IATA · USMKoh Samui · Gulf coast

Samui Airport

Samui International Airport (USM) is the gateway to Koh Samui in the Gulf of Thailand, and one of the prettiest airports anywhere: an open-air, tropical-garden terminal with thatched pavilions and golf-cart buggies out to the aircraft. It sits in Bo Phut, about 4 km from Chaweng, and handled roughly 2.7 million passengers in 2024.

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In numbers

Samui Airport at a glance

Official name
Samui International
IATA / ICAO
USM / VTSM
Operator
Bangkok Airways / Samui Airport
Terminal
Open-air garden terminal
To Chaweng
4 km, about 10 min
To Lamai
20 km, about 30 min
Elevation
20 m above sea level
Runway
17/35, 2,100 m
Transport and services

Leaving Samui Airport

The airport sits in the north-east of the island, close to Chaweng and Bophut but a longer run to Lamai and Nathon. Compare the main ways to reach your resort.

Most flexible

Car rental

Desks at the terminal with no-deposit models and free cancellation. The best way to explore the island, though rates are high, from ฿1,000/day in low season.

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Taxi & transfer

Fixed-fare airport taxis and pre-booked private transfers. Chaweng from about ฿200, Lamai a little more. A shared minibus reaches Chaweng from ฿130.

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Parking

A small car park sits beside the open-air terminal for drop-offs and short stays, with a drop-off area right in front. Handy for meeting arriving guests.

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Flights and times

Check arrivals and departures live. Samui runs a small single-carrier schedule, so the board is short but easy to read.

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Live flight board

Live flights at Samui Airport

Follow arrivals and departures at Samui Airport in real time. Data is provided by Avionio and updated continuously; smaller airports show only a handful of flights, which is normal.

Open the dedicated pages: Arrivals and Departures for Samui Airport.

About Samui Airport

Samui Airport is unlike any other airport in Thailand. It is the country's first and only privately owned commercial airport, built and operated by Bangkok Airways, which opened it on 25 April 1989 as a boutique gateway for its own flights. The result is an open-air terminal set in tropical gardens, with thatched-roof pavilions, no jet bridges and golf-cart buggies that shuttle passengers out to the planes.

Because Bangkok Airways owns the airport, it operates the great majority of flights here, around 92 percent of departures. That near-monopoly is the reason fares to and from Samui are notably expensive: there is little low-cost competition, and the airport is regularly listed among the world's most beautiful precisely because it stayed small and private.

In 2024 Samui handled about 2.7 million passengers, rising above 3.02 million in 2025 across 33,823 aircraft movements. A single runway, 17/35, roughly 2,100 m long, handles the turboprops and narrow-body jets that link the island to Bangkok, Phuket, Chiang Mai and a handful of regional cities. Airlines operating at the airport include:

  • Bangkok Airways
  • Scoot
  • Thai Airways
  • Cathay Pacific
  • EVA Air
  • Qatar Airways
  • British Airways
Open-air thatched-pavilion terminal at Samui Airport in tropical gardens
The open-air garden terminal has no jet bridges, just golf-cart buggies to the planes.

How to get from Samui Airport to the beaches

Chaweng and Bophut lie just minutes from the terminal, while Lamai and Nathon are a 25 to 45 minute drive around the island. There is no rail link and no public bus from the airport, so the choice is a shared minibus, a fixed-fare taxi, a pre-booked transfer or a rental car. Prices in baht vary by comfort.

ModeDestinationDurationPriceFrequency
Shared minibusChawengabout 15 min฿130 ppwhen full
Airport taxiChaweng5-10 min฿200-500on demand
Airport taxiLamai25-35 min฿400-500on demand
Private transferAll resortsfrom 5 minfrom ฿425on booking
Car rentalAll Koh Samuiimmediatefrom ฿1,000/dayterminal desks

A shared minibus is the cheapest way to Chaweng at about ฿130 per person, but it waits to fill and drops passengers in turn. For a direct trip, a fixed-fare taxi or private transfer takes you door to door, while a rental car is the most flexible way to circle the island, though island rates are high.

Taxi and minibus pick-up area outside Samui Airport arrivals
Fixed-fare taxis, shared minibuses and transfers wait outside the open-air arrivals.

Terminal and services

Samui has a single open-air terminal rather than a sealed building. Only the shops, ticketing, toilets and the VIP lounge are enclosed and air-conditioned; check-in, waiting and boarding all happen under open, thatched pavilions cooled by the sea breeze. Passengers ride golf-cart buggies between the terminal and the aircraft, as there are no jet bridges.

The scale is small and the single-carrier schedule keeps queues short, but it also means limited shopping and dining compared with a big-city airport. Car rental desks and the taxi and transfer counters sit in the arrivals area, a few steps from the baggage belt.

  • Open-air, tropical-garden terminal with thatched pavilions
  • Duty-free, cafes and a Bangkok Airways boutique lounge
  • Car rental and transfer desks in arrivals
  • ATMs, currency exchange and SIM-card counters
  • Golf-cart buggies to and from the aircraft

For a departure from Samui, arrive about 2 hours before a flight. The terminal is small and open, so security and boarding are quick, but the single-carrier timetable means fewer flights if you miss yours.

Passengers waiting under open thatched pavilions at Samui Airport
Waiting and boarding happen under open pavilions cooled by the sea breeze.

Parking at Samui Airport

A small car park sits beside the open-air terminal, with a drop-off area right in front for setting down or collecting passengers. It is handy if you are meeting an arriving guest on the island.

See parking details

Explore Koh Samui by car

From Chaweng's beach to the Big Buddha, Lamai and the quiet south, a rental car picked up at the terminal lets you circle the island at your own pace, from ฿1,000/day in low season.

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Samui Airport: common questions

Where is Samui Airport?

Samui International Airport (USM) is in Bo Phut, in the north-east of Koh Samui, about 4 km from Chaweng and 20 km from Lamai. There is no rail link or public bus, so transfers are by shared minibus, taxi, private transfer or rental car.

Why is Samui Airport privately owned?

Samui is Thailand's first and only privately owned commercial airport. It was built and is operated by Bangkok Airways, which opened it in 1989 as a boutique gateway for its own flights. That is why the airline runs most of the schedule here.

Why are flights to Samui expensive?

Bangkok Airways owns the airport and flies around 92 percent of departures, so there is little low-cost competition. This near-monopoly keeps fares to and from Samui notably higher than to airports like Phuket, where many airlines compete.

How do I get from Samui Airport to Chaweng?

Chaweng is only about 4 km from the terminal, 5 to 10 minutes by road. A shared minibus costs around ฿130 per person, a fixed-fare airport taxi about ฿200 to ฿500, and a pre-booked private transfer from about ฿425.

Can I rent a car at Samui Airport?

Yes, several companies have desks in the arrivals area, with rates from about ฿1,000 a day in low season and no-deposit options. Island rates are high, and you need an International Driving Permit to drive legally in Thailand.

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