The island of Samet is located about 7 kms off the coast from Rayong, so a road journey is the one and only way directly from Bangkok . From Baan Phe pier, there are boats waiting to take you on the short 40 minute sea ride to the island.

By Bus

Buses leave Bangkok from the Ekamai bus terminal, also known as the Eastern Bus Terminal. There are regular air conditioned or standard buses leaving the station every 30 minutes’.

Your seat number is printed on the ticket along with the bus number which is on the side of the bus. The ticket collector will always help you to get the right seat and the right bus!

The Ekamai station is right next to the Skytrain station of the same name, so its easy to get from the Sukhumvit central area to the station if there’s not too much luggage.

By Taxi

A taxi can be hired from Suvunarbhumi airport public taxi stand and the fare should be negotiated before heading off. It’s unlikely the driver will want the fare to be metered. Toll expenses on the expressway are paid by the passenger, so allow about 120 Baht for this.

A typical one way fare from Bangkok to the pier for Samet would be between 2,500 and 3,000 baht. It’s possible to pre book a taxi with the cost depending on the type of car, but again in the region of 3,000 Baht. A van can be also be as little as 3,000 Baht.

By Air

Oddly, there is an air service to the airport near Rayong, which is from Koh Samui, not Bangkok. 

This is one of just a few scheduled services, and Bangkok Airways operate the flight twice a day from Samui, and one inbound flight from Phuket. You cannot go back to Phuket without going to Samui first, but that’s not such a bad thing.

The airport is officially named U-Tapao but on the Bangkok Airways listing is Pattaya. The airport is mid way between Pattaya and Rayong, so really it’s neither, and was made originally to service the US air force during the Vietnam war.

As such it has a large part to play in the rise of Pattaya as an R&R town for US personnel. Now it has a lesser role, but there are flights from Incheon, in South Korea and to Siem Rep (Angor Wat) in Cambodia.

The Boat (Ferry) to Koh Samet

Once in Rayong it’s about another 15kms to the pier at Baan Phe pier and the boat trip to the beaches and the island. The ordinary service takes 40 minutes and costs 30 Baht. 

There are speedboat services which will take you to all parts of the island. Speedboats are priced on the number of passengers and range from 1000 to 3000 Baht.