da Koh Phangan a Hua Hin

About the ride from Koh Phangan to Hua Hin

For the approximately 570km (354 mile) trip from Koh Phangan to Hua Hin, you have only one option - a combined bus and ferry journey, offered by a couple of different transport providers. Though it’s a lengthy jaunt, it’s very comfortable and convenient, and allows you to travel to Hua Hin from Koh Phangan with no fuss and little interruption.

With a combined bus and ferry ticket from Koh Phangan to Hua Hin, you don’t have to overnight en-route - and you don’t have the fuss or stress of having to buy multiple tickets for multiple journeys.

Though Koh Phangan and Hua Hin are both beachside destinations packed with sun and sand, they offer very different welcomes. While Koh Phangan is famous worldwide for its Full Moon parties and non-stop drinking, Hua Hin is much more relaxing, perfect if you need somewhere to recuperate if you haven’t slept for a few days.

Hua Hin is laid-back and languid, but it also offers the useful conveniences of city life. Many of Bangkok’s residents, when they grow tired of the metropolitan sprawl of their own city, come here to relax. With waterparks, golf courses, lively sands and excellent food markets, it offers the perfect combination of city and shores. It’s also very classy and cosmopolitan, making it a great place to luxuriate on even a threadbare budget.

You’ll also find that Hua Hin’s visitors are a little different to the ones you’ll have met in Koh Phangan. Instead of countless fleets of budget backpackers, Hua Hin’s crowd is a little older, a little quieter and a little more local.

 

What to see when traveling from Koh Phangan to Hua Hin

Your journey to Hua Hin from Koh Phangan will be made up of two sections - a ferry ride from Koh Phangan to Suratthani (the closest mainland point to Koh Phangan), and a bus from Suratthani to Hua Hin.

On the first part of your journey, you’ll board your boat at the bustling ferry port in Koh Samui. Though a small island, the ferry port is always busy, with countless journeys going to and from the island every day. 

And the vessels here aren’t all the rugged rickety boats you’ll have seen in other parts of Thailand - most journeys to and from Koh Phangan are tackled by large ferries, such is the popularity of the island.

The ferry journey from Koh Phangan to Suratthani is beautiful and serene, packed with views of distant islands, passing boats and deep-blue seas.

After around 90 minutes, you’ll be greeted by Suratthani’s busy pier, with ferries leaving for Koh Phangan, Koh Tao, Koh Samui and other sea-soaked destinations.

From here, you’ll take a bus to Hua Hin. Though this stretch of the journey isn’t particularly beautiful, it’s pretty interesting - you’ll pass humble homes, small villages and charming roadside food stalls. Along the way, you’ll stop for food breaks and toilet breaks in rural regions largely untouched by other tourists.

But most importantly, this part of the journey is very comfortable. The buses are cool and spacious, with comfortable reclining seats, and the roads are well-maintained. In Southeast Asia, you might have grown accustomed to the lumps and bumps of precariously-potholed roads. On this journey, that’s not the case, so you can snooze smoothly as you make your way towards the alluring luxury of Hua Hin.

The moment you arrive in Hua Hin, you'll notice a distinctly different atmosphere to the one you left behind in Koh Phangan. Though relatively busy, it’s much more laconic than Koh Phangan, and it’s the perfect place to relax.

 

How to get from Koh Phangan to Hua Hin

Taking a combined bus and ferry

A combined bus and ferry ticket from Koh Phangan to Hua Hin removes any stress and fuss from your trip. You don’t need to buy multiple tickets, you don't need to worry about how and when to transfer, and you don’t need to book through separate agents or transport companies.

All of the ferries and buses from Koh Phangan to Hua Hin are very comfortable, with reclining seats and excellent facilities. Some buses offer food, drinks and blankets, while all ferries offer outdoor seating areas with fantastic views.

These journeys are also great for making friends for adventures still to come - with a long jaunt ahead, there’s plenty of time to share tales, plans and contact details.

All ferries have toilets. Most buses don’t, but they will stop for toilet breaks along the way.