Koh Samui has its own international airport, making it easy to fly directly to the island from within Thailand and outside the country, all without having to spend several hours travelling by bus and ferry.
Tropical plane © Sergey
Below, we’ve listed important information about Samui International Airport, including flights to and from the island, visas for travellers arriving from outside Thailand and transfers from Samui International Airport to the island’s major beaches.
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Koh Samui Airport Guide
- Samui International Airport is a small international airport that’s privately owned by Bangkok Airways, a regional Thai airline. The airport is Thailand’s seventh busiest, handling more than one million passengers per year.
- Koh Samui International Airport is one of the few airports in the world to be almost entirely set outdoors. The airport feels more like a resort hotel than a transportation facility, with beautiful design and a variety of comfortable lounges and seating areas for passengers.
- The airport is located about two kilometres north of Chaweng, Koh Samui’s largest beach resort area. It’s easy to access Samui International Airport from Chaweng, Lamai, Bophut and Samui’s other major beaches for 500 to 750 baht.
- Because Samui International Airport is privately owned, flights to the airport are only available from a select few carriers. Bangkok Airways, which operates the airport, and Thai Airways both offer direct flights from within Thailand to Samui Airport.
Facilities at Samui International Airport
- Samui International Airport is a small airport and isn’t a major hub for shopping. An outdoor mall called Samui Park Avenue is located within the airport complex and offers a selection of popular retail shops, cafes and restaurants. High-end Thai brands such as Jim Thompson are available, as are a limited number of high street fashion brands from Thailand and abroad.
- There are two lounges within the airport. The Blue Ribbon Club, which is available for business class Bangkok Airways passengers, is open at Gate 2-3 for domestic travellers and Gate 7 for international travellers. Bangkok Airways also two boutique lounges at Gate 1-2 and Gate 7.
Flights To and From Koh Samui
- As Samui International Airport is a privately owned and operated airport, not all Thai carriers offer direct flights to the island. Many low-cost carriers fly to nearby Surat Thani Airport, which has bus/ferry connections to Koh Samui. Compare flight prices and departure times using flight comparison website 12Go.
Domestic Flights to Koh Samui
- Currently, Bangkok Airways and Thai Airways are the only carriers that offer domestic flights to Koh Samui. Check 12Go for more details.
- Bangkok Airways currently flies to Koh Samui from Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi, Chiang Mai, Krabi, Pattaya U-Tapao and Phuket. Bangkok Airways flies very frequently between Bangkok and Koh Samui, with 10-15 flights per day from 6am until late at night.
- Thai Airways has two flights daily to Samui from Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi, departing at 7:25 am and 3:30pm.
International Flights to Koh Samui
- Along with Phuket, Koh Samui is one of just two islands in Thailand that can be directly reached by plane from outside Thailand. See 12Go for prices and departure times.
- Flights to Koh Samui from Malaysia are available on Berjaya Air and Firefly — two carriers that operate out of Subang Airport and Penang International Airport. Bangkok Airways offers flights from Kuala Lumpur to Koh Samui, many of which are codeshared by Emirates, Etihad and other international airlines.
- SilkAir, which codeshares with Air New Zealand, Virgin Australia and Singapore Airlines, flies to Koh Samui from Singapore. The majority of long haul international flights pass through Bangkok and transfer passengers to regional codeshare flights to reach Koh Samui.
- If you’re flying into Bangkok on Thai Airways and transferring to Koh Samui, your luggage will likely be transferred through to Samui for you. Other passengers will need to collect luggage and check in to their onward flights in Suvarnabhumi Airport.
- If you are transferring between flights in Bangkok, make sure you arrive and depart from the same airport. Currently, all domestic flights to Koh Samui depart from Suvarnabhumi Airport. If you arrive at Don Muang Airport, allow at least three hours to transfer between the airports.
Visas and Visa Exemptions for Travellers to Koh Samui
- If you’re arriving in Koh Samui from abroad, you can enter the country through Samui Airport on a tourist visa or with a visa exemption. People from most Western/developed countries receive a 30 day visa exemption on arrival when entering Thailand by air. The exemption can be extended for another 30 days within Thailand, providing a total entry of 60 days.
- View a full list of countries that are eligible for visa exempt travel to Thailand here.
- If you plan on staying in Thailand for longer than 60 days or hold a passport from a country that isn’t eligible for a visa exemption, you can apply for a Thai tourist visa in your home country. In some cases, you may be able to apply for a visa upon arrival to Thailand.
Koh Samui Airport Transfers
- Samui International Airport is located in the northeast corner of the island, close to many of the most popular beach resorts and hotel areas. It’s easy to reach anywhere on Koh Samui using a taxi or by minivan from the airport.
- There is a taxi stand located inside the Arrivals area of Samui Airport. Taxi rates are fixed to the most popular destinations on the island. Transport to the closest beaches, such as Big Buddha Beach, Chaweng, Bophut and Choeng Mon, costs 300 to 500 baht.
- Beaches further from the airport, such as Lamai and Maenam, cost 600 to 900 baht to reach. It can cost up to 1,500 baht to reach the remote beaches and resort hotels in the south of Samui from the airport, such as the various resorts on Taling Ngam.
- If you’d like to save money and don’t mind spending slightly more time to reach your destination, you can take a shared minivan from Samui Airport. Minivan transport costs around 150 baht to beaches such as Big Buddha, Bo Phut and Chaweng, and 200+ to beaches further from Samui Airport.
- Most minivans will not leave the airport until they have at least five passengers, meaning there is a chance you’ll need to wait for 30+ minutes if you’re visiting Koh Samui in low season. Most of the time, particularly in the high season, here is no wait for shared minivan transport.
- Samui International Airport also has a car rental area with counters for major companies such as Hertz, Budget and Avis. Renting a car is a great way to get around the island, particularly if you’re staying in the far south of Samui, where travelling by taxi can be quite expensive.
Buy Ferry Tickets To Koh Samui
You can buy bus and ferry tickets to Koh Samui online. Use the search box below to find out departure times, prices and to book online. Enter a different starting point if you're not coming from BangkokPowered by 12Go Asia system
