Koh Samui to Koh Tao ferry
Most boats from Koh Samui to Koh Tao are high-speed catamarans that stop at Koh Phangan on the way. The trip takes from about 1 hour 30 minutes to just over 3 hours, depending on the boat and the number of stops. Check which Samui pier your boat uses: operators leave from different piers around the island.
- Journey
- 1h 25mfastest · typical 1h 50m
- Fares
- €13from, per adult
- Sailings
- 1508:00–15:00
- E-ticket to your phone
- Secure checkout on 12Go
- 5 operators compared
Times and fares from 12Go for 25 Oct 2026, checked 22 Oct 2026. We earn a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you.
Which boat should I take?
3 good picks from the 15 boats 12Go listed on this route.
1h 25m door to door from Petcherat Marina Bangrak€23fromCheck this boat on 12Go Cheapest10:30 → 13:45Songserm · High Speed Ferry
The lowest fare 12Go showed, 3h 15m crossing€13fromCheck this boat on 12Go Best balance08:00 → 09:30Lomprayah · Express
A good trade-off between journey time and price€15fromCheck this boat on 12Go
Pick the shortest journey time in the table. Usually that is a catamaran from the north coast (Maenam or Bangrak), close to the airport and to Bophut and Chaweng.
Departures from Nathon on the west coast can save a long taxi ride from Lamai or Lipa Noi. Compare the pier, not just the time.
Choose a large catamaran rather than a speedboat and sit downstairs in the middle. The stretch from Phangan to Tao is the most exposed.
Tao’s dive schools start courses in the afternoon or the next morning. A morning boat gets you settled with time to spare.
Koh Samui to Koh Tao ferry timetable
Departures 12Go listed for 25 Oct 2026. Tap a row to see that day on 12Go.
| Departs | Arrives | Time | Operator | From → to | From | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 08:00 | 09:30 | 1h 30m | LomprayahExpress | Pralarn Pier Koh Samui 1 → Mae Haad Koh Tao | €15 | Book |
| 08:00 | 10:00 | 2h | Boonsiri High Speed FerriesCatamaran | Koh Samui Bangrak Pier Catamaran → Koh Tao Catamaran | €17 | Book |
| 08:00 | 09:45 | 1h 45m | LomprayahExpress | Lomprayah Bangrak Pier → Mae Haad Koh Tao | €20 | Book |
| 08:00 | 09:45 | 1h 45m | LomlahkkhirinSpeedboat | Samui Bangrak Pier LK → Tao Mae Haad Pier | €20 | Book |
| 09:30 | 10:55 | 1h 25m | SongsermSpeedboat | Petcherat Marina Bangrak → Koh Tao Songserm | €23 | Book |
| 09:30 | 10:55 | 1h 25m | Songserm ExpressSpeedboat | Petcherat Marina Bangrak → Koh Tao Songserm | €27 | Book |
| 10:30 | 13:45 | 3h 15m | SongsermHigh Speed Ferry | Na Thon Koh Samui Songserm → Koh Tao Songserm | €13 | Book |
| 10:30 | 12:00 | 1h 30m | Songserm ExpressSpeedboat | Petcherat Marina Bangrak → Koh Tao Songserm | €27 | Book |
| 11:30 | 14:15 | 2h 45m | LomlahkkhirinSpeedboat | Samui Bangrak Pier LK → Tao Mae Haad Pier | €20 | Book |
| 11:30 | 13:45 | 2h 15m | SongsermSpeedboat + Ferry | Petcherat Marina Bangrak → Koh Tao Songserm | €20 | Book |
| 12:15 | 14:15 | 2h | LomprayahExpress | Lomprayah Nathon Pier → Mae Haad Koh Tao | €20 | Book |
| 12:30 | 14:30 | 2h | LomlahkkhirinCatamaran | Samui Bangrak Pier LK → Tao Mae Haad Pier | €20 | Book |
| 14:30 | 16:00 | 1h 30m | LomlahkkhirinSpeedboat | Samui Pralarn Pier LK → Tao Mae Haad Pier | €20 | Book |
| 14:30 | 17:45 | 3h 15m | LomlahkkhirinStandard | Samui Bangrak Pier LK → Tao Mae Haad Pier | €20 | Book |
| 15:00 | 16:50 | 1h 50m | Boonsiri High Speed FerriesCatamaran | Koh Samui Nathon Pier Catamaran → Koh Tao Catamaran | €17 | Book |
Fares are 12Go’s lowest adult price per departure on 25 Oct 2026, in euros, rounded. Children’s fares, luggage rules and refund terms are shown at checkout.
How the boats compare
10 of the 15 boats leave before midday and 5 in the afternoon, between 08:00 and 15:00. Journey times vary a lot: the slowest, Songserm at 3h 15m, takes 1h 50m longer than the quickest, and fares range from about €13 to €27.
Arrivals in Koh Tao run from 09:30 to 17:45, and a typical fare on this crossing is around €20 per adult. Boats land at Mae Haad Koh Tao, Koh Tao Catamaran and Koh Tao Songserm, so check which one is nearest your stay.
Lomlahkkhirin runs the most departures (5), followed by Songserm (3). Boats used include Express, Catamaran, Speedboat and High Speed Ferry.
Departures use 9 different departure points in Koh Samui: Pralarn Pier Koh Samui 1, Koh Samui Bangrak Pier Catamaran, Lomprayah Bangrak Pier and Samui Bangrak Pier LK. Pick the boat that leaves closest to where you are staying.
2 more tickets include a pick-up or bus connection to the pier, which saves arranging your own transfer.
Ferry companies on this route
Lomlahkkhirin
- Boats
- 5 (08:00–14:30)
- Fastest
- 1h 30m
- From
- €20
- Boats used
- Speedboat, Catamaran, Standard
Songserm
- Boats
- 3 (09:30–11:30)
- Fastest
- 1h 25m
- From
- €13
- Boats used
- Speedboat, High Speed Ferry, Speedboat + Ferry
Lomprayah
- Boats
- 3 (08:00–12:15)
- Fastest
- 1h 30m
- From
- €15
- Boats used
- Express
Songserm Express
- Boats
- 2 (09:30–10:30)
- Fastest
- 1h 25m
- From
- €27
Boonsiri High Speed Ferries
- Boats
- 2 (08:00–15:00)
- Fastest
- 1h 50m
- From
- €17
- Boats used
- Catamaran
Piers at both ends
Where to go on the day, and what to expect when you land.
Koh Samui: The west-coast town pier. Lomprayah, Songserm and Boonsiri boats to Phangan and Tao; Seatran car ferries to Donsak.
Koh Samui: North coast. Lomprayah high-speed catamarans to Phangan and Tao.
Koh Samui: North-east, near the airport. Lomprayah, Boonsiri, Lomlahkkhirin and Songserm boats, plus the Haad Rin Queen to Haad Rin.
Koh Samui: Raja and Seatran car ferries to Donsak on the mainland.
Koh Tao: The only main pier, for Samui, Phangan, Chumphon and Surat Thani.
Piers named by the operators for this route: Pralarn Pier Koh Samui 1, Koh Samui Bangrak Pier Catamaran, Lomprayah Bangrak Pier, Samui Bangrak Pier LK and Petcherat Marina Bangrak → Mae Haad Koh Tao, Koh Tao Catamaran and Koh Tao Songserm.
Samui piers: which one is yours?
Koh Samui has several piers and the operators don’t share them. Lomprayah uses its own piers at Maenam, Bangrak and Nathon, while Songserm, Boonsiri and Lomlahkkhirin leave from Bangrak or Nathon. Your ticket shows the departure pier. Booking through 12Go includes it in the confirmation, and some tickets add a hotel pick-up.
The stop at Koh Phangan
Nearly every boat stops at Thong Sala on Koh Phangan for 10–20 minutes while passengers get on and off. Stay on board: your luggage stays with the boat, and the crew calls the Koh Tao arrival.
Arriving at Mae Haad, Koh Tao
All passenger boats dock at Mae Haad on Tao’s west coast. Sairee Beach is a 10–15 minute walk north; taxis (pick-up trucks) wait at the pier for Chalok, Tanote and the east-coast bays, whose roads are steep.
When the sea is rough
The Gulf is calmest from February to August. From late October to December the north-east monsoon can make the Phangan–Tao stretch rough, and sailings are occasionally cancelled. If you have a flight to catch, leave a spare day.
Weather and season
Weather runs to a different clock from the Andaman: the Gulf is usually calmest from February to August. Expect rain and rougher crossings from October to December.
