The Cheapest way to travel to Koh Samui, Thailand

Koh Samui is a very nice Island, I mean very beautiful it's already my 1st favorite Island in Thailand by far after Koh Chang. However, Koh Samui is quite expensive especially the roundtrip ticket from Bangkok directly to Koh Samui, it usually around 5,000 THB++. Good thing I found a cheaper or affordable way to travel to Koh Samui. 

When traveling I always find a way to get the cheapest deal from accommodation to tours to transportation and even foods. Maybe that's why sometimes I am so confident to travel because I always make sure to travel by the budget. 

So here's my affordable way to travel to Koh Samui from Bangkok, however, I will start in Pattaya since I'm currently residing in Pattaya. I booked my round trip ticket from Bangkok to Surat Thani through Air Asia for only 2,155.65 THB. My flight from Bangkok Don Meung Airport was at 7:10 AM. So, I have to leave the evening before the day of my flight. I depart from Pattaya at 6:00 PM by bus for only 119 THB, travel time to Ekkamai Bus station in Bangkok is 2 - 3 hours depends on the traffic. 

Reminders! At the moment the bus from Pattaya to Bangkok and vice versa is only until 8:00 PM, you may check out their website to make sure if they change their schedule time http://pattayabus.com/V2/en/from-pattaya/

I arrived in Bangkok- Ekkamai Bus station at exactly 9:00 PM, since I haven't had my dinner yet I made a short stop at the KFC nearby the station and had my dinner. After a sumptuous dinner, I took the Ekkamai BTS to Mochit BTS for only 44 THB, travel time is around 30 minutes. When I arrived at Mochit BTS station I went down from the station and head to the alley of busses. I'm a little hesitant to take an A1 bus because my friend who lives in Bangkok informed me that there might be no A1 busses anymore going to Don Meung Airport because it's quite late already, but I tried my luck and wait at the bus stop. Around 10:20 PM I am surprised to see an A2 bus approaching, A2 busses are also going to Don Meung Airport. I hop in and paid 30 THB to Don Meung Airport, it only took 40 minutes to the Airport. I arrived at Don Meung Airport at 11:00 PM, few of my friends are a little bit worried about me staying for a long time and waiting at the airport for my flight. But I humbly told them I'm fine, I'm used to staying at the airport for a long period of time. So I waited at Don Meung Domestic airport for almost 7 hours for my flight at 7:10 AM.

The next day, finally it's already my 7:10 AM flight and travel time from Bangkok to Surat Thani is only an hour. When I arrived at Surat Thani airport, I immediately follow the Exit sign and find the Seatran Ferry stall. The day before I travel to Bangkok I booked a transfer from Seatran ferry website https://www.seatranferry.com/ from Surat Thani Airport to Koh Samui and also from Koh Samui ferry in Nathon Pier to Surat Thani airport. I paid a transfer from  Surat Thani Airport to Koh Samui for 577.50 THB and Samui ferry in Nathon Pier to Surat Thani airport for 420 THB. It's quite confusing at first with the staff of Seatran ferry in the Surat Thani airport because they asked me an additional 150 THB payment for my transfer from Koh Samui to my hotel, which I don't understand because I booked a transfer from Surat Thani Airport to Koh Samui ANY HOTEL. Until a few minutes, they returned my 150 THB and give me a sticker, however, they did not explain but I guess I was right. I hop into the bus transfer from Surat Thani airport to Don Sak port in Sura Thani, arranged by Seatran ferry. Travel time is nearly 3 hours, we arrived at Don Sak port around noon. There it was again the confusion on what to do, there is no English instruction by the driver since I guess I'm the only foreign tourist on-board my co-travelers are Thai. Anyways, what I did is just follow where the people go, I followed this two couple who went inside an office and scanned their receipt that Seatran staff give to us so they can enter the way to the ferry. I scanned mine in my surprised it was Error, but in my mind, "What? I paid! what now!" the staff help me out and give me instructions in English to pay for the ferry ticket inside the office, well I didn't argue anymore, I don't want to be left out by the ferry so I paid the ferry ticket for  120 THB. Seatran ferry is so huge, the first ferry I experienced that look so luxurious, anyways, the travel time from Don Sak port to Koh Samui is 1 hour. I enjoyed my time on the ferry they have different spots perfect for Instagram pictures, they also have a mini-mart inside in case you are hungry or thirsty. 

Finally! the last transportation to my hotel, we arrived at Nathon Pier in Koh Samui, I did not have a hard time finding my guide to send me to my hotel as he already recognized me when I step down from the ferry. He handed me over to a van transfer, waiting for other passengers, and finally at 3:00 PM I arrived in my hotel.

Honestly speaking, the experienced is literally so tiring but worth the experience because I get to see other places during the travel like Surat Thani and the big stone mountains in Don Sak port while on board in the ferry, that's my favorite part. The whole travel transportation from Pattaya to Koh Samui roundtrip only cost me 3,689.15 THB ( I already included the 30 THB bus from Don Meung Airport to Mochit BTS station, 44 THB Mochit BTS to Ekkamai BTS, and 119 THB Ekkamai bus to Pattaya). While a roundtrip ticket from Bangkok Airport direct to Koh Samui alone is 5,000 THB, it really saves me a lot. 

I hope you like my travel experience and I hope I did help you out budgeting your trip to Koh Samui.