Seatran Ferry From Donsak To Samui

[flip]

Hello,

In the past I was always able to book the seatran ferry in advance (via phone plus Ayutthaya bank ATM)

Now I heard from a lot of people that it is not possible anymore to book in advance, only if having a "VIP card" and these cards are not available anymore!?

Any infos/experiences/recommendations regarding this issue?

Coming from Phuket and travelling with my 2.5 years old son, so not really good idea to wait "hours" for the ferry..!

Thnks a lot

flip

[Birdman]

you call them, give the numbers, get the number, ATM, show the slip, get on the fast lane, like before

[robsamui]

I think you are talking about coming by car?

AFAIK this is possible only by going in person to the seatran kiosk.

Why Seatran in particular?

If you want to come to Samui (without a vehicle) then

(avoid Raja Ferry - takes 30 mins longer and goes to Lipa Noi)

a get to Donsak - Songserm ferry

b buy ticket.

c get on songthiew at Nathon.

(Interesting to note that you cannot book a Songserm ferry for a vehicle in the high-peak periods (Xmas - NY - Songkran) The thinking behind it is a) that if it were possible for everybody to book in advance for Christmas, then all the tickets would be sold weeks in advance and therefore thousands of other people wouldn’t be able to travel. (Erm ... hang on a minute ...) But, the more dominant logic goes like this, and perhaps it sounds familiar – “We don’t know how many cars are going to be on our ferry today. Oh my Buddha – maybe we won’t get anybody! We better let people make bookings, so at least we get some business. Ah! But we know there will be lots and lots over Christmas – yippee! – so we don’t need to bother.”

(What was your question again?)

R

[flip]

I think you are talking about coming by car?

AFAIK this is possible only by going in person to the seatran kiosk.

Why Seatran in particular?

If you want to come to Samui (without a vehicle) then

(avoid Raja Ferry - takes 30 mins longer and goes to Lipa Noi)

a get to Donsak - Songserm ferry

b buy ticket.

c get on songthiew at Nathon.

(Interesting to note that you cannot book a Songserm ferry for a vehicle in the high-peak periods (Xmas - NY - Songkran) The thinking behind it is a) that if it were possible for everybody to book in advance for Christmas, then all the tickets would be sold weeks in advance and therefore thousands of other people wouldn’t be able to travel. (Erm ... hang on a minute ...) But, the more dominant logic goes like this, and perhaps it sounds familiar – “We don’t know how many cars are going to be on our ferry today. Oh my Buddha – maybe we won’t get anybody! We better let people make bookings, so at least we get some business. Ah! But we know there will be lots and lots over Christmas – yippee! – so we don’t need to bother.”

(What was your question again?)

R

coming by car of course! if taking the bus wouldnt need to book the boat in advance as the "buspackages" are incl. ferry etc.

somgserm car ferry!!?? never heard about this one before! thought there are only raja and seatran operating!!?

thankful/happy about any info regarding the songserm ferries! know only the regular and expressboats from songserm..

thnks a lot

[flip]

hello again,

ok, just was calling seatran in surat/donsak... they confirmed..: still no problem at all to book the ferrytickets in advance, using the ayutthaya bank/atm..

same as before

thnks a lot

[Birdman]

no car ferry with Songserm.

why Seatrans? because you can make a booking in advance according to my post, #2, and avoid possible long queues and arriving at Nathon is more convenient for most

[limbos]

no car ferry with Songserm.

why Seatrans? because you can make a booking in advance according to my post, #2, and avoid possible long queues and arriving at Nathon is more convenient for most

Not to mention the difference in quality and service and the long years of 'I don't give a <deleted>' attitude by Raja before the Seatran arrived on the scene. If humanly possible, avoid Raja at all cost!

The Songserm car ferry was a mistake by SBK and should read Seatran, imho!

Edited October 5, 2011 by limbos

[bungalowbob]

(avoid Raja Ferry - takes 30 mins longer and goes to Lipa Noi)

Sorry to upset all you anti Raja people but out of the two I always use them. The last few times it has taken around 10 minutes less time than the Seatran so I don't know where you get the extra 30 minutes from ? I can also book a return ticket with Raja unlike the Seatran so again far better for me as I just rock up and drive on. Also the difference in arriving at Lippa Noi and Nathon by car is in minutes and if going to Lamai / Chawang you are nearer with the Raja.

Also getting a taxi from the Raja terminal for foot passengers is also a lot cheaper than getting into Nathon.

[Birdman]

you can book Seatran in advance easily from everywhere! Raja too? Don't think so. Also the return ticket. That's the main point.

All the other advantages or disadvantages are minor. Ain't anti Raja.

If bungalowbob does not need that, does not mean that everyone does not need that.

[bungalowbob]

If bungalowbob does not need that, does not mean that everyone does not need that.

You have me totally and utterly baffled

And if

avoid Raja at all cost!

Isn't anti Raja then I don't know what is

[samuijimmy]

Raja ferry leaves every hour... so not a huge wait for next one... sometimes does actually arrive at Nanthon if tides low. (although you would not know that in advance...!)

I've not found anything wrong with them... all same same but different....

[longtom]

Seatran is clearly more modern/better than Raja in everything, pre-booking, queing, size and state of the ships (some extremely rusty pots in the Raja inventory), staff training, safety etc etc.

Mind you I didn't say they are good in any of the above criteria, just better than Raja.

[limbos]

If bungalowbob does not need that, does not mean that everyone does not need that.

You have me totally and utterly baffled

And if

avoid Raja at all cost!

Isn't anti Raja then I don't know what is

You got that right Bob, I'm very much anti Raja. Still wake up screaming at \night for their abuse. If Raja suits you though, use them.

[robsamui]

(avoid Raja Ferry - takes 30 mins longer and goes to Lipa Noi)

Sorry to upset all you anti Raja people but out of the two I always use them. The last few times it has taken around 10 minutes less time than the Seatran so I don't know where you get the extra 30 minutes from ? I can also book a return ticket with Raja unlike the Seatran so again far better for me as I just rock up and drive on. Also the difference in arriving at Lippa Noi and Nathon by car is in minutes and if going to Lamai / Chawang you are nearer with the Raja.

Also getting a taxi from the Raja terminal for foot passengers is also a lot cheaper than getting into Nathon.

Last week, unknown to either of us, both my friend and I went on a border bounce independently: objective . . . get from Samui to Had Yai.

I left by bus at 8:00 am via Seatran from Nathon to Donsak. Arrived in Had Yai at 3.30 pm = 7.5 hours.

He left via bus from Nathon to the Raja ferry. Left at 5.30 pm and arrived in Had Yai at 2.30 am = 9 hours.

I realise there are other factors involved, but our respective journeys from setting off from Samui to getting to the mainland was the major one: he took 45 minutes from leaving Nathon to the Raja ferry actually leaving from Lipa Noi and then spent 30 minutes longer on the water than I did.

If you are not travelling with a car this is an important factor. Raja seems to take longer.

R

Edited October 6, 2011 by robsamui

[limbos]

(avoid Raja Ferry - takes 30 mins longer and goes to Lipa Noi)

Sorry to upset all you anti Raja people but out of the two I always use them. The last few times it has taken around 10 minutes less time than the Seatran so I don't know where you get the extra 30 minutes from ? I can also book a return ticket with Raja unlike the Seatran so again far better for me as I just rock up and drive on. Also the difference in arriving at Lippa Noi and Nathon by car is in minutes and if going to Lamai / Chawang you are nearer with the Raja.

Also getting a taxi from the Raja terminal for foot passengers is also a lot cheaper than getting into Nathon.

Last week, unknown to either of us, both my friend and I went on a border bounce independently: objective . . . get from Samui to Had Yai.

I left by bus at 8:00 am via Seatran from Nathon to Donsak. Arrived in Had Yai at 3.30 pm = 7.5 hours.

He left via bus from Nathon to the Raja ferry. Left at 5.30 pm and arrived in Had Yai at 2.30 am = 9 hours.

I realise there are other factors involved, but our respective journeys from setting off from Samui to getting to the mainland was the major one: he took 45 minutes from leaving Nathon to the Raja ferry actually leaving from Lipa Noi and then spent 30 minutes longer on the water than I did.

If you are not travelling with a car this is an important factor. Raja seems to take longer.

R

Wow, another Raja hater