Bangkok to Koh Tao

This is how most people do it, and it works. Lomprayah's office on the Khao San side of the old town runs three evening options and one morning one. The 22:00 bus (21:30 from Pinklao) reaches Thung Makham Noi pier near Chumphon before dawn, and its catamaran leaves at 07:00 and lands at Mae Haad at about 08:45, for ฿1,250 or ฿1,550 with a VIP seat. The 21:30 bus (21:00 from Pinklao) connects with a slower ferry at 05:45 instead, arriving at 08:15 for ฿850. The 06:00 day bus meets the 13:15 catamaran and arrives at 15:00, also ฿1,250.

Lomprayah asks you to be at the office 60 minutes before departure, allows 20 kg of luggage (฿200 for more), and its tickets are non-refundable with one free date change. Boonsiri sells the same kind of ticket from Khao San at 05:00 and 22:00 for ฿1,250, landing at its own pier on Koh Tao. Either way, book a day or two ahead in high season, and treat the overnight bus as a bus, not a bed.

The train is the comfortable way down, because a berth beats a bus seat. The catch is the arrival time. The boats leave Chumphon in the morning, so the useful trains are the late ones: No. 85 at 19:50 arrives at 03:43 and No. 39 at 22:50 at 05:22, and Lomprayah's van leaves Chumphon station at 06:00 for its 07:00 catamaran, reaching Koh Tao at 08:45 for ฿900. The earlier sleepers land before midnight, which means a night in Chumphon or the 21:00 night boat instead. The 07:30 day train arrives at 13:50, too late for the last connection that day.

Book early. By SRT's booking rules, sleeper berths to Chumphon go on sale about 30 days ahead, and the good ones go fast in December and January. 12Go sells train-and-boat bundles too, but its prices include a fee, and its evening bundles arrive on the island in the afternoon, so check the boat time before you buy.

Chumphon is the nearest airport to Koh Tao and the cheap one to fly into. Thai AirAsia's 07:25 from Don Mueang lands at 08:30, and Lomprayah has a counter at Chumphon airport selling a ฿1,000 bus and catamaran that leaves at 09:00 and reaches Koh Tao at 15:00. Fares on 12Go were about ฿1,460 in October and December, and Nok Air flies in the evening (17:55) for anyone happy to take the night boat or stay over.

Flying to Koh Samui on Bangkok Airways is quicker to the coast but costs much more, and the Samui to Koh Tao fast boat adds about ฿700 and up to two hours. Our Bangkok to Koh Samui and Koh Samui to Koh Tao guides cover both legs.

Going back, Lomprayah's catamaran and bus leave Koh Tao at 10:15 and reach Khao San or Pinklao at 20:30 for ฿1,250 (VIP ฿1,550), and at 15:00 for a 00:45 arrival. The 10:15 also runs straight to Suvarnabhumi or Don Mueang, arriving at 23:00 for ฿1,750, and to the Phaya Thai and Hua Lamphong stations for ฿1,550. The 12:30 slow ferry and bus reaches Khao San at 23:45 for ฿850. Boonsiri leaves Koh Tao at 10:00 and 14:45 for ฿1,250.

By train, take the 15:00 boat to Chumphon station (฿900, arriving 17:30) and one of the night trains north, such as No. 86 at 22:19 into Bangkok at 06:10. For a flight home the same evening, the 10:15 airport bus is the only sensible choice; for a flight the next morning, plan a night in Bangkok.