Domestic Flights to Koh Samui From Pattaya, Phuket and More (2026)

Four Thai cities fly straight to Koh Samui in 2026: Phuket (7-8 flights a day, about 1 hour), Krabi (1-2 a day, about 55 minutes), Chiang Mai (daily on the summer 2026 schedule, 1h45) and U-Tapao near Pattaya (1 a day, 1h05, 17:20 departure). Hua Hin has none. Fares run roughly 2,000-9,000 THB (~57-257 USD) one way, as of 1 October 2026, and every one of these routes is flown by Bangkok Airways.

Key takeaways

• Pattaya: one daily Bangkok Airways flight from U-Tapao (UTP), about 1h05, listed for the summer schedule to 24 October 2026. Winter times are not confirmed.
• Hua Hin: no flight. Lomprayah runs a 9-hour bus-and-ferry day (1,750 THB, ~50 USD) via Chumphon, or fly via Bangkok.
• Phuket and Krabi: direct, short, and covered in depth in the Phuket and Krabi guide.
• Cheaper option: a budget flight to Surat Thani plus a van and ferry (550-850 THB, ~16-24 USD) mostly works from Bangkok.

Which Thai Cities Fly Direct to Koh Samui?

Phuket (HKT), Krabi (KBV), Chiang Mai (CNX) and U-Tapao (UTP) have direct Bangkok Airways flights into Samui (USM), alongside the Bangkok trunk route. Everything else, including Hua Hin, Pattaya city and Chumphon, needs a connection or a ground leg. Frequencies are aggregator and AeroRoutes snapshots.

Sources: AeroRoutes, Bangkok Airways NS26 service changes (21 Apr 2026); FlightMapper PG294; Flightera and Airportia PG241/242 (all checked 1 Oct 2026). Samui is a small airport with one runway, so only turboprops and narrow-body jets land. For the airport itself see the Koh Samui Airport guide, and for every route including Singapore and Hong Kong see direct flights to Koh Samui.

Can You Fly From Pattaya to Koh Samui?

Yes, with one flight a day. Bangkok Airways PG294 leaves U-Tapao (UTP, in Rayong province south of Pattaya) at 17:20 and lands in Samui at 18:25, about 1h05, and is listed for the summer 2026 schedule only, 29 March to 24 October. Whether it runs through winter 2026/27 is not confirmed, so check Bangkok Airways before you build a plan around it.

Fares vary widely by source: Skyscanner lists one-way fares from about 59 USD (~2,000 THB), Kiwitaxi quotes about 100-110 USD (~3,500-3,850 THB) and 12Go shows fares from 5,083 THB (~145 USD), all seen on 30 September 2026. Treat 2,000-5,100 THB as the realistic range and expect the top end close to travel dates.

The evening departure matters: you land after dark, with ferries and airport taxis at their thinnest. See Koh Samui Airport for the taxi counter and airport to Chaweng for the usual first ride.

The practical backup is a bus from Pattaya to Suvarnabhumi (from 135 THB, about 2 hours, timetable checked 29 Sep 2026) and a Bangkok-Samui flight at 2,300-6,600 THB (~66-189 USD), 75-95 minutes. A Seahorse Ferry overnight boat, 12 hours, 3,000 THB for a bed, relaunched Pattaya to Samui in February 2023 (The Thaiger, 11 Feb 2023). No 2026 timetable turned up for this Pattaya route, so do not plan around it. (The Bangkok-Nathon Seahorse cruise is a separate service.)

How Do You Get From Hua Hin to Koh Samui?

Hua Hin has no direct flight to Koh Samui, and a flight via Bangkok is the slowest way to make one. The realistic choice is the Lomprayah bus-and-ferry day: it leaves Hua Hin at 08:30, runs by VIP bus to Chumphon, then by boat via Koh Tao and Koh Phangan, and arrives at Maenam Pier on Samui at about 17:30. The business-class ticket is 1,750 THB (~50 USD) per ferrysamui.com (checked 1 Oct 2026).

The other ground route is a train from Hua Hin to Chumphon, then a Chumphon bus-and-ferry ticket. Rome2rio estimates about 7h35 for the train-plus-bus combination to the pier, before the crossing, so allow a full day. Chumphon crossings are not daily: Lomprayah’s Samui-Chumphon boat runs about 2 days a week in low season and up to 5 in June-September, with departures at 08:00 and 12:30 on those days.

If you must fly, take a bus or taxi to Bangkok and use the Bangkok route (the Bangkok to Samui options cover it). Trip.com lists Hua Hin (HHQ) to Samui flights only as one-stop itineraries, from about 356 USD. A Wikipedia airline list for Hua Hin lists Surat Thani among its low-cost destinations as of July 2026; I could not confirm a schedule, so check it if you want to avoid Bangkok.

How Good Is the Phuket to Koh Samui Flight?

It is the best-served domestic route into Samui outside Bangkok. Bangkok Airways flies Phuket to Samui 7-8 times a day (49-56 a week), about 55-60 minutes on ATR turboprops, from roughly 2,500 THB (~71 USD) in low season to 6,800 THB (~194 USD) in December-February. AeroRoutes lists a cut from 8 to 7 daily from 20 April to 30 June 2026.

The cheap alternative is a bus and ferry via Donsak (7-9 hours, 800-1,400 THB), or the Raja Ferry bus-linked service from Phuket Town. Both, plus the Patong transfer, are laid out in the Phuket and Krabi guide.

Can You Fly From Krabi to Koh Samui?

Yes. Bangkok Airways flies Krabi to Samui in about 55-60 minutes on an ATR 72, with 1 or 2 flights a day depending on the source: AeroRoutes shows a cut from 2 to 1 daily from 2 May to 30 June 2026, while an August aggregator listing showed 14 a week. Fares of 3,700-5,500 THB (~106-157 USD) are a guide figure, not a live quote.

With so few flights, a missed connection costs a day. Krabi has no direct boat to Samui, so the fallback is minivan and ferry via Surat Thani, 4-9 hours, again in the Phuket and Krabi guide.

Is There a Direct Flight From Chiang Mai to Koh Samui?

Yes, one a day on Bangkok Airways. PG241 shows Samui departing 08:55 and reaching Chiang Mai at 10:40, 1h45, and PG242 leaves Chiang Mai at 11:35 and lands at 13:20, both listed daily (7 a week) from 29 March to 24 October 2026 (Airportia and Flightera, checked 1 Oct 2026). Winter 2026/27 is unconfirmed. See Chiang Mai to Koh Samui. Older guides, including how to get to Koh Samui, say twice daily; current listings do not.

Fares start at about 2,700 THB (~77 USD) on sale; 6,000-9,000 THB (~171-257 USD) is typical. Thai AirAsia flies Chiang Mai to Surat Thani nonstop (Mon, Tue, Wed, Fri, Sun; 1h55; from about 1,700-1,850 THB, ~49-53 USD), then a van and ferry. Overland takes about 25 hours.

Is Flying to Surat Thani or Nakhon Si Thammarat Cheaper?

Often, but only if you start in Bangkok. Thai AirAsia, Nok Air, Thai Vietjet and Thai Lion Air serve Surat Thani (URT) and Nakhon Si Thammarat (NST) mainly from Bangkok’s two airports, at roughly 800-2,000 THB (~23-57 USD) one way. No Pattaya, Phuket or Krabi flight to either was found. Chiang Mai is the exception: Thai AirAsia flies nonstop to Surat Thani, 5 days a week, from about 1,700 THB (~49 USD).

From URT, a minivan-and-ferry ticket costs 550-850 THB (~16-24 USD) and takes 3-5 hours door to door; the Surat Thani to Koh Samui guide has the pier-by-pier breakdown. From NST, Lomprayah sells a minivan and catamaran combination to Nathon Pier at 850 THB (~24 USD), leaving 08:30 (3h15) or 11:45 (4h), and tickets from 516 THB (~15 USD) are listed for other operators (phuketferry.com, 12Go, checked 1 Oct 2026). The ferry piers guide explains where each boat lands.

Which Option Fits Which Traveller?

Fly direct from Phuket, Krabi or Chiang Mai if time matters; the difference against the ground route is 6-8 hours. From Pattaya, fly if the 17:20 departure fits and check the winter schedule first. From Hua Hin, accept the 9-hour Lomprayah day or connect in Bangkok. For flights from abroad see international flights to Koh Samui, and for the best months see seasonal flights to Koh Samui. Most arrivals head to Chaweng or Bophut.

FAQ

Is there a direct flight from Pattaya to Koh Samui?

Yes. Bangkok Airways PG294 flies from U-Tapao (UTP) to Samui at 17:20, landing 18:25, about 1h05, once a day, listed for 29 March to 24 October 2026. Winter 2026/27 times are not confirmed, so check bangkokair.com before you book the rest of the trip.

Can you fly from Hua Hin to Koh Samui?

Not directly. Bangkok Airways does not fly from Hua Hin, and the only searchable options are one-stop itineraries via Bangkok. Most travellers take the Lomprayah bus and ferry, 08:30 to about 17:30 for 1,750 THB (~50 USD), or go by road to Bangkok and fly.

How much is a flight to Koh Samui from Phuket, Krabi or Pattaya?

Roughly 2,500-6,800 THB (~71-194 USD) from Phuket, 3,700-5,500 THB (~106-157 USD) from Krabi and 2,000-5,100 THB (~57-146 USD) from U-Tapao, one way. Fares depend on season and how close you book, with December to February the most expensive.

Is there a ferry from Pattaya to Koh Samui?

A Seahorse Ferry overnight sailing, about 12 hours at roughly 3,000 THB, relaunched in February 2023. No current 2026 timetable was found, so treat it as unconfirmed. The dependable options are the U-Tapao flight, or a bus to Suvarnabhumi and a Bangkok flight.

Is it cheaper to fly to Surat Thani and take the ferry?

For travellers starting in Bangkok, usually yes: budget flights of 800-2,000 THB plus a 550-850 THB van-and-ferry ticket often beat the direct Samui fare. It adds 3-5 hours and two transfers, and it does not help from Pattaya, Phuket or Krabi. Chiang Mai has the AirAsia nonstop to Surat Thani.