By joint ferry and bus service the journey from Koh Phangan to Khao Lak is scheduled to take from 7 to 14 hours depending on which service you use.
Bus Timetable from Koh Phangan to Khao Lak
Click on the Koh Phangan – Khao Lak link in the timetable below for more information and to buy tickets.
| Koh Phangan - Khao Lak ฿ 1,020–1,050 13h 30m | |
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| Koh Phangan - Khao Lak ฿ 800 8h 30m – 9h | |
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| Koh Phangan - Khao Lak ฿ 8,250 9h | |
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Departure from Koh Phangan
Direct services to Khao Lak depart from Koh Phangan Ferry Port in Thong Sala.
Arrival in Khao Lak
Different service providers have different arrival points in Khao Lak. Fame Tour and 465 Surat Thani Phuket Transport services from Koh Phangan to Khao Lak terminate near Nang Thong Supermarket.
About Travel to Khao Lak
Khao Lak is a coastal area on the west coast of Thailand, approximately 65 km by road from the northern tip of Phuket. Many visitors to Khao Lak travel via Phuket International Airport, which is currently the closest commercial airport to Khao Lak.
Travel from Koh Phangan to Khao Lak
There are several stages to the journey from Koh Phangan to Khao Lak:
- The first stage of the journey is to travel by ferry from Koh Phangan to one of the ferry ports in Surat Thani Province.
- From the ferry port passengers will travel by bus or minivan to Surat Thani City.
- In Surat Thani City passengers will transfer to another bus or minivan to complete the 180 km long journey by road to Khao Lak.
The journey time is considerably longer if you choose to travel on one of the overnight services. This is because passengers on these services complete the sea crossing in the ‘night boat’, which is a converted fishing or cargo vessel that has been fitted out with sleeper berths for passengers. Night boat services take more than twice as long to travel from Koh Phangan to the mainland than the larger car ferries which also operate on this route.
The white sand beach in Khao Lak is 20 km longAbout Khao Lak
Khao Lak isn’t a specific town or village, the term refers to a stretch of coastline which is approximately 20 km running north from Phangnga Naval Base. The special feature of this coastline is its nearly continuous 20 km long white sand beach.
This long beach is split into 8 separately named beaches. There are also three distinct towns in Khao Lak, all spread along the Phetchkasem Highway: Bang La On, Bang Niang, and Khuk Khak. Bang La On, the most southerly of the three towns, is the largest. All three towns, however, have plenty of bars and restaurants, and a few shops. Many visitors decide where to stay in Khao Lak by looking at price and availability at the many 4 and 5 stars large hotels on the beach, rather than by deciding which town in Khao Lak they prefer.
Khao Lak-Lam Ru National Park
Other than the beaches, the main tourist attraction in Khao Lak is the Khao Lak-Lam Ru National Park. The park covers a large area (125 sq km) and includes the 1,077 metres tall Lak Mountain (Khao Lak).
The Khao Lak-Lam Ru National Park has several large waterfalls, viewpoints, and is home to a wide range of birds and mammals including some rarely seen animals, such as the binturong. There are several signposted walking routes within the park for visitors. One of the longer walks within the park is to Ton Chong Fa Waterfall, which is located 12 km from the park’s visitor centre. There are also much shorter and easier walks, such as the nature trail to Hat Lek Beach which tends to be the most popular of the different hiking routes.