Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Frequent minivans run from Prachuap Khiri Khan to Ban Krut (70B) and Bang Saphan
Yai (80B). Most minivans to Ban Krut will stop on the highway, a 100B motorbike ride
from the beach.
Many seasoned visitors prefer to take the train for closer proximity to the beaches.
There are several daily options but the sprinter train (special express No 43) is one of the
fastest. It leaves Bangkok's Hua Lamphong station at 8.05am and arrives in Ban Krut
(445B) at 1.07pm and Bang Saphan Yai (450B) at 1.20pm. You can also hop on an after-
noon train to Chumphon with plenty of time to spare before the ferry to Ko Tao.
A motorcycle taxi from town to Bang Saphan Yai is 70B. Talk to your hotel or guest-
house about arranging transport back to town for your onward travel.
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Chumphon
POP 55,835
A transit town funnelling travellers to and from Ko Tao or westwards to Ranong or
Phuket, Chumphon is also where the south of Thailand starts proper; Muslim headscarves
are a common sight here.
While there's not a lot to do while you wait for your ferry, there's good seafood in town
and the surrounding beaches are great places to step off the backpacker bandwagon for a
few days.
Hat Thung Wua Laen
(15km north of town) is an excellent beach with plenty of
traveller amenities and during the week you'll have it mostly to yourself.
For a transit hub, Chumphon is surprisingly unconsolidated: the main bus station and
piers for boats to Ko Tao, Ko Samui and Ko Pha-Ngan are some distance from town.
Travel agencies and guesthouses can book tickets, provide timetables and point you to the
right bus stop; fortunately agents in Chumphon are a dedicated lot.
