Thailand answers, getting around
Where is Koh Tao, and how big is it?
Koh Tao means Turtle Island. It is one of the three islands most travellers visit in the Gulf of Thailand, with Koh Samui and Koh Phangan. Its main settlement is the pier village of Mae Haad.
Where Koh Tao is
Wikipedia places the island in the Chumphon Archipelago, in the Ko Pha-ngan district of Surat Thani province, at 10°5′24″ north and 99°50′17″ east. It is on the gulf side of the peninsula, the opposite coast from Phuket and Krabi.
| From | Distance | Boat time |
|---|---|---|
| Koh Phangan | about 45 km | 1 to 1.5 hours |
| Koh Samui | about 65 km | about 2 hours by high speed ferry |
| Chumphon, the shortest crossing from the mainland | about 70 km | 1.5 to 2 hours by catamaran |
| Surat Thani | about 110 km | 3 to 4 hours |
The distances and times are the ones Crystal Dive, an island dive school, publishes in its 2026 travel page. Chiang Mai is about 1,098 km away on Rome2Rio's route planner.
How big Koh Tao is
| Measure | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Area | 21 km2 | Wikipedia |
| Area, with Koh Nang Yuan | 19.2 km2 | Koh Tao Complete Guide |
| Length and width | 7.6 km by 3.4 km | Koh Tao Complete Guide |
| Coastline | 28.6 km, with 11 bays and 10 capes | Koh Tao Complete Guide |
| Highest point | 374 metres | Koh Tao Complete Guide |
| Residents | 2,240 officially, closer to 8,000 in practice | Nomad Mum, 8 September 2026 |
The two area figures disagree, and we print both rather than choose. Either way the island is small: about 30 percent of it is flat, the rest is hill, and the Koh Tao Complete Guide says you can walk and explore most of it in three to four days.
Where people stay
Three villages hold almost everything: Mae Haad, where every ferry docks, Sairee Beach on the west coast, and Chalok Baan Kao in the south. Our answer on Sairee, Mae Haad, Chalok or Tanote compares them.
How you reach it
Every trip ends on a boat. Our post on how to get to Koh Tao compares the Samui, Chumphon and Surat Thani routes, and how to get to Koh Tao from Bangkok covers the same day options. The Koh Tao page has the rest, and the seasonal check shows the weather month by month.
Sources
- Wikipedia, Ko Tao (21 km2, Chumphon Archipelago, Ko Pha-ngan district, Surat Thani province, coordinates 10°5′24″N 99°50′17″E, name meaning Turtle Island, main settlement Ban Mae Haad), accessed .
- Koh Tao Complete Guide, weather and geography (19.2 km2 with Koh Nang Yuan, 7.6 km long, 3.4 km wide, 28.6 km of coastline, 11 bays and 10 capes, highest point 374 metres, about 30 percent flat land, three villages), accessed .
- Koh Tao Complete Guide, facts about Koh Tao (most of the island can be walked and explored in 3 to 4 days), accessed .
- Crystal Dive, how to get to Koh Tao in 2026 (about 45 km from Koh Phangan, 65 km from Koh Samui, 70 km from Chumphon and 110 km from Surat Thani, with ferry times), accessed .
- Nomad Mum, Koh Tao vs Koh Phangan, updated 8 September 2026 (2,240 official residents, closer to 8,000 in reality, about 400,000 visitors a year, 21 km2), accessed .
- Rome2Rio, Chiang Mai to Ko Tao (distance 1,098 km), accessed .
Facts in this answer last verified .
Free tool for this
- Seasonal Check
Month by month: dry season, monsoon, and the best windows to come.