Travel to Full Moon Party: Best ways to get to Koh Phangan

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What are the best ways to get to Koh Phangan Full Moon Party? Whether on a budget or in comfort, whether you travel from New York, San Francisco, Sidney, Singapore, or Bangkok – we got you covered. Let´s check all the travel hacks to get you on time to Full Moon Party in Koh Phangan. Buckle up!

Our Pick
Full Moon Party - Round Trip from Koh Samui
5.0
Pros:
  • Pickup at the hotel
  • Ferry to Haad Rin
  • Transfer back to hotel
Book Now

From Phuket to Koh Phangan

From Phuket to Koh Phangan, there are convenient bus and ferry connections with a joint ticket, which are as short as 7 hours. Otherwise, you can fly from Phuket to Koh Samui with Bangkok Airways (Skyscanner) but will then have to organize your journey onward to Koh Phangan.

Fast and convenient
  • Pros:
    • Guaranteed connections
    • Bus and Ferry
    • Option for Hotel Pickup and Private Taxi
Fast and convenient
Pros:
  • Guaranteed connections
  • Bus and Ferry
  • Option for Hotel Pickup and Private Taxi

From Bangkok to Koh Phangan

Once you are in Bangkok, you have three options to go to Koh Phangan: Flight, Train, or Bus. Note: If you only want to go to Koh Samui, the same options apply, because the ferry from Surat Thani will always stop in Koh Samui first before continuing to Koh Phangan.

Here is an overview of the options:

Fastest and comfortable
  • Duration:
    3-5 hours (Depending on ferrry connection)
Cheap & Fast
  • Duration:
    6 hours
For the adventurous
  • Duration:
    20 hours
Cheapest option
  • Duration:
    10-15 hours
Fastest and comfortable
Duration:
3-5 hours (Depending on ferrry connection)
Starts at ca. 50 USD
Pros:
Cons:
Cheap & Fast
Duration:
6 hours
N/A
Pros:
  • Low-cost tickets
  • Integrated ferry ticket, guaranteed connection
  • Includes van from Airport to Ferry Pier
Cons:
For the adventurous
Duration:
20 hours
N/A
Pros:
  • Nostalgic adventure trip
Cons:
  • No integrated ticket, self connect
  • Connections not guaranteed
Cheapest option
Duration:
10-15 hours
from THB 1,200
Pros:
  • Many options: Day, Night
  • Seats or Sleeper beds
  • Integrated ticket: Bus & Ferry
Cons:

The most convenient option is to fly from Bangkok International Airport (Suvarnabhumi /BKK) to Koh Samui. It is the fastest and most convenient option because of the proximity of Koh Samui and Koh Phangan.

However, Koh Samui airport is only served by a single airline, Bangkok Airways, and prices tend to be higher, especially during high season. Once you are in Koh Samui, you need to transfer to the pier and then a ferry to Koh Phangan (see options further below).

It´s cheaper to fly to Surat Thani, but then it takes longer to get to Koh Phangan. For both options, there are integrated tickets, where the tour company guarantees the connection.

Most Flights to Surat Thani depart from Bangkok´s domestic airport (Don Mueang/DMK). If you arrived at the international airport, you may catch the shuttle bus between the two airports, which you can use for free if you have an onward plane ticket. If you want to wait for the next bus and want to ride in a bit more comfort you can also book a private or shared transfer.

Fastest Airport Transfer
Fastest Airport Transfer
N/A
Pros:
  • Comfortable Transfer
  • Private Car or Shared Van
Cons:
  • Plan for enough time. Traffic in Bangkok is unpredictable
Duration:
60 - 90 Minutes

Finally, the cheapest option is to take a bus or a train to Surat Thani. The bus leaves from Bangkok at 1800pm and you will be in Koh Phangan about noon time the next day. You can buy a joint ticket here. There are several bus lines, so you can pick between different schedules and comfort levels, and even during high seasons you might find available seats at short notice. If you want to go by train, it is recommended to book well in advance.

From Koh Tao to Koh Phangan

If you are on Koh Tao (or if you want to go there for a few days to recover after the party, there are several direct ferry connections to Koh Phangan every day. Duration varies between 1 and 2 hours.

From Chiang Mai to Koh Phangan

Bangkok Airways offers direct flights from From Chiang Mai to Koh Samui, AirAsia offers direct flights from Chian Mai to Koh Surat Thani, and also has joint tickets to go all the way to Koh Phangan.

Ferries to Koh Phangan

Since there is no Koh Phangan airport, you must take a boat or ferry to Koh Phangan. The crossing takes about 3 1/2 hours from Surat Thani and 30-60 minutes from Koh Samui.

There are three main options: Take a ferry from Surat Thani to Koh Phangan, a ferry or speedboat from Samui to Phangan, and finally the speedboats on the Full Moon Night from Samui to Phangan. Here is an overview:

Book now
  • $6.00 - $12.00
  • Pros:
    • Several ferries every day
    • Options for hotel pickup in Samui
    • Fast and convenient
  • Cons:
    • Many different piers - verify location
    • No taxis on Phangan included
    • Canceled when stormy weather
  • Duration:
    30-60 min
Our Pick
N/A
Pros:
  • Integrated ticket: Bus & Ferry
  • Reliable Connections
  • Transfer from Airport or Train Station
Cons:
Duration:
3-4 hours
Book now
$6.00 - $12.00
Pros:
  • Several ferries every day
  • Options for hotel pickup in Samui
  • Fast and convenient
Cons:
  • Many different piers - verify location
  • No taxis on Phangan included
  • Canceled when stormy weather
Duration:
30-60 min
Our Pick
฿1,290
Pros:
  • Pickup at the hotel
  • Ferry to Haad Rin
  • Transfer back to hotel
Cons:
Duration:
30 min

Ferries from Surat Thani to Koh Phangan

If you travel on a budget, you may want to fly to Surat Thani airport. From Surat Thani airport, tour operators offer integrated tickets: A bus collects you at the airport, takes you to the ferry pier, and you can board the ferry to Koh Phangan. The tour operators give you a colored sticker and guide you around to make sure you don´t end up on the wrong boat (or island).

Ferries and Speedboats from Koh Samui to Koh Phangan

Once you are on Koh Samui you have two options, there are speedboats and ferries. The ferries take a bit longer but are more comfortable, especially if the sea is rough.

If you want to visit the full moon party, it is convenient to take a direct ferry or boat from Koh Samui to Haad Rin. Note that there are also ferries that go to Thong Sala, which is the central town of Koh Phangan. From Thong Sala, it is a taxi ride of 30 minutes to Haad Rin.

If you are staying in Koh Samui, and just want to come over for the night, the most convenient option is an integrated ticket from a reliable tour agent. This includes the pick up from your hotel in Koh Samui, transfer to the speedboat, the crossing to Koh Phangan, and the return trip to Koh Samui, back to your hotel. Speedboats run every hour.

Our Pick
Full Moon Party - Round Trip from Koh Samui
5.0
Pros:
  • Pickup at the hotel
  • Ferry to Haad Rin
  • Transfer back to hotel
Book Now

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Do I need to print out tickets?

It´s always good to be on the safe side, but nowadays most ticket providers issue electronic tickets that are accepted at check-in. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJvmqbXsziE

Does Koh Phangan have an airport?

Koh Phangan does not have a working airport, so everybody comes on the ferry or speedboat. However, for those already on the island, it is interesting to know that there is an abandoned Koh Phangan Airport project, in the middle of the Koh Phangan nature reserve. So if you have some time to explore Koh Phangan´s hidden gems, a hike up to the abandoned airport is a great start.

When should I book?

During Peak Season (December-April) we recommend flight booking at least one month in advance.

How long does Migration at Bangkok Airport take?

Normally, lines at immigration are not too long and you may make it through within 30 minutes. However in 2022, after the upsurge in flight activities, there have been some days with long queues, as airport administration has to readapt to varying quantities of arriving passengers. If you want to increase your chances of making it smoothly and quickly into Bangkok, you can use this fast-track service offered through our partner GetYourGuide.

International Flights to Thailand

Many long-haul flights are servicing Bangkok, but there are only a few options that bring you directly to Koh Samui on a single ticket. Koh Samui is the closest airport and the most convenient option.

Coming from the United States East Coast or, Europe and the Middle East, one of the best options is Qatar Airways. They tend to have well-timed layovers in Doha, and convenient connections in Bangkok. In Bangkok, you then jump onto a plane to Koh Samui. In this case, you can have your checked baggage go on the same plane and you can do the migration in Koh Samui, which can be much faster than in Bangkok.

Otherwise, you can see all options on Skyscanner, a service that allows you to search for flights on specific dates, but also allows for open range requests, which give you estimates for prices over several months. Flights to Bangkok will be cheaper than flights to Koh Samui, but you then have to book a separate second flight.

5 Star recommendation
  • Pros:
    • Best economy class experience
    • Excellent connections to Koh Samui
    • 5-Star Airline Certification
Powerful Search Engine
  • Pros:
    • Biggest Selection of Flights
    • Convenient search by Month
    • Find the best prices
5 Star recommendation
Pros:
  • Best economy class experience
  • Excellent connections to Koh Samui
  • 5-Star Airline Certification
Powerful Search Engine
Pros:
  • Biggest Selection of Flights
  • Convenient search by Month
  • Find the best prices


Find the best flight to join the Full Moon Party