Bangkok to Koh Tao

There are many options for getting from Bangkok to Koh Tao. They are all quite comfortable and easy, so your decision will depend mostly on your budget and how much time you have.

By Air

There is no airport on Koh Tao, but there are a couple of options with air travel from Bangkok. The fastest but most expensive is to Koh Samui. Bangkok Airways has 10 flights a day on this route, with a journey time of just 1 hour. Tickets usually cost around 4000 baht. We would recommend only booking flights leaving Bangkok earlier than 1pm if you wish to arrive on Koh Tao the same day, as ferry services cease at 5pm. Your ferry tickets may be easily booked at the Koh Samui airport.

You may also choose to fly from Bangkok to Chumphon. Air Asia regularly offers promo prices for the surprisingly affordable price of 650 Thai Baht. This departs Bangkok’s Don Mueng airport at 7:25am and arrives at 8:35am. This will mean you arrive too late for the morning Lomprayah ferry, but a second leaves daily at 1:00pm, arriving on Koh Tao at 2:45pm.

By Train

Train travel in Thailand is very comfortable and quite modern. The Thai transit authority has recently purchased a new Special Express air conditioned sleeper train that will suit all traveller’s standards and guarantee a peaceful night’s sleep. Train number 39/41 leaves Bangkok’s Hua Lumphong Train station (easily accessible via Bangkok’s world class subway system) at 10:50pm and arrives and Chumphon at 5:49am. 1st class sleeper bed tickets cost around 1500 Thai Baht, and 2nd class sleeper bed tickets around 1000 Thai Baht. It is recommended that you book these tickets in advance, particularly around busy seasons such as Koh Phangyan’s monthly Full Moon Party.

From there we recommend you to catch the Lomprayah ferry which leaves at 7:00am and arrives in Koh Tao at 8:45. This will cost 600 Thai Baht, and there are multitudes of agents available in both Bangkok and Chumphon from which you can purchase tickets. These will rarely if ever need to be booked in advance. On the Lomprayah ferry there is the option of the VIP room for just 100 Thai Baht extra if you would prefer a more quiet and comfortable journey. Just go to the second deck and enter the VIP room, a staff member will come by to collect your payment.

By Bus

The cheapest travel option from Bangkok to Chumphon, there are a few private coach companies operating this route. The buses are modern, air conditioned and comfortable, but do not include sleeper beds. We recommend the Suwannatee 9pm night bus, which leaves from Bangkok’s Southern Bus Terminal and should arrive in Chumphon around 5-6am, with food and toilet stops on the way. This will cost around 450 Thai Baht, a great option for travelers on a budget!

Please see the above recommendation for the Lomprayah ferry from Chumphon to Koh Tao

Chumphon to Koh Tao

There are no direct flights from Chumphon to Koh Samui (Koh Tao’s closest airport). There are a few ferry companies operating from Chumphon, but for daytime travel we recommend Lomprayah.

Lomprayah have two daily ferries, one leaving at 7:00am and arriving at 8:45am, the other leaving at 1:30pm and arriving at 3:15pm. Tickets cost 600 Thai Baht and may be purchased at the train station or from numerous agents around Chumphon town. These will rarely if ever need to be booked in advance. On the Lomprayah ferry there is the option of the VIP room for just 100 Thai Baht extra if you would prefer a more quiet and comfortable journey. Just go to the second deck and enter the VIP room, a staff member will come by to collect your payment.

If you arrive in Chumphon too late for the Lomprayah ferry, there is also the option of the Night Ferry. These are primarily used for bringing supplies and vehicles over to the Island, but now boast comfortable, air conditioned dormitory style bedding. These leave around 11:00pm and arrive around 7:00am and cost between 400-600 Thai Baht. Be warned however, one of these boats is significantly less comfortable than the others, known colloquially amongst Koh Taoians as the ‘slave ship’. It is unfortunately the luck of the draw which boat you receive passage on!

Surat Thani to Koh Tao

For passage to Koh Tao from southern Thailand, Surat Thani is your best option to start your journey into the Thai Gulf.

There are no direct flights from Surat Thani to Koh Samui (Koh Tao’s closest airport). There are a few ferry companies operating from Surat Thani, but for daytime travel we recommend Lomprayah.

Lomprayah have two daily ferries, one leaving at 9:00am and arriving at 2:15am, the other leaving at 3:30pm and arriving at 7:15pm. Tickets cost 800 to 900 Thai Baht and may be purchased at the train station, airport or numerous agents around Surat Thani town. You may also purchase tickets including coach travel to the Lompryah Pier, which lies about an hour from Surat Thani proper. These will rarely if ever need to be booked in advance. On the Lomprayah ferry there is the option of the VIP room for just 100 Thai Baht extra if you would prefer a more quiet and comfortable journey. Just go to the second deck and enter the VIP room, a staff member will come by to collect your payment.

If you arrive in Surat Thani too late for the Lomprayah ferry, there is also the option of the Night Ferry. These are primarily used for bringing supplies and vehicles over to the Island, but now boast comfortable, air conditioned dormitory style bedding. These leave around 11:00pm and arrive around 8:00am and cost between 400 to 600 Thai Baht. Be warned however, one of these boats is significantly less comfortable than the others, known colloquially amongst Koh Taoians as the ‘slave ship’. It is unfortunately the luck of the draw which boat you receive passage on!

Koh Samui to Koh Tao

There are a few options for ferry travel between Koh Samui and Koh Tao, but we recommend either the Lompryah or Seatran ferry.

Lomprayah have two daily ferries, one leaving at 8:00am and arriving at 9:30am, the other leaving at 12:30pm and arriving at 2:15pm, with an hour stop over on Koh Phangan. Tickets cost 600 Thai Baht and may be purchased at the airport, the pier or at numerous agents around Koh Samui. These will rarely if ever need to be booked in advance.

On the Lomprayah ferry there is the option of the VIP room for just 100 Thai Baht extra if you would prefer a more quiet and comfortable journey. Just go to the second deck and enter the VIP room, a staff member will come by to collect your payment.

Seatran operates 3 daily ferries, leaving at 8am, 1:00pm and 6:30pm. Each journey takes two hours and costs 600 Thai Baht. You may also organize transport from Koh Samui Airport to the pier for a reasonable price.