Ban Phe

Bus

Air-con buses leave Bangkok's Eastern (Ekkamai) bus station every hour from 05:00 to 20:00 daily. Buses do the reverse trip from 04:00 to 19:00. Tickets cost 157B. The journey takes three and a half to four hours. Buses drop passengers in the centre of Ban Phe, right across from Nuanthip Pier, where you can catch a ferry to Ko Samet.

There is no direct regular bus route from Pattaya to Ban Phe, however buses do run from Pattaya to Rayong town, and from there you can jump on a Ban Phe-bound songthaew for 20B.

A regular minibus service is available from Ban Phe to several popular tourist destinations. Minibuses bound for Laem Ngop (for Ko Chang) depart at 09:30 and 12:00, costing 250B. The minibus to Bangkok and Khao San Road also costs 250B and departs at 10:00 and 14:00. Ban Phe minibuses to Pattaya leave at 10:00, 13:30 and 17:00 and cost 250B. For other destinations, songthaews to Rayong cost 20B and leave frequently throughout the day.

Boat

Boats to Ko Samet leave from the pier throughout the day, supposedly on an hourly schedule, but since boats simply leave when full, it's not followed closely. The ferry costs 50B one-way, and is a fairly comfortable 40-minute ride. The ferry will take you to Nadan village on the north coast of Ko Samet. From there, it's a 20-70B pick-up taxi ride to anywhere on the island.

Ferries leave Ban Phe from 08:00 to 18:00, and from Ko Samet every two hours between 08:30 and 16:30. If you want to travel any other time, it's possible to charter a speedboat. The cost for this should be 1,000-1,200B which can work out to be fairly affordable if you get a group together, but can be pretty steep if you're traveling alone or in a pair (though it's worth it to avoid spending the night in Ban Phe). The speedboat will drop you off on whichever beach you'd like -- but be prepared to wade to shore. It takes only 10 to 20 minutes to get to anywhere on the island by speedboat from Ban Phe.

The ferry only travels until 17:00 so if you're travelling later you'll need to charter a speedboat. The cost for this should be 1,000-1,200B which can work out to be fairly affordable if you can get a group together, but can be pretty steep if you're traveling alone or in a pair (though its worth it avoid spending the night in Ban Phe). The speedboat will drop you off on whichever beach you'd like -- but be prepared to wade to shore. It takes only 10 to 20 minutes to get to anywhere on the island by speedboat from Ban Phe.