Surat Thani International Airport serves the Southern Thai province of Surat Thani, which is home to Khao Sok National Park and three other national parks. The airport is also a gateway to Koh Samui, Koh Pha Ngan, Koh Thao, Phuket, and the Ang Thong National Marine Park.
Surat Thani International Airport (URT) is the largest airport in Surit Thani province, which is located in Southern Thailand.
With a population of 125,000 people, Surat Thani is the eight largest city in Thailand.
The city is a major commercial and transportation hub for the region, which is scattered with some popular tourist attractions and travel destinations.
Airport Overview
Surat Thani International Airport is both a commercial and a military air field, serving as a base for the Royal Thai Air Force.
Surat Thani Airport has only one terminal, serving both domestic and international passengers. The airport handles about one million airline passengers a year.
Because of its relatively long runway, Surat Thani International can accommodate larger aircraft than neighboring Krabi and Samui airports.
Airlines and Flight Information
Surat Thani International Airport is served by four domestic Thai airlines, which offer a total of 17 flights a day to Bangkok’s two airports.
Two of the flights are to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport. The other 15 flights are to Bangkok Don Mueang International Airport.
One airline also offers two daily flights from Surat Thani Airport to Chiang Mai International Airport in Northern Thailand.
- Nok Air flies from Surat Thani Airport to Don Mueang International Airport;
- Thai Air Asia flies from Surat Thani Airport to Don Mueang International Airport and Chiang Mai International Airport;
- Thai Smile flies from Surat Thani Airport to Suvarnabhumi International Airport;
- Thai Lion Air flies from Surat Thani Airport to Don Mueang International Airport.
Several Chinese airlines fly between Surat Thani International Airport and such Chinese cities as Chengdu, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Shanghai Pudong, Wenzhou, and Wuhan.
Ground Transportation
Private taxis, shared minibuses, high-speed ferriers, car rentals are among the transport options connecting the airport with Koh Tao, Surat Thani, Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, Krabi, Pang Nga, Khanom, and Phuket.
Depending on traffic, the ride from the airport to Surat Thani by taxi can take up to an hour and will cost about 1,000 baht.
You might also want to try booking a Private Airport Transfer by Minibus and high-speed ferry to Koh Tao. It is best to reserve in advance.
Nearby Tourist Attractions
Nearby tourist destinations include Krabi, Phuket, and Koh Samui as well as the lesser known beach-side resort community of Khanom, which is popular with tourists from Scandinavia..
Surat Thani International Airport is the closest airport to Khao Sok National Park, which is the largest area of protected land in Thailand.
A 4,000-square-metre nature preserve, the park is famous for its soaring limestone karsks and verdant mountainous terrain.
More than 100 karsks protrude from Cheow Lan Lake, a 168-square-kilometre lake sitting at the heart of the park. Cheow Lan is also spelled Chieo Lan.
There are three other national parks in the province: Khlong Phanom National Park, Kaeng Krung National Park, and Tia Rom Yen National Park.
Airport Location
The airport is located in the Phun Phin region about 21 kilometres west of downtown Surat Thani. Surat Thani is 534 kilometres, or 332 miles, south of Bangkok.
This is the seventh in a series of passengers’ guides to the Airports of Thailand.