Ban Phe, Ferry Ports for Boats to Koh Samet Island

Covid19 Update: In line with the government’s policy of re-opening National Parks in Thailand, Koh Samet re-opened to tourists from 1 July 2020. Note that not all resorts and guesthouses are operational. If you made a booking a long time ago, please contact your hotel direct to confirm that they are actually open.

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Koh Samet (also spelled Samed ) is a favourite weekend getaway for Bangkokians, due to it being just a couple of hours drive and a 15 – 45 minute boat ride from the capital. So the majority of visitors, especially at weekends, are Thai tourists rather than foreigners. Therefore, if you are planning on a weekend trip at anytime of the year – book in advance.

The island offers all the ingredients that tourists require. There are fine white sand beaches, clear blue seas, water sports, good nightlife and a wide range of restaurants. Accommodation ranges form basic beach huts through to luxury fiove star hideaways, there’s something for every budget. But as with all destinations there are Pros & Cons.

And, as an added bonus, Koh Samet is a very dry island. The corner of Thailand covering Pattaya and Rayong receives very little annual rainfall. Meaning that visitors are almost certain to have plenty of sunshine regardless of when they visit.

If you want a break from city life in Pattaya and Bangkok, and islands such as Koh Chang, Koh Kood or Koh Mak are too far for a short break, then Koh Samet is well worth visiting.

How to get to Koh Samet?

To get to Koh Samet you have to take a passenger boat from Ban Phe, on the mainland.

Ban Phe, the pier for boats to Koh Samed, is around 2 and a half hours drive from Bangkok. On this site you’ll find all the information you need regarding getting to Ban Phe and boat services to Koh Samed.

Ban Phe to Koh Samet Boat Schedules

Please note that boat timings depend on which beach you are staying on and are also on ‘Thai time’ so may vary by 20 minutes or more. The weather and number of passengers may also affect when the boat departs.

Koh Samed Khokaew Phitsadan Fast Ferry

In late 2017 a new, high speed ‘Khokaew Phitsadan’ catamaran service was launched between Ban Phe and Koh Samet. This combines the speed of a speedboat, just a 10 minute journey, with the safety of a large, modern boat. Unless price is a serious issue, then this boat service is currently the best way to get to the island. There are regular sailings throughout the day from early morning to late afternoon.

Ticket price is 150 Baht per person one way. The ticket office is located roadside opposite the police station near Tarua Phe pier.

Check availability for the Khokaew Phitsadan ferry from Ban Phe to Nadan pier,Koh Samet

Timetable For Wooden Passenger Boats to Koh Samet Journey Outward Return Ban Phe to Na Dan pier 07:00 – 18:00 (Hourly) 07:00 – 18:00 (Hourly) Ban Phe to Ao Wong Duan 09:30, 13:30 08:30, 10:30, 12:30, 14:30, 16:30 Ban Phe to Ao Wai 11:00, 12:00 10:00, 12:00, 14:00, 16:00 Ban Phe to Ao Kui 09:30, 11:30, 13:30, 15:30 09:30, 11:30, 13:30, 15:30 Timetable For Speedboats to Koh Samet Ban Phe to Koh Samet ( all beaches ) 09:00, 10:00, 12:00, 13:00, 14:00 10:00, 11:00, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00

Ticket Prices for Boats to Koh Samet

As mentioned above, tickets can be bought as a single or return. It saves a bit of time when you are on the island if you buy a return ticket, but you don’t save any money. The boat companies charge the same prices:

Ban Phe – Koh Samet by Wooden Boat To / From Ban Phe One Way Return Na Dan Pier 50 Baht 100 Baht Ao Wong Duan 70 Baht 140 Baht Ao Wai 100 Baht 200 Baht Ao Kui 100 Baht 200 Baht Ban Phe – Koh Samet by Speedboat Hat Sai Kaew 200 Baht 400 Baht Ao Wong Duan 300 Baht 600 Baht Ao Wai 400 Baht 800 Baht Ao Kui 500 Baht 1,000 Baht

Private Boats From Koh Samed Resorts

Several of the better resorts run free boat services for guests. Boats usually run 3-4 times per day in each direction. If you are arriving outside those times then you will have to take a public boat to the island. But it makes travel much easier if you can use your resort’s own service.

Samed Resorts Group

Based at Ao Prao pier ( formerly known as Sri Ban Phe pier ) . Take this boat if you are staying at: Paradee Resort, Le Vimarn Cottages, Ao Prao Resort, Saikaew Beach Resort, Samed Club or Ban Ploy Sea Resort.

Lima Resorts

Based at Chok Kritsada pier. Take this boat if you are staying at: Lima Bella, Lima Coco or Lima Duva Resort

Vongdeuan Resort

Based at Municipality Pier. Take this boat if you are staying at Vongdeuan Resort

Private Speedboat Charter

This is the quickest way of getting to the island. There are several companies and the speedboats run 24 hours / day. Note that night time sailings are more expensive then daytime. Figure on around 2,000 Baht to hire a private speedboat to take you from Ban Phe to Koh Samet during daylight hours. Check tour agents in the village or around Municipality pier if you arrive late night and want to get to the island in a hurry.

White Shark Speedboats Tel: 038 653 181 or 081 781 4803 or 081 857 5638 (Office at Tarue Phe pier)

Samed Speedboats Tel: 038 651 134-5 ( Based at Seree Phe Pier )

Follow Me Tour Speedboat Tel: 038 864 7405

Chokmana Speedboats – Tel: 038 651 531 or 038 653 577

Private Speedboat Prices to Koh Samet

These prices are a guide and subject to negotiation. Most speedboats will take a maximum of 15 passengers. Private boats will run at night but there will be a surcharge of 200 – 500 Baht.

Going To Boat for 1 – 10 pax Boat for 11 – 15 pax Nadan Pier 1,800 ฿ 2,300 ฿ Sai Kaew Beach / Ao Phai / Ao Tubtim 2,100 ฿ 2,500 ฿ Ao Cho / Ao Vongduen 2,300 ฿ 2,800 ฿ Ao Thian / Ao Lungdum 2,500 ฿ 3,000 ฿ Ao Wai / Ao Pakarang 3,000 ฿ 3,500 ฿

How to Get to Koh Samet

The small port of Ban Phe is the departure point for speedboats and ferries to Koh Samet. There are regular, scheduled boat services but timetables aren’t necessarily fixed as public boats will until there are enough passengers before departing. At the weekend or during High Season this isn’t an issue as there is a steady stream of people arriving throughout the day. But during Low Season (May to October) you may have to wait at the pier for up to an hour on weekdays.

If you find that you have to wait for a boat there are a multitude of small coffee shops and restaurants close to the piers plus several mini-marts where you can get a drink and bite to eat. For visitors who haven’t booked accommodation on the island, there are also numerous tour agents which can book bungalows for you.

This does save you time when you arrive. But outside weekends and the busiest times of year advance booking isn’t necessary to find a room in almost any budget. The only advantage is saving you time and effort when you arrive.

If you are coming from Bangkok to Koh Samet, then it’s worth bearing in mind that buses can be packed, especially at the weekend. Therefore you should book tickets in advance.

It is possible to go via Rayong, but it saves you time to go direct from Bangkok to Koh Samet with a combined bus and boat ticket.

These are the current bus and minibus services from Bangkok to Koh Samet. Note that they may change depending on the coronavirus situation.

Koh Samet is a National Park, although you might not think that given the amount of development on the island. However, unlike Ko Chang island, which is also 75% National Park, all visitors to Samet must pay a National Park entrance fee. Thai tourists pay 40 Baht for an Adult and 20 Baht for Children. Foreign tourists pay 200 Baht and 100 Baht respectively. You can usually pay this either when you buy your boat ticket or when you arrive on the island.

Google Streetview shows the main piers clearly. You can enjoy a virtual drive along the high street in Ban Phe which runs past all the piers. You’ll see it’s lined with small minimarts, coffeeshops and restaurants, catering to people visiting Koh Samet.

Which Pier Should I Use in Ban Phe?

As you’ll see from the map there are several piers in Ban Phe. The all offer a range of boat services to Koh Samet either by wooden boat or speedboat.

The wooden boats are much slower. They take around 45 minutes to get to the island. Whereas the speedboats are a lot faster, crossing in around 10 minutes, but are far more expensive. Scheduled boat services only run in daylight, form around 07:00 – 18:00 daily year round.

Most of the wooden boats used are refurbished fishing boats powered by an old diesel engine. They are slow but are reliable and on a sunny day you’ll be able to enjoy the views as you head to the island. The speedboat services are handy if you are travelling to one of the beaches further south on the east coast or are in a large group.

Also, if you need to get to or from the island very early or late night then you’ll need to hire a speedboat privately. The price depends on the number of passengers and destination on Koh Samet.

The wooden boats all moor at Na Dan pier on the northeast shore of Koh Samet. This is the main pier on the island. In addition to the National Park fee, visitors arriving at Na Dan also have to 20 Baht for the pier maintenance fund.

The piers in Ban Phe are all relatively close together, so walking from one to the other isn’t a problem. Buses and minibuses tend to drop visitors off at Nuan Thip Pier. This is where you’ll be able to take a wooden boat or speedboat to the island. The wooden boats run hourly but the speedboats require 10 passengers before they will depart. Boat tickets for the wooden boat are the same at all piers 70 Baht one way and 100 Baht return. There is no requirement to buy a return ticket. You’ll be able to buy tickets from your hotel or any tour agent on the island.

A stone’s throw Nuan Thip Pier is Tarua Phe pier. This is the most popular pier for anyone wanting to take a speedboat to Koh Samet. Two speedboat companies ‘Black Pearl’ and ‘White Shark’ are based here. Ticket prices are from 200 to 500 Baht per person, depending where on the island you want dropping off.

Wooden passenger ferries also run hourly from both Chok Krisda Pier and Sri Ban Phe Pier also known as Seree Pier. These are more popular with Thai visitors, simply because they have secure, covered parking areas for passengers to leave their vehicles.

If you are staying in one of the larger resorts, a luxury hotel or resort owned by one of the extended local families, then it will probably have it’s own private boat service. This is usually free but the downside is that there will only be a handful of departures per day. So if you miss a boat then you’ll have the choice of waiting until the next boat or taking a public boat and then also having to pay for a pick up truck taxi to the hotel when you ready the island.

Taxi Service on Koh Samet

When you arrive at Na Dan pier on Koh Samet, you will see green, shared pick up truck taxis ‘songthaews’ waiting to take passengers to the beaches on the east coast of the island. These take the island’s main road. A narrow strip of concrete that runs from the north of the island down the east coast to the south. The driver will drop off at resorts on Hat Sai Kaew, Ao Phai, Ao Tubtim, Ao Lung Wung and Ao Wong Duan. The taxi fares are expensive, from 50 – 200 Baht per person.

On the way the taxi will stop at the National Park office so that passengers can pay the National Park entrance fee. This is only payable once, when you arrive on the island. (If you take a speedboat and get dropped off elsewhere then you’ll avoid passing the ticket office. Hotels are supposed take this off guests in this situation, but rarely do.)