Whether you are going to Koh Samet from Bangkok or Pattaya, by bus, minivan or taxi, you must first get to the ferry terminal/piers in Ban Phe. From Ban Phe you have the option of taking the wooden ferry, the fast ferry, or a speed boat to one of several piers and beaches on Koh Samet.
Choosing the Best Way to Get to Koh Samet.
Bangkok to Koh Samet by bus: At around 155 baht person it’s the cheapest way to get to Koh Samet. You should be able to take a large piece of luggage – the journey will take at least 3 hours. The bus will drop you at Ban Phe, just a short walk from the ferry piers.
Bangkok to Koh Samet by mini van: Costs around 520 baht per person – journey time is 2 and a half to 3 hours. Luggage is restricted to 1 small piece of luggage (small backpack or case/holdall) per person – you can buy an extra seat for your luggage.
Taxi and private transfer from Bangkok to Koh Samet: if you are a large family or group with lots of luggage, or you just want the easiest to get to Koh Samet, being picked up at your hotel or home by taxi is the way to go.
Currently, you can book a mini van or taxi from Bangkok to Koh Samet online with 12go. Check the link below.
Get tickets to Koh Samet on 12go
Private taxi or mini van transfer is usually quite expensive, but you can get private transfers for up to 10 people from downtown Bangkok – Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports at very reasonable rates with Klook. See link below.
Browse transfers to Koh Samet on Klook
From Pattaya to Koh Samet: the easiest way is to take a taxi, if there’s one or 2 of you there is a shared one way or return transfer available through Klook. Click on the below for details.
Klook Pattaya to Koh Samet mini van service
Have you booked a hotel on Koh Samet? If you are going during the high season (November – April) you should book before you go. I also recommend you use Agoda simply because they have great deals, and more importantly they have the greatest choice. Click on the link below, from there you search for any hotel on Koh Samet after you click on one of the links on the page. Whatever you do, try and avoid booking your hotel through the touts on the pier, they really are a ripoff.
Koh Samet beach-front hotels and resorts
Koh Samet vs Koh Chang ? Most people choose Koh Samet because it’s closer, but if you want to know which island is right for you, scroll to the bottom of the page to see the pros and cons of both.
Scroll down to view all the options for getting to Koh Samet.
How Long Does it Take to Get to Koh Samet?
To help plan your Koh Samet trip itinerary you need to know the first ferry leaves Ban Phe at 08:00, and the last ferry leaves 17:00. you will find different times published on various websites, but play it safe and be there before 17:00. You can still make it to Koh Samet after the last ferry, but it will be by a much more expensive private speedboat charter.
Journey time from Bangkok Ekamai (eastern) bus terminal to Ban Phe with Cherdchai bus service is between 3 and a half to 4 hours, the bus departs every hour (on the hour) between 05:00 and 17:00. You should also allow at least 3 and a half hours from Morchit (Mo Chit) or other locations in Bangkok by mini van or taxi.
If you are going to take the bus to Rayong from any bus terminal in Bangkok allow a minimum 4 to 4 and a half hours because it is likely to make multiple stops along the way. From the Rayong bus terminal allow another 30 minutes to get to Ban Phe by taxi or songthaew.
Journey time from Pattaya to Ban Phe by taxi or mini van is approximately 1 hour.
Which Ferry from Ban Phe to Koh Samet
There are 6 ferry piers operated by different companies, situated within easy walking distance of each other. Nuan Thip is the most popular, closely followed by Tarua, but Nuan Thip – Tarua – Municipality – Sri (seree) Ban Phe – Chok Krista, all have hourly departures to Na Dan (Nadan) pier, the main ferry pier on Koh Samet.
You might find you bought a transfer and ferry ticket deal with an allocated pier – your hotel might include a free boat transfer to Samet, or your bus or mini van drop you off in front of a particular pier, so the choice is made for you. If you are still uncertain just go to Nuan Thip pier.
Koh Samet Ferry Departure Times
Nuan Thip – Tarua – Municipality – Sri (seree) Ban Phe and Chok Krista pier ferry services leave at least every hour between 08:00 and 17:00 every day of the week. you might find the ferry does not depart until a minimum number of passengers have boarded, which is most like to happen in the low season.
Ferry Prices: The cost of a one way ticket for the standard wooden ferry from Ban Phe to Koh Samet is around 50 baht. There is no need to buy a return ticket at the same time, but that’s up to you. You can purchase ferry tickets at the ticket counter on the pier, or as you board the boat.
Ferry to Beaches on Samet
The main piers also have less regular ferry services to various beaches on Koh Samet, most notably Vongduan, Saikaew and Ao Wai. Samet is only a small island, and you actually won’t save much time (if any) taking a ferry to your preferred beach, but it’s an option.
New High Speed Ferry Service from Ban Phe to Koh Samet.
There’s a new high speed 74 seater catamaran ferry service which takes just 15 minutes to get from Ban Phe to Koh Samet. The high speed ferry service departs from Tarua pier 5 times every day between 07:30 and 17:00.
Speedboats to Koh Samet
Be warned, it may be fast, but I can tell you from experience the speed boat ride to Samet is pretty “harem scarem” if there is any significant wave height.
Prices for speedboats vary depending on which beach you go to, shared speedboats charge around 300 baht per person one way. A private speedboat costs anywhere between 2000 and 4000 baht for a return trip, they always quote you the highest price but it’s possible to haggle a significant discount.
Car Parking at Ban Phe
You can not take your car to Koh Samet, the only form of transport you can take with you is a bicycle, on the high speed ferry, you can leave your car quite safely in Ban Phe. I’ve always taken my own car, and never had difficulty finding a parking area. Most of the piers have their parking areas, or will be happy to direct you to a
parking area which will cost you around 100 baht per day.
Getting to Your Hotel on Koh Samet
Songthaew taxis wait at Na Dan (Nadan) pier, when filled up with passengers they head to the beaches and resort areas, dropping passengers off along the way. The price per person depending on the distance traveled, but expect to pay between 50 and 200 baht.
Koh Samet National Park Fees
The songthaew from Na Dan usually stops at the national park office so national park entry fees can be collected. The fee is 200 baht. If you go by speedboat or ferry to a beach, park rangers are usually waiting to collect the fee when you arrive on the beach.
How to Get to Koh Samet from Bangkok
Ekamai (eastern) bus terminal to Ban Phe: Cherdchai bus service departs every hour (on the hour) between 05:00 and 17:00. tickets cost approximately 155 baht, and the journey time is 3 and a half to 4 hours. The bus stops just a short distance from Nuan Thip pier.
From Bangkok airports to Ban Phe: There are no direct routes to ban Phe from any airport in Bangkok, but you can still easily and cheaply make your way to Ekamai BTS (sky train) terminal, from there it’s about a 50 meter walk to Ekamai bus terminal.
Suvarnabhumi Bangkok airport to Ekamai bus terminal: From the airport take the airport rail link (ARL) to Phaya Thai. From Phaya Thai take the sky train to Ekamai.
Bangkok Don Muang airport to Ekamai bus terminal: Take the A1 bus to Morchit (Mo Chit) BTS (sky train) terminal, then the sky train to Ekamai. The A1 bus service departs to Morchit bus terminal every 10 to 20 minutes from Don Muang between 07:00 and 24:00 from gate 6 on the first floor.
There’s also regular bus services from Ekamai and Morchit to Rayong, it’s not the best option, but it’s an option. From Rayong bus terminal to Ban Phe takes about 30 minutes in a cheap songthaew/taxi.
Minivan from Bangkok to Koh Samet
You can take a minivan from Khaosan Road or Ekamai and Morchit bus terminals in Bangkok, costs around 300 baht and takes between 3 and 4 hours. There is very limited luggage space, unless you are traveling light you may have to purchase an extra ticket for your luggage.
Pattaya to Ban Phe by Mini Bus/Van
The mini bus ride from Pattaya to Ban Phe takes an hour or less, on a per person basis they are relatively cheap, costing around 400 baht per person one way. If you are traveling alone or as a group of 2 or 3 people this is one of the most convenient and cheapest ways to get to Koh Samet from Pattaya.
A large party of 6 people or more might be better off hiring a private minibus which should cost between 1,300 and 1,700 baht.
Checkin Tour
Pattaya to Ban Phe daily, Minibus and Boat one-way 400 baht per Person, round-trip 800 baht per Person.
Address: Pattaya Third Road.
Tel: 038-427-323, Mobile: 081-1518-5187
Website: checkin-tour.com
Pattaya to Ban Phe by bus.
There is no direct bus route between Pattaya and Ban Phe. You must first take a bus to Rayong and then a songthaew to Ban Phe. The service is provided by the Yellow Bus which departs North Pattaya Bus Station.
Safe Private Taxi and Van from Pattaya to Ban Phe.
There’s lots of taxi services in Pattaya, but I’m going to recommend you 2 safe taxi services, because I know from my own experience safety is worth paying a little bit extra for.
Pattaya Central
Why Pattaya Central?. I spoke about safety concerns with Paul at Pattaya Central, and he assured me when it comes to driving safety, all their drivers are closely vetted. And any drivers which provoke negative feedback will not be used again. Website: https://pattayacentral.com/index.php
Email: info@pattayacentral.com.
Telephone: +66.86.347.9162.
Nam’s Taxi Service
Why Nam’s?. Quite simply because Nam’s use lady drivers, and it’s a service I have used myself. Note: by email only. Website: http://www.namstaxipattaya.com/
Email: namnamthailand@gmail.com
Wave down a van or baht bus
Mini vans pass through Pattaya (along Sukhumvit highway) to various destinations including Rayong, Chantaburi, and Trat. You may (or may not) catch one at either the Pattaya Klang (central road) or Pattaya Tai (south road) junctions on the east side of the highway.
Between 7 AM and 9 PM you can take a white baht bus (songthaew) from anywhere on Sukhumvit highway, it may only go as far as Bang Saray (Bangsare), it may go further. After this, you must look for another baht bus (red or white) heading in the direction of Sattahip and Rayong.
you may have to do this several times to get to Rayong and be prepared to make a few mistakes or even get lost. Once in Rayong take another baht bus to Ban Phe, the baht bus rides on Sukhumvit will cost between 10 and 20 baht, the baht bus to Ban Phe between 30 and 50 baht.
Check out this Koh Samet, Koh Kham, Koh Kudee, & Koh Talu Islands, 1 Day Island Hopping Tour by Catamaran from Pattaya on Klook.com
Koh Chang vs Koh Samet
Koh Samet and Koh Chang both have beautiful beaches. Koh Samet is much smaller than Koh Chang, it’s not as developed, and it’s closer to Bangkok and Pattaya. If you are content with just beaches and minimal activities, Koh Samet is perfect, you are going to mainly just chill out on the beach.
Koh Chang really has the best of both worlds, beautiful beaches – nightlife – and numerous activities. So if you want more than just a beach holiday, on Koh Chang you can go jungle trekking – elephant trekking – zip-lining – kayaking on the mangrove swamp – snorkeling – scuba diving – swim in waterfalls, and chill out on the beach.
If you are traveling from Bangkok, it’s going to take you approximately twice as long to get to Koh Chang. So it’s a 2.5 – 3 hour mini van ride to Koh Samet, or a 5 to 6 hour ride to Koh Chang, add at least another hour if you go by bus. If you are interested in going to Koh Chang, here’s a guide on getting to Koh Chang.
Coming to Pattaya first?
If you need a few tips on getting to Pattaya – staying in Pattaya – best things to see and do in Pattaya, here’s some Pattaya beginners tips and tricks to get you started.
For more information on nightlife, dining and things to on Koh Samet, take a look at Explore Koh Samet.