By Clever Tourists · Published
Fly from Bangkok to Surat Thani (about 1 hour 15 minutes), then take a van or taxi about 1.5 hours west to Khao Sok village: around 5 hours door to door. On a budget, the overnight sleeper train to Surat Thani arrives early in the morning, in time for vans that reach the park by late morning. Direct night buses from Bangkok cost about ฿850 to ฿1,100 (≈ $25–33) and take around 16 hours. There is no railway or airport at Khao Sok, so every route ends with a road transfer. If you are coming for a night on Cheow Lan Lake, arrive the day before: see our Cheow Lan Lake floating bungalow guide.
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12Go lists about 44 combined departures a day from Bangkok to Khao Sok, and the fastest flight-plus-van combination takes about 4 hours 35 minutes. Here is how the main options compare.
| Option | Total time | Typical cost | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fly to Surat Thani + van or taxi | About 4.5 to 6 hours | Low-cost fare plus a van; private taxi about ฿1,900 (≈ $56) | Short trips; arriving with daylight to spare |
| Night train to Surat Thani + van | About 12 to 14 hours, overnight | Second-class sleeper about ฿800–1,000 (≈ $24–30) plus a van | Saving a hotel night; a flat bed |
| Direct overnight bus | About 16 hours | About ฿850–1,100 (≈ $25–33) | No changes, lowest effort |
| Fly to Phuket or Krabi + transfer | About 2.5 to 3 hours by road after landing | Private transfer ฿1,600–4,000 (≈ $47–119) per car | Combining Khao Sok with the Andaman coast |
Flights: Thai AirAsia, Thai Lion Air and Nok Air fly from Don Mueang (DMK), and Thai AirAsia and Thai VietJet from Suvarnabhumi (BKK), to Surat Thani (URT) in about 1 hour 10 to 1 hour 25 minutes. Don Mueang usually has the cheaper fares. Check whether yours includes a checked bag before comparing prices.
Airport to Khao Sok: the drive is about 1.5 hours. Some vans go straight from the airport to Khao Sok village and can be booked with the flight on 12Go; otherwise vans go into Surat Thani town, where you change. Last vans leave in the afternoon, so do not book the last flight of the day unless you have a private taxi arranged (Thai National Parks lists about ฿1,900 (≈ $56) for the airport to the village).
Sleepers leave Krung Thep Aphiwat (Bang Sue) in the evening and stop at Surat Thani station, which is in Phun Phin, outside Surat Thani town. Current timetables show:
• No. 83: 18:50, arrives 04:58 • No. 85: 19:50, arrives 06:23 • No. 167: 20:30, arrives 07:16 • No. 39/41: 22:50, arrives 07:50
No. 85 and No. 167 arrive at the most useful times: early enough for the morning vans to Khao Sok, which meet trains arriving before about 09:00, without a 5am wait at a dark station. A second-class sleeper berth costs roughly ฿800 to ฿1,000 (≈ $24–30); lower berths cost a little more than upper ones. Book on the State Railway of Thailand's D-Ticket site, and book early in the December to April high season.
If your train arrives after the morning vans have gone, go into Surat Thani town for a later van, or arrange a taxi in advance.
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Night buses run straight from Bangkok to Khao Sok, leaving between about 18:00 and 20:00 and arriving the next late morning, around 16 hours with rest stops. Fares are about ฿850 to ฿1,100 (≈ $25–33). It is the simplest option, with no changes, but the slowest.
Some cheap tourist buses from the Khao San Road area have a reputation for theft from bags. Keep valuables in a small bag on your lap, not in the hold or the overhead rack, and choose an operator with recent reviews.
Buses and vans drop at Khlong Sok, the village at the park entrance, which is where almost everyone stays. Cheow Lan Lake is about an hour further east, and the floating bungalow tours leave the pier in the morning, so plan to sleep in the village the night before your lake trip.
The lake is the main reason most people make this trip, and raft houses can only be booked as a tour with the boat transfer: read our Cheow Lan Lake floating bungalow guide for prices and what is included. For how to split your nights between the village trails and the lake, see how many days in Khao Sok.
Onward: Khao Sok sits between the Gulf and the Andaman coast. Phuket and Krabi are each about 2.5 to 3 hours by road; for the Krabi side, see Bangkok to Krabi and Ao Nang, and for a full route, the 2-week Thailand itinerary.
Fly to Surat Thani in about 1 hour 15 minutes, then take a van or taxi for about 1.5 hours. Allow about 5 hours door to door.
Not to Khao Sok itself. Overnight sleepers go to Surat Thani (Phun Phin) in about 10 hours, and morning vans continue to the park.
Yes. Night buses leave around 18:00 to 20:00, take about 16 hours and cost about ฿850 to ฿1,100 (≈ $25–33).
Surat Thani, about 1.5 hours by road. Krabi is about 2 hours 45 minutes and Phuket about 2.5 hours.
Usually not. Lake tours leave the pier in the morning, so most people sleep in Khao Sok village first.
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Entry rules change, and they depend on your nationality — always confirm the current requirements on the official government site before you book or apply. Only use official government (.gov) portals; ignore look-alike agency sites.
Find a Khao Sok hotel within walking distance of the sights on Booking.com.
