If you’re familiar with the non-stop flight options between Singapore and the Thai holiday resort island of Koh Samui, like many of our readers you’ll no doubt have come to one simple conclusion – there aren’t many!

In fact for nearly three years between August 2021, when flights on the route relaunched after the COVID-19 pandemic, and May 2024, when Scoot finally launched services to replace former SilkAir flights, there was just a sole airline option available – Bangkok Airways.

With a monopoly to and from Koh Samui, it certainly led to some eye-watering fares for a short two-hour flight, despite two daily services on offer.

The introduction of Scoot has helped, though with smaller aircraft than SilkAir operated and the majority of passengers still transiting on this route from further afield, including from Europe and Australia, cash costs for those simply wanting a Singapore – Koh Samui trip remain stubbornly high.

Later this year flight frequencies are set to increase to a record high on this route, with a new announcement from Bangkok Airways.

Bangkok Airways adding more flights

There’s some good news for this route, with Bangkok Airways now adding a third flight timing from December 2024, three days per week.

Here’s how Bangkok Airways’ Singapore – Koh Samui schedule looks including these new flights.

Singapore ⇄ Koh Samui
19th December 2024 – 29th March 2025

			Days
			M	T	W	T	F	S	S
	PG966 A319
SIN 12:10		USM 13:05
	PG968 A319
SIN 17:20		USM 18:15
	PG962 A319
SIN 20:10		USM 21:05
	PG965 A319
USM 08:15		SIN 11:10
	PG963 A319
USM 13:25		SIN 16:20
	PG961 A319
USM 16:25		SIN 19:20

Alongside twice daily Scoot flights on this route, this will bring record flight frequencies of 31 times weekly between the two islands, with seat capacity of 3,608 per week in each direction.

Prior to COVID-19, Bangkok Airways and SilkAir were operating 28 weekly flights between them on this route, with 3,472 total seats per week in each direction.

The new Bangkok Airways timing also adds a lunchtime departure option from Singapore on selected days, allowing you to enjoy almost a whole afternoon in Koh Samui on the first day of your trip.

There’s also a morning service from Koh Samui to Singapore on the same days, getting you to back to the Lion City in time for a half day in the office, a good strategy if your annual leave is running low but you don’t want to miss one last dinner on the island!

For now these additional flights are not loaded for the northern summer season from late March 2025 onwards, but that remains subject to change closer to the time.

Scoot shifts to a morning and evening timing

SIA’s low cost carrier Scoot currently operates twice daily between Singapore and Koh Samui, with early morning and mid-morning departure timings closely mirroring former SilkAir operation on the route.

However, from the start of the northern winter season in late October 2024, the airline will ditch its early morning service (TR640/641) and add an evening timing to Koh Samui instead (TR648/649).

Here’s how the current Scoot schedule looks to and from Koh Samui.

Singapore ⇄ Koh Samui
Now – 26th October 2024

			Days
			M	T	W	T	F	S	S
	TR640 E190-E2
SIN 07:00		USM 07:55
	TR642 E190-E2
SIN 10:20		USM 11:15
	TR641 E190-E2
USM 08:50		SIN 11:45
	TR643 E190-E2
USM 12:10		SIN 15:05

And here’s how the “winter” schedule looks, peak season for Thailand travel.

Singapore ⇄ Koh Samui
27th October 2024 – 29th March 2025

			Days
			M	T	W	T	F	S	S
	TR642 E190-E2
SIN 10:20		USM 11:15
	TR648 E190-E2
SIN 17:35		USM 18:30
	TR643 E190-E2
USM 12:10		SIN 15:05
	TR649 E190-E2
USM 19:25		SIN 22:25

That will leave Bangkok Airways as the sole carrier offering a morning departure timing from Koh Samui to Singapore from mid-December 2024.

Provisionally, Scoot flights return to their current twice morning timings for the summer 2025 season – from 30th March 2025 onwards.

Award seats to Koh Samui from 6,000 miles

Bangkok Airways is already offering Economy Class award seats on its new Singapore – Koh Samui service to its own members and to those of partner programmes like Qantas Frequent Flyer, as shown below.

You won’t want to actually be redeeming Qantas points on this route though.

Luckily there are several better ways to redeem miles on Bangkok Airways flights to and from Koh Samui, starting at just 6,000 miles one-way using Qatar Airways Avios points, as we fully analysed in this dedicated article.

For example, Bangkok Airways is charging S$659.30 for a round-trip in Economy over this long weekend in February next year.

You can lock in these same flights on an award booking using 12,000 Qatar Airways Avios points + S$216 in taxes and fees, giving you a fantastic value per mile of 3.7 cents.

If you thought Scoot would be charging much less for cash flights over the same dates – think again.

You’ll pay S$526 to travel with the low-cost carrier, which increases to S$588 once you have added a 20kg bag, S$606 with a 20kg bag and the cheapest seat selection, or S$639 with a 20kg bag, the cheapest seat selection and the cheapest in-flight meal included.

Bangkok Airways, on the other hand, is a full-service carrier offering advance seat selection, checked baggage allowance, hot meals on board and a full bar service, even on these short Singapore – Koh Samui flights.

Regardless, even if you place no value on those things and would be happy on the S$526 Scoot flight with 10kg hand luggage only, where they assign your seat on the day and you pay for your food and drink on board, the 12,000 Avios + S$216 option still values your miles at 2.6 cents each – a great rate for Economy Class.

For KrisFlyer miles redemptions, remember our ‘earn but don’t burn rule’ when flying Scoot – you should not be redeeming at a poor fixed value of 0.95 cents each against cash tickets (the only option with the low-cost carrier).

Instead, save your precious KrisFlyer miles for their true value – a Singapore Airlines redemption.

Bangkok Airways is adding a third flight timing between Singapore and Koh Samui from December this year, with a new lunchtime departure from Singapore and morning departure from the Thai holiday island three days per week.

Along with its existing flights and those of low-cost carrier Scoot, this will bring flight frequencies and seat capacity to record levels, though cash fares remain stubbornly high and these new flights sadly aren’t likely to move the needle much in that department.

The good news is that competitive redemption rates on Bangkok Airways flights starting from 6,000 Avios points one-way are still available on this route, a good way to avoid the sky-high fares and a rare opportunity to get great value redeeming your miles for Economy Class travel.

(Cover Photo: Nieuwland Photography / Shutterstock)