Name Of Busstation In Surat Thani

[Yaroon]

Greetings,

Before i get on my bike and drive 45min to the Phuket busstation to ask this question, i figured i might as this here first as it could save me quite some time!

Im planning to meet up with a friend in Surat Thani who is coming from BKK and he is traveling by bus. He has been told that his bus does not stop at the usual bus station but at some parking lot some were and is required to take another bus to reach the 'main' bus station. Does anyone know the name of this bus terminal in Surat so i am able to sync schedules with my friend?

Thanks in advance!

[katabeachbum]

Most busses do not go to Surat Thani. They stop close to the Highway, in Phunpin, which is also Surat Thani railwaystation. From there you can go with tuk tuks or minibusses to Surat thani town, approx 20 km and both very cheap

so i guess your answer is "Phunpin", and from Phuket there are minivans leaving every 30-60 minutes daytime. Phuket minivanstation on the road from Robinson to the land office/jail, used to be 180 baht 3 years ago

[stevenl]

If your friend is travelling by bus booked via a travel agent he will end up at a travel agent in Surat as well, not at any kind of busstation.

[Yaroon]

Thx for the reply, both of you

As for the last comment, my friend is going with a regular bus, no travel agent, just a ticket from the busstation in BKK... I am departing from Phuket, also going to buy a regular (cheap @$$) ticket from the station in Town (@ 200 baht or something) as well. So, both of us will most likely arrive at that same place called Phunpin?

If thats the case, no need for us both to go to the busstation as we can meet up eachother there. However, if it truly is Phumpin where we both land up, would it be wise to wait for one another there in case one of us will arrive later? Or is it better to move on to some other location and meet there? ( perhaps its an uncomfortable area to wait 1 or 2 hours)

(We eventually going to visit Samui, so perhaps going to a busstation after arrival @ Phumpin is not a bad idea after all)

Thx again for any advice given

[Yaroon]

As for my own travel comfort, about the minivan transportation, some questions

Is it alot better than bus? and, where exactly can i find this minibus? I know Robinson, i know the road across the parkinglot for bikes (chester grill/entrance stairs movietheatre) , i know the piece of road @ Mcdonalds and the road left side of Mcdonalds (walking outside the Mc, turn left, and end of road, turn left again.)

Where exactly?

[snorkelador]

There is the new bus station (Bangkok Bus Terminal) outside Surat Thani and then the two old ones in town Talad Kaset 1 & 2. Coming from Phuket you usually arrive at Talad Kaset 2, but buses often go to the new bus station as well, before carrying on to Phunpin, were the train leaves. Not quite sure if they stop at the new bus station before or after Talad Kaset2, but I think it is before. Best would be to find out some name for the bus station your friend is arriving at.

[snorkelador]

The minivan leaves across the road from the Montri Hotel in Montri Road around the corner from Phuket town bus station and brings you to Talad Kaset 2 bus station, unless you ask them to be dropped off at the Bangkok Bus Terminal outside of Surat Thani, were your friend will most likely arrive. For a place to meet if things go wrong I would suggest Talad Kaset 2, as it is pretty much in the center of Surat Thani.

[KarenBravo]

Using the minibus is a lot quicker than the regular bus, mainly because they drive like maniacs. It's also less comfortable.

Phuket to Surat Thani with the minibus is 3.5 hours. By bus, about 5 hours.

[Yaroon]

Again thanks for the replies.

I got some more info... my friend would be arriving around 6am at Wangkung Durat Thani, where his bus supposedly stops and people can get out and travel on.. .... no idea about that place though, cant find anything on the web about it. Anyone has an idea where that might be?

As for the minibus from Phuket to the area where i want to meet my friend, somehow i dont believe they depart early.... i guess i wont be able to arrive same time (6 or 7am) as i would have to depart 2am or something. Guess the early bus (non AC from the busstation @ 110 baht, 4hrs duration) would be the earliest time i can arrive.

Anyone know about the Wangkun Surat Thani place?

Thx again!!

[katabeachbum]

Again thanks for the replies.

I got some more info... my friend would be arriving around 6am at Wangkung Durat Thani, where his bus supposedly stops and people can get out and travel on.. .... no idea about that place though, cant find anything on the web about it. Anyone has an idea where that might be?

As for the minibus from Phuket to the area where i want to meet my friend, somehow i dont believe they depart early.... i guess i wont be able to arrive same time (6 or 7am) as i would have to depart 2am or something. Guess the early bus (non AC from the busstation @ 110 baht, 4hrs duration) would be the earliest time i can arrive.

Anyone know about the Wangkun Surat Thani place?

Thx again!!

non AC 4 hrs from Phuket to Surat Thani does not exist. 6 hours at its best with this service

first minibus in the morning is 6am, should get you to Surat Thani by 10am

wangkun, try google earth

[PoorSucker]

(We eventually going to visit Samui, so perhaps going to a busstation after arrival @ Phumpin is not a bad idea after all)

Take government bus directly to Koh Samui.

Goes from BKK and Phuket.

Why stop over in Surat?

[Yaroon]

We first see some things in Surat, else it would have been much easier indeed ...

6am minibus, i didnt know what. Planning to check it out at the place where they depart this week and get some info and so i know where to go.

The busschedule online does show that theres a non AC bus departing at 4 am though. Perhaps its outdated...(?) Wangkun is not easy to find......using Google Earth for 10 mins and cant find anything. Got coordinates?

[snorkelador]

My guess would be they mean the Wang Kung Restaurant near Phunphin (The South #9): Yellow Bus

I still would make Surat Thani Town the meeting point instead. Why not agree on a hotel to stay for at least the first night and take it from there? Much more comfy than having to wait for one another at a bus stop out in the sticks, plus one of you having the hassle of getting there.