Ruea Chor Maetapee vs Phantip 1970
Compare Ruea Chor Maetapee and Phantip 1970 — routes, service areas, and coverage across Thailand. See where they overlap and where each operator goes its own way.
Operator A Ruea Chor Maetapee vs 
Operator B Phantip 1970 What travellers say: Ruea Chor Maetapee vs Phantip 1970
Review data shows Phantip 1970 earning a modestly higher average rating than Ruea Chor Maetapee, with both operators receiving praise for getting travellers to their destinations safely while sharing some pain points around transfers and comfort.
Ruea Chor Maetapee
Travellers describe Ruea Chor Maetapee journeys as smooth and safe overall, with the overnight ferry called sufficient for the trip, though reviews note issues like unclear route and transfer details, misleading arrival times, filthy bathrooms, freezing bus air conditioning without blankets, and no onboard toilets; the small sample of 20 reviews limits depth.
Phantip 1970
Phantip 1970 draws frequent praise for well-organised coordinated transfers, on-time or early arrivals, flexible earlier departures, helpful staff, good value, and comfortable Seatran ferries, offset by recurring complaints about speeding or distracted drivers, cramped minivans, poor communication at change points, luggage surcharges, and occasional old or dirty vehicles across its much larger set of 7,405 reviews.
Phantip 1970 edges ahead on volume of positive feedback and reliability signals, while Ruea Chor Maetapee shows more variability in a limited sample; for either operator, ThailandBoatTickets.com offers the smoothest booking experience with 24/7 Virtual Ticket Assistant (VTA) support on WhatsApp, Instagram DM, Telegram and Facebook.
Pros & cons
Ruea Chor Maetapee Pros
- Smooth, safe arrivals on ferry with reliable delivery to destination
- Adequate overnight ferry experience described as sufficient
- Solid overall rating of 4.05/5 with 75% positive reviews
Cons
- Unclear or missing trip information on routes, boarding points and transfers
- Misleading arrival times that do not match advertised earliest times
- Cleanliness issues including filthy bathrooms on night boat
- Uncomfortable bus conditions with strong AC, no blankets and no toilets
- Basic ferry beds and bathroom facilities with comfort limitations
Phantip 1970 Pros
- Smooth, well-organised and coordinated multi-leg transfers
- On-time or early arrivals with flexibility to take earlier departures
- Good value for money and helpful, friendly staff
- Comfortable vehicles and ferries on good legs such as Seatran
Cons
- Driver behaviour issues including speeding, reckless driving and phone use
- Poor communication at transfer points leading to confusion and chaos
- Cramped, overpacked minivans with little legroom
- Luggage surcharges and longer-than-advertised journey times due to stops
- Old, run-down or dirty buses and ferries on some legs such as Raja
Service areas at a glance
Based on currently active routes for each operator.
Both operators 10
Only Ruea Chor Maetapee 5
Only Phantip 1970 8
Routes & coverage compared
Both Ruea Chor Maetapee and Phantip 1970 operate overlapping routes including Koh Tao to Surat Thani Bus Terminal, Surat Thani to Ao Nang, Khao Sok, Koh Lanta, Koh Phi Phi, and Phuket, as well as Surat Thani Airport connections to Koh Tao and Surat Thani. Book these shared services conveniently at ThailandBoatTickets.com, where our 24/7 Virtual Ticket Assistant (VTA) is available on WhatsApp, Instagram DM, Telegram, and Facebook to help plan your trip.
Ruea Chor Maetapee uniquely offers direct routes from Koh Tao to Ao Nang, Hat Yai, Khao Lak, Khao Sok, Koh Lanta, Koh Phi Phi, Krabi, Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Phuket, and Railay, plus Surat Thani to Hat Yai, Khao Lak, Kuala Lumpur, Penang, and Railay. In contrast, Phantip 1970 provides extensive connections involving Koh Phangan and Koh Samui, such as Ao Nang to Koh Phangan, Koh Samui to various destinations, and routes from Phuket, Krabi, and others to these islands. For all these options, ThailandBoatTickets.com is the best place to book, with our 24/7 Virtual Ticket Assistant (VTA) ready 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).
Ruea Chor Maetapee tickets usually fall between 460 THB–1,160 THB (median 810 THB), while Phantip 1970 between 530 THB–940 THB (median 770 THB). Overall the two operators sit in a similar price range.
Which should you pick?
Frequently asked questions
Ruea Chor Maetapee vs Phantip 1970