ferryradar
Guide

Thailand island hopping by ferry

Thailand’s islands sit on two seas with different weather, different boats and different ways of doing things. Here’s how it works.

Two seas, two seasons

The Thai peninsula has islands on both sides. On the west, the Andaman coast runs from Phuket and Krabi down to Koh Lanta, the Trang islands and Koh Lipe. On the east, the Gulf of Thailand has the chain of Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao. Closer to Bangkok, the Eastern Gulf has Koh Larn, Koh Samet and Koh Chang.

Their weather runs on different clocks. The Andaman side is at its calmest from November to April and gets the south-west monsoon from May to October. The Gulf islands are usually calmest from February to August and roughest from October to December. If your dates are fixed, choosing the coast with the better season matters more than any other decision.

The boats you’ll meet

Big passenger ferries

Slow and steady, with inside seats, a sun deck and space for suitcases. They are the cheapest option and the most comfortable when the sea is rough. Typical example: Ao Nang to Koh Phi Phi in about two hours.

High-speed catamarans

The workhorses of the Gulf. Lomprayah and other operators run large catamarans between Samui, Phangan, Tao and the mainland that are much faster than the old ferries and steady in moderate seas. See Koh Samui to Koh Tao.

Speedboats

Small, fast and bumpy. They are the only way to reach many of the smaller Andaman islands in a day, and they often land you on the beach rather than at a pier, which means wading ashore. In the dry season, island-hopping speedboats run south from Koh Lanta through Koh Ngai, Koh Mook, Koh Kradan and on to Koh Lipe.

Car ferries

Raja Ferry and Seatran run vehicle ferries from Donsak on the mainland to Koh Samui and Koh Phangan, and car ferries cross to Koh Chang from Trat. They are slow but frequent, and the cheapest way to take a car or scooter across.

Joint tickets: bus or van + boat

Many “ferry” tickets are really combined journeys: a van picks you up from your hotel, an airport or a train station and takes you to the pier, where the boat waits for the connection. This is how most people cross the peninsula from the Andaman coast to the Gulf islands. There is no sea route between the two, so Krabi or Ao Nang to Koh Samui, Koh Phangan or Koh Tao is a van across land and then a boat. On our route pages, these combined tickets are listed separately from boats that leave from the pier.

Piers: the detail that trips people up

A ticket that says “Koh Samui” could leave from any of four or five piers on opposite sides of the island, and “Krabi” could mean Klong Jilad in town or Nopparat Thara by Ao Nang beach. Always check the pier on the ticket and how long the road transfer takes. Every route page on FerryRadar lists the piers each operator uses.

Practical tips

  • Book ahead in high season. From December to March, morning boats and hotel pick-ups sell out. A day or two ahead is usually enough.
  • Travel light where you can. Speedboats and longtail transfers mean carrying your own bags across boats or through shallow water.
  • Carry small cash. Some islands collect a landing or national park fee on arrival, and island ATMs can be unreliable.
  • Leave a buffer before flights. Weather delays happen, especially in the monsoon months. Don’t plan a boat and a flight on the same day if you can avoid it.
  • Seasick? Choose the biggest boat, sit low and in the middle, and look at the horizon.

Classic routes to start with

Last updated 22 Oct 2026.