Bus times from Hat Yai to Surat Thani

By bus or minivan it takes around 5 hours to travel from Hat Yai to Surat Thani.

Bus Timetable from Hat Yai to Surat Thani

Click on the Hat Yai – Surat Thani link in the timetable below for more information and to buy tickets.

Hat Yai Bus Stop

P Plus Express services from Hat Yai to Surat Thani depart from the P Plus Express Company Limited Office, 30-32 Chotevittayakul 1 Rd, Hat Yai, Hat Yai District, Songkhla 90110.

Surat Thani Bus Stop

P Plus Express services from Hat Yai to Surat Thani terminate at the P Plus Express Office, Talad Mai Rd, Talat, Mueang Surat Thani District, Surat Thani 84000.

About Travel to Surat Thani

With a city centre population of over 140,000, and more than 500,000 living in the wider metropolitan area, Surat Thani is one of the largest cities in Southern Thailand. Surat Thani is also a relatively new city which developed from a small settlement into a large town during the 20th Century.

Tourism in Surat Thani City

There are no historic buildings in Surat Thani City. The city’s architectural highlights are few, and include its city pillar shrine and a Catholic cathedral. In terms of cultural attractions, there are also very few of these in the city centre. The main social highlights of city life in Surat Thani are its night markets, and religious festivals such as Songkran in April and the Chak Phra Festival in October.

There are several very good visitor attractions located in Surat Thani Province outside the city, such as tours of the region’s inland waterways and Wat Phra Borommathat Chaiya, but none in the main city itself which would attract visitors in large numbers. The reason most leisure travellers go to Surat Thani City is in transit to Koh Samui and Koh Phangan, and (to a lesser extent) to visit Khao Sok National Park or to travel by road from Surat Thani City to west coast destinations such as Krabi and Phuket.

Facilities for Visitors to Surat Thani City

Surat Thani City has relatively good facilities for travellers compared to many other provincial cities in Thailand, but not as good as those of major tourist destinations such as Hua Hin or Pattaya. Surat Thani City is also an inexpensive place to stay in terms of the cost of food and accommodation, even if the same type of luxury or Western style hotels and restaurants you can find elsewhere in Thailand are largely absent from Surat Thani City.

There are around 70 hotels, hostels, and guesthouses, in Surat Thani City ranging in price from around 300 THB a night for small hotesl such as MyPlace@Surat Hotel to just over 1,000 THB for larger hotels such as K Park Grand Hotel. There are currently no internationally branded hotels in Surat Thani City.

Surat Thani City has lots of great food and great restaurants most of which, however, are largely inaccessible to foreign visitors due to the absence of English language menus and staff with English language skills. Notable exceptions include Day & Night in Surat Thani Restaurant, and Milano Italian Restaurant. Many foreign visitors to Surat Thani, however, choose to eat out at the lively Surat Thani Night Market on the Tonpo Alley in the centre of the city. Inexpensive local dishes and snacks, alongside a small range of salads and sandwiches, are available every day from 15:00 until 21:00 at Surat Thani Night Market.

Travel to the Islands

From Surat Thani City there are three options for travelling to Koh Samui and Koh Phangan.

Option 1: Travel via Donsak

The majority of the ferry services from Surat Thani to Koh Samui and Koh Phangan depart from the coastal district of Donsak, which is located over 60 km by road to the east of Surat Thani City.

The journey by bus or minivan from Surat Thani City to the ferry piers in Donsak takes around 1 hour 15 minutes. From Donsak the journey by car ferry to Koh Samui then takes around 1 hour 30 minutes, and the journey to Koh Phangan typically takes 2 hours 30 minutes.

The only bus and minivan services from Surat Thani City to Donsak are operated either by the ferry companies or private tour operators, and these bus or minivan services are normally sold in a package with a ticket for the connecting ferry. These packages are often referred to ‘joint services’.

For more information about joint services to Koh Samui and Koh Phangan, and to buy tickets, follow the links in red below:

• Joint services from Surat Thani City to Koh Samui
• Joint services from Surat Thani City to Koh Phangan

Option 2: Travel via Tapee Pier

Tapee Lomprayah Pier is located 7 km by road from Surat Thani City.

Two ferry companies, Lomlahkkhirin and Lomprayah High Speed Ferry, operate a small number of services from Tapee Lomprayah Pier to Koh Samui and Koh Phangan. Because of the limited number of services, during the tourist season you generally need to book in advance.

For more information about ferries from Tapee Lomprayah Pier to Koh Samui, and to buy tickets, follow the links in red below:

• Ferry times and tickets from Tapee Lomprayah Pier to Koh Samui
• Ferry times and tickets from Tapee Lomprayah Pier to Koh Phangan

Option 3: Night Boat

There is also an overnight ferry service from Night Boat Pier in the centre of Surat Thani City to Koh Phangan, but not Koh Samui.

This service, which uses several different ferries, is known locally as the ‘Night Boat’ and it takes around 6 hours to reach Koh Phangan. The departure times vary, however, these services typically depart at either 22:00 or 23:00.

Night Boat ferries are large commercial vessels which have been converted into passenger ferries. Instead of seating, passengers are allocated a mattress to sleep on in a fan cooled cabin. These services are far from luxurious and tend to appeal most to younger travellers on a tight budget, as well as people (mostly men) living or working in the area.