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Updated January 2026
In November went to Chiang Mai to spend some time with friends and to attend the Lantern Festival. This meant I had to make my way from Koh Samui to Chiang Mai. Well, technically I had to get from Koh Tao to Chiang Mai. Either way not an easy trip, considering I was coming from a small island in the south of Thailand heading all the way to the north.
So I did some research and came up with the best way how to get from Koh Samui to Chiang Mai.
The easiest way to get from Koh Samui to Chiang Mai
Why travel from Koh Samui to Chiang Mai?
Chiang Mai is a stunner! Especially when you are coming in October or November you are in for a treat. The weather is a good enough reason to fly from Koh Samui to Chiang Mai, because one will be rainy and dreadful while the other will be sunny and warm with no humidity.
You can find all my favorite things to do and see in my Chiang Mai travel itinerary. But to put it short, don’t miss:
- Eat all the Khao Soi you can
- Walk around in the charming old town of Chiang Mai
- Do a cooking Class in Chiang Mai
- Go hiking in the mountains
- Get a toksen massage at Green Bamboo
- Be awed by the Lantern Festival
Find my complete Chiang Mai travel guide here!
Getting from Koh Samui to Chiang Mai
Whenever I go to Koh Tao I try to avoid flying to Koh Samui even though I think the airport is one of the prettiest. Why? Because Bangkok Airways owns Samui Airport and thus has a monopoly on the flights there. Now, don’t get me wrong – Bangkok Airways is a brilliant, full-service airline where you get a meal on your short flight that is edible and luggage that is included in your rate. They also sponsor a so-called courtesy corner at Samui airport where every passenger can pick up coffee, water, and sweet and savory snacks – completely free!
That said, they are also bloody expensive and a domestic flight for $100 is not unusual. Compared to my beloved Air Asia this is steep and I would forgo the free red velvet cookies if they were just a little less pricey.
I digress… it is what it is but this is the reason why I usually avoid flying into or out of Samui and rather take the long route via Surat Thani or Chumpon when traveling to Koh Tao.
However much I might dislike to fly from Samui, the best way to get from Koh Samui to Chiang Mai is to fly. All the other options, we will explore those in a moment, will take almost a full day of traveling and probably end up costing you just as much. So flying it is!
I came to Chiang Mai about 10 days before the Lantern Festival and before prices could soar and paid about $100 for my ticket from Koh Samui to Chiang Mai. This included a standard seat selection and 20 kg check-in luggage, and I paid $17 more for an extra 5 kg as I was traveling with all my dive gear.
The flight took less than 2 hours and was very much worth the money in this case. I also snuck some more red velvet cookies from the courtesy corner in my bag to really, really get my money’s worth.
I booked a Koh Samui to Chiang Mai flight on 12Go. Yes, even though I was flying Bangkok Airways. 12Go not only offers overland transport and ferries, but also flights with local carriers. So you can easily compare your options and also see immediately if and how much check-in luggage is included in the price.
Check for Koh Samui to Chiang Mai flights on 12Go
How to get to Chiang Mai from Koh Tao or Koh Phangan?
Obviously, if you are headed from Koh Tao to Chiang Mai you will first need to get to if you don’t want to go via Hua Hin and take the bus. For me, this came with a caveat as there was no ferry connection from Koh Tao to Koh Samui that would get me there in time for a flight. In addition, I was traveling in rainy season and did not want to rely on the ferry to be on time.
That said, this might be different if you are traveling at a different time of the year. If you can catch a ferry in the morning and hop on a plane in the afternoon, I say go for it! Do ask Lomprahay or whichever ferry you take to organize a transfer to the airport for you. This will be a lot cheaper than getting your own taxi from the pier.
I opted to add a two-night stopover in Koh Samui. This was wise as my ferry was delayed and also arrived at a different port on Samui, which was not the one closest to the airport. I had chosen Casa de Mar, a hotel in Chaweng and close to the airport in order to save me some time in the morning. It was a nice enough place but the weather was so dreadful that I can say little about it. I went to Central Festival to buy myself some wine and hibernated for the next two nights.
On my departure day, I forked out 400 baht (approximately $11) for a taxi to take me to the airport which was less than 2 km away. Those are Samui prices for you…
Alternatives how to get from Koh Samui to Chiang Mai
I will keep this brief because honestly the alternatives to get from Koh Samui to Chiang Mai are meh, to say the least. You can take various combinations of a ferry and busses but they all include a transfer in Bangkok. A ferry from Koh Samui to Hua Hin, a 10-hour bus ride to Bangkok, and then a 13-hour bus ride to Chiang Mai. Or a bus ferry (?) from Koh Phangan to Bangkok first but honestly, the only thing scarier than a 10-hour bus ride is a 10-hour bus ride while stuck on a ferry.
And of course, there is no Koh Samui to Chiang Mai train either. I love train travel in Thailand but this is not as straightforward as heading from Bangkok to Chiang Mai by train. If you wanted to take a train you would first need to catch a ferry to Surat Thani. From here you board a train to Bangkok and then switch trains to get to Chiang Mai. Each train trip is about 10 hours long. I would not advise this unless you are a hardcore train fan!
As you see the best and I would say the only way to get from Koh Samui to Chiang Mai is to fly. If you don’t want to do that I recommend you change your Thailand itinerary and don’t visit Chiang Mai straight after coming from the Gulf.
