Take a speedboat from the pier near your hotel.
The crossing from Koh Samui to Koh Tao is approximately 60–70 km across the Gulf. Around 20 boats depart daily for Mae Haad Pier on Koh Tao, almost all with a stopover in Koh Phangan. The speedboats, the catamarans operated by Lomprayah, and the motorboats operated by Lomlahkkhirin and Songserm take 1.5–2 hours and cost 700–800 baht; the slower ferries take 2.5–3.5 hours and cost 450–550 baht. The first boats depart at 8:00 a.m. and the last at 4:00 p.m.
Check the latest flight times and seat availability for Koh Samui → Koh Tao on 12Go.
Samui has three departure ports on three different coasts. Choose your boat according to your accommodation. Bangrak serves Chaweng, Lamai, Bophut, and the airport; Pralarn in Maenam serves the north coast; and Nathon serves the west coast. The 3:30 PM speedboat from Bangrak is the only one that goes directly to Koh Tao without stopping in Koh Phangan. If you are flying, Lomprayah offers an airport transfer with connections to the boats until early afternoon. If you land around 2:00 PM, you can reach Koh Tao the same day.
The timetable is the same all year round. Below you will find all departures from each pier, the corresponding pier for each beach, airport connections, and whether a day trip is worthwhile.
Accommodation in Koh Tao
This route ends in Koh Tao. Search for hotels in Koh Tao for your travel dates or narrow your search to the region you wish to visit. Filter for hotels with free cancellation if you'd like to book a room and decide later.
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My picks in every price category on Koh Tao
Key Facts (2026)
Approximately 20 boats per day, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Lomprayah and Lomlahkkhirin (one company, catamarans and speedboats), Songserm and Boonsiri. All arrive at Mae Haad Pier on the west coast of Koh Tao.
1.5–2 hours by speedboat, 2.5–3.5 hours by slow boat.
Catamarans and speedboats take about 1.5 to 2 hours; the slow ferry from Lomprayah at 11:00 takes about 2.5 hours, and the fast ferry from Songserm at 10:30 from Nathon takes about 3.5 hours. Some boats have to change in Phangan and may wait there for up to 1.5 hours.
700 Baht for the speedboats, 450–550 Baht for the slow ones.
Lomprayah and Lomlahkkhirin charge 700 baht for a catamaran or speedboat, 550 baht for the ferry, and 850 baht including hotel or airport transfer. Songserm's speedboats cost around 800 baht and the ferry 450 baht; Boonsiri charges 650–700 baht.
Bangrak, Pralarn or Nathon – read your ticket.
Bangrak, 10 minutes from the airport and 15 minutes from Chaweng, has three separate marinas (Lomprayah, Seatran/Boonsiri, and Petcherat Marina for Songserm). Pralarn is located in Maenam; Nathon is on the west coast, 45 minutes from Chaweng.
Arrive in Samui around 2:00 PM for a same-day crossing.
Lomprayah's airport transfer (850 ฿) departs at 7:30, 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 14:00, and 15:00 and will take you to the correct pier for your boat trip. The 15:00 transfer connects with the direct ferry to Koh Tao at 15:30.
Same timetable all year round; rough seas from October to December
The schedules for October and December are identical. The Gulf of Mexico is at its roughest from October to December, which is especially true for speedboats and can lead to weather-related cancellations.
All routes from Koh Samui to Koh Tao compared (2026)
The sailing times and prices for Lomprayah and Lomlahkkhirin are taken from Lomprayah's 2026 timetable; the prices for Songserm and Boonsiri are from 12Go's live information (plus fees). The stated journey times refer to the entire route from pier to pier, including the stopover in Koh Phangan.
Bookable departures · updated daily
Koh Samui → Koh Tao: 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 Samui to Koh Tao.
12Go offers tickets from all providers on this route, including hotel and airport transfers, seat reservations, and instant e-tickets. The tables on this page contain the full timetable; the live display below shows 12Go's available tickets.
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Koh Samui → Koh Tao ferries after departure (2026)
Lomprayah and Lomlahkkhirin according to the 2026 Lomprayah timetable (valid from August 25, 2026); Songserm and Boonsiri according to 12Go. Boats transferring in Phangan change to a catamaran in Thong Sala and may wait there for 1–1.5 hours. The 8:00 AM Lomprayah ferry from Pralarn also runs a separate boat directly to Koh Nangyuan, arriving at 9:45 AM. According to a 2026 pier tour, there are no boats from Petcherat Marina to Koh Tao, while 12Go offers the Songserm departures mentioned above. Therefore, please check the pier on your ticket.
Which pier on Samui should one depart from?
Bangrak for Chaweng and the airport, Pralarn for Maenam, Nathon for the west
All operators land at the same location on Koh Tao, Mae Haad. Therefore, the only relevant decision is your starting point on Samui. Bangrak, on the northeast tip, is 10 minutes from the airport and about 15 minutes from Chaweng (250–350 baht with Grab). From here, boats depart for Chaweng, Choeng Mon, Lamai, and the fishing village of Bophut. There are actually three piers in a row: the Lomprayah Pier for Lomprayah and Lomlahkkhirin boats, the Seatran/Boonsiri Pier for Boonsiri boats, and the Petcherat Marina for Songserm speedboats. The nearby Big Buddha Pier is the Haad Rin Queen pier for Koh Phangan and does not offer connections to Koh Tao.
Pralarn Pier in Maenam on the north coast offers connections with the Lomprayah catamarans at 8:00 and 12:30, the slow ferry at 11:00, and the speedboat at 14:30. It is ideal for those staying in Maenam or western Bophut and is 30–40 minutes from Chaweng. Nathon, the island's capital on the west coast, offers the Songserm ferry at 10:30, the Lomprayah ferries at 12:15 and 16:00, and the Boonsiri ferry at 14:35. Nathon is a good base for excursions to Lipa Noi and the southwest, although it is a 45-minute taxi ride from Chaweng costing 400–500 baht. The Lomprayah pick-up tickets (850 Baht) are collected directly from your hotel and take you to the correct pier – without any annoying searching.
If you are staying in Chaweng, Lamai, or Bophut, depart from Bangrak and take the direct train at 3:30 PM if you wish to skip Koh Phangan. If you are staying in Maenam, depart from Pralarn. If you are staying in the west, depart from Nathon.
Flight to Samui and then directly on to Koh Tao
Lomprayah's airport transfers and the 2 pm rule
Koh Tao doesn't have an airport, so most travelers fly to Samui and take a boat the same day. Lomprayah offers airport transfers including the boat ride for 850 baht. Boats depart for Bangrak at 7:30, 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 14:00, and 15:00 (as well as for Nathon at 11:00 and 15:00 and for Pralarn at 11:30). The 15:00 transfer connects with the 15:30 speedboat, which arrives in Koh Tao around 17:00. If you land around 14:00, there's plenty of time to collect your luggage. A traveler who flew from Suvarnabhumi on a Bangkok Airways flight at 09:15 in June 2026 landed at 10:45, took the airport transfer at 12:00 to depart from Bangrak on the catamaran at 12:30, and arrived on Koh Tao at approximately 14:30.
If your flight is delayed or arrives late, book a night on Samui near Bangrak and take a morning boat trip. Bangrak is also only 10 minutes from the airport by Grab if you prefer to buy the boat ticket separately.
The crossing, the stopover in Phangan and the seasickness
What two hours on the golf course actually look like
Almost all boats stop at Thong Sala Pier on Koh Phangan for about 10 minutes. A few, marked "Phangan Transfer," will transfer you to a catamaran there, and you may have to wait up to an hour and a half. If you're in a hurry, choose a boat without a transfer or the direct 3:30 PM departure. Check in at your tour operator's counter at the pier 30 minutes before departure to get a boarding sticker. Luggage is collected at the front; keep valuables with you. Lomprayah's ticket conditions allow 20 kg of luggage per person and one free change of booking. Tickets are non-refundable.
The Gulf is calmest from about February to September and roughest from October to December, as the speedboats rock considerably and trips are occasionally cancelled due to weather. Take a seasickness tablet half an hour before departure, sit as low and centrally as possible on the boat, and keep your gaze fixed on the horizon. Visitors pay a small island fee upon arrival at Mae Haad pier (20 baht in 2026).
The best-rated hotels in Koh Tao
Here is my ranking of the 10 best hotels in Koh Tao. Each button opens the hotel on Booking.com, where you have already entered your travel dates.
Is it possible to take a day trip to Koh Tao from Samui?
Yes, as a snorkeling tour, although Koh Tao is also worth one or two nights.
Yes, that's possible. Lomprayah offers daily snorkeling trips from Samui to Koh Tao and Koh Nang Yuan by catamaran or speedboat, including hotel pick-up and lunch on Nang Yuan. Tour operators also offer private speedboat day trips with stops at Shark Bay, Lighthouse Bay, and Nang Yuan. Since Lomprayah doesn't publish prices, it's best to inquire directly at their office or at a travel agency on Samui. There is an entrance fee on Nang Yuan (250 baht from April 2026), and plastic bottles are prohibited.
Expect at least three hours on the water for the round trip, leaving you with only a few hours on Koh Tao. If you're departing from Samui, this is a good introduction to snorkeling. However, if you're traveling for diving or to experience the sunsets at Sairee, it's recommended to spend a night or two there and take the scheduled boat.
The piers of Samui, the airport connection and a day trip
Three videos from other travelers in 2026: a tour of all Koh Samui piers by Tao boat, a same-day flight and ferry trip, and a day trip. Nothing loads from YouTube until you click "Play".
Return journey from Koh Tao to Koh Samui
Boats from 07:05 to 16:30 and at which pier they dock
Return boat trips from Mae Haad depart between 7:05 am and 4:30 pm and will take you to Bangrak, Pralarn, or Nathon. For flights from Koh Samui, take the speedboat at 7:05 am or 12:30 pm, which includes an airport transfer. All departure times and flight information can be found in the Koh Tao–Koh Samui travel guide.
Koh Tao → Koh Samui: Departure times you can book now
Check the current ferry connections from Koh Tao to Koh Samui.
The same 12Go display board for the return journey.
Have you booked your ferry crossing? Plan your trip to Koh Tao or your next flight.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently asked questions about the ferry from Koh Samui to Koh Tao.
The crossing by speedboat (Lomprayah catamarans and the speedboats of Lomlahkkhirin and Songserm) takes 1.5–2 hours, by the 11:00 AM Lomprayah ferry about 2.5 hours, and by the 10:30 AM Songserm ferry from Nathon about 3 hours 15 minutes. Boats changing in Phangan take up to 3 hours 15 minutes.
Prices for catamarans and speedboats from Lomprayah and Lomlahkkhirin are 700 baht, for the Lomprayah ferry 550 baht, for speedboats from Songserm around 800 baht, for the Songserm ferry 450 baht, and for Boonsiri 650–700 baht. A ticket for Lomprayah including hotel or airport transfer costs 850 baht.
Three piers. Bangrak (serving Chaweng, Lamai, Bophut, and the airport) offers ferry services from Lomprayah, Lomlahkkhirin, Boonsiri, and Songserm, each with its own pier; Pralarn in Maenam offers departures from Lomprayah at 8:00, 11:00, 12:30, and 14:30; Nathon on the west coast has a ferry from Songserm as well as departures from Lomprayah at 12:15 and 16:00. There are no boats to Koh Tao from Big Buddha Pier.
The first boats depart at 8:00 AM (from Pralarn and Bangrak), the last at 4:00 PM from Nathon. The last boat from Bangrak is the speedboat at 3:30 PM, arriving at 5:00 PM.
Yes, exactly. The Lomlahkkhirin speedboat departs from Bangrak at 3:30 PM and goes directly to Koh Tao, taking about 1.5 hours without stopping at Koh Phangan. All other boats dock in Thong Sala, and some boats change there.
Yes. Airport transfers from Lomprayah (850 Baht including boat) depart at 7:30, 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 14:00, and 15:00; the 15:00 ferry connects with the direct ferry to Koh Tao at 15:30. If you land around 14:00, a crossing on the same day is possible.
Yes, as a snorkeling tour. Lomprayah offers daily excursions to Koh Tao and Koh Nang Yuan, including hotel pick-up and lunch. You can also book private speedboat trips with various tour operators. Expect at least three hours on the water; there is a separate entrance fee for Nang Yuan. To dive or truly experience Sairee, a stay of one to two nights is recommended.
The monsoon season in the Gulf lasts from October to December. Speedboats are particularly affected, and trips may be cancelled due to weather conditions. From February to September, it is generally quiet. The timetable itself does not change with the seasons.
The route across the Gulf is approximately 60–70 km, while the distance as the crow flies from the jetties on the north coast of Samui to Mae Haad is roughly 60 km. The speedboats take 1.5–2 hours with a stopover on Koh Phangan, while the direct connection at 3:30 pm covers the distance without a stopover in about 1.5 hours.
From Bangrak, ferries operated by Lomprayah and their speedboat brand Lomlahkkhirin depart at 8:00, 10:30, 11:30, 12:30, 14:30, and 15:30 (direct service). From Pralarn in Maenam, they depart at 8:00, 11:00 (slow ferry), 12:30, and 14:30, and from Nathon at 12:15 and 16:00. The speedboats cost 700 baht, the slow ferry 550 baht, and with hotel or airport transfer, 850 baht. The schedule remains the same year-round.
If you have a choice, Lomprayah offers about a dozen departures from three piers, including the direct 3:30 pm service that skips Koh Phangan. Boonsiri offers three catamarans daily: at 8:00 am and 12:30 pm from Bangrak and at 2:35 pm from Nathon. The trip costs 650–700 baht and takes about two hours. Both routes stop in Mae Haad, so it's best to choose the one that departs closest to your hotel at the most convenient time.
Yes, especially for diving and snorkeling, which most visitors prefer. It's small, quiet, and only two hours away, so two or three nights fit well with a stay in Samui.
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Further from Koh Tao
The next stage, with the fastest and cheapest way to get there.
Return journey? From Koh Tao to Koh Samui – All routes in Thailand
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