In this article, I cover all the details of visiting one of the few places where you can see synchronous fireflies in Thailand – the city of Surat Thani, a popular transfer hub for travelers visiting Koh Tao, Koh Samui, and Koh Pha Ngan. 

It’s easy, cheap, and in my opinion – simply magical. It is also a unique thing to do when visiting Thailand that not many visitors do. And it’s likely already on your route!

💫 Is it worth stopping at Surat Thani to see fireflies?

For me, it was a magical, intimate experience, and certainly worth the minimal planning to make it happen.

Imagine being on a wide slow river in almost full darkness, floating close to the shore where hundreds or maybe thousands of fireflies light up in a steady silent rhythm all over a tree. There are many, many, many firefly-occupied trees leaning over the river, and they blink and sparkle like subtle, elegant Christmas lights or gigantic glitters or … I don’t even know.

You got to see it. It’s one of many natural wonders that is just worth experiencing in person.

The best part is that while it is super easy and accessible to do, there are so few other tourists doing it that you can have these serene moments all to yourself. We only crossed paths with one other tourist boat on the water, and a few locals going about their business.

🛥️ Getting to Surat Thani and how it fits into your Koh Tao, Koh Samui, Koh Pha Ngan itinerary

While there aren’t places to see synchronous fireflies on Koh Tao, Koh Samui, or Koh Pha Ngan, it is super easy to include a firefly tour into your itinerary when traveling to and from these islands via a popular transfer hub of Surat Thani.

There is another popular transfer option – the city of Chumphon – but I highly recommend that you organize your itinerary to make Surat Thani your transfer point and stay overnight when traveling to and from Koh Samui, Koh Pha Ngan, or Koh Tao. For just one reason – to see the magic of thousands of synchronized fireflies on the Ta Pi River.

🗺️ Where is Surat Thani?

Surat Thani is a city on the eastern coast of the Malay peninsula, just a couple of hours away by ferry from the popular island destinations of Koh Samui, Koh Pha Ngan, and Koh Tao. Because of this many tourists pass through this city as they transfer to and from Bangkok or other destinations in Thailand, like Phuket, Krabi, or other places on the Andaman coast.

You may be taking a train, a van, a bus, or a plane – Surat Thani is a major transfer point, but most people do not spend time in the city and miss the wonder of synchronized fireflies that’s hiding in plain sight.

🌏 Getting to Surat Thani

🚢 From Koh Samui, Koh Pha Ngan, and Koh Tao

• Ferry tickets:
  • Lompraya – the fastest ferry
  • Seatran
• Plane (only for Koh Samui, airport codes USM-URT)

🏙️ From Bangkok

• Plane (airport code is URT)
• Train
• Bus/tourist van

🏝️ From Phuket, Krabi, Koh Chang, and other places on the Andaman coast

• Plane (airport code is URT)
• Bus/tourist van

Important: You can book tickets online, at a travel agency at your destination, or on the ferry piers. You can often buy a package of ferry + van, however, if you buy a same-day package you will NOT spend any time in Surat Thani nor will you have a chance to see the fireflies and other things the city has to offer.

I recommend booking your ferry and the land leg of the journey separately to be able to stay overnight in Surat Thani. You can also try to time it to take an overnight ferry/van/train/bus after seeing the fireflies. Give yourself at least an hour after sunset for the excursion.

↗️ How to see synchronized fireflies when in Surat Thani, Thailand

All you need to do is go to the riverfront, and there are multiple signs with phone numbers for firefly excursions and people sitting next to signs for fireflies with a long tail boat parked right there.

I couldn’t find a way to prebook a tour online, and all the info I had was one expired tour option on Klook, one blog article from 2017, and one forum entry from the same year.

Our hotel receptionists, the taxi drivers, and a couple of other locals had no idea what we were talking about (admittedly, there was a language barrier). In the end, assistance proved unnecessary – it was super easy to get a fireflies-watching tour on the spot.

📍 Exact Map Location of Firefly boats

We found several vendors in the area between the Night Boat Port – where some slow overnight ferries leave for Koh Tao and Koh Pha Ngan – and Kram Café coffee shop – a lovely spot for coffee and soft drinks with a terrace and a rooftop overlooking the river.

Here is a map :

🗓️ If you want to schedule ahead

I took a picture of some of the unmanned signs with phone numbers for you:

PRO TIP: download WhatsApp on your trip to Asia to communicate with people and businesses.

There were no tours online when we visited but things may change. Check these for tours available in the area:

💡 What to expect when taking a longboat to see fireflies

🌇 Time of day: start the tour just as the sun sets (but it’s still a bit light out). Check sunset times for your date.

💰 Price: 300 baht (around 10 USD) for a 2-4 people boat.

⌚ Time: 1-2 hr

🛶 The route: at first, our boater took us to see the illuminated bridge over the river and made a loop around Koh Lamphu island. We then proceeded down the current, going through a neighborhood located on the smaller islands along the river. It was very cool and a bit eerie – the channel was lit up by street lights like a road, and there were some bars but mostly residential houses on both sides. After that, we reached a less populated part of the river and slowly went along the river bank stopping next to the trees covered with fireflies.

🧘 Other things to do in Surat Thani

🍲 Street Food Night market

A great thing to do right before or after the firefly tour is to grab some food and observe at the night market that is just a few steps away from where you hire the firefly boats. It’s a market for locals and is a super fun experience, as well as a chance to try lots of tasty novel foods. We made our rounds and stocked up on a few different foods and deserts and took it all to the riverfront, sat on the steps leading down to the water, and enjoyed the food with a view.

🙏 Buddhist Temples (Wats)

There are many quite old Buddhist temples in the city. Just look for Wat on the map to find the ones that work for you location-wise. Enjoy the sights respectfully – dress to cover shoulders and knees (men too), and don’t be loud or interfere with the monks going about their day.

🏃 Koh Lamphu Park

A big local park on an island in the middle of the river with many fitness amenities. If you have enough time and would like to jog, exercise, or just enjoy a bit of non-touristy normalcy it’s a nice picturesque park to visit.

🏨 Where to stay in Surat Thani

For maximum convenience and close proximity to points of interest, I’d recommend staying in the few blocks adjacent to the riverfront where you find the boats.

We stayed at Orchid Riverview Hotel on the other side of the river, about a 20-minute walk from the riverfront, which was nice, budget-friendly, and good value for money. You can also use the Grab app to call a taxi.

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