There are several ways to get to the hotel from Koh Samui Airport - taxi, hotel transfer, rental car or shared songthaew.

Which transport to choose?

✅ Taxi / shuttle - the best option if:

• 2-4 people traveling
• you are staying in a small hotel that does not offer an airport transfer
• you are staying in a hotel that offers an overpriced shuttle service (700 thb and above)
• you want to be at the hotel within 15-25 minutes

✅ Hotel transfer - choose if:

• you are travelling with family and children
• you want maximum comfort and price certainty in advance
• 👉 Book a hotel in Koh Samui with transfer

✅ Transfer to the ferry - buy in advance if:

• you are travelling from the airport directly to Koh Phangan or Koh Tao
• it's cheaper than a separate ferry ticket + taxi
• 👉 Book ferry + transfer on 12go.asia

❌ Grab / Bolt - not really worth it:

• prices similar to taxis
• after arrival you have to walk outside the airport area
• advantage over taxis: you can pay by card via the app

❌ Songthaew - rather not if:

• you have large luggage
• you want a quick transfer
• you are arriving in the evening

💡 Alternative:
If you are planning to travel around the whole island, renting a car may be best.

Compare car prices on Koh Samui

Taxi

The official taxi service from the airport is offered and operated by SmackOne, which has two unmissable desks immediately outside the arrivals area behind baggage claim where you can book your car.

You can choose between private cars or a shared shuttle bus, which is worthwhile for solo travel.

Transfer prices in Thai currency are as follows:

	Max 2 persons	Max 4 persons	Max 10 persons	1 person
	Price per car	Price per car	Price per minivan	Price for 1 person
Bophut, Chaweng	400	600	800	140
Chaweng Noi, Maenam	650	750	1 000	170
Lamai Nort, Lamai Center, Bantai, Bangpor	800	950	1 300	200
Lamai South, Hua Thanon, Nathon	1 000	1 200	1 500	250
Laem Set, Pila Noi, Pang Ka, Taling Ngam	1 500	1 600	1 800	700

In case of departure after 22:30, an extra charge of 100 thb per car will be applied.

Grab / Bolt

By default, the airport is blocked from boarding points and Grab or Bolt can only bring you to the airport, not pick you up.

If you would like to use Grab on your way out of the airport, you must walk beyond the airport grounds - approximately a 3 minute walk along the pavement from the arrivals hall.

However, you won't save much in price, e.g. it will cost you about 380 thb to get to Chaweng.

Hotel transfer

Along with accommodation, most of the better hotels offer free airport transfers.

The hotel will inform you of this option and a driver will be waiting for you in the arrivals hall after confirming your flight number.

Book a hotel on Koh Samui

Some large hotels also have their own desks right in the arrivals hall near the car rental shops.

We've tried 2 hotels on the island so far and have written our honest reviews including photos:

• 🏨 Homm Chura Samui - a quiet corner in Chaweng
• 🏨 W Koh Samui - overpriced resort or top pick?

Car rentals

At the airport you'll find several counters of multinational car rental companies such as Budget, Sixt, Europcar, Hertz and others.

Compare car prices on Koh Samui

Expect to pay around 20 eur per day.

We just travelled around the island in a rental car and we write about how it wasn't nearly as bad as we were warned in our article Car rental on Koh Samui.

Minivans to Koh Phangan / Koh Tao ferries

There are also minivans from shipping companies to the ferry piers where you can continue to the islands of Koh Phangan and Koh Tao, which don't have their own airport.

You can buy a transfer along with a ferry ticket, for example, through our popular 12go.asia website, which works reliably in many countries around the world.

Public transport - songthaew

Although there is virtually no conventional public transport on the island, the only exception is the official airport route of open-bodied pick-ups - called songthaew in Thai.

The station of these "buses" is about 30 meters in front of the arrival hall.

Songthaews leave the airport every 30 minutes. In the direction of the airport, the frequency is less precise, as there are very frequent traffic jams.

• Price - 120 thb (flat fare to all destinations)
• Payable in cash only to the driver

Buses have two routes:

• Blue Line: USM Airport - Choeng Mon - Bophut - Maenam - Nathon
• Red Line: USM Airport - Chaweng - Lamai - Lipa Noi - Nathon

This route is particularly suitable if you don't have bulky luggage and want to start an authentically Thai experience.

How to travel around the island? Find out in our article Transport to Koh Samui.

How to travel around the island?

If you are planning more trips, read also:

• 👉 The best beaches on Koh Samui
• 👉 Tips on where to stay on the island
• What to do on Koh Samui - activities and organized tours
• Transportation around Koh Samui