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Travel

The Journey

Getting to Thailand

Koh Samui is an island in the Gulf of Thailand, and while it takes a little extra planning to get here, we promise it is worth the journey.

Getting Here

Flights

For most international guests, the easiest route is usually to fly into Bangkok, then take a domestic flight straight down to Koh Samui. Once you land in Samui, you’re officially on island time.

  1. Your CityWherever you’re flying from
  2. Long-haul flight into Thailand
  3. BangkokSuvarnabhumi (BKK) · Don Mueang (DMK)
  4. Around one hour, domestic to Samui
  5. Koh SamuiKoh Samui Airport (USM) · island time

Bangkok has two international airports, Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) and Don Mueang Airport (DMK). Both airports have easy and regular connections to Koh Samui, with the flight to Koh Samui Airport (USM) taking around one hour.

Alternatively, Koh Samui Airport is also an international airport, so it may be possible to get here without stopping elsewhere in Thailand — look for routes through nearby hubs like Singapore, Hong Kong or Kuala Lumpur.

Before You Land

Visas + Entry Requirements

Hooray — Thailand generally does not require a visa for a short holiday stay. You can usually just arrive, get stamped in at the airport and head straight for the coconuts.

That said, Thailand does love to make a rule and then change it almost immediately — welcome to Thailand, lol. At the time of writing, the visa-free allowance is 60 days on arrival, but there have been recent announcements about it changing back to 30 days. Unless you’re planning to stay longer than a month you should be absolutely fine, but please double-check the latest rules for your passport before booking anything too adventurous.

You’ll need
  • A passport with at least 6 months’ validity from your arrival date
  • At least one blank passport page
  • Proof of onward or return travel*

* Airlines can ask to see proof that you have a flight leaving Thailand before they let you check in — yes, Nik got caught out once and nearly missed her flight.

Thailand Digital Arrival Card

You’ll also need to submit a Thailand Digital Arrival Card, known as the TDAC, before arriving in Thailand.

It’s very quick and nothing to stress about — just make sure to use the official link below. Or on arrival there are usually QR-code signs in the airport, but we recommend doing it before you fly so you have one less thing to think about when you land.

TDAC
Not a visa — a digital arrival form Completed online only Within 3 days before you arrive Complete the TDAC online →
A Little Heads-Up

For Our UK Family + Friends

For our UK guests (at the time of writing), we recommend either flying directly to Thailand, or looking for routes that avoid stopovers in Middle Eastern transit hubs where possible.

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We know February still feels a long way off, but travel advice and airline routes can change quickly, and we don’t have a crystal ball. Before booking, we recommend checking the latest UK Government travel advice for any country you’ll be transiting through, as well as your airline’s latest route updates. This is especially worth doing because travel advisories can affect your insurance if things go sideways before or during your trip.

World peace may be just around the corner — wouldn’t that be nice! — but in the meantime, we’d much rather you arrive safely, stress-free, and ready for the wedding of a lifetime ;-)