The journey by joint ferry and bus service from Koh Samui to Phang Nga is scheduled to take between 5 hours 30 and 6 hours 30 minutes depending upon which departure you take.
Bus Timetable from Koh Samui to Phang Nga
- Click on the Koh Samui – Phang Nga link in the timetable below for more information and to buy tickets.
| Koh Samui - Phang Nga ฿ 8,800 9h | |
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Departure from Koh Samui
Direct services from Koh Samui to Phang Nga commence with a ferry crossing to the mainland from Pier 3 in Nathon, the main town in Koh Samui.
Arrival in Phang Nga
Joint ferry and bus services from Koh Samui to Phang Nga terminate at Phang Nga Bus Station, Tham Nam Phut, Mueang Phang-nga District, Phang-nga 82000.
Koh Panyee in Phang Nga
Koh Panyee is a small island in Phang Nga bay with a village on one side which is built entirely on wooden posts because the island is too steep to build on. According to legend, the island community was established by fisherman from Java at the end of the 18th Century. The story is that several families set off from Java looking for new fishing grounds and that they split up in their search of Phang Nga Bay for a suitable location.
The agreement was that whoever found somewhere would go to a high point and display a red flag. The name Panyee is believed to be derived from Javanese for red flag, so Koh Panyee is Red Flag Island. The current 1,500 or so permanent residents all claim ancestry from those first adventurous fishermen from Java. It should also be noted that the Thai Government would not allow land claims from this group so by building a village over the water they get around that particular legal barrier.
Koh Panyee in Phang NgaKoh Panyee is a popular stop for tourist boats around Phang Nga bay, second only to the nearby James Bond Island. The village with it’s rickety wooden walkways and unique way of life is the real attraction, although the village is full of restaurants and souvenir shops as way for the local people to monetise the interest of tourists.
There is no entrance fee to the island so buying something and eating on one of the restaurants is a good way to pay back the people of Koh Panyee for allowing visitors to intrude on their small village.