You’ve seen the gorgeous floating bungalows over the lake and you’re keen to take the kids there – but now you’re wondering how to get to Khao Sok National Park.
That’s OK – I was in the same boat as you and had to do a fair bit of research online to find the best way to get to Khao Sok National Park. So I’ve created this guide to help others understand how to visit Khao Sok National Park from various destinations in Thailand.
I’ve also created a range of other guides to plan your trip to Khao Sok National Park, including:
Please note that the information below on how to go to Khao Sok National Park was correct at the time of publishing but is subject to change at any time – so please use this as a guide only and be sure to double check everything before you go.
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How to get to Khao Sok National Park
The first thing I found when researching getting to Khao Sok National Park is that getting there is a little tricky. However, after spending some time there myself, I can assure you it’s well worth the effort.
Below, I provide a detailed guide on how to get to Khao Sok National Park from several destinations within Thailand.
Flights to Khao Sok National Park
Now, you could be coming to Khao Sok National Park from a range of places around Thailand or elsewhere in South East Asia – so let’s narrow it down to say that the park is best reached from either Phuket, Krabi or Surat Thani.
Phuket, Krabi and Surat Thani are the closest destinations to Khao Sok National Park that you can fly into. There is no airport in Khao Sok; the closest airport to Khao Sok National Park is one of these destinations.
You can also fly into Koh Samui – however, unless you plan on spending time on Koh Samui, this would be the least cost effective way, as flights to Koh Samui tend to be fairly expensive.
So do your research on flights from wherever you’re coming from and choose one of those destinations to start from.
I recommend checking flights on Skyscanner first, then booking with the airline directly.
Khao Sok National Park bus stop
Regardless of where you come from to reach Khao Sok, if you are coming by public bus or shared minivan, it’s worth noting that in most cases, you will be dropped off at the Khao Sok bus stop. The bus stop is not really a bus station but rather a stop on the main road.
The bus stop is on the junction of the main road and the village’s main street leading up to the National Park. Depending on where your hotel is, it could be a short or fairly long walk.
You can make your way to your hotel either on foot, tuk tuk or by taxi. However, some hotels will meet you there and transfer you to the hotel for free – so be sure to look first to see if there are any signs for your hotel.
How to get from Bangkok to Khao Sok National Park
In terms of how to get from Bangkok to Khao Sok National Park, as mentioned above, there is no Bangkok to Khao Sok flight, so I’d recommend you fly into Phuket, Krabi or Surat Thani.
Research the best flights you can get online and choose whatever destination works best for you. We flew from Bangkok to Phuket and found there to be plenty of flights and at great prices.
Find the destination you arrive in from Bangkok below for further directions on how to reach Khao Sok National Park.
Train
Consider taking a train if you want to save even more money and have plenty of time. There isn’t a direct Bangkok to Khao Sok train, but you can get a train from Bangkok to Surat Thani.
Three trains depart from Bangkok Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Station each evening and arrive at Surat Thani Phun Pin Station early in the morning.
The train takes almost 13 hours and fares start from 1000 THB per person.
You can book your train tickets here.
Public bus
Another option for those wanting to save money is to take the bus. Again, there is no direct Bangkok to Khao Sok bus, but you can take a bus to Surat Thani.
Multiple buses depart Bangkok each day, leaving either Mochit or the Southern Terminal. The journey takes around 16 hours and fares start from about 600 THB.
Some express buses also leave from Khao San Montanatip or the Southern Terminal. These buses leave in the evening, arriving in Surat Thani early in the morning. The journey takes around 10 hours and fares start from about 800 THB.
You can book your bus tickets here.
How to get from Surat Thani to Khao Sok National Park
Below, we cover different options for how to get from Surat Thai to Khao Sok National Park.
By public bus
If you are arriving at Surat Thani by plane and wish to take the bus to Khao Sok, you will need to make your own way to the bus station in town, as there is no direct bus from Surat Thani to Khao Sok from the airport.
You will find shared vans heading into town outside the front of the airport for around 110 THB per person.
The Surat Thani to Khao Sok bus leaves from Talat Mai 31 Rd., Makham Tia, Mueang. The journey from the Surat Thani bus station to Khao Sok takes 2.5 hours and tickets can be purchased at the bus station for 280 THB.
If you’re arriving from Bangkok by train, the buses leave from the Surat Thani train station to Khao Sok once daily, taking almost 2 hours. Tickets are 280 THB.
You can book your bus tickets here.
Shared minivan
There are ticket vendors inside the main hall of the airport, where you can arrange a shared minivan service from 300 Baht per person to the Khao Sok bus station. This journey takes 2.5 hours.
Sometimes, direct minivans from Surat Thani Airport to Khao Sok are not available from the airport, so in this case, you’ll need to take a minivan from the airport to Surat Thani town first and take a minibus from there.
You can book your shared minivan tickets here.
Private taxi service
The most convenient option for how to get to Khao Sok National Park from Surat Thani, particularly if you have kids and luggage in tow, is to take a private taxi service from the Surat Thai Airport directly to your hotel at Khao Sok Village.
You can arrange a private vehicle from around 2000 to 2600 THB; the journey will take approximately 2 hours.
You can book your private taxi service here.
How to get from Phuket to Khao Sok National Park
While at 143km, Phuket is not the closest airport to Khao Sok National Park (Surat Thani is). However, it has the most frequent and cheap flights and is often the best airport to fly into to get to Khao Sok National Park.
If you’re flying from overseas, many countries even have direct flights to Phuket, saving you from having to fly into Bangkok if you don’t plan on spending time in the capital city.
Below, we cover different options for how to get from Phuket to Khao Sok National Park or read our more detailed guide here.
Public bus
There is no public bus from Phuket Airport to Khao Sok National Park. So from the airport, you’ll either need to take a bus to the Phuket Bus Terminal 2 (not to be confused with Phuket Bus Terminal 1, which is 6km away) in Phuket Town or take a shared or private transfer (see details below).
If taking the bus, just know Phuket Bus Terminal 2 is around an hour’s drive in the opposite direction to Khao Sok – so you are backtracking quite a lot.
Plus, there is no direct route. The closest you can take a bus from the airport to Terminal 2 is by taking a bus to Phuket Merlin – which is still 4km from the bus station – so from here, you’ll need to walk or take a taxi.
If you’re already in Phuket, taking the Phuket bus to Khao Sok National Park may be worth your while. From the Terminal 2 bus station, you take a bus via Khao Lak with a 20 minute stopover in Takua Pa en route to Khao Sok National Park. The entire journey takes around 4 hours and costs 370 THB per person.
You can book your bus tickets here.
Shared minivan
A shared minivan departs from Phuket Airport to Khao Sok Village a few times daily, costing around 1000 THB per person. This trip takes about 2.5 to 3 hours.
If you’re already staying in Phuket, you can arrange a shared minivan to pick you up from your hotel and take you to Khao Sok Village for around 1100 THB per person. This trip takes about 4 hours.
You can book your shared minivan tickets here.
Private taxi service
The most convenient option for getting from Phuket to Khao Sok, particularly if you have kids and luggage in tow, is to take a private taxi from Phuket directly to your hotel at Khao Sok Village.
From Phuket Airport, a private vehicle will cost around 3000 THB for the car, and the journey will take about 2.5 hours.
From Phuket town, a private vehicle will cost around 3100 THB, and the journey will take approximately 3 to 3.5 hours.
We used Khao Lak Airport Transfers by Mr Ton Taxi – who you can find here on FaceBook. We paid 2600 THB for a car with two people and highly recommend them (not affiliated in any way!).
You can book your private taxi service here.
Tour
If the above seems all too complicated and you only have time for a day trip to Khao Sok National Park, then you can book a Phuket to Khao Sok National Park tour.
Click here to view a range of different tour options.
How to get from Krabi to Khao Sok National Park
Krabi is another destination that often has direct flights from overseas, so this could be another option if you wish to bypass Bangkok. There are also regular flights into Krabi from Bangkok, so if you can get a cheap flight, this may be a good option.
Below, we cover different options for how to get from Krabi to Khao Sok National Park.
Public bus
There is no public bus from Krabi to Khao Sok National Park.
Shared minivan
A few shared minivans depart from Krabi town to Khao Sok before noon each day. These cost around 500 THB per person, and the trip takes 3 to 5 hours.
No vans leave from the Krabi Airport Khao Sok, so you’ll need to make your way to the Krabi Bus Terminal first. There are only two minivans going from the airport to town each day, which costs 150 THB per person and takes just 20 minutes.
Otherwise, a taxi will cost around 500 THB to get you from the airport to the bus station – you can then take the minivan to Khao Sok from there.
You can book your shared minivan tickets here.
Private taxi service
The most convenient option, particularly if you have kids and luggage in tow, is to take a private taxi from Krabi directly to your hotel at Khao Sok Village.
You can arrange a private taxi to pick you up from anywhere within Krabi, including the airport, for around 2600 to 3000 THB. The trip takes about 2.5 to 3 hours.
You can book your private taxi service here.
Tour
If the above seems all too complicated and you want someone to take care of everything – the transportation from Krabi and your accommodation and activities while in Khao Sok National Park, then you can book a Krabi to Khao Sok tour.
There are full day tours available, as well as overnight tours and multi day tours.
Click here to view a range of different tour options.
How to get from Koh Samui to Khao Sok National Park
While there is an airport on Koh Samui, unless you plan on spending any time on Koh Samui before going to Khao Sok, this is likely the least affordable option for flights from Bangkok or anywhere else.
If you are coming from Koh Samui, you will need to make your way to Don Sak Pier (on the Thailand mainland).
Ferries leave Koh Samui to Don Sak Pier from 5 am and every hour until 6 pm. The journey takes 1.5 hours and costs around 200 to 250 THB per person. From the Don Sak Pier, Khao Sok National Park is 185km and 3 hours by road.
You can book your ferry tickets here.
Public bus
If you wish to take a public bus, you will need to make your way from the pier to the Surat Thani.
Buses leave the Don Sak Pier and go to the Surat Thani bus terminal or train station every few hours, taking around 1.5 hours. Tickets are 170 THB per person.
See the directions above under Surat Thani for the remainder of the trip by bus to Khao Sok.
You can book your bus tickets here.
Shared minivan
A few shared minivans depart from Don Sak Pier each day for Khao Sok. This trip costs 410 THB per person and takes around 4-5 hours.
You can book your shared minivan tickets here.
Private taxi service
The most convenient option, particularly if you have kids and luggage in tow, is to take a private taxi from Don Sak Pier directly to your hotel at Khao Sok Village.
A private taxi service will cost between 2800 and 3600 THB and take about 3 hours.
You can book your private taxi service here.
How to get from Koh Tao to Khao Sok National Park
The best way to get to Koh Tao to Khao Sok National Park is to go to Koh Samui and follow the directions listed above for Koh Samui to Khao Sok.
Ferries run a few times daily and take anywhere from 1.5 hours by speedboat to 3.5 hours by ferry. Fares are around 700 THB per person.
It’s recommended that you take a ferry going to Na Thon Pier on Koh Samui, as this is where it’s recommended you take the ferry from Koh Samui, which goes to Don Sak Pier.
See Koh Samui above for further details on how to reach Khao Sok National Park from here.
You can book your ferry tickets here.
How to get from Khao Lak to Khao Sok National Park
A holiday covering both Khao Lak and Khao Sok National Park is a nice combination, and this is exactly what we did when we visited.
Below, we cover different options for how to get from Khao Lak to Khao Sok National Park.
Public Bus
Buses leave from the Khao Lak Centre multiple times a day. This trip takes around 2 hours and costs 260 THB per person.
You can book your bus tickets here.
Shared minibus
A few shared minivans depart from Khao Lak each day for Khao Sok. This trip costs 600 THB per person and takes just 1 hour.
You can book your shared minivan tickets here.
Private taxi service
The most convenient option, particularly if you have kids and luggage in tow, is to take a private taxi from Khao Lak directly to your hotel at Khao Sok Village.
A private taxi service will cost between 1400 and 2000 THB and take an hour.
You can book your private taxi service here.
Tours
If the above seems all too complicated and you want someone to take care of everything – the transportation from Khao Lak and your accommodation and activities while in Khao Sok National Park, then you can book a tour.
There are full day tours available, as well as overnight tours and multi day tours.
Click here to view a range of different tour options.
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I hope you found this guide on getting to Khao Sok National Park helpful. Other guides that you might find helpful include where to stay in Khao Sok Village or the best things to do in Khao Sok National Park with kids.