Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ticket) although the Songserm leaves from the heart of Surat town. Be warned that the
Raja service can be a very frustrating experience, especially for travellers who are tight on
time. The boat trip usually takes around 1½ hours to Ko Samui and 2½ hours to Ko Pha-
Ngan, although often the captain will cut the engines to half propulsion, which means the
journey can take up to five hours.
Night Ferry
From the centre of Surat there are nightly ferries to Ko Tao (eight hours, departs at 10pm),
Ko Pha-Ngan (seven hours, departs at 10pm) and Ko Samui (six hours, departs at 11pm).
These are cargo ships, not luxury boats, so bring food and water and watch your bags.
BUS & MINIVAN
The most convenient way to travel around the south, frequent buses and minivans depart
from two main locations in town known as Talat Kaset 1 and Talat Kaset 2. Talat Kaset 1,
on the north side of Th Talat Mai (the city's main drag) offers speedy service to Nakhon
(120B, 1½ hours). This is also the location of Pranthip Co, one of the more trustworthy
agencies in town. Buses to Phun Phin also leave from Talat Kaset 1.
At Talat Kaset 2, on the south side of Th Talat Mai, you'll find frequent transportation.
The 'new' bus terminal (which is actually a few years old now, but still referred to as
new by the locals) is 7km south of town on the way to Phun Phin. This hub services traffic
to and from Bangkok (380B to 800B, 11 to 14 hours).
Train
When arriving by train you'll actually pull into Phun Phin, a nondescript town 14km west
of Surat. From Phun Phin, there are buses to Phuket, Phang-Nga and Krabi - some via
Takua Pa, a junction for Khao Sok National Park. Transport from Surat moves with great-
er frequency, but it's worth checking the schedule in Phun Phin first - you might be lucky
and save yourself a slow ride between towns.
If you plan on travelling during the day, go for the express railcars. Night travellers
should opt for the air-con couchettes. Trains passing through Surat stop in Chumphon and
Hua Hin on their way up to the capital, and in the other direction you'll call at Trang, Hat
Yai and Sungai Kolok before hopping across the border. The train station at Phun Phin has
a 24-hour left-luggage room that charges around 20B a day. The advance ticket office is
open from 6am to 6pm daily (with a nebulous one-hour lunch break somewhere between
11am and 1.30pm). The trip to Bangkok takes over 8½ hours and costs 107B to 1379B de-
pending on class.
