Practical guide
Chumphon to Koh Tao
The shortest crossing to Koh Tao, morning or afternoon
Two Catamarans a Day Each Way, Plus the Night Ferry
Chumphon is the closest mainland port to Koh Tao, and the catamaran crossing takes 1 hour 45. Two companies run it. Lomprayah's catamarans leave Thung Makham Noi pier at 07:00 and 13:15 and land at Mae Haad at 08:45 and 15:00 for ฿750, and Boonsiri's leave its own pier at 06:45 and 13:00 for the same fare. Both sell a van from Chumphon train station and the airport as part of the ticket, which is how most people do it, since the piers are out of town.
Check live Chumphon → Koh Tao times and seats on 12Go
If you arrive in the evening, a night ferry leaves at 21:00 and lands at about 05:00. I'd book the station or airport ticket rather than make my own way to the pier.
Arriving in Koh Tao
Where to stay in Koh Tao
This route ends in Koh Tao. Search Koh Tao hotels with your dates, or narrow it to the area you're heading for. Filter for free cancellation if you want to hold a room and decide later.
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Key Facts
The catamaran is ฿750 and 1 hour 45
Lomprayah at 07:00 and 13:15, Boonsiri at 06:45 and 13:00. Lomprayah's 05:45 slow ferry takes 2.5 hours for ฿450.
From the train station it's ฿900
Lomprayah's vans leave at 06:00 and 12:00 and Boonsiri's at 06:00 and 11:30, in time for the morning and afternoon boats.
From the airport it's ฿1,000
Lomprayah's 09:00 bus reaches Koh Tao at 15:00 and Boonsiri's 09:15 at 14:45, both meeting Thai AirAsia's 07:25 from Don Mueang.
The night ferry leaves at 21:00
It lands at Mae Haad at about 05:00, for about ฿855–866 on 12Go.
The piers are out of town
Lomprayah sails from Thung Makham Noi and Boonsiri from its own pier at Paknam. Lomprayah's transfer from the station to its pier is ฿150 and from the airport ฿250–300.
October to December can be rough
It's the shortest crossing to Koh Tao, which helps in the Gulf's rough season, but boats can still be canceled for a day.
Every Boat From Chumphon to Koh Tao
| Boat | Leaves Chumphon | Arrives Mae Haad | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lomprayah slow ferry | 05:45, Thung Makham Noi pier | 08:15 | ฿450 |
| Boonsiri catamaran | 06:45, Boonsiri pier | 08:30 | ฿750 |
| Lomprayah catamaran | 07:00, Thung Makham Noi pier | 08:45 | ฿750 |
| Boonsiri catamaran | 13:00, Boonsiri pier | 14:45 | ฿750 |
| Lomprayah catamaran | 13:15, Thung Makham Noi pier | 15:00 | ฿750 |
| Night ferry | 21:00, Chumphon ferry pier | About 05:00 | About ฿855–866 |
Lomprayah's and Boonsiri's times and fares from their own 2026 timetables; the night ferry from 12Go for a mid-November weekday.
Bookable departures · refreshed daily
Chumphon → Koh Tao: departure times you can book now
Every departure currently on sale through 12Go for this route, by class. Fares are the spread across the classes shown; the exact price for a seat and date is on the booking page.
Ferry & speedboat
| Class | Departures |
|---|---|
| Speedboat | 06:00, 07:00, 10:00, 12:00, 13:00 |
| Sleeper Boat + Van | 20:00 |
| Sleeper Boat | 21:00 |
Times and fares as sold on 12Go, refreshed daily. Services sold only locally — ordinary trains, weekend excursion trains, walk-up pier tickets — are not listed; see the table above for those. Sponsored link: we may earn a commission when you book, at no extra cost to you.
Chumphon → Koh Tao
Check live boats from Chumphon to Koh Tao
12Go shows the Lomprayah and Boonsiri boats with the station, airport and town pickups, plus the night ferry, with seats for your date.
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From the Station, the Airport or a Hotel
| Pickup | Lomprayah | Boonsiri | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chumphon train station | 06:00 or 12:00 | 06:00 or 11:30 | ฿900 |
| Chumphon airport | 09:00 (Koh Tao 15:00) | 09:15 (Koh Tao 14:45) | ฿1,000 |
| Hotel in Chumphon town | 05:45 or 11:45 | 05:30 or 11:30 | ฿900 |
From each company's own 2026 timetable. The morning pickups meet the 06:45 and 07:00 boats, the late-morning ones the 13:00 and 13:15.
Off the Night Train
Most people arrive by sleeper from Bangkok. The trains that fit are the late ones, No. 85 from Krung Thep Aphiwat at 19:50, into Chumphon at 03:43, and No. 39 at 22:50, in at 05:22. Lomprayah's and Boonsiri's vans both leave the station at 06:00 for the morning catamarans, and you're on Koh Tao by about 08:30 to 08:45, for ฿900. The earlier sleepers arrive before midnight, which means a night in Chumphon and the same morning van.
If you'd rather sleep in a bed and take the afternoon boat, the vans leave the station at 11:30 (Boonsiri) and 12:00 (Lomprayah) and reach Koh Tao at 14:45 and 15:00. The 07:30 day train from Bangkok arrives at 13:50, after the last van, so it means the night ferry or a night in town. Our Bangkok to Koh Tao guide has every train south.
Arriving in Koh Tao
Top-Ranked Hotels in Koh Tao
The top of my ranked list of the 10 best hotels in Koh Tao. Each button opens the hotel on Booking.com with your dates filled in.
#1Assava Diving Koh Tao | PADI 5* CDC Scuba Diving Centre & Hotel Beach Resort, Thailand4.9 (2,642 reviews)
A dive school with rooms attached, on Koh Tao's quieter southern bay, built for people who came to get certified.
Check rates
#6Sunrise Koh Tao4.6 (328 reviews)
A well-regarded resort steps from Maehaad Pier, ideal for divers and island explorers on Koh Tao.
Check rates
#9Nomads Koh Tao Hostel4.5 (320 reviews)
A well-rated hostel on Koh Tao offering a sociable base for divers and island explorers.
Check rates
From Chumphon Airport
Thai AirAsia's 07:25 from Don Mueang lands at 08:30, and both companies meet it. Lomprayah's 09:00 bus and catamaran reaches Koh Tao at 15:00 and Boonsiri's 09:15 reaches it at 14:45, both for ฿1,000. That's a long wait at the pier for a short crossing, so bring a book. Lomprayah's transfer from the airport to its pier alone is ฿250–300 if you've already bought the boat.
The Night Ferry
The slow night ferry leaves Chumphon at 21:00 and lands at Mae Haad at about 05:00, with bunks in one shared cabin and a deck outside, for about ฿855–866 on 12Go. It suits anyone who reaches Chumphon in the evening, on an early sleeper or a late bus, and would rather sleep on the boat than in town. You arrive before the island wakes up, so it pays to have a room you can check into early.
Koh Tao to Chumphon
Going back, Lomprayah's catamarans leave Mae Haad at 10:15 and 15:00, reaching Thung Makham Noi pier at 11:45 and 16:45 for ฿750, and its 12:30 slow ferry reaches it at 15:00 for ฿450. Boonsiri leaves at 10:00 and 14:45, reaching its pier at 11:45 and 16:45 for ฿750. With the van, Lomprayah reaches the train station at 12:45, 16:00 or 17:30 and the airport at 13:00, 17:00 or 18:00, and Boonsiri reaches the station at 12:30 or 17:30 and the airport at 13:30 or 18:20.
For the night train to Bangkok, take an afternoon boat to the station, and six trains leave between 20:51 and 23:56. For a flight, the 15:00 Lomprayah boat reaches the airport in time for Nok Air's 19:30 to Don Mueang. Our Koh Tao to Bangkok guide has the trains and flights in full.
Planning the rest of the trip?
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Chumphon to Koh Tao.
1 hour 45 on Lomprayah's and Boonsiri's catamarans, 2.5 hours on Lomprayah's 05:45 slow ferry, and about 8 hours on the 21:00 night ferry.
฿750 on the catamarans from the pier, ฿900 with the van from the train station or town, ฿1,000 from the airport, ฿450 on Lomprayah's slow ferry and about ฿855–866 on the night ferry.
Boonsiri at 06:45 and 13:00 and Lomprayah at 07:00 and 13:15, plus Lomprayah's 05:45 slow ferry and the 21:00 night ferry. The station vans leave at 06:00 and 11:30 or 12:00.
Buy Lomprayah's or Boonsiri's ticket from the station, ฿900 with the van to the pier. Both vans leave at 06:00 for the morning boats, landing at about 08:30 to 08:45, and at 11:30 (Boonsiri) or 12:00 (Lomprayah) for the afternoon ones.
Chumphon. The catamaran from Chumphon takes 1 hour 45, against 3 hours 45 from Donsak near Surat Thani, and the trains from Bangkok reach Chumphon first. Surat Thani suits you if you're going to Samui or Phangan first.
Lomprayah leaves Mae Haad at 10:15, 12:30 and 15:00 and Boonsiri at 10:00 and 14:45, reaching Chumphon in 1 hour 45 (2.5 hours on the 12:30 slow ferry) for ฿450–750, with vans on to the train station and the airport.
Where to stay in Koh Tao
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Written by
Mac Kiley
I lived in Bangkok for four years and traveled the country from there. The guides are my own opinions, written the way I'd explain them to a friend planning a trip.
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