12Go Review: What to Know Before Booking Anything in Asia!

12Go is the best new way to get you from place to place in Asia! After using it countless times, we decided to write a 12Go Asia review to help other travelers who might feel a little lost planning. This website provides everything from buses to trains, and ferry rides between the islands. While there are other platforms with reviews for transport,  you’ll soon see why 12Go is such a great tool for your adventures in Asia.

Complete 12Go Review 

What is 12Go Asia?

12Go is an online platform and search tool for transportation throughout Asia. The website filters between thousands of companies to get you where you need to go. 

On 12Go Asia you’ll find train tickets, flights, buses, and ferries. It is particularly useful for travelers looking for the fastest and cheapest routes on their journey. 

Asia is a vast continent with so many amazing countries to explore. As you’ll see in this 12Go review, It’s also a region with so many different and unique transportation options to choose from!

So why are we writing about this? Well, traveling through Southeast Asia is fun, but can also be super overwhelming.

Over the last 10 years, we’ve spent a lot of time making our way through the different countries with every kind of transport imaginable. This part of travel has sometimes been easy, but other times downright terrible. 

Nevertheless, having a website like 12Go has been a game changer for travelers like us. Below we share all our tips as well as some pros and cons to know beforehand.

→ Do a quick search for yourself below and check out 12Go Asia!

What Countries is 12Go Asia In?

12Go began as a small online travel agency in 2015 offering services in Thailand. The founder started it as way to make transportation easier and connect travelers with both ground and water service providers. 

With its quick success, 12Go has expanded all across Asia. They’ve even recently tapped into the Australian and European markets (check all their current routes here).

Here are some of the most popular countries the company operates in. Also, be sure to check out our Vietnam vs Thailand guide if you’re deciding between these two amazing destinations!

• Thailand 
• Vietnam 
• Malaysia
• China
• Cambodia
• Laos 
• Singapore
• India
• Myanmar
• Philippines
• Australia 
• New Zealand
• Turkey

Why We Started Using 12Go

The travel industry is always changing and there’s no better example of 12Go in Thailand. We have now made six trips to Thailand and had so many amazing experiences. We’ve been everywhere from the islands to the big cities and even the mountains up north.

It was only about two years ago we started to hear about a company called 12Go Asia. This was a new website that you could use to book ferries, trains, and buses around Southeast Asia. While you can now find it in many countries in this part of the world, we noticed 12Go was extremely popular in Thailand. 

Before this website we would have to go directly to the train station or ferry terminal to get tickets. The other option was to book it through our hotel if they worked with a transport company or go into a local agency. Sometimes we would even have to get our bus ticket a few days prior to ensure we had a seat. 

However, then came along 12Go Asia! After reading some 12Go reviews we tried it out for the very first time. We used it to book our ferry from Phuket to Krabi and everything worked out great! 

The online tickets took less than five minutes to purchase on our mobile device and they even sent us a confirmation email afterwards. What a revelation! 

Real-Life Examples Before 12Go

We have endless stories to share, but we will just keep it to a couple for our 12Go review. There is one main problem we’d always come across with booking transportation in Asia.

Really, whoever you are talking to wants you to go with whatever company they work with directly. They also know that as a traveler you probably aren’t going to go back and complain if something goes wrong. 

For instance, in Vietnam we booked an overnight bus from Hanoi to Da Nang. We had heard some positive and negative stories so wanted to try to book one of the more high end buses.

When we asked hotel they confirmed several times that they only work with the best bus company. We were told it was extremely clean, only takes tourists, is very safe, and has a bathroom onboard for the 13-hour journey. We even paid slightly more to go with the “nicer” bus for the long trip.

Surprise surprise… The bus was not clean and the seats were actually oversold! The driver also kept picking up locals who proceeded to sleep on the floor.

To make matters worse, we were stopped in the middle night by police and everyone had to get off the bus. There was no bathroom so they would stop every few hours (at the drivers convenience) for people to go on the side of the road. 

We have since taken a look at 12Go to see other options for this route. It’s such a massive help to understand the different ways to go with the prices listed.

→ Traveling in Vietnam: Pros & Cons of the 5 Best Travel Options

Thai Islands Pre-12Go Asia

Another example is from our island hopping trip through the Thai islands a few years ago. We specifically wanted to book the speedboat that other travelers had recommended, but couldn’t find any information online.

We ended up booking a bus and speedboat transfer as we were promised it was the fastest option. While our pick up came on time, we quickly realized that we were put on the slow boat! It took double the amount of time they said and it ended up costing us a lot of time on our trip.

As we mentioned, it’s very common for whoever you book with to just send you to the company they get the most commissions from. Luckily, with websites like 12Go it makes everything so much easier.

→ 7 Day Thailand Itinerary: 4 AMAZING Routes You Can Combine

How to Travel Without 12Go Asia

12Go is a new and helpful tool, but know that there are always other ways to get around in Asia. Time and time again, we have found there is ALWAYS a local willing to help you get where you need to go. Our bad stories aside, we have also had many great experiences. 

When not using 12Go we usually go directly through our hotel for a booking. They always know someone who will drive the route to the airport or ferry ports. Some of the time they even have drivers working as part of the staff.

Every so often, we still pay for a private transfer if we’re on a tight schedule. However, since 12Go Asia became a part of our travels we have been using them more and more.

One of the worst parts about booking things yourselves is it’s easy to get screwed around. You’ll end up on slow ferries, overnight buses, and experience the exact opposite of the most efficient parts of travel in Asia.

As you’ll see in this 12Go review, the website can give you the most popular routes and cheapest ticket prices. There are numerous ways to utilize the search tool and make your trips run smoother.

How We Use 12Go Asia

Ferry: We use 12Go Asia most often to book ferries between the islands (check out the routes here). The online booking platform makes it simple to find the routes, especially when island hopping in Thailand!

On our recent visit, we started from the mainland in Surat Thani and searched 12Go to get to the island of Koh Samui. They offered a bus and speedboat combo ticket which was perfect for us. From there, we found another ferry to Koh Phangan and continued onto Koh Tao. 

Making online bookings with 12Go Asia made it quick and easy to buy tickets and find the proper route. Be sure to check out the article below to read more about our personal experience.  

→ How to Get to Koh Tao: Ferry From Koh Phangan, Samui & More!

Bus: If you’re on a budget traveling in Asia you may be considering taking the local buses to get around. We’ve used buses in the past to get around the mainland of countries like Vietnam and Cambodia. 

A couple of years ago we took a bus from the capital city of Phnom Penh to the popular tourist town of Siem Reap. We had such a fun time exploring Angkor Wat and more of the incredible temples in the area.

It has become more common to find VIP vans which have 8 to 10 reclining seats. We’ve started to pay a little more for these instead of buses for longer routes. 

Flight: We’ve often used 12Go to check the prices of flights from major cities like Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, and Bangkok. However, we do things a little differently than other transport operators after figuring out our route. Once we find the price we then go directly to the airlines website to buy the actual flight tickets.

Doing it this way is helpful to avoid any mishaps or having to go through a third party website to get refunded. We also recommend using the website Skyscanner when searching for flights!

Train: While not as common in Southeast Asia, the train can be a fun and interesting way to get to the most popular destinations. One of our favorite train routes on 12Go is from Bangkok to Chiang Mai Thailand.

The overnight train takes you on a 10+ hour journey between the two famous cities. This is a fun way to sleep, eat, and drink your way through the countryside! We recommend looking into any and all travel options after reading 12Go reviews like this one.

Pros of Our 12Go Asia Review

There are so many reasons to start using 12Go on your travels in Asia! The first thing we truly love about it is you can book in advance. It’s especially helpful if you have a fast ferry you want to get tickets for a couple weeks (or even months) in advance.

This can be important when traveling during the peak season in countries like Thailand. The best boats can sell out quickly in the popular months if you’re not careful.

Another great aspect of 12Go Asia is that you don’t have to talk to anyone. The days are long gone of trying to translate where you need to go at the bus station.

Their simple booking process even lets you choose your class of ticket if you need to upgrade for a longer ride. The online ticketing platform gives you a significant advantage over someone who is going to buy tickets in person on the day of their travels. 

There are also ratings and customer reviews for each company listed. We always read the 12Go Asia review and then do our own research to look into the operator further outside the travel platform.

12Go Review Cons 

There’s no doubt about it! The majority of time we’ve had a good experience using this search booking engine. Hopefully, that comes across clearly in this 12Go review.

However, there are a few reasons we would look elsewhere during our travels. There are definitely times where we find it easier to book in person and not rely on technology. 

This is particularly the case when booking private transfers to get to the airport if we’re in a time crunch. It can often be more reliable to have your hotel use a trusted driver so you don’t miss your flight. 

You’ll find that in some countries it may be cheaper to book in person. 12Go Asia takes a small commission on each sale which is common for every online travel service. 

It can also be a little annoying to cancel your tickets with 12Go if your plans suddenly change. In some cases, the booking will be non-refundable or only partially refundable after reaching out to the customer support team. 

In the past, we’ve noticed the cost was slightly more online versus going directly to the ticket counters. It might just be a dollar or two more in most cases. You’ll have to figure out for yourself if it’s worth it to save the money and make an extra trip to the ticket office.

We understand that for some travelers this can make a huge difference! If you’re on a budget or backpacking through Thailand it may be worth it to book in person.

Another thing to note is that some tickets have an automatic confirmation, while others may not go through until the next day. Watch out for emails that say “confirmation in 24 hours.” If you have time you can still book these just make sure to check back. 

Also, keep an eye on the options that say “best” when searching for tickets. They will usually list the top options first, but make sure to scroll all the way through.

We usually pay more for a faster and easier travel day. You’ll also want to check if it’s an e-ticket or you need to go somewhere to pick up your tickets in person.

12Go Review Final Thoughts

With all that said, we’ve found 12Go to offer so many routes all around Asia. Whether you use book your tickets with 12go or just use it to understand the different options, it can definitely be a helpful tool.

In the last few years it’s been crazy to see the endless routes available. With each season,, there are more destinations added and we’ve notice a massive improvement in the overall website. 

→ Check out 12Go here to help plan your upcoming travels in Asia!

Have any questions on this article or want to share your own 12Go reviews? Leave us a comment below!

Safe Travels,
Brigitte & Jake

More Useful Travel Tips

 Flights: We always find our cheap flight deals using Skyscanner. That’s how we flew from Norway to Poland for under $20 USD, and Thailand to Vietnam for less than $50! 

Rental Car: We use Discover Cars to explore when traveling. A quick travel tip is to ask for a weekly rate than just booking 2-3 days.

 Tours: Check out Get Your Guide to find thousands of activities around the world. From street food tours to skip the line entry passes! 

 Travel Insurance: Never travel abroad without protection. We’ve been using SafetyWing for the last few years on the road and they are there when we need them.

 Packing Lists: Find all the inspiration you need with our Amazon packing lists. Including our electronics and camera gear, must-have medical items, and long flight essentials! 

*We receive a commission for purchases made through links in this post. This allows us to continue our travels and keep providing great content to our readers! Also, as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.