Donsak Pier (Don Sak) Ferry Guide: Raja Ferry, Seatran, Lomprayah

Donsak (Don Sak) is the mainland ferry hub in Surat Thani Province for Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao. It is not one pier but several, run by different companies: Raja Ferry (car and passenger ferry to Lipa Noi on Koh Samui and Thong Sala on Koh Phangan), Seatran Ferry (to Nathon on Koh Samui and Thong Sala), Lomprayah (catamarans to Nathon, Thong Sala and Koh Tao), Songserm and Boonsiri Sealine. Your ticket decides which pier you need, so confirm the operator before you get on a bus or into a taxi.

Location and how to get there

Donsak is a district on the Gulf of Thailand coast of Surat Thani Province. Raja Ferry's headquarters and pier are at 25/1 Moo 8, Mittraphap Road, Don Sak. Seatran Ferry's Donsak pier is at 17/1 Moo 8, Don Sak. Seatran says it built a new port in Bang Nam Jued in Donsak district, with a crossing to Nathon pier of about 15 nautical miles (25.5 km). Lomprayah's Donsak pier is listed by Seatran as the Laem Tuad pier. GoAsia route pages and travel guides describe the piers as several kilometres apart, so do not assume you can walk between them.

• From Surat Thani town: Wikivoyage lists Phantip combined bus and ferry tickets from the town, the railway station and the airport to the Donsak piers. A bus ride of about an hour (to the pier) then a ferry of about an hour and a half is typical for Koh Samui. Prices and times on that page are older, so check them when you buy.
• From further away: bus and ferry combinations run from Phuket (Raja Ferry Port sells bus and ferry tickets at Phuket Bus Terminal 2), Krabi, Hat Yai and Chumphon, usually by minibus. These drop you at the pier of the ferry company in your ticket.
• Seatran Coach: Seatran runs buses from Surat Thani and Nakhon Si Thammarat (airport and city) that link with its ferry to Koh Samui.
• By boat: ferries and catamarans from Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao end at Donsak.

GoAsia route pages: Surat Thani to Donsak, Phuket to Donsak, Krabi to Donsak, Hat Yai to Donsak and Chumphon to Donsak.

Operators and destinations

Raja and Seatran use different island piers. Raja arrives at Lipa Noi on Koh Samui's west coast, about 9 km south of Nathon, according to Wikivoyage, while Seatran, Lomprayah and Songserm arrive at Nathon. Pick the island pier that suits your hotel or onward transport.

Routes that use Donsak: Koh Samui to Donsak, Koh Phangan to Donsak and Koh Tao to Donsak. Combined tickets between the mainland and the islands appear on Surat Thani to Koh Samui, Koh Samui to Surat Thani, Surat Thani to Koh Phangan, Koh Phangan to Surat Thani, Surat Thani to Koh Tao and Koh Tao to Surat Thani.

Tickets and facilities

Raja Ferry sells tickets on its website and at the pier, and it has ticket counters on Koh Samui (Lipa Noi), Koh Phangan (Thong Sala) and in Surat Thani city. Its telephone number at the Donsak head office is 077 372 800. Seatran Ferry's call centre is 1381 (daily, about 05:00 to 18:00). Seatran offers a fast lane for vehicles when you buy the ticket in advance. Lomprayah's Donsak pier number is 065 350 3562.

Seatran describes its Donsak pier as having a modern terminal, a waiting room, a restaurant, a coffee shop, a minimart and parking for up to 400 cars. Seatran also offers daily and overnight baggage storage at the Donsak and Thong Sala piers between 08:00 and 18:00. Seatran asks passengers to stay on the passenger deck and not in the vehicle deck during the crossing.

Tips

• Match your bus to your ferry company. Tell the driver or booking agent which pier you need, because Raja, Seatran, Lomprayah and Songserm use separate piers.
• Lomprayah's catamarans leave Donsak only twice a day (11:00 and 15:00). Raja and Seatran sail roughly hourly, so they are the fallback if you miss a catamaran.
• Raja runs more boats during the morning (05:00 to 06:00) and afternoon (12:00 to 16:00) peaks. Arrive early with a vehicle in the high season.
• If you are going on to Koh Tao, the Lomprayah catamaran and the Songserm boat go direct, so you do not need to change at Koh Phangan or Koh Samui.
• Book through-tickets that include the bus transfer to your pier if you arrive by train or plane, because that avoids a taxi negotiation at the pier.