How to get from Pattaya to Samui on your own

The route from Pattaya to Samui is not the most common. Foreign tourists tend to choose only one resort, and if they go beyond its borders, it is for sightseeing purposes. Naturally, they do not choose a similar resort, but a place of historical, cultural or natural landscape interest.

Both resorts are quite expensive for domestic tourists, but popular. In general, the Pattaya-Samui route is not very popular. However, transport links between the city and the island do exist.

Since Samui is an island and Pattaya is on the east coast of the Gulf of Thailand, the overland route is a C-shaped detour. The overland route is long and involves an additional ferry or boat crossing. The best way to get there is by plane. Not because it's faster. It's just more convenient.

Plane

The destination is not very popular: there is only one flight per day (and one return flight). In comparison, from neighboring Bangkok to Samui there are over 20 flights a day. The carrier is Bangkok Airways.

The price is about $100. You can get there in 1 hour and 10 minutes. The plane departs from Utapao. From Pattaya to the airport it is about a 40 minute trip ($7 bus, $15 cab). Minibus shuttle tickets are sold at street travel agencies. Check there for the place of departure of the shuttles. Plus some time (up to half an hour) should be set aside for the road from Samui airport to the destination.

TOTAL: about 115$ and 2.5 hours on the road.

Bus to Surrathan + ferry or boat

Distance:

• 853 km overland;
• 40 km by sea.

Route: Pattaya - Surrathani (Donsak Pier) - Samui.

This option is for people who are willing to travel almost 1,000 km by bus. The distance is not an insignificant one.

The most famous routes to Samui are the so-called "yellow buses" of Yellow Bus. They go from Rayong via Pattaya (route 393). The buses depart from Pattaya 3 times a day from the northern Nua Bus Station on Banglamung Road.

Not all flights go to Samui, sometimes you can only get to Donsak, as the crossing does not work around the clock. In this case, you have to take care of buying the ferry tickets yourself and wait in Donsak for its departure. But there's no problem at all. The pier is the center of local life: there are stores and cafes. It takes 1.5-2 hours to get there. The cost is $5. A private boat will cost $8 and will take from 45 minutes to 1.5 hours. Both the boats and the ferry arrive at the Samui Nathon Pier.

TOTAL: $35 and 16 hours on the road.

Bus to Chumphon + boat

Distance:

• 590 km overland;
• 150 km by sea.

Route: Pattaya - Chumhon - Thung Makhan Noi Pier - Samui

Compared to the route through Surrathani, this one reduces the bus part of the route by almost 300 km and increases the sea part of the route by 120 km. A total of 170 km or 2 hours of time is saved.

To Chumphon there is a bus with the same number, 393, departing from the same north Pattaya bus station. Travel time is 10 hours. 30 min. The ticket price is $15-$25. You can get from Chumphon Bus Station to Thang Makhan Noi Pier on any of the buses passing by, such as those from Bangkok. Or take a cab for about $8-10. It takes about 40 minutes to get to the pier. Boats depart from the pier periodically. A 3-hour trip by sea will cost $25. The boats dock at Maenam Pier on Koh Samui.

TOTAL: $50 and 14 hours on the road.

Train + bus + ferry (or boat)

Distance:

• 853 km overland;
• 40 km by sea.

Itinerary: Pattaya-Bangkok-Surrathani-Donsak Pier-Samui

The railroad in Thailand has two peculiarities:

• The railroad tracks converge and diverge in Bangkok;
• The southern branch ends in Surrathan.

This route can be reached as follows:

1. Train from Pattaya to Bangkok.
2. By train from Bangkok to Surrathani.
3. By bus from Surrathan to Donsak pier.
4. Ferry or boat to Samui.

This route seems to be the most difficult. In fact, it is not much more complicated than the bus route. Thailand's transportation system is based on the integrated principle: in the railway office you can buy tickets not only for the train, but also for all other modes of transport that are necessary to get a person from point A to point B. In one place you will be sold tickets for the entire route with a minimum waiting time at the stations: train, bus and ferry.

The train from Pattaya to Bangkok takes 3.5 hours. The fare is $2. The train departs from the train station located on Sukhumvit Road. Arrives at Bangkok's main station Hua Lamphong. From the same station go trains to the south: all of them (and there are more than a dozen per day) are on the same road. When choosing you should be guided by the speed of the train, the level of comfort. A place in the coach of special express (the fastest train) will cost about $20 or a little more. You can get there in 10 hours. Buses take passengers from the station in Surrathan. The conductor will tell you which way to go. The road to Donsak pier takes 1 hour (70 km) - $5. And then 1.5 hours by sea to Samui - another $5.

TOTAL: $33 and 16 hours on the road with the opportunity to sleep in a compartment or coach.

Car + ferry

Distance:

• 840 km by land;
• 40 km by sea.

Route:

1. From Pattaya to Bangkok, take Route 3.
2. Departure from Bangkok is on Route 35.
3. In Ratchaburi province, the turnoff to Highway 4.
4. In Chumcheon Province, there is an exit to Highway 41.
5. In the province of Surrathani, turn to Route 420 and on to Route 401 and #4142.

According to a modest calculation, to get to the end point, you will need $70-80 gasoline. The price should include travel on the toll sections of highways 4, 41. The sections are not long, but there are plenty of them. In addition you will have to pay about $20 to ferry the car and passengers. All this is without the cost of car rental.

TOTAL: $110 and 12 hours on the road.

Table summarizing how to get from Pattaya to Sumui, by cost: