either wing it and just show up at one of the piers and buy tickets if they are available. But if you want peace of mind it would be best to reserve your seats in advance. →You can check ferry schedules and availability here.

Where do Ferries Arrive in Koh Phangan

The main port of entry in Koh Phangan is Thongsala on the west side of the island.

Popular tourist areas are scattered across Koh Phangan’s coastline. These include Haad Rin, Thong Sala, Chaloklum, Haad Yao, and Sri Thanu. Depending on your chosen area, expect a 30-minute to 1-hour journey from your port of entry to your accommodation.

Haad Rin and Thong Sala are among the most sought-after regions in Koh Phangan. Thongsala is basically where the ferry docks so if you’re staying here you hotel shouldn’t be too far away. Haad Rin however is a 20 minute drive down south. There are ordinary taxis in Koh Phangan, instead there’s songtaews which are pick up trucks with fitted benches in the back. These are the local public transport but also double as taxis. They have no meter so you will need to negotiate a price. From Thongsala to Haad Rin the journey should cost around ฿300 to ฿500.

Where to stay in Koh Phangan

Koh Phangan is a large island and there is various areas to stay around the island. While Haad Rin is arguably the most famous area in Koh Phangan because the full moon party is held every month, it is sort away from everything else.

Below is an overview for the 3 best areas to stay on Koh Phangan along with a few hotel suggestions for any budget. →or click here for a full where to stay in Koh Phangan Guide

You may also like

Since you’re going to Koh Phangan you may want to consider adding one of these best selling and best rated tours to your Ko Phangan itinerary.