Travel Info |
Map of Surat Thani Province
How To Get To Suan Mokkh
Suan Mokkh
is about 600 km south of Bangkok and 50 km north of Surat Thani, just off the
main highway running south to Malaysia and Singapore. On the map, we are just
south of the narrowest part of Southern Thailand. Suan Mokkh can easily be
reached by train, bus, and plane, but please do
not arrive after dark!
Travel by Train
There are a number of trains leaving Bangkok every evening from about 17.30 until 22.30. Sleepers can be booked in advance. The trains arrive in Chaiya, the nearby market town, in the early morning, unless they are late -- which is common. From the Chaiya station, take the light blue song taew to Suan Mokkh. They leave regularly between dawn and dusk. Or you can hire a truck for about 120 baht.
There are also trains coming up from Had Yai and Malaysia, but the arrival times are inconvenient. You may want to get off at the Surat Thani station (actually in Pun Pin, twelve km west of Surat Thani town proper) and spend the night. Catch a bus in the morning. (See below.)
Map of Surat Thani Province (47 k)
Travel by Bus
From Bangkok: Over night tour buses are available from the Southern Bus Terminal in Bangkok. Ask for a bus to Surat Thani or Nakorn Sri Thammarat, although buses heading further south pass by. Make sure they know you want to get off at Suan Mokkh! The friendly companies will let you off at the monastery's gate, or at least one of the nearby petrol stations.
From Had Yai: Air-Con buses leave the Had Yai Bus Terminal going to Chumporn and passing Suan Mokkh at 8:15, 9:30, 12:00, and 21:30 (times subject to change). They will stop to let you off right in front of SM.
From Nearby Provinces: Ordinary and Air-Con buses traveling between Surat Thani and Chumporn or Ranong provinces pass by Suan Mokkh. The ordinary buses stop at the Surat Thani (actually Pun Pin, see map) rail station. There is also an Air-Con bus that leaves Had Yai 3-4 times per day and will let you off at Suan Mokkh.
Group taxis and a van service leaves Surat Thani for Chaiya regularly.
Travel by Plane
The airport is just 30 km south of Suan Mokkh, halfway to Surat Thani. There are two flights a day from Bangkok (times vary with the season). Unfortunately, there isn't an easy way to get from the airport to Suan Mokkh. You can either take the available bus into Surat Thani and then double back, or just hitch a ride on the bus out to the airport gate and wait along the main highway for a bus or song taew (light blue) heading north (to your left), or beg for help from the police.
If you have any further inquiries about Suan Mokkh you can contact the retreat manager at:
Dhammadana
Foundation
c/o Suan Mokkh
Ampoe Chaiya
Surat Thani 84110
Thailand
fax: (66-77) 431-597
tel: (077) 431-596, -661, -662
Please do not email the webmaster
concerning retreats!
It is better to fax for details.
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