The Sanctuary Thailand is located on the small, beautiful tropical island of Koh Phangan in the Gulf of Thailand, a sister island to Koh Samui. We are situated in the middle of one of three bays: – Haad Yuan, Haad Tien & Haad Wai Nam.

Getting to Paradise

By Plane to Koh Samui airport:

The most direct way to get to Koh Phangan is to fly from Bangkok to Koh Samui Island with Bangkok Air. Note that Bangkok Air has a very flexible ‘change your ticket’ policy and they have 20 flights a day to and from the islands.

** A Little Tip For You**

We recommend purchasing a DTAC sim card when you arrive in Thailand as this works well on Haad Tien. We do have good WIFI here, however you may be required to reconnect to The Sanctuary WIFI every time we change our generators (3 times a day).

From Koh Samui Airport:

1. Taxi & “Haad Rin Queen” ferry ticket to Haad Rin pier in Koh Phangan.

• The easiest option once you have collected your luggage is to ask at one of the travel desks upon leaving the airport for a taxi & “Haad Rin Queen” ferry ticket to Haad Rin pier, Koh Phangan.
• Alternatively, you can catch a taxi from the airport to Big Buddha Pier in Koh Samui, to purchase a ferry ticket to Haad Rin in Koh Phangan (please see below, The Haad Rin Queen ferry**).

2. Private Speedboat to and from The Sanctuary.

• We can organise a ‘Private Speedboat’ booking for you at 7,500 THB one way.
• The driver can collect you from Koh Samui airport, take you to the boat and bring you directly to The Sanctuary. We can also arrange a return journey when leaving The Sanctuary.
• For safety purposes, the driver will not operate after dark.
• Please book at least one week prior to your arrival with us via Reservations (holidayasiabookings@gmail.com) and at least one day prior to your departure from The Sanctuary with Reception.

**Ferry from Samui to Koh Phangan - The “Haad Rin Queen” ferry -

The ferry departs from Big Buddha Pier Koh Samui to Haad Rin (Koh Phangan) daily at

• 10.30am
• 3pm (fast boat)
• 5pm daily.

– Please double check it is the correct pier for the HAAD RIN QUEEN FERRY, as there are 2 Big Buddha Piers –

Ferry from Tao to Koh Phangan - The Lomprayah ferry -

• If you are travelling to us from Koh Tao, please catch the fast ferry (Lomprayah) to Thong Sala Pier.
• At Thong Sala, please catch a taxi truck (20 minutes, approx. 150 baht per person) to Haad Rin town.

From Haad Rin (in Koh Phangan) to The Sanctuary:

1. By boat.

• When you arrive at Haad Rin Pier, there will be taxi boat drivers waiting for customers bound for Haad Tien (where The Sanctuary is located).
• Please ensure you ask the taxi boat driver to transport you to Haad Tien.
• To improve your chances of getting a boat / taxi quickly with other passengers, head to the ferry port when the boats from Koh Samui arrive at:
  •  11.20am
  • 3.30pm
  • 5.50pm.
• The cost of a taxi boat taxi is approx. 500 baht depending on how many customers are taking the boat with you. If the waves are high or there are few customers, the boat drivers may charge a higher price.

2. By truck.

• If the waves are too high for a taxi boat, there will be a taxi jeep waiting.
• This journey is quite an adventure! It takes about 40 minutes over mostly rough jungle tracks.
• The taxi truck journey costs approx. 500 THB to 1,500 THB (depending on the weather) per person.

3. On foot.

• If the weather prevents the boats from running, or if you are feeling particularly energetic, we recommend the beautiful walk from Haad Rin to The Sanctuary.
• The walk starts at ‘Thai House Bungalow’ just up the street from ‘Yogurt Home Restaurant’ and brings you up through coconut palms and then on through secondary tropical rainforest.
• Just follow the yellow/green dots on rocks and trees. This route will take you uphill with steps, so please take this into consideration. We would not recommend you undertake this for your first time unsupervised.
• Don’t forget to bring some water! Pay attention to the sights and sounds on the amazing walk. When you arrive in paradise at The Sanctuary, we will be waiting to welcome you…

From the city of Surat Thani:

• Many ferry companies offer boats directly to Koh Phangan, or via Koh Samui.
• The journey from Surat Thani/Donsak to Thong Sala pier in Koh Phangan takes around 2.5 hours.
• The boats land at Thong Sala and you can get a taxi truck to Haad Rin, where you then catch a taxi boat or taxi jeep to The Sanctuary.

**Please note**

• For our arrivals after dark, we suggest that you stay overnight somewhere local in Koh Phangan. As it may feel a bit daunting catching a boat / taxi in the dark for the first time, or by road truck as it can be a bumpy ride!
• Depending on the strength of the waves, the taxi boat may drop you at the end of Haad Tien beach, requiring you to walk across the beach to The Sanctuary.
• If this is the case, you are more than welcome to contact us via our WhatsApp general enquiries number for assistance with your suitcase: –
• WhatsApp message us on: – +66 (0) 95-027-2163 GMT+7 (Available between 8am – 9pm).

Returning Home:

The ferry times back from Haad Rin (Koh Phangan) to Koh Samui take 50 minutes and run daily at:

• 9.30am
• 12.30pm (fast boat)
• 4pm.

If your flight out of Koh Samui is before midday, you will need to either spend your last night in Koh Samui or travel by private speedboat.

Thai Visas

• Most travellers are issued a one month tourist visa upon arrival in Thailand at one of the country’s international airports.
• Most passport holders can obtain a further 30 days at the local Koh Samui Immigration office – However it is recommended you visit your own country's Thai embassy for specifics, as countries do differ.
• If you think you will want to spend more than 1 month in Thailand, we recommend getting a tourist visa in your own country.
• If you cross the Thai border by road you will only be given a 15 day visa.