Surat Thani covers some 12,800 square kilometers and has an extensive coastline lapped by Thai Gulf waters. The provincial capital, 685 kilometers from Bangkok, is situated at the mouth of the Tapi River on the eastern side of peninsula.

Surat Thani is a major destination for both luxury and shoestring travelers seeking to realize their dreams of a tropical seascape. Renowned for its vast collection of palm-fringed islands off its coast, Surat Thani is also covered with large forest areas abundant in flora and fauna.

Many rare species of plants and birds are to be found in the province’s national parks. Surat Thani once formed part, and may have been the centre, of Mahayana Buddhist Srivijaya Empire which steeped in legend and mystery, dominated the Malay peninsula and much of Java some 1,500 years ago. Archaeological discoveries at Chaiya district indicate the former empire’s splendour.

There are many trains running throughout the day from Bangkok to Surat Thani and return. The Surat Thani train station is about an hour from the ferry pier where you catch the boat to Koh Samui. You will need transportation from the railway station to the pier. The most popular trains are the sleeper trains where you travel at night and arrive in either Bangkok or Surat Thani in the morning.

While the trip is long and the noise of the train may wake you up often, new friendships are sometimes made during the journey. Don’t forget to take a bottle of water and tissue paper on board with you. The conductor will wake you prior to your early morning arrival in Surat Thani, but you might want to take a small alarm clock with you in case.

When you disembark at Surat Thani, employees of the bus company will be waiting to stow your bags in the correct bus that will take you to the ferry pier for the boat ride to Koh Samui. When you board the ferry, if you’re still sleepy, you can buy a seat in the “VIP” air-con lounge. The seats recline and are very comfortable. These Rail-Bus-Ferry tickets can be purchased at the train station in Bangkok.