Choose the boat at Samui Pier that is closest to your hotel.
The crossing from Koh Tao to Koh Samui is approximately 60–70 km across the Gulf, usually with a stopover on Koh Phangan. All boats depart from Mae Haad Pier on Koh Tao. The crossing takes 1.5 to 3 hours depending on the boat (from the 7:05 am speedboat to the 4:30 pm ferry) and costs 550–800 baht. Lomprayah catamarans (700 baht) are the most common option, speedboats (800 baht) are faster, and Songserm offers cheaper tickets.
Check the latest flight times and seat availability for Koh Tao → Koh Samui on 12Go.
The key is choosing the right pier on Samui, as they are spread across the island. Bangrak is 10 minutes from the airport and 15 minutes from Chaweng, Pralarn is in Maenam on the north coast, and Nathon is on the west coast, 45 minutes from Chaweng. The schedule doesn't change seasonally; the boats are simply fully booked from December onwards. Below you'll find all departures with their respective piers on Samui, the pier that serves which beach, the boat that doesn't stop at Phangan, and information on flying from Samui.
Accommodation in Koh Samui
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Key Facts (2026)
The boats depart from Mae Haad between 07:05 and 16:30.
Lomprayah, Songserm, Boonsiri, and Lomlahkkhirin offer about a dozen crossings daily, each from its own jetty in Mae Haad Bay. A taxi ride to the jetty from elsewhere on Koh Tao costs approximately 300 baht.
The crossing takes 1.5–3 hours.
The journey takes about 1.5 hours by speedboat, about 2 hours by catamaran, 3.5 hours by ferry from Songserm, and 3 hours by the slow ferry at 4:30 pm. All boats stop in Thong Sala on Koh Phangan, except for the 11:30 am speedboat to Bangrak.
Fares range between 550 and 800 Baht.
700 Baht for Lomprayah's catamarans, 800 Baht for the speedboats, 550 Baht for the ferry, and approximately 500–700 Baht for Songserm and Boonsiri. Lomprayah also offers a hotel transfer on Koh Samui for 850–950 Baht.
Bangrak for Chaweng, Pralarn for Maenam, Nathon for the west
Bangrak is 10 minutes from the airport and 15 minutes from Chaweng (250–350 baht by Grab). Pralarn is located in Maenam, 30–40 minutes from Chaweng. Nathon is 45 minutes from Chaweng and the airport (400–500 baht by taxi).
For a flight, take the one at 07:05 or the one at 12:30.
Both offer a direct ticket to Samui Airport (arriving around 9:30 am and 2:40 pm). There is no ferry departing in the morning; therefore, it is recommended to spend the night before on Samui.
Same timetable all year round, fuller ships from December onwards
The timetables for October, November, and January are identical. From December to April, book one or two days in advance, and expect rough crossings in November.
All routes from Koh Tao to Koh Samui compared (2026)
The stated travel times are from pier to pier and include the stop in Koh Phangan for all boats except the speedboat at 11:30 AM. The complete departure schedule with the respective piers in Koh Samui can be found below.
Ferry connections from Koh Tao to Koh Samui by departure time (2026)
For departure times and prices for Lomprayah and Lomlahkkhirin, please refer to the Lomprayah timetable from 2026; for Boonsiri and Songserm, see the live offers from 12Go (plus fees). The 9:15 AM Lomprayah ferry arrives at 11:15 AM according to the timetable, but at 11:00 AM according to 12Go. Bangrak has three separate piers (Lomprayah, Seatran/Boonsiri, and Petcherat Marina). Please check which pier is indicated on your ticket. All boats except the direct 11:30 AM service stop in Thong Sala on Koh Phangan, some for 30–40 minutes.
Bookable departures · updated daily
Koh Tao → Koh Samui: Departure times you can book now
All flights currently bookable via 12Go on this route, sorted by booking class. The prices shown are distributed across the different booking classes; the exact price for a seat and a specific date can be found on the booking page.
Ferry & Speedboat
12Go timetables and fares are updated daily. Services that operate only locally—regular trains, weekend trips, and ferry terminal tickets—are not listed; these can be found in the table above. Sponsored link: We may receive a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you.
Check the current ferry connections from Koh Tao to Koh Samui.
12Go offers tickets from all providers on this route, including hotel and airport transfers, seat reservations, and instant e-tickets. The table above shows the full timetable; the display below shows 12Go's current offer.
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Which Samui pier belongs to which beach?
Bangrak, Pralarn or Nathon and the journey from each
Samui's ferry terminals are located on three different coastlines. Choose the boat closest to your hotel. Bangrak, on the northeastern tip near the Big Buddha, is 10 minutes from the airport and about 15 minutes from Chaweng (250–350 baht with Grab). From there, boats depart for Chaweng, Choeng Mon, the fishing village of Bophut, and Lamai. The Lomprayah ferry departs at 9:15 a.m., the speedboats at 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., and the Boonsiri ferries at 9:15 a.m. and 3:15 p.m. Bangrak has three separate terminals: the Lomprayah ferry, the Seatran/Boonsiri ferry, and Petcherat Marina for the Songserm ferry. Please read your ticket carefully.
Pralarn Pier is located in Maenam on the north coast and serves Maenam and Bophut. It's a 30-40 minute journey from Chaweng. The speedboat arrives at 7:05 a.m., the Lomprayah at 9:30 a.m., the catamaran at 3:30 p.m., and the ferry at 4:30 p.m. Nathon, the island's main town on the west coast, is served by the Songserm ferry at 9:30 a.m., the speedboat at 11:30 a.m., the Boonsiri at 8:00 a.m., and the Lomprayah at 9:30 a.m. It's the closest pier to Lipa Noi and the southwest, but a taxi ride from Chaweng takes 45 minutes and costs 400-500 baht. The Lomprayah hotel shuttle ticket (850–950 Baht) eliminates the need to organize the last leg.
If you are staying in Chaweng, Lamai, or Bophut, take a boat to Bangrak. If you are departing by plane, take the 7:05 AM or 12:30 PM flight, which includes an airport transfer. If you are staying in Maenam, take a boat to Pralarn. If you are staying in the west or southwest, take a boat to Nathon.
Book a flight from Koh Samui
Koh Tao has no airport and there are no boat connections in the morning.
Koh Tao has no airport, so the return flight is from Samui. Two boats offer direct connections to Samui Airport. The 7:05 a.m. speedboat arrives at the airport around 9:30 a.m., and the 12:30 p.m. boat arrives around 2:40 p.m., both for 950 baht. Allow 90 minutes for a layover at the airport before your Bangkok Airways flight. The 7:05 a.m. boat is therefore suitable for flights departing from approximately 11:00 a.m., and the 12:30 p.m. boat for flights departing from approximately 4:30 p.m. The 9:15 a.m. Lomprayah boat, which includes an airport transfer, arrives at the airport around 12:15 p.m.
From Koh Tao, it's not possible to reach Samui in time for an early morning flight, and the crossing can be rough or delayed during the November monsoon. For a flight before around 11:00 AM, or for any flight you absolutely cannot miss, it's advisable to take an afternoon boat the day before and stay overnight near Bangrak or Chaweng.
Booking, the Phangan stop and seasickness
What the transition actually looks like
From December to April, book one or two days in advance, as the boats are often fully booked in the mornings. On the day of travel, check in at your operator's pier in Mae Haad 30 minutes before departure to receive a boarding sticker. All boats except the 11:30 AM speedboat stop at Thong Sala Pier on Koh Phangan. Catamarans may wait there for 30–40 minutes. The Gulf is choppy from October to December, especially on the speedboats, so take a seasickness tablet before departure and sit as far back on board as possible. The timetable itself remains the same throughout the year.
The crossing from Koh Tao to Koh Samui
Three crossings, filmed by other travelers, on the catamaran Lomprayah and the morning boats to Maenam. Nothing loads from YouTube until you press "Play".
In the other direction, from Koh Samui to Koh Tao
The same operators of the same three docks
The boats travel during the day from Bangrak, Pralarn and Nathon back to Mae Haad, and the Koh Samui to Koh Tao travel guide describes the journey from the Samui side.
Koh Samui → Koh Tao: Departure times you can book now
Check the current ferry connections from Koh Samui to Koh Tao.
The same Live 12Go display board for the crossing to Koh Tao.
Have you booked your crossing? Plan your departure for Samui.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently asked questions about the route from Koh Tao to Koh Samui.
Approximately 1.5 hours by speedboat, 2 hours by Lomprayah catamaran, 3 hours by ferry at 4:30 pm, and approximately 3.5 hours by ferry from Songserm. All arrive in Koh Phangan, except for the 11:30 am speedboat to Bangrak.
The catamaran trip from Lomprayah costs 700 baht, the speedboats 800 baht, the 4:30 pm ferry 550 baht, and the Songserm and Boonsiri boats approximately 500–700 baht. A ticket from Lomprayah including hotel transfer on Samui costs 850–950 baht, and a through ticket to Samui Airport costs 950 baht.
The route across the Gulf is approximately 60–70 km, while the distance as the crow flies from Mae Haad to the jetties on the north coast of Koh Samui is roughly 60 km. This equates to 1.5 hours by speedboat at 11:30 am, which skips Koh Phangan, about 2 hours by catamaran, and up to 3 hours by the slow ferry.
The slow ferry from Lomprayah departs at 4:30 PM and arrives at the Pralarn pier in Maenam around 7:30 PM. The last speedboat is the catamaran from Lomprayah at 3:30 PM to Pralarn, and the boat from Boonsiri at 3:15 PM to Bangrak.
Bangrak serves Chaweng, Lamai, Bophut, and the airport (10–15 minutes away), Pralarn serves Maenam, and Nathon serves the west and southwest coasts. Bangrak has three separate wharves; therefore, check which one is indicated on your ticket.
Yes, you can take the speedboat at 7:05 am (airport around 9:30 am) or the one at 12:30 pm (airport around 2:40 pm), both costing 950 baht including transfer. This works for flights departing from around 11:00 am and 4:30 pm. There are no boats for early morning flights, so you should spend the night before on Koh Samui.
Yes, exactly. The Lomprayah/Lomlahkkhirin speedboat departs at 11:30 AM and travels directly to Bangrak in about 1.5 hours, without stopping in Koh Phangan. All other boats stop in Thong Sala along the way.
Yes, the same timetable applies in October, November, and January; only some fares change. The Gulf can be rough from October to December, which particularly affects the speedboats. Therefore, take a seasickness tablet during these months.
They are different. Koh Tao is small and geared towards diving and snorkeling, with a typical backpacker vibe; Koh Samui is larger, with an airport, resorts, the nightlife of Chaweng, and the possibility of easy day trips. Many travelers combine both islands, starting or ending their stay on Samui and flying from there.
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The journey continues from Koh Samui
The next stage, with the fastest and cheapest way to get there.
Return journey? From Koh Samui to Koh Tao – All 7 routes from Koh Samui
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