Nathon To Lamai

[Bababooey]

I'm going from Surat Thani Airport to Lamai.

I plan to take the bus/van to Donsak and the Seatrain ferry to Nathon.

http://www.seatranferry.com/en/services/bus.php

Upon arrival at Nathon will there be songthaews waiting at the pier and is there a standard price for farangs with luggage?

Thanks!

[happydreamer27]

Yes, there will be all kinds of transport, and no set price, you will have bargain with them. The best option would be to get minivan taxi from ferry company or aiasia there when you arrive on a pier. They will have set prices. Do you have a lot of luggage?

[Bababooey]

Yes, there will be all kinds of transport, and no set price, you will have bargain with them. The best option would be to get minivan taxi from ferry company or aiasia there when you arrive on a pier. They will have set prices. Do you have a lot of luggage?

Thanks for the info HD!

Probably about 40 kilos. Two bags plus a small knapsack.

So when I arrive at Nathon i can buy a shared Ferry minivan ticket or a shared AirAsia minivan ticket which I "assume" will cost about 100-200 baht to Lamai?

[crusty]

Yes, there will be all kinds of transport, and no set price, you will have bargain with them. The best option would be to get minivan taxi from ferry company or aiasia there when you arrive on a pier. They will have set prices. Do you have a lot of luggage?

Thanks for the info HD!

Probably about 40 kilos. Two bags plus a small knapsack.

So when I arrive at Nathon i can buy a shared Ferry minivan ticket or a shared AirAsia minivan ticket which I "assume" will cost about 100-200 baht to Lamai?

You can assume more like 500 - 800 Baht

[Birdman]

during daytime local taxis or songtaeows drive constantly from Nathon to Lamai for fixed prices. Did not make that since maybe (?) 15 years, but I think the price is 60 Baht and for 2 bags 40.

[samuijimmy]

It depends on which type of service you use.... and cost is different to which you use ...

Taxi is going to be the most expensive, but it should take you directly to where you want to go... without dropping off other people en-route...

Songtau, may get you close to where you want, but not necessarily "door to door" service, if the resort is off the main route...

Not sure if Seatran, offers Mini bus service from Nathon, but if they do as done with Lomprayah ferries, they will have mini buses headed to various parts of the island... Dropping people off as they go....

Price for that is usually reasonable but varies to high / low season.... 150 to 200 baht roughly per person...

When you buy your Seatran ticket, ask if they have hotel service... at the Airport or Donsak terminal...

Don't necessarily pick the first service offered in Nathon, take a few minutes to see what's available...if you cannot pre-book! .

Edited April 3, 2015 by samuijimmy

[Bababooey]

It depends on which type of service you use.... and cost is different to which you use ...

Taxi is going to be the most expensive, but it should take you directly to where you want to go... without dropping off other people en-route...

Songtau, may get you close to where you want, but not necessarily "door to door" service, if the resort is off the main route...

Not sure if Seatran, offers Mini bus service from Nathon, but if they do as done with Lomprayah ferries, they will have mini buses headed to various parts of the island... Dropping people off as they go....

Price for that is usually reasonable but varies to high / low season.... 150 to 200 baht roughly per person...

Thanks Jimmy!

A shared minivan at 150-200 per person to my hotel would be great.

Do you know if the songtau takes the route through Lamai Beach or if it takes what I believe is called the "Bypass Road"?

When I was last in Samui around four years ago I saw red songtaus on the road through Lamai Beach.

I have all the time in the world and I know the walk from the Bypass Road to Lamai Beach is downhill but a concern is that I am arriving on the evening of April 12th.

If some are starting Songkran water play early on the evening of the 12th, I wouldn't watch my luggage, laptop, etc. to get wet.

My hotel is less than a minute from the road through Lamai Beach, not far from the boxing ring, so I would assume I would probably not get wet on that short walk but if I was walking from the Bypass Road then I proabably don't want to risk it on the 12th.

[samuijimmy]

It depends on which type of service you use.... and cost is different to which you use ...

Taxi is going to be the most expensive, but it should take you directly to where you want to go... without dropping off other people en-route...

Songtau, may get you close to where you want, but not necessarily "door to door" service, if the resort is off the main route...

Not sure if Seatran, offers Mini bus service from Nathon, but if they do as done with Lomprayah ferries, they will have mini buses headed to various parts of the island... Dropping people off as they go....

Price for that is usually reasonable but varies to high / low season.... 150 to 200 baht roughly per person...

Thanks Jimmy!

A shared minivan at 150-200 per person to my hotel would be great.

Do you know if the songtau takes the route through Lamai Beach or if it takes what I believe is called the "Bypass Road"?

When I was last in Samui around four years ago I saw red songtaus on the road through Lamai Beach.

I have all the time in the world and I know the walk from the Bypass Road to Lamai Beach is downhill but a concern is that I am arriving on the evening of April 12th.

If some are starting Songkran water play early on the evening of the 12th, I wouldn't watch my luggage, laptop, etc. to get wet.

My hotel is less than a minute from the road through Lamai Beach, not far from the boxing ring, so I would assume I would probably not get wet on that short walk but if I was walking from the Bypass Road then I proabably don't want to risk it on the 12th.

I am not really sure how the Songtaus, work in Lamai, perhaps one of the Lamai members can help on that?? (Come on you Lamai guys!)

If you get the mini van, they will take you directly to the hotel anyway, dry and safe from getting wet... I suspect you'll be OK though, if only a short walk.... but no guarantees...expressed or implied!

Lamai and more so Chawang have a different breed of "party animals"!

[evadgib]

Wouldn't it be easier to ask your hotel to come and get you?

[PoorSucker]

Came once on last Airasia flight.

Bus and seatran combo to Nathon.

Songtheau to Chaweng via Lamai, he took the beach Road and dropped of some at the their hotel.

Cost me 100 baht but I asked him in Thai ;l

[Mole]

I arrived to the Seatran pier a couple of weeks ago and these are the following options:

Songthaew will cost 60 (standard price) to Lamai or Chaweng. There will be several waiting and just tell where you're going and they'll direct you to the correct one. Not sure if the driver wants extra for heavy luggage. The drawback is that unless your hotel happens to be on their route, they won't be able to stop right in front of your hotel.

There's also shared minivans, which I took and cost 80. I live in Chaweng where the songthaew route doesn't pass, so that's why I chose this instead. I also had a 20 kg big luggage with me and didn't need to pay any extra for it.

There's also of course the taxis, but they'll probably want at least 600 to go to Lamai or Chaweng.

I am a native Thai, but the prices should also apply to farangs. Just don't tell them you read about it here...

Hotel transfer is of course most convenient, but most hotels would want at least 400 or more to pick up from Nathon to Chaweng or Lamai.

Edited April 3, 2015 by Mole

[PoorSucker]

Songthaew will cost 60 (standard price) to Lamai or Chaweng.

Standard price daytime, Op will arrive evening, after dark the price goes up.

100 baht will be cheap.

[Mole]

Regular songthaew at standard price will run till around 5-6 PM in the afternoon. Anything after that, the price will go dramatically up. At least 100 to Chaweng and Lamai. Minivan, not sure, but probably 150.

[notmyself]

Songthaew will almost certainly go down the beach road but you are looking at 150-180 Baht after 6PM. Ferry passengers are initially guided to Songthaews that are either going clockwise or anti-clockwise so get a seat quite swiftly because as the number of people reduces it becomes pot luck.

This is another way but it requires a certain amount of front. I use it when flying in but no reason It should not work on the ferry or even the bus from Surat. Stand up and announce you are travelling to Lamai and would anyone like to share a taxi.

What time does the ferry dock?

[Bababooey]

What time does the ferry dock?

First off, thanks to everybody who replied to this thread.

Ferry docks at 7:30 P.M.

if I'm going to Lamai, I suppose a counter-clockwise songtheaw is best? How would i communicate that?

However, my first choice would be a mini-van which sounds like at night will be more or less the same price as the songtheaw. Is there an offical ticket booth/table with fixed prices for the vans or is it negotiable as with the songtheaws? I suppose it will be obvious where I find the vans. If not, please let me know.

Thanks!

[notmyself]

What time does the ferry dock?

First off, thanks to everybody who replied to this thread.

Ferry docks at 7:30 P.M.

if I'm going to Lamai, I suppose a counter-clockwise songtheaw is best? How would i communicate that?

However, my first choice would be a mini-van which sounds like at night will be more or less the same price as the songtheaw. Is there an offical ticket booth/table with fixed prices for the vans or is it negotiable as with the songtheaws? I suppose it will be obvious where I find the vans. If not, please let me know.

Thanks!

That time of the evening is going to be pretty quiet so there many not be many mini-vans around and what there are just want to put bums on seats. If you say Lamai then they will say yes. You will eventually get to Lamai but it could be via Maenam, Chang Mon and Chaweng which could take as long as 90 minutes.

There is no desk that I have seen as the drivers just work in a team to send people the correct way. It appears like chaos but it actually works very well. If you just get off the ferry reasonably quickly and keep saying 'Lamai' when approached then you will likely end up at your hotel some 25-30 minutes later.