One could wing straight from Bangkok to Ko Samui isle together with go sipping a piña colada on the beach earlier noon, but what would go the adventure inwards that when you lot could pass eighteen hours traveling instead?
For the mid-range budget travelers that nosotros are, flying is commonly non an option. Plus, the prepare organisation inwards Thailand is thence good, 12-15 hours on an overnight prepare is a real pleasant experience.
Here's our amazing race of a twenty-four hr catamenia from Bangkok to Ko Samui.
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| First shape cabins. Seat converts into bunkbeds. |
OVERNIGHT TRAIN
The trains inwards Thailand are awesome. Online booking is real tardily through www.thairailticket.com, although you lot could also walk upwardly to the ticket counter together with expose a topographic point on i of the many trains departing daily. For overnight travel, starting fourth dimension shape someone cabins volume upwardly real rapidly inwards advance, thence nosotros made these reservations virtually 2-3 weeks prior to our move date. There is to a greater extent than availability for 2nd shape air-conditioned cars; but nosotros would suggest you lot avoid the 2nd shape fan-only cars. Besides beingness hot, the windows are left broad opened upwardly together with offers 'free boarding' for mosquitos.
The overnight limited prepare (express, because it skips stations; but definitely non due to speed) inwards starting fourth dimension shape ($43/pp) from Bangkok left at 1930 together with was scheduled to larn inwards at Surat Thani station at 0706 the side past times side morning. This was our 3rd overnight prepare inwards Thailand, together with we've yet to larn inwards anywhere on time. The 11.5 hr ride took to a greater extent than similar 12.5 hours.
In the past...
...our destination (e.g. Bangkok, Chiang Mai) was the destination of the line, thence nosotros never had to worry virtually when to larn off the train. This time, our prepare was briefly stopping at Surat Thani together with thence moving onto a farther destination to the southward called Na Khon Si Thamarat. To ensure nosotros were prepared to larn off at the right station, nosotros laid our alert clocks for the side past times side morning time together with nosotros also picked upwardly a timetable from the information booth at the Bangkok railway station. Since at that topographic point are no announcements on the train, the timetable allowed us to run across the prior stops thence nosotros knew when our halt was coming up. This is how nosotros knew nosotros were running roughly 45 minutes behind. The cabin crew did come upwardly past times together with give us a v infinitesimal notice equally well, thence that was real considerate.
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| Chicken rice porridge for breakfast on train! |
SURAT THANI TRAIN STATION
For beingness the principal railway hub to access the ferry terminals, nosotros felt similar nosotros got left inwards the middle of nowhere. Surat Thani prepare station is a i platform dinky station virtually thirty minutes out of town, non to scream virtually two hours inland from the Donsak ferry terminal.
We wondered how nosotros would larn ourselves to the ferry, together with onto Ko Samui island. We could've taken a taxi to the Seatran ferry purpose inwards the metropolis of Surat Thani. From there, at that topographic point is suppose to go a Seatran provided double-decker that takes the passengers to the pier. Or, nosotros could've taken a taxi straight to the Donsak pier, but that sounded real expensive. What to do, what to do...
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| Tickets for double-decker together with ferry at 280 baht/pp. Phantip Travel Co., Ltd |
We commonly avoid touts at double-decker stations, prepare stations, inwards front end of restaurants, tourist offices, etc. at all cost. 99% of the time, they are a bunch of scam artists, promising to a greater extent than than they tin deliver, adding hidden charges, together with evidently annoying. However, due to lack of taxis together with the principal double-decker final beingness a ways away, nosotros did entertain a tout's offering of 280 baht/pp for an air-conditioned double-decker ride that would accept us straight to the Seatran ferry terminal, including the cost of the ferry ride to Ko Samui. We didn't mean value nosotros could expose a improve bargain for less than $10/pp, thence nosotros allow our skepticism go past times away together with at to the lowest degree for this time, everything worked out great. The companionship providing this service was called Phantip Travel Co., Ltd.
BUS
The double-decker ride from Surat Thani to the novel Seatran ferry final inwards Donsak took 1 hr together with 45 minutes through some rural countryside. We're glad nosotros didn't receive got to endeavour together with figure out alternate populace shipping or pay for a cab.
FERRY
Back inwards the day, the alone ferries going to/from Ko Samui were real sketchy. Usually, a boat loaded downward alongside people, likely filled alongside at to the lowest degree twice the approved capacity together with non plenty emergency equipment. These are the ones nosotros take away heed virtually sinking from fourth dimension to time, together with are nonetheless inwards operation. However, for us "old" folks who tend to go past times away to a greater extent than conduct chances adverse alongside age, nosotros are glad to run across a real modern, spacious, together with rubber ferry operated past times Seatran.
It was a real pleasant 1.5 hr ride inwards an airconditioned room alongside cushy lounge chairs. Amenities included Thai massage together with a snack bar.
SONGTHAEW
Last but non least, after our arrival inwards Ko Samui, nosotros needed to larn to our bungalow on the other side of the isle at Lamai Beach. There are plenty of songthaews - a pick-up truck shared taxis - inwards the parking lot across the street from the ferry terminal. Each i commonly has a sign alongside their destinations written. The drivers endeavour to pack equally many passengers onto the truck, but nosotros didn't desire to sit down on top of the roof or hang off the dorsum of the truck, thence nosotros waited alone a few minutes for novel songthaews to larn inwards together with snagged a distich of seats on the bench.
Prices are all negotiable, but scream upwardly to create this earlier boarding! We idea nosotros did pretty practiced past times negotiating eighty baht/pp to larn us to the other side of the island, which took roughly 35 minutes.
We didn't know just how to larn to our place, but when nosotros recognized signs for other nearby resorts, we had to knock on the window to larn the driver to stop, together with he allow us off on the side of the principal highway.
WALK
We knew that our house was right on the beach thence nosotros simply headed towards the beach together with virtually xv minutes later, nosotros constitute our house along the beach.
We were enjoying a beer eighteen hours after nosotros left Bangkok! Now that was an amazing race. In total, nosotros spent less than $60/pp, whereas a flying would've cost us at about $200/pp.
