Old Fool Posted January 24, 2017 Share Posted January 24, 2017 Date: Arrive late on April 8 - Songkran for 8 nights. Plans: 1 or 2 dives, beaches, great food, fun Songkran activities, rent motorcycle, bicycle, snorkeling Not interested: FMP (cheap flights) 1 Surat Thani 3 Kho Tao 4 Kho Samui (last day travel to Surat Thani) Other options: (cheap flights) 1 Surat Thani 2 Kho Tao 2 Kho Phangan 3 Kho Samui (last day travel to Surat Thani) (expensive/ cheap flights) 3 Kho Samui 3 Kho Tao 2 Kho Phangan (last day travel to Surat Thani) (expensive/ cheap flights) 2 Kho Samui 3 Kho Tao 3 Kho Phangan (last day travel to Surat Thani) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samuijimmy Posted January 28, 2017 Share Posted January 28, 2017 One thing Songkran is usually only one day on the islands, not the eight days observed else where! Usually the Saturday afternoon ... may be a little bit more in Chawang on Samui....or Haad Rin on KP ...(FMP which you say you don't want anyway!) Going to Koh Toa first from Surratthani would mean changing boats on Koh Samui or Koh Phangan .... So need to decide which way you want to go. You could do Koh Toa first leaving from Chumphon...(Nok Air) Do Koh Tao first , then head to Koh Phangan, then Samui... and get ferry back from Samui to Chumphon (Lomprayah Ferry) There is no direct ferry from Koh Toa to Surratthanii / Donsak. This might help: http://www.chumphonairport.net/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cracker1 Posted January 31, 2017 Share Posted January 31, 2017 I suggest : Lompraya Ferry from Chumpon to Kho Tao Lompraya to Kho Pangyang Lompraya to Kho Samui Seatrans and bust to Surathani Airport. (400 baht) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12DrinkMore Posted January 31, 2017 Share Posted January 31, 2017 On 1/28/2017 at 10:13 AM, samuijimmy said: There is no direct ferry from Koh Toa to Surratthanii / Donsak. Did the overnighter stop? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12DrinkMore Posted January 31, 2017 Share Posted January 31, 2017 That is a lot of changing accommodation and travel over the chaotic Songkran peak period. Either book in advance or don't move about so much. You can dive Koh Tao from Samui by speedboat. I am making plans to evacuate Thailand...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khunPer Posted January 31, 2017 Share Posted January 31, 2017 As others said, do Koh Tao first, then Phangan and Samui. You have two ferry options from Chumphon to Koh Tao, either Lomprayah Catamaran or Sea Train Express Link. Both has web-page, you can search at Google. Same ferries will take you from Koh Tao and further on... Returning to BKK you have several options from Koh Samui: 1) Bangkok Airways direct flight; a bit expensive, from around 3,500 baht to some 5,000 baht (depending of flight time and advanced booking on Internet), but convenient and fast direct to Suwarnabhumi 2) Air Asia from Surat Thani; they offer a combined ticket including ferry/bus/air, cheap, but take some 5-7 hours, arrives at Don Mueng Airport (please someone correct me, if I'm wrong) 3) Lomprayah or Sea Train fast ferries back to Chumphon and express bus to BKK, leaves at 8am, arrives around 5pm 4) VIP bus from Samui to BKK; overnight bus-ride for about 1,200 baht 5) Train; a combined ticket with boat from Samui, bus to Surat Thani station and sleeper, typically 2nd class, costs around 700 baht A useful link: Train, ferry, bus tickets in Thailand. Song Kran at Koh Samui is some water war in the evening of April 12th in night-life areas, typically Chaweng around Soi Green Mango and that part of the Beach Road – expect to be wet, if you out there in the evening of the 12th – and some of the bar area in Lamai. The 13th everybody play Song Kran all over the island and many takes a ride around the island. Chaweng Beach Road is great fun, when one wish to get wet. The 14th of April is however dry as a dessert... Wish you a good holiday... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samuijimmy Posted January 31, 2017 Share Posted January 31, 2017 4 hours ago, 12DrinkMore said: That is a lot of changing accommodation and travel over the chaotic Songkran peak period. Either book in advance or don't move about so much. You can dive Koh Tao from Samui by speedboat. I am making plans to evacuate Thailand...... Overnight boat has not stopped, but it's not a comfortable ride from what I have been told... perhaps for back packers on "cheap budget" .... I don't know why anyone would leave the Islands for Song kran... so many places it just not an event for much more than an after noon, here except as said Chawang or Haad Rin possibly... Some parts of the islands nothing to worry about...at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naamblar2014 Posted January 31, 2017 Share Posted January 31, 2017 Sorry what is FMP? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khunPer Posted January 31, 2017 Share Posted January 31, 2017 4 hours ago, Naamblar2014 said: Sorry what is FMP? Full Moon Party at Haad Rin's Sunrise Beach... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Fool Posted January 31, 2017 Author Share Posted January 31, 2017 Thanks for the replies. Chumphon to Koh Tao first sounds best. Maybe I'll take the afternoon flight out of Chumphon or the train or bus. I'm leaning toward these two itineraries: April 9-11 Kho Tao April 11-13 Kho Phangan (FMP is on the 11th) April 13-16 Kho Samui (last day travel to Surat Thani) or April 9-12 Kho Tao April 12-16 Kho Samui (last day travel to Surat Thani) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khunPer Posted February 1, 2017 Share Posted February 1, 2017 OP, "Old Fool", be aware that at some parts of Koh Phangan they only accept 5-day bookings during FMP period. As you said you're not into FMP, you should avoid Haad Rin and the vicinity, and also be prepared that there might be lots of other travellers that day. If you're not into partying, you should probably look at the northern part of Koh Phangan for "Bounty Beach", for example take a peek at Thong Nai Pan Lek or Thong Nai Pan Yai. April 13th is an extremely bad day for domestic travelling to Koh Samui, as it's the day the roads will be overloaded and you might get soaking wet, but otherwise miss most of the Song Kran fun you ask for... Your second itinerary makes more sense... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samuijimmy Posted February 1, 2017 Share Posted February 1, 2017 7 hours ago, khunPer said: OP, "Old Fool", be aware that at some parts of Koh Phangan they only accept 5-day bookings during FMP period. As you said you're not into FMP, you should avoid Haad Rin and the vicinity, and also be prepared that there might be lots of other travellers that day. If you're not into partying, you should probably look at the northern part of Koh Phangan for "Bounty Beach", for example take a peek at Thong Nai Pan Lek or Thong Nai Pan Yai. April 13th is an extremely bad day for domestic travelling to Koh Samui, as it's the day the roads will be overloaded and you might get soaking wet, but otherwise miss most of the Song Kran fun you ask for... Your second itinerary makes more sense... Generally agree with Khun Per, the 3 to 5 day bookings are only in Thonsala where the ferry lands, to Haad Rin areas, from my experiences on KP .... so easy very to avoid!!! Yes, east coast, (not so easy to get too) or west, north or NW areas, would be better choices to stay.. Maehaad/ Koh Ma beach is also very nice... With such short stays I would say it all might be a little rushed not much time to take it all in...(Just to save confusion there is a Maehaad where you land on Koh Toa, and another on KP....) Unless things drastically change this year, with Songkran , Saturday (14th) would be the only day to worry about getting wet! .... On most parts of Samui! (already said b4 !! ) Maybe Khun Per has found different, we live in more or less same areas, but I have never gotten wet except for Saturday... You might get wet snorkeling off Koh Toa... watch out for big fish! all quiet beautiful! Planing on heading to KT in March or April too! Maehaad beach Koh Phangan... at least try and do lunch there! Snorkeling there too... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khunPer Posted February 1, 2017 Share Posted February 1, 2017 In my 2017 calendar – and also in Thai Visa calendar – it's Songkran Festival Thursday 13th, Friday 14th, and Saturday 15th of April; with Sunday 16th as day off, and Monday 17th as substitution public holiday for Saturday 15th. So this year a five days holiday. During all those years I've been living at Samui – and that's more than 10 years now – Songkran has always been held the 13th, no matter if Saturday or not, as it's a public holiday, and with some events in specified areas the 12th at night. The 13th of April is Songkran Day from what I can find, including Wikipedia. The day after Songkran, i.e. the 14th, I always experienced as dry on Koh Samui, of course if not the Weather Gods are playing with downpour... Sorry SamuiJimmy, but I think you're wrong about Saturday. I've been participating in a number of Water Wars over the years, both in evening, and at the day when we're driving around the island loaded with several hundred liters of wet ammunition on the back of pick-up trucks, and doing our best to protect the borders from dangerous aqua-invaders. Always seemed to be the same day as everybody else also splashes water; but to be absolutely sure I just double-checked with my photos meta-tags: they're all a 12th April in evening, and a 13th April in daytime. Me, I will worry about getting wet the 13th... An April 12th evening at Chaweng Beach Road (and it's not raining)... An April 13th day in Chaweng South, with an "official Water War" warning poster for that year: "13 April (Sunday) 2008". Chaweng North's Beach Road traffic jam same day as above – and it's a real jam, not like the Friday afternoon rush hour in Bo Phut. Kind police officers tried to control it, but seemed like they gave up after they, as usual, became soaking wet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samuijimmy Posted February 2, 2017 Share Posted February 2, 2017 Maybe you are right about the day/ date Khun Per, every day same same... ! Most years I drive with Thai friends around Samui, some areas you see virtually little or no water throwing! Never seen more than the one day! (or rather afternoon)..... Unlike BKK etc which I gather is everyday... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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