Phuket to Bangkok Bus Travel

Travel takes around 12 hours and is relative comfortable. 

in a double decker  vehicle made in Thailand under a German license. This are the best buses used in any South East Asian country. There are two possibilities to do this, one is via Surat Thani (Ko Samui is there) or via Ranong along the Andaman Sea Coast. 

The trip to Ranong is mainly used for the visa run since this is the shortest way to exit the country and come back with a new visa it works via Kawthaung in Myanmar.

It starts at the Phuket bus terminal

Phuket Bus Terminal

Either via Surat Thani 

Surat Than at Khao Sok

Surat Than near Khao Sok

Or Khao Lak and Ranong

Ranong Harbor

Via Khao Lak and Ranong

and Isthmus of Kra

Isthmus of Kra Map

Isthmus of Kra

Between Ranong and Chumphon

Phuket to Bangkok Bus

Thailand bus interior

 Using a motorbike

This road travel is mainly through a lush green tropical landscape with palm oil and rubber plantations. From time to time a river is crossed; mangrove forest pass and the limestone hills pop out from the green carpet. If you come into the night be aware that most petrol stations in Thailand close between 9 -10 pm and open at about 5 am, only at the main through roads like Petkassem Road - that's the name of the main north south highway in Thailand some are open.

In the evening only 2 petrol stations are open between Phuket and Surat Thani, that's almost 300 km. They are both just behind Phang Nga Bay, the next is only after reaching the main north south highway close to Surat Thani. For Ko Samui drive to Surat Thani City and follow the signs for Don Sak, no need to enter the town. Don Sak is the small harbor where the ferries for  Koh Samui and Phangan are leaving. Look close to drive into the right lane since this is not marked very clear, the ferry reaches the islands after 2 – 3 hours

Once on Samui have a ride to the east coast, that’s where the “music plays”. There is a circular road around the whole island. Passing coconut plantations, see a waterfall and maybe watch the monkeys climbing the palm tree to twist the coconut until it falls down, they are trained for this.

Ko Samui is a nice place but overcrowded and extremely commercialized, once there a must visit is to Ang Thong Archipelago via a tour which can be booked through hotel or travel agent, it's really worth it.

On the road from Surat Thani to Chumphon

You could take the ferry at Chumphon for Koh Tao, one of the prime scuba diving destinations in the Gulf of Thailand. Be aware that some hotels and beach resorts there only give you a room when you also book a dive package, it’s strange but it’s like that.

It's about half way through and the drive continuous to Hua Hin. Don’t use the road through Rachaburi to the capital since you will end up in a total mess once you arriving from that direction it’s very difficult to find the right way. When you arrive at the capital from the south or elsewhere you must try to stay on the inner circular road as long as possible. Always choose a hotel near an entrance to the circular road otherwise you will end up in the, the problem is they don’t lets you drive with a motorbike on the motorway.

If not on the city motorway you end up in a real traffic mess and that’s no fun. Actually the whole mess is mostly created by the people who switch the lights since they usually switch red for several minutes for certain direction not considering that the problem is just moved and to bring the jam into motion again its extremely difficult after such a long time. This is not only in Bangkok it's everywhere in the country.

Bangkok new Mega Bridge

The cars and motorbikes are so messed up into each other; blocking each other etc. nothing goes any more. On top of it, because of the long intervals many switch off the engine but about one out in 10 can’t get the engine running again, blocking everything and so on.