How to travel from Langkawi to Koh Phagnan
Posted by rachledez on 13/2/2020 at 11:05
Hi everyone,
Can anyone offer guidance on the options for travel between Langkawi and Koh Phagnan?
Firstly, do you have any experience of the following options in terms of comfort/cost: ferry-train-bus-ferry or ferry-minibus-bus-ferry
Secondly, will I be able to book the whole trip in Langkawi, or will I have to navigate my own way between each step of the journey?
Thanks in advance for your help :)
#1 rachledez has been a member since 9/7/2019. Location: United Kingdom. Posts: 4
Posted by steviej on 13/2/2020 at 13:13
Hi,
Here's a couple of websites that may help give an indication of what you need.................
https://www.rome2rio.com
https://booking.baolau.com/en/
Personally, I'd recommend booking as you go.
#2 steviej has been a member since 18/3/2006. Location: United Kingdom. Posts: 270
Posted by amnicoll on 14/2/2020 at 11:24
very easy to do yourself
do not know about cost but my preference would be the train if timings work
#3 amnicoll has been a member since 10/1/2005. Location: United Kingdom. Posts: 976
Posted by DLuek on 15/2/2020 at 10:32 TF writer
Ferry to Satun + van or bus to Hat Yai + train to Surat Thani + ferry to Ko Phangan.
- OR -
Ferry to Satun + van or bus to Krabi (or Trang) + all-in bus/ferry to Ko Phangan.
- OR -
Ferry to Ko Lipe + ferry to Pakbara + all-in van/ferry to Ko Phangan.
There are other ways, including going through Malaysia rather than Satun or Ko Lipe, but I'd say any of the above three would be simplest. Note that you wouldn't have to book an all-in ticket from Krabi (or Trang) to Ko Phangan in option 2, you could book those legs on your own, but the all-in transfers are pretty reliable.
It's a fairly long trip given all of the different legs, so you might want to look at overnighting somewhere along the way (Hat Yai or Krabi or Surat or certainly Ko Lipe is worth a night if you decide to go through there).
I'm not familiar with travel agencies on Langkawi. You might be able to find one selling an all-in ticket for the whole trip, but personally I'd at least get into Thailand on my own b/c you never know how reliable those all-in bundle trips are going to be when you're talking about crossing borders and being handed off between different transport companies multiple times.
You'll find departure times for all of these legs in the relevant Travelfish guides. For the train you can check times and fares at http://procurement.railway.co.th/checktime/checktime.asp?lenguage=Eng
You could also book some -- potentially all -- of these legs through sites like 12GoAsia and Thai Beach Travellers, but there's no need to book any of this online in advance. No problem to use local travel agents and/or buy tickets on your own at train/bus stations.
#4 DLuek has been a member since 19/6/2008. Location: Thailand. Posts: 1,345
Posted by amnicoll on 15/2/2020 at 11:02
personally DLuek I avoid the through bookings nearly all the time simply because they can work out far more expensive and in some cases (especially if they involve an international border) you may find you are left high and dry having been scammed. many of these trips such as this are simple to do under your own steam
Of course this is a generalization and there are times when one should consider them
#5 amnicoll has been a member since 10/1/2005. Location: United Kingdom. Posts: 976
Posted by rachledez on 16/2/2020 at 19:09
Thanks everyone! This is really helpful :) I'll definitely look into potentially doing the first part of the journey myself and getting into Thailand.
#6 rachledez has been a member since 9/7/2019. Location: United Kingdom. Posts: 4
Posted by antoniamitchell on 22/2/2020 at 12:59
Hi,
Sorry, a bit late chiming in, but I'd second (or third) organising your own segments, rather than trying to book an all-in-one, and breaking up the journey with an overnight stay, as this would be a REALLY long journey (for example, you'll need time to get to the ferry terminal in Langkawi and check in, the ferry to Satun is 2 hrs, then a 2 hr minibus to Hat Yai, 4.5 - 5 hours on the train to Surat Thani , then 4.5 hours for the bus-boat transfer to the island, plus any time needed for any necessary transfers from one station to another, and delays for late-running services).
I've done several of the described segments myself, some more than once, and they were all easy to organise yourself, especially as many trips can now be booked online - i don't always book online, but i like to check as that often tells you how busy the route is, as well as lets you know approx costs.
A few notes :
Ferry from Langkawi to Satun - make sure you double check timings, as when I last did this in December, the ferry company's website showed departure times listed in Malay time for Thailand departures, so the ferry actually left Thailand an hour before the listed time). Oopsies!
Train from Hat Ya to Surat Thani - these trains are a bit slow, but i much prefer them to being in a cramped minibus for hours,with your knees jammed against the seat in front. They do tend to run late: I took several trains in the South of Thailand last july, and every one departed at least 30 minutes late, and some were 90 minutes late, so plan that into any onward travel.
As for places to stop, Phatthalung was a pleasant, friendly town for an overnight stop. I also really liked Nakhon Si Thammarat, which is larger with more to see than Phatthalung (and is also connected to Phatthalung and further south, and Surat Thani and further north by train) .
#7 antoniamitchell has been a member since 13/5/2012. Posts: 566
Posted by slimboytim on 13/3/2020 at 09:21
Hi!
I have made this journey myself a few time, so I might be able to help out here. Let me tell you, its a long trip! If you have the budget to do so, booking yourself onto a flight (probably via BKK/DMK) is the best choice here.
But if you're looking for a cheaper alternative here's the route I'd recommend. It's not the only route, but it's my person preference.
1) Speedboat from Langkai to Koh Lanta.
The speedboats are operated by either Bundhaya, Satun-Pakbara or Siri Lanta. The boats leave at 7:30am during the peak season (Nov - Apr), via Koh Lipe immigration and a few other islands on the way; and will arrive at Koh Lanta around 11:30.
2) Bus + Boat to Koh Phanggan
Lomprayah offer combo tickets from Krabi/Lanta/Ao Nang etc leaving at 12:30 where they'll drive you to Surat Thani and take you on the ferry to Koh Phanggan via Samui.
The cost for the speed boat is around 3,000baht and the combo ticket is usually 900baht. You'll want to book the combo ticket in advance through the Lomprayah app and the speedboat ticket can be brought in person a day or two beforehand.
All in you'll be travelling for around 13 hours at a cost of about 4,000baht
#8 slimboytim has been a member since 13/3/2020. Posts: 6
Posted by amnicoll on 13/3/2020 at 10:23
4000 doesn’t sound that cheap to me
#9 amnicoll has been a member since 10/1/2005. Location: United Kingdom. Posts: 976
Posted by slimboytim on 14/3/2020 at 15:26
No, I'd agree with you. It's not cheap by any means. It's a pretty awkward journey covering a lot of ground.
But its much cheaper than flying!
#10 slimboytim has been a member since 13/3/2020. Posts: 6
Posted by wanderer143 on 29/4/2020 at 17:10
You can use the site Phuketferry in booking for your travels to and fro. I totally agree that a ferry is a cheaper option and it's the best for me as I'm a budget traveler. Plus they give discounts which is helpful. I also find the trip very meditative.
#11 wanderer143 has been a member since 2/11/2014. Posts: 136
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