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From
Bangkok |
Local transportation in Thailand
ranges from good to bad and can be tricky. There is excellent
transportation from Bangkok to Surat Thani and other parts
of the southern Thailand via bus, train, or domestic plane
service
By Plane 
Thai
Airways International operates a daily flight from
Bangkok to Surat Thani which takes one hour with the
cost of 1,785 baht for economy class M, 2,085 baht for economy
class Y, and 2,585 baht for business class. From Chiang Mai,
Thai Airways International flies twice a week with the cost
of 3,060 baht, and from Hat Yai with a fare of 1,450 baht.
There are also quite frequent services to Nakhon Si Thammarat,
Phuket and Ranong.
Contact number: +66 2 280 0060
or +66 77 272 610, 273 710 for more information.
There are five flights a week
between Surat Thani and Chiang Mai for 2,450 baht one way
and these flights also continue to Hat Yai for 1,150 baht
more. Orient Express Air, a relatively new service, operates
these flights.
From the Surat Thani Airport
to the provincial capital, Thai Airways International provides
a shuttle van for 40 baht per person and a more expensive
limousine service for 150 baht.
You can also travel from Bangkok
to Samui Island daily on Bangkok Airways in one hour and ten
minutes. Contact numbers: +66 2 229 3456 or +66 77 425 011
to 4, 425 029 to 30.
By Bus 
Daily
buses from Bangkok to Surat Thani leave from the Southern
Route Bus Terminal on Borom Ratchachonnani Road and take about
11 hours.
First class air-conditioned
buses leave Bangkok’s Southern Bus Terminal daily at 8 a.m.,
8.20 a.m., and 8.30 p.m. with the fare of 346 baht. Daily
2nd class air-conditioned buses departure at 9.30
a.m. and 8.45 p.m. for 269 baht and one VIP departure at 8
pm costs 350 baht. There are also “Super VIP” buses with only
30 seats for 450 baht operated by private companies and 1st
class super VIP buses with 24 seats for 535 baht leaving
at 7 p.m. and 7.30 p.m.
The non-air conditioned buses
leave the Southern Bus Terminal at 9.20 and 11 p.m. and cost
only 192 baht.
In addition, you can get direct
buses from Bangkok to Samui Island here. Contact number: +66
2 434 5557 to 8 (non-air conditioned buses) and +66 2 435
1199, 435 1200 (air conditioned buses).
By Train 
One
can catch a daily train at Hua Lam Pong Station in Bangkok.
The destination is Punpin district, Surat Thani, where
you have to take local buses or taxis into the
city in a distance of 14 km west of the town. The alternative
routes are to take a train to Chaiya or Ta Chana districts
and then, if you want to enjoy the exuberant town life, you
can take local buses or taxis from the station.
Trains to Surat Thani leave
Bangkok’s Hua Lamphong terminal at 12.25 p.m. on rapid train,
2.45 p.m. and 2.20 p.m. on special express, 3.50 p.m. on rapid,
5.05 p.m. on express, 6.20 p.m. on rapid, 7.15 p.m. on express,
5.35 p.m. on express, 10.50 p.m. on express diesel, and 10.30
p.m. on express diesel. The journey takes almost 11 hours
to arrive at Surat Thani. The most convenient train leaves
at 6.30 p.m. on rapid No. 41 and it arrives at 5.44 a.m.,
so you don’t have to rush to get a boat to Samui if
it is your main destination because you can have plenty
of time left before the boat off shores. The costs of train
tickets are 519 baht for 1st class, 248 baht for
2nd class, and 107 baht for 3rd class,
not including the surcharges and berths. Fares available only
for the 2.35 and 3.15 pm special express train are 470 baht
in first class and 224 baht in 2nd class, not including
the rapid/express/special express surcharges or berths.
There are no 3rd
class trains directly to Surat Thani from Bangkok, but you
can take the trains from Chumphon to Surat Thani on the ordinary
Nos 119 or 149 that cost 25 baht.
The Sprinter or first class
special express No 39 leaves Bangkok daily at 10.30 p.m. and
arrives in Phun Phin at 7.20 a.m. for 448 baht with the surcharge.
There are no sleeping berths available on this train.
There is a 24 hours left-luggage
room at the Phun Phin train station that costs 5 baht
for the first day and 10 baht thereafter. You can buy
a ticket from the office which is open daily from 6
to 11 a.m and noon to 6 p.m.
Contact the transportation
services center at the State Railway of Thailand: +66 2 223
7010, 223 7020 or Phunpin railway station: +66 77 311 213
for more information.
By Car 
Taking
a your leave from Bangkok, you can follow down
the route called “Thonburi-Parktor”, or highway 35. Then,
driving on Highway 4, you will pass through Phetchaburi, Prachueb
Kirikun, and Chumporn provinces heading toward Highway 41
to get to Surat Thani, 644 km from Bangkok.
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