Opposite coasts, so a whole day.
Phuket is located on the Andaman Sea, and Koh Tao is in the Gulf of Thailand, on the other side of the peninsula. Therefore, there is no boat connection between the two islands, and any route initially involves travel by land. The easiest option is the Lomprayah combination ticket. The bus departs Phuket at 9:30 a.m., travels approximately 290 km to Donsak Pier, and the catamaran stops in Samui and Phangan before arriving in Mae Haad at 5:45 p.m. The trip costs 1,600 baht, or 1,800 baht with hotel pickup in Patong, Kata, Karon, Rawai, or Nai Harn.
Check the current flight times and seat availability for flights from Phuket to Koh Tao on 12Go.
The fastest way to get there is by flying with Bangkok Airways to Koh Samui (55 minutes) and then taking a boat. However, the flight alone costs around 3,900–4,600 baht. If you miss the morning ferry, you can take a bus to Surat Thani and catch the night boat, which will arrive on the island at sunrise. I would recommend the Lomprayah ticket unless time is more important than money.
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
An entrance ticket for Lomprayah costs ฿1,600, opening hours: 09:30 to 17:45
From the office in Wichit, west of Phuket Town. A 7:30 am hotel pick-up in Patong, Kata, Karon, Rawai or Nai Harn, or a 10:00 am pick-up at Phuket Airport, costs 1,800 Baht.
There is no boat connection between the two coasts.
All routes either lead across the peninsula by road (approx. 290 km) to Donsak Pier or by plane to Koh Samui.
Fly to Samui before 12:55 to reach Koh Tao on the same day.
Bangkok Airways offers six daily flights, each lasting 55 minutes and costing approximately 3,900–4,600 baht. The 12:55 PM flight lands at 1:50 PM, in time for the afternoon ferries.
Miss the morning and take the night boat.
Buses to Surat Thani depart from Phuket 2 bus station until about 1:30 pm, the night boat departs at 9:00 pm and reaches Mae Haad around 5:00 to 6:00 am.
Overland is an eight-hour day.
Approximately five and a half hours by bus to Donsak Pier, including waiting time, then 2 hours and 45 minutes by 3:00 PM catamaran with stops in Samui and Phangan.
The rough season in the Gulf of Mexico lasts from October to December.
This is the exact opposite of Phuket. Rough seas can cause boats to not run for a day or two, so you should plan a rest day before your onward flight.
All routes from Phuket to Koh Tao compared
Lomprayah's timetables and prices are taken from their own 2026 timetable; flight, bus and night boat combinations and separate bus fares are taken from 12Go for a weekday in mid-November when the operators do not print timetables.
Check the latest flight tickets from Phuket to Koh Tao.
12Go displays the Lomprayah tickets for each pickup, as well as the bus and night boat combinations with seats for your companion.
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Lomprayah's coach and catamaran
Lomprayah offers the entire trip with a single ticket, and this is exactly the one I would book. The bus departs at 9:30 a.m. (the office opens at 6:00 a.m.) from their office in Wichit, west of Phuket Town, crosses the peninsula to Donsak Pier near Surat Thani, and the catamaran arrives in Nathon on Koh Samui at 3:45 p.m. and Koh Phangan at 4:30 p.m., before landing in Mae Haad on Koh Tao at 5:45 p.m. The trip costs 1,600 baht. If you are staying on the west coast, you will be picked up from your hotel in Patong, Kata, Karon, Rawai, or Nai Harn at 7:30 a.m. for 1,800 baht. If you are flying into Phuket, you will be picked up at gates 1–2 of the airport at 10:00 a.m. and meet the same boat there. The ride costs 1,800 Baht here as well.
There is only one departure per day, so it is recommended to book several days in advance during peak season. The same ticket costs 1,300 baht for a trip to Samui or 1,400 baht for a trip to Phangan. Many travel agencies also offer it with their own hotel transfer from around 6:00 am for 1,600–2,050 baht.
Flight over Koh Samui
Bangkok Airways flies six times daily from Phuket to Koh Samui: at 9:45, 11:00, 12:55, 14:15, 16:35, and 17:30. The flight time is 55 minutes, and the price on a weekday in November ranges from 3,900 to 4,600 baht; it is higher in December. Koh Samui Airport is located near Bangrak Pier, from where speedboats depart for Koh Tao. The crossing takes 1.5 to 2 hours and costs 700 baht. The 11:00 flight is the most relaxed option. The 12:55 flight, arriving at 13:50, is the last convenient connection. Alternatively, Lomprayah offers a ferry at 2:30 pm from Bangrak, arriving at 5:45 pm, or an airport transfer at 3:00 pm, arriving at 5:00 pm. With the 2:15 pm departure, you only have 20 minutes to catch the last ferry at 3:30 pm – that's too short a time.
This saves a few hours compared to the bus journey and is the best option if you want to spend a night on Koh Samui first. Our tour guides for the routes from Phuket to Koh Samui and from Koh Samui to Koh Tao know all the flight and boat connections.
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.
Overnight stay on the bus and subsequent journey by night boat to Surat Thani
If you can't make it in the morning, travel overland in the afternoon and spend the night on the boat. Buses and vans run throughout the morning and early afternoon from Phuket 2 bus station to Surat Thani. The journey takes approximately 4.5 to 6 hours and costs 375–425 baht (approximately 750–750 baht) with Phantip, Ramon, and company 465. The 1:30 pm departures are the last to comfortably reach the city before the boat arrives. Get off in the city, not at Phun Phin station, which is 14 km from the pier. The night boat departs at 9:00 pm from the Ban Don riverbank and arrives in Mae Haad around 5:00–6:00 am. The crossing, with mattresses on the open deck, costs approximately 770–1040 baht (approximately 750–750 baht).
The booking portals also offer a combined bus and night boat trip from Bus Station 2. Departures are between approximately 11:00 AM and 1:40 PM for about 1,375–1,500 Baht. Further information about the night boat can be found in our travel guide from Surat Thani to Koh Tao.
From Koh Tao to Phuket
The return trip by catamaran and bus from Lomprayah at 9:30 a.m. arrives at the office in Phuket at 6:30 p.m. for 1,600 baht. Travel agencies offer the trip starting around 7:30 p.m. with stops at hotels in Patong. The speedboat from Songserm at 11:30 a.m., which includes a van, arrives at Phuket 2 bus station around 7:00 p.m. for approximately 1,800 baht. The night boat departs from Mae Haad at 9:00 p.m. and connects with buses that reach Phuket the following day around noon (approximately 1,250–1,550 baht).
For arrival by plane, the best option is to take a boat to Samui in the morning. From there, Bangkok Airways flies back to Phuket at 8:15, 11:10, 12:30, 15:05, 15:50, and 18:15 (flight time approximately one hour). The afternoon flights are connecting flights from the morning boat. During the busy high season in the Gulf of Thailand from October to December, you should plan a rest day before your return flight. Our Koh Tao–Phuket travel guide includes all ticket information, hotel transfers, and all connecting flights.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently asked questions about traveling from Phuket to Koh Tao.
Take the Lomprayah combined bus and catamaran, departing Phuket at 9:30 AM and arriving in Mae Haad at 5:45 PM (1,600 Baht, 1,800 Baht with hotel or airport transfer). Alternatively, fly to Koh Samui with Bangkok Airways and take a 1.5- to 2-hour boat trip. Travel overnight by bus to Surat Thani, where you can catch the night boat at 9:00 PM.
Not exactly. Phuket is on the Andaman coast and Koh Tao is in the Gulf of Mexico, so each ticket includes either a bus ride across the peninsula to Donsak Pier plus the boat trip, or a flight to Koh Samui plus the boat trip.
Approximately 8 hours by Lomprayah's bus and catamaran (09:30 → 17:45), approximately 5 hours by flight to Samui at 12:55 pm and onward journey by boat at 14:30 pm, and approximately 16 to 18 hours by bus and night boat.
It's about 290 km by road from Phuket to Donsak Pier, then a 2-hour 45-minute catamaran ride via Samui and Phangan. The flight from Phuket to Samui takes 55 minutes.
Koh Tao has no airport. Fly with Bangkok Airways from Phuket to Koh Samui (six flights daily for approximately 3,900–4,600 baht) and take a speedboat from Bangrak (1.5–2 hours for 700 baht). The 12:55 PM flight is the last one with a convenient connection.
Lomprayah's catamaran and bus depart at 9:30 AM and arrive in Phuket at 6:30 PM for 1,600 Baht. Songserm's speedboat and van depart at 11:30 AM and arrive at Bus Station 2 around 7:00 PM. Alternatively, you can take a boat to Koh Samui in the morning and fly from there. The night boat and bus arrive the following day around noon.
Compare prices on the major booking portals and filter for rooms with free cancellation if you want to book now and decide later.
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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 Phuket – All routes in Thailand
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I lived in Bangkok for four years and traveled throughout the country from there. The guidebooks reflect my personal opinion and are written as I would explain things to a friend planning a trip.
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