I'm considering taking a trip to Thailand at some point this year. I would most likely be flying to bangkok and want to end up in the koh samui etc area....

Flying is too expensive and too direct. However, I can't seem to find any conclusive information on the costs and standards of buses and trains.

Can anyone help? I presume the train is a more pleasant journey than the bus - but if it's loads more expensive is the convenience worth it?

Thanks for any help in advance!

www.seat61.com/Thailand

Good info for you...

Always prefer Train over bus not expensive.

Happy Travels!

I would prefer you to travel through train as it is cheap comparatively and will even make your journey memorable.

Have a great journey!

Trains are cheap, but they're the slowest way to get around Thailand. Buses are much faster, and if you compare A/C train fares with bus fares, the bus becomes the cheaper option.

Of course, Samui is an island, so you'll also need a boat at some point. You might want to look at a company called Lomprayah, which is one of the major ferry operators around Samui. They offer various bus/train/boat combination options to get from Bangkok to Samui.

Buses can be handy for short distance, but don't even think of enduring them for long distances, and certaunly not overnight.

The trains make the journeys both interesting and fun in their own right, not just A to B transportation. Thailand has one of the best metre-gauge networks in the world, with trains dirt cheap by western standards.

On overnight trips, trains have sleeper berths, so are easily the best option, and that saves a hotel bill too.

You can buy a combined train and ferry ticket from Bangkok to Ko Samui, too.

Totally agree with the above post. i have used trains extensively in Thailand inc the BKK KS route. Sleeper berth are good. If you want privacy tne on some routes they have private 1st Class compartments. Exceptional value considering you are saving on accommodation costs.
Buses in Thailand can be a real pain on long journeys.

THere are only a limited number of good train journeys in Thailand - number one probably being Bkk to Surat Thani (Koh Samui).
If you really want to travel extensively you will end up having to use a bus.
.....................Unless your budget stretches to hiring a car or pickup truck

Take sleeper train to Koh Samui with the join ticket of the ferry... you can get it at the trian ticket counter..... You will enjoy and will not be much tired as well .... Take train direct to Surat Thani province then bus (provide by ferry company) to the pier and direct to Koh Samui.
Price for a combined ticket is app. 800 Baht for 2nd class and app. 1200 Baht for 1st class. You also can buy just the train ticket if you prefer to go by ferry to Koh Samui. Buses to the 2 ferries (Raja Ferry and Seatran Ferry) are waiting in front of Surat Thani railway station. Tickets for the transfer and ferry are issued at the bus.
More info at http://samui.sawadee.com/airport/train_transfer.html

Thanks very much for the replys everyone

'If you want privacy tne on some routes they have private 1st Class compartments. Exceptional value considering you are saving on accommodation costs.'

Is first class accomodation not that common then? I like the sound of having my own cabin to sleep in, I don't like the sound of sleeping surrounded by strangers (I have issues sleeping in many places...)!

Though it has confused me that Michael said trains are the slowest way to get around the country, are they really slower than buses?

Trains in many countries are slower than the buses. The tracks often have to do more swithcbacks, or they go through towns & Industrial areas where they have to pull over to share tracks or slow down to avoid people and traffic. With a long or heavy train, they can't really stop very quickly if they are at high speeds.

If you have a really aggressive bus driver, he can take the most direct route, drive at crazy high speeds, pass the poey cars on the road...oh, now I remember why I prefer trains!