How To Get To Koh Phayam | The Routes

By Phil Williams Aug 29, 20240

Want to know how to get to Koh Phayam island? We’ve got you covered!

Reaching the green paradise of Koh Phayam requires a little more planning than other Thai islands: there’s no airport on it, no bridge connecting it to the mainland, and the solitary pier operates a little differently to others.

In this short post, we’ve shared the main routes to reach Koh Phayam from elsewhere in Thailand, plus travel tips to help your planning + journey go a little smoother.

Afterwards, make sure to check out our travel guide to Koh Phayam.

How To Get To Koh Phayam

All roads lead to the city of Ranong (Google Maps), 600km south of Bangkok. It’s from here that you’ll need to catch the limited number of daily ferries and more regular speedboats over to Koh Phayam.

The journey is typically going to look like this for most travellers:

Bangkok or Chumphon to Ranong by plane, train, or transfer

Ranong to Koh Phayam by speedboat or ferry

Onward travel in Koh Phayam by tuk-tuk or motorbike

It can be done in one day if connections work out, but for many it will require an overnight stay in Chumphon or Ranong. Some slower travellers may wish to spend a few nights in Chumphon, which has a few activities and showcases a good side of non-touristy Thailand.

BANGKOK TO RANONG

To reach Ranong from the capital, you have the following options:

· A 90-minute flight to Ranong Airport from Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok – note that this is the city’s other airport, not Suvarnabhumi Airport. There is at least one flight per day in high season.

· An 10+ hour overnight bus between the two cities – book here

· Take the morning train from Bangkok to Chumphon (maps), followed by a two-hour minivan transfer to Ranong.

As we really try to avoid domestic flights and much prefer the experience of getting around somewhere by train on our travels, we did the last option. The seven-hour journey in 3rd class from Bangkok to Chumphon was one of the highlights of this Thai trip, though it did require an overnight stay in Chumphon because the tickets for the express morning train we’d originally hoped to take had sold out.

If you find yourself taking the same route to Koh Phayam as we did, with the afternoon train, then our accommodation recommendation for Chumphon are the At Night Hostel and The Day Inn in Ranong.

Plan // You can book your Thai trains on the official website but it is usually very slow to load, requires the English translation dropdown to understand, and has a cumbersome interface when it does. If you are able to stop by a train station to buy in person, that’s a good alternative, whilst 12Go Asia and BaoLau offer by far the best experience when looking, booking, and buying train tickets, transfers, and ferries online in Thailand.

Also, bear in mind that the morning express train from Bangkok does sell out, so try to book that in once you know your dates!

Boat From RANONG TO KOH PHAYAM

The ferry and speedboats depart from Ranong Pier (maps). Most travellers should opt for the quicker and more frequent speedboat service, which has departures almost every hour with two companies (Surathat Group and Ting).

In January 2024, the Koh Phayam speedboat timetable was:

Morning | 7.30am – 8am – 8.30am – 9am – 9.30am – 10am – 10.30am – 11am – 11.30am

Afternoon | 12pm – 1pm – 1.30pm – 2.30pm – 3pm – 3.30pm – 4pm – 4.30pm – 5pm

So, you really won’t struggle for options! The speedboats take 35-45 minutes and cost 350 baht per person. There’s capacity for 30+ passengers, but it can be a tight squeeze, and some departures include a stop at the rustic island of Koh Chang.

The alternative is the less frequent Koh Phayam ferry, which has departures at 2.30pm and some mornings* The journey time is around two hours and cost 200 baht per person, but we didn’t take or see the ferry, so cannot comment on more than that.

*We really struggled to find good information on the ferry timetable and travel experience, so do let us know details in the comments if you take it!

A few things to note before you travel from Ranong to Koh Phayam:

· Most minivan transfers to Ranong will drop you off at the bus terminal, not the pier, unless specifically booked or stated on your ticket. Ranong bus terminal (maps) is a 10-15 minute drive from the pier. We negotiated a tuk-tuk for 50 baht each, but there are also songthaew trucks and minivans shuttling passengers between the two.

· If you book a transfer from Bangkok to Koh Phayamon 12Go, the company is responsible for getting you from A to B and all connections are guaranteed.

· The pier is tucked away at the end of a dusty road off the busy highway, and not immediately obvious. There are several travel agencies based there, and our tuk-tuk driver dropped us off at one on the waterfront that looked like a pier, probably because he’d get a wee commission on the ticket. However, you can simply continue along the road to the actual pier and boat company kiosks and buy your ticket directly.

· We verified prices later, and it was the same cost from the agencies as from the two little kiosks on the pier. Importantly though, those kiosks will have a greater range of departures available, whilst the agencies won’t necessarily cover the full timetable or every service.

· There’s also a 5 baht port fee to pay.

· We originally bought tickets for the 1.30pm boat, but after we found an ATM quicker than expected, we were able to change our tickets last-minute to the 12pm departure with the agency. However, not every passenger succeeded in doing that, so it’s just something to bear in mind as there’s little point spending more time on this side than you need to.

· There are a handful of shops and small restaurants at Ranong Pier if you have time to spare or delays. This city and Koh Phayam are very close to Myanmar, so it’s a popular place for travellers to do a border / visa run.

ARRIVAL ON KOH PHAYAM & Onward Travel

All boats will arrive at Koh Phayam pier on the east side of the island – here on Google Maps. This is a medium length, concrete pier that you can easily walk along once disembarked.

We don’t recommend basing yourself in or around the pier for your stay on the island, so you have two options for onward travel to your accommodation:

Hop in a fixed-price tuk-tuk. You’ll find a bunch waiting around next to the pier, and it’s 100 baht per passenger to Long Beach (the area where we stayed) and elsewhere.

Rent your motorcycle straight away. If you know you’re going to be renting a scooter and don’t have too much luggage with you, it’s not a bad idea to rent your bike from one of the four or so agencies by the pier. Prices are 200-350 baht per day, which is about the same as elsewhere on the island, and availability is usually better.

A few our accommodation picks are: Frog Beach House, Tropical Hostel, Barefoot Project, and Little Hut.

Plan // There are now two ATMs on Koh Phayam, which charged 220 baht for withdrawals. They are not always dependable though, so it’s a good idea to arrive with a decent stash of cash on you too.

We’ve shared more ‘travel better tips’ for this special island, as well as everything you need to know to plan ahead and choose the best base, over in our main post: The Koh Phayam Island Guide