Samui to Bangkok with Air Asia – Thailand

Posted on Jul 9, 2016 in Experiences

Although many of our previous visits to Samui have been for a month (a long time compared to most) we still hadn’t trialled the Air Asia option from Samui to Bangkok as we didn’t feel that spending the greater part of a day travelling was time well spent. This time we’re here for an extended stay and we did say we were ready for an adventure!

First thing to remember, it’s very cost effective. Compared to the direct fares offered by Bangkok Airways and Thai it’s ridiculously cheap!

But (and this is obvious to most but it must be stated) just because it’s Air Asia doesn’t mean you’re on a plane the whole way. First it’s a ferry (1.5hrs), then a transfer (another 1.5/2hrs) and then a flight (1hr) plus all the wait/check in times along the way. Air Asia do take care of all sectors but as always with so many factors coming together, the potential for problems is greater. If the ferry chooses to wait for a few extra cars and runs late, the transfer is late and the flight definitely doesn’t wait. Or in reverse, if you get a van driver who is not overly interested and you miss the ferry by 1 minute, it’s at least another hour until the next one.

It’s also important to note that Air Asia uses two airports for this route – Surat Thani and Nakhon Si Thammarat. Both are approximately 1.5hrs from Donsak Pier but Surat Thani is a nicer airport and the transfer is in a very comfortable bus. Nakhon Si Thammarat airport is ok but the transfer is in a minivan and on both occasions I’ve gone through this way, it has not been enjoyable. The first time, the driver was dawdling and didn’t seem very interested and then he must have realised that we were going to miss our ferry so he started driving like a crazy person. The second time, they filled every available seat in the van which is perfectly fine but everyone of those people was travelling with large bags so they were crammed in on top, blocking people and doors. We were very lucky with our seating but if something went wrong, there was no way the people in the back were getting out in a hurry. It didn’t feel like a safe trip. Having said all of that, once you know the difference, it’s easy enough to choose flights carefully utilising Surat Thani.

The other thing we’ll do differently next time – we will book flights from Surat Thani to Bangkok and get ourselves from Samui so that we can choose a better ferry. The Raja ferries from Lipa Noi are old and clunky, dirty and often late. Apparently the Seatran ferries from Nathon are just slightly more expensive but newer boats and a more comfortable ride and they still provide a transfer from the port in Donsak to the airport.

So all up, it took approximately 7 hours from leaving our villa to arriving at Don Muang Airport in Bangkok. If we flew directly from Samui to Bangkok, that trip would take 2.5 to 3 hours so this would still be my preferred option before a long international flight, particularly in the hot season! If you are catching an onward flight, also pay attention to the airport in Bangkok. Air Asia uses Don Muang (the old airport) and most international carriers use Suvarnabhumi – there is a free transfer available but it’s an hour across town. The Air Asia flights are great and with a little tweaking on the ferry/transfer sectors we will definitely continue to use the Surat Thani option when we aren’t in a rush.

Travelled June 2016