P Plus Express vs Phantip 1970
Compare P Plus Express and Phantip 1970 — routes, service areas, and coverage across Thailand. See where they overlap and where each operator goes its own way.
Operator A P Plus Express vs 
Operator B Phantip 1970 What travellers say: P Plus Express vs Phantip 1970
Both operators earn solid ratings above 4.2 from travellers, with P Plus Express at 4.21 from a smaller set of 29 reviews and Phantip 1970 at 4.27 from 7,405 reviews, highlighting reliable core services when booked through ThailandBoatTickets.com and supported by the 24/7 Virtual Ticket Assistant (VTA) available on WhatsApp, Instagram DM, Telegram and Facebook.
P Plus Express
Reviewers praise P Plus Express for comfortable, clean buses and friendly, helpful drivers on pure bus segments, though combined journeys with minivan transfers often involve unexpected changes, delays, and schedule issues.
Phantip 1970
Phantip 1970 earns praise for well-organised multi-leg transfers, often arriving on time or early, with helpful staff, but faces criticism for cramped minivans, variable driver behaviour like speeding, and communication gaps at transfer points.
Overall sentiment is positive for both, with P Plus strong on bus comfort and Phantip on coordination, making ThailandBoatTickets.com the ideal place to book these operators with expert VTA support.
Pros & cons
P Plus Express Pros
- Comfortable, clean buses with luxury seats, TV and sound system on small VIP buses
- Polite, friendly, cautious drivers who help with bags and announce stops
- Punctual departures on pure bus segments
- Smooth coordination and helpful staff on combined bus + speedboat routes like Hat Yai to Koh Tao
- Friendly and helpful staff overall
Cons
- Unexpected minivan transfers that are uncomfortable, delayed or unsanitary (e.g. ants)
- Significant delays on cross-border routes, sometimes arriving hours late or missing connections
- Loud music played on buses disrupting rest
- Requests for extra fees such as passport stamping
- No onboard toilet on small VIP buses, requiring scheduled stops
Phantip 1970 Pros
- Smooth, well-organized coordinated multi-leg transfers with destination stickers for guidance
- Frequent on-time or early arrivals with flexibility to switch to earlier departures
- Good value for money on multi-leg routes
- Helpful and friendly staff, especially at offices and during problem-solving
- Comfortable ferries (Seatran praised for AC, seats, shop) and vehicles on good legs
Cons
- Reckless drivers with speeding, overtaking dangerously and phone use
- Poor communication at transfer points leading to confusion and long waits
- Cramped, overpacked minivans with little legroom and luggage issues
- Luggage surcharges of 100-300 baht and drivers making extra package delivery stops
- Variable ferry quality with Raja often described as old, dirty and smoky
Service areas at a glance
Based on currently active routes for each operator.
Both operators 7
Only P Plus Express 8
Only Phantip 1970 11
Routes & coverage compared
Both P Plus Express and Phantip 1970 operate the exact same three routes: Hat Yai to Koh Phangan, Hat Yai to Koh Samui, and Hat Yai to Surat Thani. Travelers planning these core southern Thailand connections can compare both operators side-by-side and book easily at ThailandBoatTickets.com, where our 24/7 Virtual Ticket Assistant (VTA) is available on WhatsApp, Instagram DM, Telegram and Facebook to answer questions instantly.
P Plus Express alone runs Hat Yai to Chumphon, Khao Sok and Koh Tao plus multiple departures from Surat Thani to Hat Yai, Kuala Lumpur, Narathiwat, Pak Bara, Penang, Satun, Songkhla and Yala. Phantip 1970 alone covers extensive island-hopping routes including Ao Nang to Koh Phangan/Samui/Phi Phi/Surat Thani, Khao Sok to Koh Phangan/Samui/Surat Thani Airport, Koh Phangan to Bangkok/Krabi/Phuket/Koh Tao/Koh Lanta/Koh Phi Phi/Trang/Surat Thani Train Station, plus full networks from Phuket, Krabi, Koh Samui, Koh Lanta and Koh Phi Phi to each other and onward to Surat Thani and airports. Book either operator’s unique routes at ThailandBoatTickets.com with help from our 24/7 Virtual Ticket Assistant (VTA) on WhatsApp, Instagram DM, Telegram or Facebook.
Routes both operators run
Same departure and destination — true head-to-head options.
Price distribution
How ticket prices spread across each operator's routes (THB).
P Plus Express tickets usually fall between 590 THB–750 THB (median 600 THB), while Phantip 1970 between 530 THB–940 THB (median 770 THB). On the whole, P Plus Express offers the cheaper tickets.
Which should you pick?
Frequently asked questions
P Plus Express vs Phantip 1970