Travel Chaing Mai To Ko Tao

[rlp1938]

What is the best way to travel from Chiang Mai to Ko Tao?

[Mole]

Cheapest way:

Take the earliest (around) 8 morning bus from Arcade bus terminal in Chiang Mai to Bangkok. It will arrive around 6-7 in the evening at Mor Chit bus terminal. Take a taxi to Lomprayah in Kaosarn road (tell taxi to use express way) and take their 21:00 bus to Chumporn. The bus will arrive early morning at their catamaran pier and about 1 hour journey with the catamaran to Koh Tao. Arrival time around 8:45 in the morning.

Cost for bus Chiang Mai to Bangkok is around 5XX bt for 2class bus to 800 bt (not sure about this price though) for VIP wide chair seats bus.

Lomprayah Bangkok to Koh Tao is 950 bt.

So total should be less than 2000 bt. (not including the taxi ride maybe around 200-300 bt)

You can book online or via phone at Lomprayah web site

Most comfortable method is of course flying.

Bangkok Airways has daily direct flight from Chiang Mai to Samui. 14:05 CNX to 15:50 USM. However, I am not sure if you will be able to catch a ferry to Koh Tao (via Koh Pa-ngan) since I am not familar with the ferry time tables.

(Bangkok Airways only have direct flights FROM CNX to USM and not back. So you'll have to fly via BKK if from USM to CNX.)

Expect to pay almost 8000 bt for the flight though.

Alternatively, it may be cheaper to fly with Air Asia from Chiang Mai to Bangkok, then Bangkok Airways from Bangkok to Samui. This way, you can take an early morning flight from CNX, then from BKK and arrive at USM in time to catch a ferry to Koh Tao.

Air Asia should cost around 1400-1800 bt from CNX to BKK.

Bangkok Airways is around 3200-4300 bt from BKK to USM.

Airline websites:

Bangkok Airways

Air Asia

[naboo]

Avoid BKK with the overnight bus to Hua Hin, go to a travel agent in Hua Hin and book a ticket bus/ferry to Ko Tao.

I think the railway do a deal - from memory the information office had a sign up. Change trains at Mo Chit if you get the train via Bangkok.

Avoid the tourist buses. The company mentioned in the post above is reliable. Don't make your own way to Chumporn, the connections from bus station to ferry are a long way and the locals won't offer you good taxi rates.

[wimpy]

We usually take the train to Bangkok and then to Chumporn. Lomprayah has a ticket agent at the Chumporn train station. They take you to their office where you wait until it is time to catch the boat. I don't like buses.

[Mole]

Yes, alternative (better & cheaper) route is to take the bus from Chiang Mai to Hua Hin with Sombat Tour.

You can take either 18:15 or 19:30 buses and arrive 7 or 8 in Hua Hin. Then you wait for the Lomprayah morning bus which arrives at Hua Hin around 8:45.

You will arrive at Koh Tao around 14:45.

Or take the 8:00 morning bus from Chiang Mai, arrive 20:30 in Hua Hin. Then wait for 23:30 Lomprayah bus. You'll get a few hours to enjoy the Hua Hin night life.

Arrive at Koh Tao around 8:45 in the morning.

Sombat Tour bus is about 6XX bt for 18:15 bus and 785 bt for 19:30 VIP bus.

Lomprayah Hua Hin to Koh Tao is 900 bt.

[Mole]

Train is also a more comfortable, but slower option.

You can check out the railway time tables:

Northener Line

Southern Line

Lomprayah catamarans leave Chumporn to Koh Tao 7:00 in the morning and 13:00 in the afternoon.

You'll have to consider about 1 hour or so to travel from the train station to Lomprayah catamaran pier.