Best Options for getting from Bangkok to Ko Tao
 

Hello, Im planning my wedding to be held on Ko Tao. Have a large group of people flying to Thailand from the USA. I've been to Ko Tao several times and I have always take the bus to Chumpon then the ferry. What is the best option to fly and ferry? Air Asia is offering fairs for about $45 USD flying into NST airport then ferrying to Ko Tao. This is a cheap option, but seems a little out of the way. Bangkok Airways has flights to Samui, but they want $300 USD rt. No thanks. Any ideas?

Koh Tao? How timely.

Nok Air does similar deals, flying DMK-CJM (Chumphon) or URT (Surat Thani). I've taken Nok Air out of Ko Samui (right around New Years, so USM flights were stupidly expensive). It's fine, though it blew most of a day in traveling (8 am ferry, didn't get to Don Mueang until 4 pm or so).

One thing to note is that your wedding party would be doing a cross-city transit in Bangkok from BKK to DMK, on what would likely be separate tickets (so missing the flight probably means a new ticket, or possibly an overnight stay to catch their breath, since they'll have been flying for a good long while). How comfortable are you or they with that?

It may be inconvenient, but if you fly PG really early or really late, the price goes down significantly. Plus every year it seems they do a 2-fer sale if you use a certain credit card, check their site every week. IIWY, I'd fly to USM from BKK and take the boat to Chumporn overnight in Hua Hin, or on to Bangkok on return.