We’re often asked, “What’s the easiest and cheapest way to get around in Koh Samui?” these, sadly, are two different answers so depending on your budget, confidence, negotiation skills and time restrictions will depend on how you want to get around the island.
Below we are going to answer some of our most asked questions about travelling around in Koh Samui.
- How do I use the buses in Koh Samui?
- Which is the best taxi app to use in Koh Samui?
- What do I need to look out for when using a taxi in Koh Samui?
- What is a taxi bike and are they safe to use?
- What do I need to know before hiring a car or scooter?
- Where do I buy tickets for the speedboats & ferries?
Below we’ll break down the pros and cons of each, what to expect, what you’ll need and how much you should be paying. But before we get started here’s a piece of useful advice; when you arrive in Koh Samui go to your Google Maps app and download the whole island for offline use. Here’s how:
- Open Google Maps
- Click your profile photo in the top right corner
- Select ‘Offline Maps’
- Click ‘SELECT YOUR OWN MAP’
- Zoom out until the whole island is showing in the blue box
- Click ‘Download’
By downloading the map for offline use, no matter which method of transport you use you will be able to easily find your location and track how far away you are, which is very useful when using the public buses. And that is exactly where we shall start…
How do I use the buses in Koh Samui?
This is our preferred way to get around. We are staying very close to one of the main roads so we can often flag down a bus (songthaew) very quickly and for short journeys it’s definitely the most cost-effective option.
What does a Koh Samui bus look like?
The buses here are named ‘songthaew’ which quite literally translates to ‘two rows’. And you can see why. Essentially it is just an open-backed truck with two long benches inside and a roof on the top. They are Samui’s answer to the tuk-tuk.
How do I use a Songthaew?
Songthaew’s will drive around the island along the main roads, when you look at a map of Samui you’ll notice a large ring road that goes all the way around the island, there are other busy ‘main’ roads in areas around Chaweng, Fisherman’s Village, Bangrak and Choeng Mon to name a few. All you need to do is head to one of these busy roads and wait patiently. Obviously, if you are staying in more remote locations, with fewer hotels or if you’re staying in a private villa in the hills, this option might not be for you, as you’ll be waiting a while…
Anyway… once you spot a songthaew just stick your hand out and they’ll pull over. They are easy to spot even at night as they have a blue strip of lights on the roof. Head to the cab and let the driver know where you want to go. This is where the downloaded Google Maps come into play, as the driver will not always know the restaurant/bar/cafe/spa you want to get to, so give them a rough idea, a landmark nearby, a big hotel and if you follow your journey on the map when you get to your destination ring the bell (a button on the roof of the truck) and they’ll pull over for you.
Then just pay and be on your way. Just as a note, it is super important that you confirm the price BEFORE you get onboard otherwise you run the risk of being overcharged. Talking of prices…
How much does it cost to use a Songthaew?
You’ll need to scrub up on those negotiation skills of yours. Although using a songthaew is cheaper than a taxi, you do still need to negotiate. Our rule of thumb is that if the journey is under ten minutes you should only be paying ฿50 – ฿60 per person. For journeys of 10 – 20 minutes, you can expect to pay ฿100 – ฿150 per person.
When discussing the price start at your lowest and negotiate, an example journey from Central Samui in Chaweng to Fisherman’s Village (15 minutes) for two people should cost you no more than ฿250. They will try and charge you ฿300 as a minimum but you can actually get a private taxi using one of the apps for about ฿280, which will be cooler and faster. Talking of apps…
Which is the best taxi app to use in Koh Samui?
There are two different taxi apps you can download, inDrive and Grab.
Grab is popular in many areas of Thailand and South East Asia but we do find that it’s a bit more expensive than inDrive. inDrive works very similarly to Uber, except you have to pay the driver in cash once you’ve arrived at your destination.
How do I use the inDrive app?
On opening the app a blue pin will mark your current location (you can edit your pick-up location if you wish by pressing on your screen and dragging the pin to a new location.
You then need to select where you would like to go. At the bottom of the screen, there is a magnifying glass with the word ‘To’ next to it. Tap this and you can either type in the location for example ‘Fisherman’s Village Night Market’ or you can choose on the map – as before you just need to drag the blue marker until you find your desired destination.
Once you have your start point and destination the app will give you the price in Thai baht, tell you the distance and estimated travel time. Hit ‘Find a driver’ and the app will search for all available drivers in your area.
A list of drivers will appear on the screen and will indicate whether they have a S, M, or L car and how long it will take them to arrive. Select your preferred driver and head to the meeting point. It’s as simple as that.
On arrival just pay them the amount indicated.
What do I need to look out for when using a taxi in Koh Samui?
Official taxis are dark red and yellow in colour. They NEVER use the meter here so you must negotiate a price before getting into the taxi. You will be given the ‘tourist price’ which is usually ฿100 – ฿200 more than you should be paying. I get it, these guys have to make a living, but sometimes they take the p**s!
As with anywhere else in the world, you just need to flag them down, let them know where you want to go and negotiate a price. Pay on arrival and enjoy your morning/afternoon/evening.
A couple of little tips for you;
- If you’re staying at a hotel or villa (with a host) ask them for a recommended taxi service/driver, you’re less likely to be overcharged this way, although I would still suggest negotiating the price
- If you find a great driver, who you’re really vibing with and doesn’t overcharge you, get their number, more and more of the drivers here are using WhatsApp so it’s very easy to just send them a message when you want to book
- Try and keep some smaller notes available for taxis, annoyingly they don’t always carry change and if you only have ฿1000 notes it can be a bit awkward
What is a taxi bike and are they safe to use?
Scooters are the most common form of transport for locals and some expats, they are cheap and convenient and if you’re careful very handy to get around.
Just like a normal taxi, you can also take a bike taxi. If you are travelling solo or looking for a budget option, this is great. The drivers are very safe, they do have a spare helmet for you to use (you usually have to ask them) and the price is very cheap by comparison to taking a regular taxi.
There aren’t as many bike taxis around, but they are identified by their blue waistcoats, which will also have their taxi number printed on the front. You can find them at the entrance to Fisherman’s Village, they will also drive past and give you a little beep, just like the taxis and buses here, and you can also find them on the inDrive app.
What do I need to know before hiring a car or scooter?
I think this goes without saying, but please only hire vehicles if you can drive them. Koh Samui is well known for its poor roads and terrible bike accidents, these are most often caused by tourists who arrive and hop straight on a bike without ever having driven one. We can promise you that 99% of our friends here, both locals and expats, have had significant accidents on scooters. So please be careful and think about whether or not it’s worth it.
OK, so let’s get into it. Here’s 5 things you need to know before renting a scooter or car in Koh Samui.
- The cost will vary depending on the length of hire and the vehicle size. The longer you hire, the cheaper it’ll be. For most scooters, you can expect to pay between ฿200 – ฿350 per day depending on the size of the bike/engine.
- When hiring a scooter, you MUST wear a helmet, it is a legal requirement and you can be stopped by the police and issued a fine for not wearing one. It is also incredibly important for your safety.
- You will be may be asked to show your passport when hiring a vehicle. You may also be asked to leave it as a deposit. Do so at your own risk. Technically you should not leave your passport with anyone other than a government official, but it is common practise here to leave instead of a large cash deposit. We have heard a few stories of passports going missing, so if possible, always leave cash instead.
- To hire and drive a vehicle in Thailand you must have an international driving licence. If you do not have one of these and are stopped by the police you will be issued with a fine of around ฿1000 (£21.50). It is also important to understand that any insurance on the vehicle will not be valid without one and the vehicle rental companies rarely check this information with you before handing over the keys. If you are in the UK you can pick up an international licence for just £5.50 from your local Post Office. You can find more information here.
- There are typically fewer petrol stations than in most European countries as they are often limited to only one per town, however, you will notice racks of glass bottles filled with petrol at stalls along the side of the road, these bottles usually cost around ฿40 – ฿50 and can be handy if you ever find yourself a long way from a petrol station. It isn’t the best quality petrol, so if you’re hiring a bike long-term I wouldn’t suggest using this as an everyday method to fuel your bike but it can be handy if you’re in a pinch.
Again, if you do not know how to drive a scooter please do not hire one, we have seen far too many accidents and it can ruin your holiday and be an expensive mistake. If you do want to try out a scooter most rental shops will offer you lessons from ฿500 (£10.70) to build up your confidence before you commit to renting one. If you would like any more information on hiring vehicles feel free to drop us a comment or send us a message.
Where do I buy tickets for the speedboats & ferries?
When visiting Koh Samui, many people like to also take the opportunity to visit our neighbouring islands, Koh Phangan, which is famous for its full moon parties and Koh Tao, which is famous for its brilliant diving opportunities and is apparently one of the cheapest places to get your PADI licence, if that’s something you’re interested in.
Neither of these islands has an airport so can only be reached by boat. There are several routes you can take, this will depend on where you’re currently located in Koh Samui and where you want to get to in Koh Phangan. All of the boats will depart from the north/northwest of the island either Nathon, Maenam or Bangrak.
You can absolutely just rock up and purchase your tickets on arrival, but during high season the boats can sometimes be sold out and during low season with fewer boats running throughout the day this is often also the case. We would always advance pre-booking your tickets, especially if you have a tight itinerary and accommodation booked on another island.
How do I book ferry/speedboat tickets online?
Our absolute go-to for boat tickets is 12go.asia the process is super straightforward, just select your start point as Koh Samui and enter your destination, your date of travel and your return date if you want to book in advance. You’ll be shown the best options, but below these, there is an option to expand and show ALL options.
What do I need to check before booking ferry/speedboat tickets?
- Port of departure; Nathon, Maenam or Bangrak – note Bangrak has several piers
- Port of arrival; Koh Phangan; Thong Sala, Baan Tai, or Haad Rin Queen/Koh Tao; Mae Haad or Songserm
- Type of boat; high-speed ferry, catamaran or speedboat. Speedboats are great fun and the fastest way to travel but they might not be for everyone, especially those who suffer from seasickness
- Travel time; to Koh Phangan travel time varies from 20 minutes to an hour, to Koh Tao, it can take anywhere from 1 hour 30 to 3 hours 45
To make things super simple, here are a couple of links for you to use:
- Click here to select your tickets from Koh Samui to Koh Phangan
- Click here to select your tickets from Koh Samui to Koh Tao
And that is it really adventurers, of course, walking is good for you and is free but be wary of the roads here, we have very few areas that have pavements and even when we do they are always uneven and full of holes. We would suggest leaving long walks for the beach, maybe with a pina colada in hand.
As always, if you want more Koh Samui travel, tips, recommendations and insider guides head over to our Instagram or give us a follow on Twitter, we love building our little community of fellow travellers and travel lovers, or if you want to follow along on our travel adventures why not subscribe, we aim to post something new every week.
Until next time…
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