Surat Thani to Koh Tao

Lomprayah's counter at the airport sells the whole trip, and its buses leave at 09:30 and 12:30 for the catamaran, reaching Mae Haad at 14:15 and 17:45 for ฿1,100, and at 11:00 and 14:00 for the speedboats, landing at 16:00 and 18:00 for ฿1,200 and ฿1,400. Boonsiri's van leaves at 12:00 and lands at 16:55 for about ฿1,100. The airport is 92 km from Donsak, so most of the first hour and a half is on the road.

The 14:00 is the last daytime departure, so a flight landing in the afternoon needs a plan. You can go into town, 28 km away, for the night boat at around 21:00, or sleep in Surat Thani and take a morning bus. Through tickets are worth it on this route, because the operator holds you for the next boat if your flight runs late and separate tickets don't.

The overnight sleepers from Bangkok reach Surat Thani's station at Phun Phin, west of the town, in the early morning, so there's a wait for Lomprayah's 09:30 bus, which connects with the catamaran and reaches Koh Tao at 14:15 for ฿1,000. The 11:00 bus meets the speedboat and lands at 16:00 for ฿1,100. Boonsiri's 10:30 van also picks up at the station and lands at 16:25 for about ฿1,000. If you're taking the train from Bangkok anyway, Chumphon is the earlier stop and the shorter boat ride, so look at the comparison below before you book.

In town, Lomprayah sells from Tapee pier on the river. Its buses to the Donsak catamaran leave at 10:00 and 13:00, reaching Koh Tao at 14:15 and 17:45 for ฿900, and its speedboats leave from Tapee pier itself at 12:00, landing at 16:00 for ฿1,000, and at 15:30 on the Direct boat, landing at 18:00 for ฿1,200. A hotel pickup anywhere in town costs ฿100 more. If you're starting from Donsak itself, the catamaran alone is ฿750, at 11:00 and 15:00.

The town is also where to stay if you arrive late, with far more choice than the airport or Donsak, and it's where the night boat leaves from.

The night boat is the old backpacker way across, a slow wooden ferry with a deck of mattresses, pillows and blankets, and it's still running. It leaves the Ban Don riverfront in town at around 21:00 and reaches Mae Haad at about 05:00 to 06:00, and the booking sites sell it for about ฿770 to ฿1,040 depending on the seller. Older guides give 22:00 or 23:00, so check the time on your ticket and be at the pier early to pick a spot.

It saves a night's room and gets you onto the island before the day boats arrive, and the trade is a short night's sleep. In the rainy season from October to December rough seas can stop the boats, as they did for three days in November 2025, so leave a spare day before any onward flight.

Koh Tao sits closer to Chumphon, and the catamaran from there takes about 1 hour 45 against 3 hours 45 from Donsak. From Bangkok overland, Chumphon wins. Lomprayah's night bus from Khao San reaches Koh Tao at 08:45 for ฿1,250, and the sleeper trains stop at Chumphon before Surat Thani. Chumphon is also the easier crossing if you get seasick.

Surat Thani wins on flights and on the south. About 14 flights a day leave Bangkok's two airports for Surat Thani against 2 for Chumphon, so it's easier to find a cheap seat at a good time. And if you're coming from Krabi, Phuket or Khao Sok, or you want to stop on Samui or Phangan first, the route already runs through Surat Thani. Our Bangkok to Koh Tao guide has the Chumphon side in full.

From the Andaman coast, Lomprayah sells one ticket that runs by road across to the Gulf and on by boat. From its Krabi office the catamaran trips leave at 08:00 and 11:30, reaching Koh Tao at 14:15 and 17:45 for ฿1,300, and the Direct speedboat at 13:00, landing at 18:00 for ฿1,600. From Phuket it's one departure at 09:30, landing at 17:45 for ฿1,600. It's a long day either way, so the 08:00 from Krabi is the one to aim for.

Going back, Lomprayah's 07:05 speedboat is the early one. It reaches Tapee pier in town at 10:00 (฿1,000), the train station at 10:45 (฿1,100) and the airport at 11:00 (฿1,200). The 09:30 catamaran reaches town at 14:00 and the airport at 15:00, and the 11:00 Direct speedboat reaches town at 13:30 and the airport at 15:00 for ฿1,400. Songserm's 11:30 boat with a van reaches the airport at about 16:15. For any flight before about 13:00, take the 07:05 or cross the day before, and in the rainy season leave a full day spare.