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Return fares for Chiang Mai to Surat Thani are pulled from the airlines and our partners when you search. Pick your dates to see return flights and prices.
Search round tripsDomestic route CNX to URT
Chiang Mai to Surat Thani: the budget route to the Gulf islands
Thai AirAsia flies Chiang Mai to Surat Thani nonstop in about 1 hour 50 minutes. Coaches and ferries from the airport continue to Samui, Phangan and Koh Tao.
Fares
Fares are pulled from the airlines and our partners when you search. Search your dates
Nonstop, Thai AirAsiaEconomy
CNX
Chiang Mai
URT
Surat Thani
- Distance
- 1,071 km
Return
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Looking for Chiang Mai to Surat Thani air tickets and not sure what to pay? Thai AirAsia 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 Surat Thani flight guide
Flying from Chiang Mai to Surat Thani
In short
Most people on this flight are not stopping in Surat Thani at all. Thai AirAsia flies nonstop from Chiang Mai (CNX) to Surat Thani (URT), about 1,071 km, in roughly 1 hour 50 minutes, and the airport's real job is getting travellers onto coaches and ferries for Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao.
It is the cheaper way to reach the Gulf islands from the north. Flying straight to Koh Samui is quicker, but Samui's airport is owned by Bangkok Airways and fares are higher. Going via Surat Thani adds three to six hours depending on the island. Thai AirAsia is the only airline flying Chiang Mai to Surat Thani, and the route was cut back sharply in the quiet months of 2026, so check which days are running for your dates.
Bus and ferry from Phunphin to Koh Samui
Surat Thani International Airport is in Phunphin, about 21 km west of town, and it works as a transport interchange. Coaches wait outside arrivals with timings built around the flights:
- Bus and ferry to Koh Samui on one ticket, about 3 to 4 hours, with Seatran and Raja sailing from Don Sak and Lomprayah from the town's Tapee pier. Most connections stop in the afternoon, so land before about 15:00.
- Lomprayah's coach and catamaran to Koh Phangan and Koh Tao, leaving the airport at 09:30 and 12:30.
- Phantip Travel's combination tickets to Koh Phangan, around four and a half hours door to pier.
- A public bus to central Surat Thani after each arrival, 30 to 45 minutes.
Buy ferry tickets from the ferry companies or Phantip, not from desks styled as tourist information, which are private agencies. Our Surat Thani airport guide has the full rundown.
Dive gear and big backpacks
Thai AirAsia's basic fares include cabin baggage only. If you are carrying dive gear or a big backpack, add a checked bag online.
Gulf island rains from October to December
The Gulf islands get their heaviest rain from about October to December, when crossings can be delayed or cancelled; leave a spare day before any onward international flight in those months. The rest of the year is mostly drier, which is the opposite pattern to Phuket and Krabi on the Andaman side.
An air force airfield that replaced Donnok in 1981
Surat Thani's airport is owned by the Royal Thai Air Force, which also flies from it, and operated by the Department of Airports. It opened on 15 April 1981, replacing the old Donnok airfield about 3 km from the city. The runway was lengthened from 2,500 m to 3,000 m in 1993.
Passenger numbers peaked at 2,247,344 in 2017 and stood at 1,516,470 in 2025. A planned 1.7 billion baht upgrade would let the terminal handle up to 3.6 million passengers a year, and the car park is due to grow to 700 spaces. Growth has been steep over two decades: in 2001 the airport handled just 180,621 passengers.
Thai AirAsia flies from Surat Thani to both Bangkok airports and Chiang Mai, Nok Air and Thai Lion Air to Don Mueang, Thai VietJet to Suvarnabhumi, and EZY Airlines to Hua Hin.
The airline and the departure airport
Thai AirAsia counts Chiang Mai among its seven operating bases and flies an all-Airbus fleet of A320s and A321neos. It was founded in November 2003. Chiang Mai International Airport, operated by Airports of Thailand, has run 24 hours a day since April 2014 and handled 9.52 million passengers in 2025.
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 Surat Thani flights at a glance
Thai AirAsia flies nonstop from Chiang Mai (CNX) to Surat Thani (URT). The 1,071 km flight takes about 1 hour 50 minutes.
| Flight time | 1h 50m nonstop |
|---|---|
| Best time to go | January to August |
| Distance | 1,071 km |
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Airlines flying Chiang Mai to Surat Thani
Thai AirAsia is the only airline flying Chiang Mai to Surat Thani nonstop.
Basic fares cover cabin baggage only. Allow for ferry connections when you choose a flight; a delay can mean missing the last boat.
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
URT Surat Thani International Airport
- Codes
- IATA URT, ICAO VTSB
- Location
- Phunphin, about 21 km west of Surat Thani town
- To the islands
- Bus and ferry tickets to Samui, Phangan and Koh Tao sold in arrivals; most Samui connections stop in the afternoon
- Into town
- Public bus after each arrival, 30 to 45 minutes, or a taxi of about 30 minutes
How to book Chiang Mai to Surat Thani for less
The flight is the easy part; these tips cover the boat.
15:00latest arrival for Samui ferries
Land before mid-afternoon
Most coach-and-ferry connections to Samui stop in the afternoon. A late landing can mean a night in Surat Thani or a slow night boat from the town pier.
3–4 hrsairport to Samui by bus and boat
Buy from the ferry companies
Desks that look like tourist information are private agents. Buy from Seatran, Raja, Lomprayah or Phantip directly.
Oct–Decrough seas
Leave a buffer in the monsoon
Crossings can be delayed or cancelled. Keep a spare day before any onward international flight.
Flight, train or bus to Surat Thani
From the airport, the island leg is by coach and ferry on a single ticket. Here is how the options compare.
| Mode | Journey time | Total trip time | One-way fare | Operators and timings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bus and ferry to Koh Samui | about 3 to 4 hrs | About 6 to 7 hours from Chiang Mai, including the flight | from about ฿400 | Seatran and Raja from Don Sak, Lomprayah from Tapee pier |
| Bus and catamaran to Koh Tao | Coach at 09:30 or 12:30, about 4 hrs 45 min on the 09:30 | Most of a day from Chiang Mai | about ฿1,100 | Lomprayah, calling at Samui and Phangan |
| Flight | about 1h 50m | About 4 hours to Surat Thani town | Search fares | Thai AirAsia |
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Getting there
Yes, Thai AirAsia. It is the only airline on the route, which was cut back in the quiet months of 2026, so check that your dates are operating.
About 1 hour 50 minutes for roughly 1,071 km.
No. Surat Thani is on the mainland. Samui has its own airport on the island, served mainly by Bangkok Airways.
Usually, if you land by about 15:00. Combined bus and ferry tickets are sold in arrivals and the trip takes 3 to 4 hours; if you land later, plan a night in Surat Thani.
Only if you land in time for one of the Lomprayah coaches, which leave the airport at 09:30 and 12:30. The 09:30 coach reaches Koh Tao at about 14:15.
Yes. A public bus meets arriving flights and takes 30 to 45 minutes for the 21 km into Surat Thani. A taxi does it in about 30 minutes.
Possibly. The runway is shared with a Royal Thai Air Force base, and its Gripen fighters are sometimes visible on the far side of the field.
Booking
From the ferry companies or Phantip Travel. Desks styled as tourist information are private agencies, not the Tourism Authority of Thailand.
General
You will need a night in Surat Thani town or a slow night boat, which leaves from the town pier rather than the airport.
Price. Fares into Samui, where Bangkok Airways owns the airport, are usually higher. The trade-off is three to six extra hours by coach and boat.
Timing & weather
From about October to December, yes. Crossings can be delayed or cancelled, so leave a buffer day before any international flight home.
What's included
Not on the basic Thai AirAsia fare. Add a checked bag online if you are carrying dive gear or a large backpack.
