Pralarn Pier — Attraction in Surat Thani Province

We bought online tickets from Lomprayah for our trip to Koh Tao. The website is decent. We printed our reservations on A4 paper to show to the check-in counter at Pralarn pier.

We took a minivan from Samui airport to go to Pralarn pier. It took 35-40 minutes. It is a big pier with check-in booths, around 4 rows. There are toilets at the back.

We could not check-in right away. So we sat and had some food and drinks. There is an air conditioned coffee shop. Also there are many outdoor tables to sit.

We had to weigh all our luggages. They allow 20kg each but can be counted in total together as a group. Then we attach a tag for Koh Tao.

When we were queuing for checking in. There were two people cutting the line. We told them not to but they didn’t listen. The staff at the counter, she told them to leave and do queuing properly like the others. She refused to proceed for those two. We do appreciate that. She is admirable.

After checking in, we received our tickets for both forth and back. So we have to keep our return tickets well. Also they gave us stickers to attach to our shirts to make sure that we will get on the right boat.

They told us which gate we would get through to our boat. When it is closed to the departure time, we queued to get on the boat.

We had to carry our own luggages to the boat. The big ones we left at the front of the boat. Their staff took them to keep in the proper area. The small bag we had to carry with us.

We got on the boat and went to the back to go to the second floor for a VIP room. More comfortable seats there. We had to pay 100 or 200 baht each depending on which seats we got. A staff came to get the cash right after the boat departing...

absolute chaos, endless queues, staff running around holding piles of messy papers trying to place pre-bookings in the boxes, or just sitting scrolling through their phones endlessly.

then once you queued, you can queue again to weight your luggage, quickly doubling or tripling the price of the trip for a few extra kilos.

then you can start to queue again to be parked like monkeys in a cage in the pre-boarding area.

as the trip can take between 20minutes an 1h from the airport to the pier, and the checkin can take between 30 minutes to 1h30, make sure you have plenty of time between landing at the airport and your boat if you really want to take lomprayah.

Seatran at bangrak pier operate entirely electronically, checkin is instant, there's no extra fee for heavy luggage, and as the staff is not totally submerged by a chaotic work process, they have time to be friendly and helpful - being a bit disabled I had a hard time carrying my luggages, some adorable young staff ran to my help and even offered to carry my luggage up to the boat.

I've been traveling between surat thani and the various islands since 1999, just as Lomprayah started to operate, back then it was a total liberation from the chaotic Songserm travels, but the quality just dropped every year to the point of being...

We got the Lomprayah Samui to Bangkok, the catamaran has a few stops to small islands, Departed on time and arrived early and got on a transfer coach to Bangkok. It was all coordinated easily and swiftly as they give everyone coloured stickers to identify which destination and what bus you're designated too, the seating is adequate for a few hours on the boat and has AC. The coach was excellent with reclining sofa chairs, folding table, AC, blanket, blinds and complimentary water&snack. Be aware the coffee shop/restaurant and mini mart at the departure and arrival piers don't accept card so keep cash.

Would have gave 5 stars if they accepted card.. It's 2024 there should atleast be the option these days. they're losing out on money from hundreds of...