Surat Thani to Khao Sok
Khao Sok is known for Cheow Lan Lake and jungle trails. From Surat Thani the village and the lake pier are an hour apart. Buy the transfer that matches the bed you booked.
Khao Sok village sits by the park headquarters and the Sok River. Cheow Lan Lake, also written Chiao Lan, sits behind Ratchaprapha Dam about 60 to 65 km east of that village. They share a park name and not a pier. A van that says "Khao Sok" will dump you at the village unless the ticket says Ratchaprapha or Cheow Lan.
From Surat Thani town or Phunphin station the village is a westbound Highway 401 ride, about 1.5 to 2 hours. From URT the same vans run after the bags. If you booked a floating raft house, skip the village and go to Ratchaprapha Pier. The longtail is 35 minutes to more than an hour depending on the raft.
Ways to go
| Mode | Time | Seat | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shared van, URT or town to the village | About 1.5 to 2 hours | Minivan bench | Phantip and hotel desks sell this. Fine if you sleep by headquarters. |
| Shared van to Ratchaprapha Pier | About 1 to 1.5 hours from town, less from some URT routings | Minivan bench | Your boat does not leave from Surat. The road ends at the dam pier. |
| Private car | About 90 minutes to either pin if you do not wander | Charter | Worth it when a raft check-in is timed. Shared vans make extra stops. |
| Train to Surat Thani (Phunphin), then van | Night from Krung Thep Aphiwat, then the same 401 van | SRT berth, then minivan | Phunphin is not the lake. Budget a morning, not a same-day longtail at 08:00. |
Ratchaprapha Pier and the longtail
Pay cash at the lake booth. Foreign adults pay 300 THB, children 150 THB. Thai tickets are 40 / 20. Headquarters and the lake are separate 24-hour tickets. Add about 40 THB as a pier fee. Cards fail here. Check on arrival if the booth has moved the number.
Longtails are arranged by the raft house, a tour desk, or the pier queue. A private two-hour boat is the walk-up product, often quoted around 2,000 to 2,200 THB for the boat, not per person. Day-trip boats pack the late morning. Dawn is why you slept on the water.
Park hours at the lake side are roughly 07:00 to 17:00. Remote caves need a licensed guide. Nam Talu is not a casual add-on after a late URT landing.
Keep going
Book
- Flights to URTTrip.com
Surat Thani airport when the lake is the point, not Samui.
Search flights 
Bangkok to Surat ThaniTrip.comPhunphin station, then a van. Not a dawn-raft plan.
Search trains- Cheow Lan longtail and raftTours
Book the boat with the transfer. Walk-up decks sell out in December.
See tickets - Village or lake searchTrip.com
Filter Khao Sok village or Cheow Lan raft, not a random Surat hotel.
Search stays
Common questions
- Village or raft house?
- Raft if dawn on the limestone is the reason you came. Village if you arrive late from URT or you want headquarters trails the next morning.
- Can one ticket cover headquarters and the lake?
- No. Two zones, two 300 THB foreign tickets, plus the pier fee. Budget cash for both days if you do both.
- Same day as a Samui ferry?
- Only if you skip the lake. Donsak and Ratchaprapha are different directions from town.