Koh Tao ferry price in 2026: what Lomprayah, Seatran and Songserm actually charge

A ferry to Koh Tao costs from about 350 THB to roughly 1,100 THB one way in 2026, depending on the operator, the mainland gateway and how much of the trip is boat rather than bus or van. Three companies run the boats: Lomprayah, Seatran Discovery and Songserm. All three dock at Mae Haad pier, and all three also call at Koh Samui and Koh Phangan on the way, so the fare and the crossing time change with the route, not with the calendar, except when the monsoon slows or cancels a sailing.

How much does the ferry to Koh Tao cost in 2026?

Songserm is the cheapest operator on every route to Koh Tao, and Lomprayah is the fastest, with Seatran Discovery in between on both counts. The table below sets the three companies side by side for every gateway, built from 12Go's live route search and Lomprayah's own site, both checked on 26 September 2026.

Fares move with the date and how far ahead you book, and 12Go's own spread for Chumphon ran wider than the other routes on the day we checked, so treat the ranges above as the window to expect rather than a fixed price. Booking online with the operator or through 12Go beats the pier counter on all three lines.

How much is the ferry from Koh Samui to Koh Tao?

Lomprayah's high speed catamaran is the fastest and usually the priciest choice on this crossing: 600 to 750 THB for about 1 hour 45 minutes, with two to three sailings a day between Mae Haad and Maenam or Bangrak pier. Seatran Discovery covers the same water in roughly 2 to 2 hours 30 minutes for about 580 to 620 THB. Songserm is the slow, cheap option: around 450 THB for a crossing of 3 to 3 hours 30 minutes, usually routed through Koh Phangan rather than direct. If you have seen a lower figure for this route elsewhere, it is almost always Songserm's fare or an older promotion, not what Lomprayah currently charges for its own catamaran.

How much is the Lomprayah ferry between Koh Tao and Koh Phangan?

The hop to Koh Phangan is the cheapest and shortest crossing on the island's ferry map. Lomprayah runs it in about 80 minutes for 500 to 660 THB, with two sailings a day. Seatran Discovery is close behind at about 430 THB for roughly 90 minutes, with up to three sailings. Songserm takes close to 2 hours for around 350 THB on a single daily sailing, and it is the ticket most day trippers and Full Moon Party goers end up on, since it is consistently the cheapest fare at the pier.

How much is the ferry from Chumphon or Surat Thani to Koh Tao?

Chumphon is the closer mainland gateway and the cheaper one: Lomprayah's catamaran from the Thung Makham Noi pier runs about 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours for roughly 400 to 750 THB, connecting to the overnight train and to Chumphon airport. On the date we checked, only two sailings were showing, at 10:15 and 14:45, fewer than the three to five departures the route can run in high season. Surat Thani is the slower option and usually sold as a joint ticket rather than a standalone ferry: a bus or van to Donsak pier plus the boat runs 4 to 5 hours for roughly 800 to 1,100 THB on Lomprayah, and about 850 THB over 5 hours 30 minutes to 6 hours on Seatran. Surat Thani only makes sense when a flight there beats a flight to Samui on price, because the extra hours add up.

Is there a joint ticket from Bangkok to Koh Tao?

Yes, and it is a bus plus a ferry, not a single boat, since Koh Tao has no airport of its own. Lomprayah's own combined ticket runs from about USD 49, roughly 1,600 THB, with a day departure at 06:00 reaching the island in about 9 hours, and a night departure at 21:30 reaching Mae Haad the next morning in about 11 hours 15 minutes. Flying to Samui and taking the catamaran from there lands you on the island the same day for more money; our answer on getting to Koh Tao from Bangkok in a day compares every same day option in full.

What happens if a Koh Tao ferry is cancelled, and how long should you leave before a flight?

Cancellations are rare but real, mostly from October to December. The Koh Tao Complete Guide reports that boats keep sailing with waves up to 4 metres and stop only when the sea gets worse than that, and Lomprayah's own terms of service reserve the right to change the timetable "as a result from weather or act of God" without prior notice or liability. That clause was not theoretical in November 2025: Pattaya Mail reported Surat Thani to Koh Tao sailings halted for about three days during a severe weather warning across southern Thailand, with services resuming once conditions allowed.

Four habits protect a trip in that window.

1. Book directly with the operator or through 12Go rather than a reseller, so a schedule change reaches you fast.
2. Take the first sailing of the day from October to December, so a cancellation still leaves later boats to try.
3. Leave a full buffer day between any ferry and an international flight in that window, in either direction.
4. If you dive, add the 24 hours the Koh Tao Tourism Association asks divers to leave before flying: a delayed boat the next morning can otherwise cost you both the dive and the flight.

For the fuller picture of when the sea gets rough and what the island feels like in the wet months, read our answer on ferries and the monsoon. Once you are booked, our Koh Tao page covers the rest of the island, and Currency Check turns these fares into your own currency.

Updated on 26 September 2026. Rules and prices change: confirm with the official source linked above before you act.