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Search round tripsDomestic route CNX to USM
Chiang Mai to Koh Samui nonstop with Bangkok Airways
Bangkok Airways flies Chiang Mai to Koh Samui nonstop in about 1 hour 50 minutes, landing at its own open-air airport on the island.
Fares
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Nonstop, Bangkok AirwaysEconomy
CNX
Chiang Mai
USM
Koh Samui
- Distance
- 1,032 km
Return
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Looking for Chiang Mai to Koh Samui air tickets and not sure what to pay? Bangkok Airways flies this route, and fares change with demand, so the same seat can cost noticeably more close to a holiday weekend. Put your dates in the search above to compare today's fares and book with bookingMentor.
Everything you should know
Chiang Mai to Koh Samui flight guide
Flying from Chiang Mai to Koh Samui
In short
Bangkok Airways is the only airline flying nonstop from Chiang Mai (CNX) to Koh Samui (USM). The flight covers about 1,032 km in roughly 1 hour 50 minutes, and you land on the island itself, with no mainland ferry still to go.
That convenience has a price. Samui International Airport was built by Bangkok Airways, opened in 1989 and is still privately run by the airline, which operates the large majority of its flights. Fares are usually higher than to Surat Thani on the mainland, where Thai AirAsia flies from Chiang Mai and coaches and ferries take three to four more hours to reach Samui. If time matters more than money, fly direct.
What you get with Bangkok Airways
A full-service ticket in standard economy normally includes a checked bag, which the low-cost alternatives sell as an extra; check the allowance on your fare type before you pack. At Chiang Mai, Bangkok Airways passengers can use the airline's Boutique Lounge in the domestic departure area, subject to the airline's current rules, and Blue Ribbon passengers have a separate lounge.
Thatched pavilions and tram rides at Bo Phut
The airport is a cluster of thatched, open-sided pavilions in gardens at Bo Phut, on the north-east corner of the island, about 2 km from the northern end of Chaweng. You may be taken from the aircraft by open-sided tram. Taxis are booked at a counter in arrivals with fixed prices by zone; Bophut and Chaweng are the cheapest, and Chaweng is 15 to 20 minutes away. Shared minibuses drop at hotels on the main beaches. Grab works on the island, but pickups at the terminal have been restricted at times, so check the pickup point in the app.
Heading straight on to another island? Big Buddha Pier, a short drive from the terminal, has boats to Koh Phangan, and high-speed ferries to Koh Tao leave from Maenam Pier, about 6 km away. Check the last sailing before you book. The Samui airport guide covers the rest.
A cool-season Chiang Mai stay before Samui's dry months
Samui's wettest months are roughly October to December, when sea crossings can be rough. Much of the rest of the year is drier, so a Chiang Mai cool-season stay in January or February followed by Samui works well.
Bangkok Airways and its island airport
Bangkok Airways traces its roots to Sahakol Air, founded in 1968, and has flown under its present name since 1989, the year Samui's airport opened. Construction there began in 1982 and the official opening was in April 1989. Besides Samui, the airline owns the airports at Sukhothai and Trat.
Its hubs are Suvarnabhumi and Samui, and in August 2025 it had 23 aircraft: Airbus A319s, A320s and ATR 72-600 turboprops. From Samui it flies to both Bangkok airports, Chiang Mai, Krabi, Phuket and U-Tapao for Pattaya and Rayong, plus Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. Scoot and Berjaya Air also fly into Samui from Singapore and Kuala Lumpur's Subang airport.
Samui's single runway is 2,100 m long. The airport's international terminal stands about 50 m north of the domestic one, and both follow the same open-air style. In 2019 Samui handled 1,208,882 passengers.
Bangkok Airways routes from Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai International Airport is operated by Airports of Thailand on a Royal Thai Air Force airfield. It handled 9,517,206 passengers in 2025 and has run 24 hours a day since April 2014. Bangkok Airways flies from there to Suvarnabhumi, Phuket and Koh Samui.
Fact-checked by the bookingMentor Travel Desk
Reviewed · Updated when rules or prices change
We check practical details such as entry rules, seasons and costs against official government and tourism sources.
Chiang Mai to Koh Samui flights at a glance
Bangkok Airways flies nonstop from Chiang Mai (CNX) to Koh Samui (USM). The 1,032 km flight takes about 1 hour 50 minutes.
| Flight time | 1h 50m nonstop |
|---|---|
| Best time to go | January to August |
| Distance | 1,032 km |
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Airlines flying Chiang Mai to Koh Samui
Bangkok Airways, which owns and runs Samui airport, is the only airline flying Chiang Mai to Koh Samui nonstop.
Standard economy fares on Bangkok Airways normally include a checked bag. Check your fare type, as the cheapest fares can carry different rules.
Departure and arrival airports
CNX Chiang Mai International Airport
- Codes
- IATA CNX, ICAO VTCC
- Location
- Mahidol Road, about 4 km south-west of the city centre and 3 km from the Old City moat
- Terminal
- One building. Domestic check-in is at the northern end of the hall, international at the southern end; gates are upstairs after security
- Getting there
- Taxi, Grab or Bolt from the Old City in 10 to 20 minutes; RTC city bus route 24 in daytime
USM Samui International Airport
- Codes
- IATA USM, ICAO VTSM
- Location
- Bo Phut, north-east Koh Samui, about 2 km from the northern end of Chaweng
- Terminal
- Open-sided pavilions; boarding by tram or on foot. Closed overnight
- Onward
- Fixed-zone taxi counter and shared minibuses in arrivals; Big Buddha Pier for Koh Phangan, Maenam Pier for Koh Tao
How to book Chiang Mai to Koh Samui for less
A few things that make the Samui end easier.
15–20 minairport to Chaweng
Book the taxi at the counter
Samui taxis rarely use the meter. The counter in arrivals sells fixed prices by zone, and Lamai and the south coast cost more than Chaweng.
6 kmto Maenam Pier for Koh Tao
Check the ferry before booking
If you are going straight on to Phangan or Koh Tao, find the last sailing first. Missing it means a night on Samui.
3–4 hrsextra via the mainland
Weigh up Surat Thani
Thai AirAsia flies Chiang Mai to Surat Thani, usually for less. The bus and boat add three to four hours to reach Samui.
Flight, train or bus to Koh Samui
The alternative to flying direct is Thai AirAsia to Surat Thani on the mainland, then a coach and ferry to the island.
| Mode | Journey time | Total trip time | One-way fare | Operators and timings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight | about 1h 50m | About 4 hours door to door | Search fares | Bangkok Airways |
| Fly to Surat Thani + bus and ferry | about 1h 50m flight, then 3 to 4 hrs by coach and boat | About 7 to 8 hours | Search fares | Bangkok Airways |
Where to stay in Koh Samui
Chaweng is the busiest beach, Bophut and Choeng Mon are close to the airport and quieter, and Lamai is a little further south.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Getting there
Yes. Bangkok Airways flies nonstop, and it is the only airline that does.
Around 1 hour 50 minutes in the air. The two airports sit about 1,032 km apart.
Bangkok Airways owns Samui airport and operates most of its flights, and capacity has always been limited. Surat Thani on the mainland is cheaper but adds hours by coach and ferry.
Bangkok Airways. It built the airport, opened it in April 1989 and still runs it.
Book a taxi at the arrivals counter, which charges fixed prices by zone; Chaweng takes 15 to 20 minutes. Shared minibuses are cheaper but stop at each hotel.
Yes, with fixed in-app prices. Pickups at the terminal have been restricted at times, so check where the app tells you to meet the driver.
Mostly not. The pavilions are open-sided, though the lounges and some shops are air-conditioned.
General
Yes. The Bangkok Airways Boutique Lounge in the domestic departure area is open to the airline passengers, subject to its current rules. Blue Ribbon passengers have their own lounge.
Big Buddha Pier, a short drive from the airport, has boats to Koh Phangan.
From Maenam Pier, about 6 km north-west of the airport. High-speed ferries to Koh Tao and Chumphon sail from there.
Timing & weather
October to December is the wettest stretch on Samui, with the heaviest rain and the roughest sea crossings. If you fly then, keep beach plans flexible.
What's included
Standard economy fares normally include a checked bag. Check the allowance on your fare type before you travel.
