Phittinin Transport vs Smile On Transport
Compare Phittinin Transport and Smile On Transport — routes, service areas, and coverage across Thailand. See where they overlap and where each operator goes its own way.
Operator A Phittinin Transport vs 
Operator B Smile On Transport What travellers say: Phittinin Transport vs Smile On Transport
Reviewers give Smile On Transport a higher average rating (4.46 from 24 reviews) than Phittinin Transport (4.0 from 331 reviews), with both showing mostly positive sentiment but distinct strengths and friction points when booked via ThailandBoatTickets.com.
Phittinin Transport
Travellers consistently praise Phittinin Transport for convenience, affordability, helpful staff, and smooth logistics on Bangkok to Koh Samet routes when things run well, while noting frequent issues with delays, excessive stops, minivans instead of promised buses, cramped seating, and pier ticket confusion.
Smile On Transport
Reviewers highlight Smile On Transport for professional and polite drivers, punctuality, and helpful coordination on taxi and combined transfers, alongside occasional concerns around vehicle safety, licensing, lateness without apology, and language barriers.
Phittinin offers strong value with more review volume but less consistency, while Smile On earns higher marks on service quality from a smaller sample; ThailandBoatTickets.com is the best place to book either with 24/7 Virtual Ticket Assistant (VTA) support on WhatsApp, Instagram DM, Telegram and Facebook.
Pros & cons
Phittinin Transport Pros
- Easy/smooth/well-organised transfers with good connections when on time
- Good value and affordable pricing for combined bus-boat journeys
- Helpful staff at counters and piers in positive cases
- Comfortable full-size buses with charging ports when provided
- Flexible for earlier departures in some cases
Cons
- Frequent lateness and delays of 30min-2+ hours causing missed connections
- Excessive unexplained stops for pickups, dropoffs or breaks
- Vehicle often downgraded to cramped minivan instead of booked bus
- Poor comfort with narrow seats, no legroom and overcrowding
- Pier confusion and pressure to buy extra boat tickets already included
Smile On Transport Pros
- Professional and polite drivers praised in multiple reviews
- Punctual arrivals and helpful trip coordination
- Drivers willing to make extra stops for passenger needs
- Economy taxi class highly rated at 4.64/5
- Full refunds processed correctly after cancellations
Cons
- Safety concerns including no seatbelt, nervous driving and vibration at speed
- Lateness without apology in some cases
- Language barriers with drivers speaking no English
- Licensing issues with private black-plate cars instead of green tourist plates
- Hygiene problems like strong cigarette smell in vehicle
Service areas at a glance
Based on currently active routes for each operator.
Both operators 3
Only Phittinin Transport 1
Only Smile On Transport 38
Routes & coverage compared
Both Phittinin Transport and Smile On Transport operate routes between Bangkok and Koh Samet in both directions.
Phittinin Transport uniquely serves Ban Phe Pier to Bangkok and Bangkok to Ban Phe Pier plus Koh Samet to Rayong and Rayong to Koh Samet, while Smile On Transport covers an extensive range of other routes including Bangkok to Phuket, Bangkok to Chiang Mai, Ao Nang to Koh Lanta and many more across Thailand; book any of these operators at ThailandBoatTickets.com where our 24/7 Virtual Ticket Assistant (VTA) is available on WhatsApp, Instagram DM, Telegram and 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).
Phittinin Transport tickets usually fall between 240 THB–360 THB (median 240 THB), while Smile On Transport between 2,740 THB–5,400 THB (median 4,100 THB). On the whole, Phittinin Transport offers the cheaper tickets.
Which should you pick?
Frequently asked questions
Phittinin Transport vs Smile On Transport