I admit, I completely messed up when I booked my trip to Thailand. To anybody who doesn’t know, the Full Moon Party is on the island of Koh Phangan, a 30 minute boat ride from Koh Samui and 3 1/2 hours from the mainland. When I booked my flight and lodging I didn’t really pay attention to where this was. Like an idiot, I thought that if I flew to Phuket I could just get a cab to Koh Phangan from there. Nope. Phuket is a completely different island on the other side of the country. Check out the map below to see just how much of a bonehead move this was.
There were now two options. After an 8 hour layover in Singapore and landing in Phuket Lexi and I could take a 7 hour bus/ferry ride or a 2 hour plane/ferry ride to our destination. Thinking about you all, I chose to do both; I took the plane to Koh Phangan and then the bus back to Phuket, five days later. Tons of wasted money, a mild heatstroke, and far too much sweat ridden clothes has helped me figure out exactly what you need to know!
First off, how the hell do you get to this island?
Option #1: Flying/Ferry – Koh Samui to Koh Phangan
The closest airport is Koh Samui, a small island between your destination and the mainland. From there you have to take a ferry for your Full Moon frivolities. If you want a flight straight from abroad, you can check out daily Bangkok Airway connections from Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong.
If you are already in Thailand, here are the costs for flights from the most common airports:
Bangkok -> Samui: $100 or so
Chiang Mai -> Samui: $130 or so
Phuket -> Samui: $100 or so
Check out their website here: http://www.bangkokair.com/eng
The next step after your flight is to get to your ferry.
The ferry services that I used in Thailand are cheap, comfortable, and no nonsense. The moment you arrive at the airport in Samui you can go to the tourist desk, buy the ferry ticket and a shuttle ticket to the nearest port, all for about $5. Go hop on the shuttle and head out.
Option #2: Bus/Ferry
Let me introduce you to ferrysamui.com. This saved my life. A 1-way ticket with a ferry from Phangan to Samui, Samui to the mainland and then a 7 hour bus across the mainland to Phuket only costs $USD 32.
Ferrysamui.com is very professional and ensures that you have a spot on every mode of transport that you’ll need from ferries to buses. Furthermore, everything has air conditioning. Trust me, after melting away in the jungle for god knows how long you will want that A/C.
Here are some average prices for their routes:
Bangkok <-> Koh Phangan: $USD 32
Phuket <-> Koh Phangan: $USD 34
Krabi <-> Koh Phangan: $USD 20
Surat Thani Airport <->: $USD 18
Definitely check out their website: http://www.ferrysamui.com/
Trust me when I tell you these are the best options available to you. I would pay for ferrysamui any day and actually intend to the next time I go to Thailand. However, if you just want a quick trip across the country and to get to the beach party as fast as possible, flying may be your best option. Choose wisely and don’t stress too much if you get lost :). Good luck!
barefootglobal 
Hi.
May I know if ferrysamui.com is really reliable ?
I plan to make some bookings with them for my next trip cause they have paypal payment. More secure. Price is also same as direct booking with the ferry.
But I hardly find any review about this agent.
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Happy to help. I can only speak for their route from koh phangan to phuket. That being said, I found it very reliable. They were on time at every stop and ensured that their staff were present to direct us to each new vehicle.
For example, we used a ferry from koh phangan to koh samui then a bus from samui to phuket. I never felt nervous or confused the whole time.
I would recommend them for sure from my experience. Which route are you thinking of using with them?
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Thanks a lot for the info. Planning to use them for Bangkok – Koh Tao – Koh Phangan – Bangkok 🙂
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Oh wow haha. That is one big cross country trip. Im sure it will be great! Have fun 🙂
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Hahaha.. I did Phuket – Koh Phi Phi – Koh Phangan – Koh Samui – Penang before. So I think I’ll survive the next one … maybe.. :p
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Psh, you’re basically a pro then. You got this.
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