How to Get to Koh Phangan
Tuesday, September 19, 2017 by adminThailand is a top destination for people to visit from around the world. Thailand has plenty to offer for tourists. You can explore everything from a modern metropolis to a paradise island. The islands in Thailand are definitely a must visit. The climate makes it perfect island weather for most of the year. Thailand is known for its white sand and clear blue water. It also has some of the best scenery and landscape. One of the most popular islands for tourists is Koh Phangan. Koh Phangan is nearby to a lot of other major tourist cities and islands. It’s always a destination for day trips from around Thailand.
Koh Phangan
Koh Phangan is one of Thailand’s most popular islands. It is the fifth largest island in the country. A thick jungle covers the inland of Koh Phangan. This is a great place to explore, see the numerous waterfalls, amazing viewpoints, etc. Koh Phangan is surrounded by beautiful beaches as well. Many people come to the Koh Phangan beaches for relaxation or various water activities such as snorkelling, diving, kayaking, etc. The most famous beach on Koh Phangan is Haad Rin. This beach is the location of their Full Moon Party which attracts tens of thousands of people to Koh Phangan.
Getting to Koh Phangan
You can get to Koh Phangan several ways. There are no airports on Koh Phangan, so all of the visitors here journey to the island from nearby. Boats and ferries are always part of the end leg reaching Koh Phangan. Many of these boat services can be found around Thailand. It’s a very common journey for tourists. Koh Phangan is located nearby the mainland and other Thai islands, so it’s never a long ride. There are a few airports relatively close by to Koh Phangan. Airports usually will have transport service to the ferries. The trip could vary significantly by modes of transportation and duration.
Getting from Bangkok to Koh Phangan
Bangkok is the capital of Thailand. It is also the location of the biggest international airport. Arrivals to Thailand will most likely be coming through Bangkok. Koh Phangan gets a majority of its tourism internationally. Most visitors will be beginning the trip here. Bangkok provides several options of how you can get to Koh Phangan.
By Air
The quickest way of getting from Bangkok to Koh Phangan is by air. Koh Phangan doesn’t have an airport on the island so direct flights here are not possible. There are a few nearby airport options to Koh Phangan. Travelling by air will always have multiple transportation methods needed to reach the island. Most people coming internationally will land originally in Bangkok. You can find connecting flights to the smaller airports near Koh Phangan. Bangkok also has a second airport that a lot of flights can be found. The closest airports to Koh Phangan are Koh Samui Airport, Chumphon Airport, and Surat Thani Airport. Each of these airports provides transfer service to the ports where you can catch a ferry heading towards Koh Phangan.
By bus + ferry
Another way of getting from Bangkok to Koh Phangan is overland. Bangkok is located inland Thailand so there are several methods of travelling to the coast in order to transfer to a boat or ferry. One of the most common ways is by bus and ferry combination. These are often packaged together as a complete trip. Buses depart from Bangkok in the afternoon and arrive at the coast in the morning. Many companies offer different types of buses varying in comfort level for the overnight journey.
By train
There is also a train route from Bangkok to Suratthani railway. There are bus services that pick up from Suratthani railway and go to the ferry ports. The train is also an overnight trip so various trains can be booked such as a sleeper train.
By air or land
Air and land are the only methods of getting from Bangkok to Koh Phangan. Bangkok is in Central Thailand. It requires an overnight trip by land to cover the distance or a shorter flight to a nearby airport. Both flights and buses drop you off at closer places to catch the ferry to the island.
Getting from Koh Samui to Koh Phangan
Koh Samui is a large island located close to Koh Phangan. Koh Samui is only a boat ride over to the island. Many people who visit Koh Samui take day trips to Koh Phangan. There are several options of riding over to the island and ways of getting to Koh Samui.
Koh Samui is a large enough island to have its own airport. It’s the best place to land since it is the closest island to Koh Phangan. Koh Samui airport is much smaller than Bangkok. The only international flights that go directly to Koh Samui are typically from around other nearby countries in Southeast Asia. Otherwise, most flights come from Bangkok. Koh Phangan is a frequent destination for tourists coming through the Koh Samui airport. They provide various shuttle and taxi services that can take you to the pier to catch a ferry going to the island.
By ferry
Many people end up catching the final ferry to Koh Phangan from Koh Samui. It is a short boat trip and many places around the island provide transport services. Big Buddha beach has a pier that has a few ferries running every day to Koh Phangan. The ferries usually run from morning time to evening time in both directions. You can easily take one of the ferries to Koh Phangan in the morning then return to Koh Samui in the evening. There are a few other places around Koh Samui that you can find ferries going to Koh Phangan. Koh Phangan is known for their Full Moon Party. People often go from Koh Samui to Koh Phangan for this party. The ferries run special times during the days of the party.
Keep in mind that the ferry could get crowded at peak times, especially for the Full Moon party. It’s best to book early and arrive on time to ensure you’ll have a seat on the ferry. Koh Samui also has private speedboats that take you to Koh Phangan. This option is more flexible with time and great for groups.
Getting from Surat Thani to Koh Phangan
Surat Thani has a lot of travel options as well to get to Koh Phangan. The Surat Thani Airport is located here, and a lot of people fly here to continue the trip to Koh Phangan. This is another small airport compared to the Bangkok airport. You will mainly see local airlines flying into this airport. Some people transfer from Bangkok to go here. This airport is a little distance from the ferry port. There are many services outside of the airport that can get you to the island.
By ferry
The airport is over an hour away from Donsak Ferry Port. Ferries frequently leave from Donsak Ferry Port, so it’s easy to arrive and catch the next available ferry. The most common route from the airport is to get a bus and ferry ticket. This combination ticket allows you to go from the airport to the ferry terminal and on a ferry to Koh Phangan. You can also find a taxi service that will take you to the ferry terminal. Once you arrive at the ferry terminal, there are a few boat options to take to Koh Phangan.
The ferries from Surat Thani to Koh Phangan fit different accommodations. Ferry companies offer complex services that include bus and ferry transportation in one ticket, so it’s easy to transfer with no wait time. Individual tickets can also be purchased at the Surat Thani Airport to any of the ferries going to Koh Phangan. The ferries run very often throughout the day, so it’s plenty of time to ride from the airport to the ferry terminal.
Full Moon Party Ferry
The famous Full Moon Party sets the schedule for a lot of these ferries on the days on the party. You will be able to arrive at Koh Phangan just in time for the sunset. Ferries running for the Koh Phangan moon parties may have additional costs.
Getting from Koh Tao to Koh Phangan
Koh Tao is a similar island to Koh Phangan. Both of the islands are great destinations for enjoying the beaches. They also have a lot of diving and snorkelling activity. Koh Tao and Koh Phangan are both worth exploring. There are many methods to get from Koh Tao to Koh Phangan. Tours are also offered to see both on the same trip.
By ferry
The pier at Koh Tao has a variety of ferry options to get to Koh Phangan. You can be flexible with your arrival because these ferries all run at different times. There is always one leaving shortly to the island. You can book in advance for ferry services such as Lomprayah Catamaran, Seatran Discovery and Song Serm Express. Each of these has different costs and travel times so you can find one that fits your travel schedule. People who have accommodations in Koh Tao can book ferries directly through their hotel. Tours provide boats that can stop by Koh Tao and Koh Phangan in the same trip for a couple of hours each to explore. These tours include many snorkelling and diving tours of the two islands.
The Koh Phangan Full Moon Party also brings out a lot of people from Koh Tao. The short boat trip between the two makes Koh Tao an attractive option for staying. Ferries and other private boat options have many routes scheduled for the party. These should be checked in advance for the Full Moon Party. It is sure to be booked since a lot of people travel from here to Koh Phangan.
Getting from Krabi to Koh Phangan
Krabi is a major tourist destination in Thailand. You can expect a lot of people planning a trip to Koh Phangan for events such as the Full Moon Party. There are many ways of getting from Krabi to Koh Phangan. The easiest is by air and bus service is the more budget option.
By air + ferry
Krabi Airport has flights to Koh Samui Airport and ferry transfers can be made there. There are several flights throughout the day going between the two airports. The ferries at Koh Samui also run frequently so you can be flexible. Krabi Airport is nearby to a lot of major tourist cities in Thailand. Many people will come here for a quick local flight. Koh Samui is the closest to Krabi Airport and Koh Phangan.
By bus + ferry
If you have a bit more time, you can always take the land route to Koh Phangan. All around Krabi you will find bus and ferry services that will get you to the island. These buses depart at various times from Krabi and drop you right at the ferry pier. Minivans can also be found making the trip. Surat Thani or Don Sak pier are the closest. Each pier has ferry services running throughout the day.
Flights are the quicker option to get to Koh Phangan. Travelling from Krabi, you will have to go to a closer port city to catch the final ferry. The ferry trip from Koh Samui will also be shorter than the other ferry ports.
Koh Phangan is one of the top islands in Thailand. There are many ways of getting to Koh Phangan from all around the country. Air travel is a common method of getting to the island. There are many airlines that fly to nearby airports since Koh Phangan does not have an airport. The airports can provide booking for the ferry service onto Koh Phangan. The second most common way for travelling to Koh Phangan is by bus and ferry services. These combination tickets can be found in many of the top tourist places such as Krabi and Bangkok. You can always find other people making the same trip, especially for the Full Moon Party.