Travelling from Koh Samui to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s capital and home the infamous Petronas Towers, is fairly straightforward and there are plenty of options to suit all budgets, including bus, train and plane.

Koh Samui to Kuala Lumpur by Bus & Ferry

The bus from Koh Samui to Kuala Lumpur takes around 18 hours. You’ll have a hotel transfer in an air-conditioned mini bus to the bus terminal in Nathon, where you’ll change for the main bus service to Hat Yai. The journey to Hat Yai involves the 90 minute ferry crossing to the mainland port of Donsak, where the bus will continue south to Hat Yai.

On arrival in Hat Yai, which is roughly 6 hours away, you’ll have around a 30 minute change over to get the bus that goes over the Thai-Malaysian border at Sadao into Malaysia and onward to Kuala Lumpur. It takes around 45 minutes to the border and 30 minutes for everyone to stamp their passports at the Thai and Malaysian border controls. Once in Malaysia, you continue your journey to Kuala Lumpur, which takes a further 7 hours.

All buses are comfortable & air conditioned and will stop at frequent intervals at service stations, so there are plenty of opportunities to buy drinks & snacks or go to the toilet. The car ferries are large and stable in even the roughest sea conditions. On board you’ll find plenty of seats, air conditioned cabins, toilet facilities and a very reasonably priced shop to buy snacks & drinks.

Koh Samui to Kuala Lumpur by Train

To go from Koh Samui to Kuala Lumpur, train is a comfortable choice taking 22 hours in total. The first part of the journey to Hat Yai is as described above. Once in Hat Yai you’ll require a short taxi ride from the bus to train station to get the train to Kuala Lumpur Sentral Station, which takes 14 hours 30 minutes. The train has 2nd class sleeper & seating carriages available and arrives early morning.

2nd class sleepers are quite comfortable with berths arranged dormitory style along the coach walls. The upper berths are 100 THB cheaper than the lower but a bit narrower. There’s plenty of luggage room in the carriage, which can either be air conditioned or not (200 THB cheaper) depending on your choice. During the day the sleeper carriage has seats facing each other, which transform into the berths later on, with the upper bunks folding out from the wall. The train attendant will make up your bed with fresh linen and will hook up the curtains for privacy.

2nd class seating is a cheaper option for those on a budget. In a modern and air conditioned carriage, the seats recline comfortably. A service of light meals and refreshments is provided.

Koh Samui to Kuala Lumpur by Plane

There are direct flights from Koh Samui to Kuala Lumpur Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport (Subang) (35km / 35 minutes from KLCC) every day, which take just 1 hour 45 minutes. Ticket prices range from 7,000 THB to 11,000 THB with Bangkok AIrways and 4,500 THB to 7,500 THB with Firefly Airlines and do not include a hotel transfer to Koh Samui Airport but these can be booked with us as extra.

We can also offer flights from Surat Thani Airport to Kuala Lumpur International Airport (60km / 45 minutes from KLCC), which are significantly cheaper than direct from Koh Samui, at around 1,000 THB to 3,500 THB. The flight time is the same but adds 3-4 hours to cross over to Surat Thani by ferry & bus. The good news is the journey to Surat Thani is just 750 THB, with hotel transfers included and money is saved at the other end on taxi fares.

On arrival in KL, as you walk through arrivals there will be taxi counters before passing through security. If you need a taxi, you’ll need to pay the fare at the desk in exchange for a voucher that you present at the taxi rank. There are often taxi drivers who don’t operate under airport rules lingering around outside. They are often legitimate taxis but offer slightly cheaper prices if you negotiate. The difference is they do not have to pay any commission to the airport desks so get to keep the whole fare, which is why they do it but of course you are not protected in any way.

If you looking for a flight to Kuala Lumpur or have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us for up-to-date availability, pricing and advice.

Routes to Kuala Lumpur

What's the Schedule from Koh Samui to Kuala Lumpur?

Bus & Ferry from Koh Samui to Kuala Lumpur (temporarily stopped – not available)

Train to Kuala Lumpur

Direct Flights from Koh Samui to Kuala Lumpur

Flights from Surat Thani to KL

These flights run on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

What's Included on the Trip from Koh Samui to Kuala Lumpur?

Bus & Ferry to Kuala Lumpur

• Hotel transfer in Koh Samui
• Ferry ticket
• Bus ticket

Trains to Kuala Lumpur

• Hotel transfer in Koh Samui
• Ferry ticket
• Bus ticket
• Train ticket

2nd Class Sleeper

• Dormitory sleeper
• Carriage attendant service

2nd Class

• Reclining seat only
• Carriage attendant service

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