Surat Thani airport

I will be arriving in Ranong from Kawthaung around noon on a Thursday in October. My goal is to be in Bangkok by 22:00. My preference would be to fly direct from Ranong, but the only airline on that route is Nok Air, and based on the last few weeks, they may not be around for much longer. A nine hour bus ride is definitely not my idea of a good time.

I took advantage of Air Asia fare sale and booked a super cheap flight from Surat Thani at 20:00. Assuming I can get a 3 hour minibus from Ranong to Surat Thani, this means that I will hopefully have a few hours to explore the town before my flight. The only problem is my luggage. Does the airport have any way of storing bags? Are there any other options in town? I imagine i can just book a cheap guest house and store there for a few hours if needed.

If Nok Air is still in operation, is there any incentive to still go to Surat? I know minibuses are rolling deathtraps, but is the ride scenic? Is there anything worthwhile to do around Surat for a few hours? I dont mind tossing the Air Asia tickets due to the low cost, but this is probably the only time I would ever go near Surat. Either way, I will have to kill a day in Ranong or a few hours in Surat, since the flights are both late at night