Surat Thani to Koh Tao: Ferry Times, Prices & Best Route

Getting from Surat Thani to Koh Tao is actually pretty easy once you know where you’re starting from. Most travelers can simply book a combined transfer + ferry ticket from the airport, train station, or town, without worrying about which pier they need to reach.

We’ve used the Lomprayah airport transfer and catamaran ourselves when traveling from Surat Thani to Koh Samui, and we also took the night ferry from Surat Thani to Koh Tao.

Below, we’ll go through all the current options, prices, and departure times so you can quickly see which one works best for your arrival.

Surat Thani to Koh Tao – Quick Overview

Starting point	How it works	Departure / pickup times	Ferry terminal	Price from
Surat Thani Airport	Combined transfer + daytime ferry	09:30–14:00	Donsak or Tapee, depending on the company	1,100 THB
Surat Thani Train Station	Combined transfer + daytime ferry	09:30–11:00	Donsak or Tapee	1,000 THB
Surat Thani Town	Hotel pickup, transfer or direct boat from Tapee	09:00–15:30	Donsak or Tapee	900 THB
Donsak Pier	Ferry only	11:00–15:00	Donsak	750 THB
Night ferry	Grab/taxi to the Night Boat Pier + overnight ferry	mostly around 21:00–22:00	Surat Thani Night Boat Pier	~850 THB

If none of the combined daytime departures work with your arrival, you can also take a Grab or taxi directly to Donsak and book a ferry-only ticket. We’d treat this as a backup rather than the default option, as it requires more planning is unlikely to save much.

We usually compare the available departures on 12Go, especially on this route where several companies use different piers and transfer points. We’ve also had to contact their English-speaking support before, and our issue was sorted out quickly.

👉 Compare Surat Thani to Koh Tao tickets on 12Go →

If Surat Thani isn’t fixed in your itinerary yet, there are several other ways to get to Koh Tao depending on where you’re traveling from in Thailand.

Surat Thani Airport to Koh Tao

• Travel time: 4–5 hr 15 min
• Price: 1,100–1,400 THB
• Transport: Bus/van + ferry
• Companies: Lomprayah, Lomlahkkhirin

From Surat Thani Airport, we’d book a combined transfer + ferry ticket. It’s the easiest option and you don’t need to figure out which pier to get to yourself.

We used Lomprayah’s airport transfer and catamaran service ourselves when traveling from Surat Thani to Koh Samui. We checked in at the airport, and the van (or bus) took us to the correct ferry departure point. For Lomprayah, the airport check-in counter is near Exit 2 in the Ground Interchange Building.

Company	Departure	Arrival in Koh Tao	Duration	Price	Transport
Lomprayah	09:30 / 12:30	14:15 / 17:45	4 hr 45 min / 5 hr 15 min	1,100 THB	Bus + catamaran
Lomlahkkhirin	11:00 / 14:00	16:00 / 18:00	5 hr / 4 hr	1,200 / 1,400 THB	Transfer + speedboat

If you want to reach Koh Tao on the same day, your flight arrival time matters. The latest daytime connection currently leaves at 14:00. If you arrive too late for it, the night ferry from Surat Thani Town is the next practical option.

We’d stick with a combined ticket since the transfer is already included and booking everything separately is unlikely to save much.

👉 Check Surat Thani Airport to Koh Tao tickets on 12Go →

Surat Thani Train Station to Koh Tao

• Travel time: 4 hr 45 min–5 hr 55 min
• Price: 1,000–1,100 THB
• Transport: Bus/van + ferry
• Companies: Lomprayah, Boonsiri, Lomlahkkhirin

From Surat Thani Train Station, we’d definitely book a combined transfer + ferry ticket. The station is outside the city center, so there’s not much reason to arrange a separate ride to the pier when the transfer is already included.

Company	Departure	Arrival in Koh Tao	Duration	Price	Transport
Lomprayah	09:30	14:15	4 hr 45 min	1,000 THB	Bus + catamaran
Boonsiri	10:30	16:25	5 hr 55 min	1,000 THB	Van + catamaran
Lomlahkkhirin	11:00	16:00	5 hours	1,100 THB	Transfer + speedboat

If you’re coming by train from Bangkok, don’t plan the connection too tightly. Long-distance trains can be delayed, so leave some buffer before your ferry transfer.

👉 Check Surat Thani Train Station to Koh Tao tickets on 12Go →

Surat Thani Town to Koh Tao

• Travel time: 2 hr 30 min–5 hr 55 min
• Price: 900–1,200 THB
• Transport: Hotel transfer + ferry or departure from Tapee Pier
• Companies: Lomprayah, Boonsiri, Lomlahkkhirin

From Surat Thani Town, you can either book a hotel pickup or start directly from Tapee Pier. We’d simply choose the option that works best with where you’re staying and the departure time you need.

Company	Starting point	Departure	Arrival in Koh Tao	Duration	Price	Transport
Lomprayah	Hotel pickup	09:00 / 12:00	14:15 / 17:45	5 hr 15 min / 5 hr 45 min	1,000 THB	Transfer + catamaran
Lomprayah	Tapee Pier	10:00 / 13:00	14:15 / 17:45	4 hr 15 min / 4 hr 45 min	900 THB	Bus + catamaran
Boonsiri	Hotel pickup	10:30	16:25	5 hr 55 min	1,000 THB	Van + catamaran
Lomlahkkhirin	Tapee Pier	12:00 / 15:30	16:00 / 18:00	4 hr / 2 hr 30 min	1,000 / 1,200 THB	Speedboat

One thing that can be confusing is Tapee Pier. With Lomprayah, it’s only a meeting point — from there, you continue by bus to Donsak and board the catamaran there. With Lomlahkkhirin, the speedboat actually leaves from Tapee Pier, and the 15:30 departure goes directly to Koh Tao.

If your hotel offers pickup, we’d usually pay the small difference and keep it easy. If you’re already close to Tapee Pier, going there yourself can save a bit of money.

👉 Compare Surat Thani Town to Koh Tao departures on 12Go →

Night Ferry from Surat Thani to Koh Tao

• Travel time: around 8–9 hours
• Price: from around 850 THB
• Departure: Surat Thani Night Boat Pier
• Arrival: Mae Haad, Koh Tao

The night ferry is a good option if you arrive too late for the daytime ferries or simply want to travel overnight and save a night on accommodation. Most boats leave from Surat Thani Night Boat Pier, which you can easily reach by Grab or taxi.

We took the night ferry from Surat Thani to Koh Tao ourselves and actually slept much better than we expected. It is very basic though — you sleep in one large shared room with rows of bunk beds, usually together with 50+ other passengers. There isn’t much privacy, but we found it completely fine for one night.

Company	Departure	Arrival in Koh Tao	Duration	Price
Fame Tour	21:00	05:00	8 hours	from ~850 THB
Koh Tao Booking Center	21:30	06:00	8 hr 30 min	from ~850 THB
Phantip 1970	22:00	06:00	8 hours	~900 THB

If you’re arriving from Surat Thani Airport, we’d just take a Grab or taxi straight to the Night Boat Pier. Some airport + night ferry combo tickets are available too, but we wouldn’t complicate it unless the timing happens to work well for you.

Night ferry companies and departure times can change depending on the date, so check your exact travel day before booking.

👉 Check night ferry departures for your travel date on 12Go →

Day Ferry vs Night Ferry – Which Is Better?

For most travelers, we’d choose the day ferry. It’s much faster, and if you book a combined ticket from the airport, train station, or town, the whole journey is pretty easy.

	Day ferry	Night ferry
Travel time	Around 2.5–6 hours	Around 8–9 hours
Best for	Most travelers	Late arrivals or saving a hotel night
Comfort	Regular ferry seating	Shared sleeping area with bunk beds
Arrival	Afternoon / early evening	Early morning

The night ferry makes the most sense if you arrive too late for the daytime boats or want to save a night on accommodation. Otherwise, we’d choose the day ferry simply because it’s much faster.

Arriving on Koh Tao

Almost all ferries arrive at Mae Haad Pier, so you don’t really need to worry about different arrival ports when choosing your ferry.

Once you arrive, you’ll find taxis waiting around the pier, or your hotel might offer a transfer. Sairee Beach is only around 10 minutes away by car, so getting to most of the popular areas is quick and easy.

We’d check with your accommodation first, especially if you’re arriving early in the morning on the night ferry.

If you haven’t booked anything yet, choosing where to stay on Koh Tao is worth doing before you arrive, as the best area depends quite a lot on what you want to do on the island.

Practical Tips for Traveling from Surat Thani to Koh Tao

• Don’t book a tight connection. Flights and especially long-distance trains can be delayed, so leave some buffer before your ferry transfer.
• Check your exact departure point on the ticket. Surat Thani has several ferry and transfer points, and the correct one depends on the company you book with.
• Expect rougher seas in bad weather. If you’re prone to seasickness, take whatever normally works for you before the ferry rather than waiting until you already feel sick.
• Keep valuables with you. Larger bags may be stored separately during the boat journey, so we’d keep passports, money, electronics, and anything important in a small bag with us.

Once you’ve sorted the ferry and accommodation, you can start planning the island itself. There are plenty of things to do on Koh Tao, but we’d definitely make time for some of the best snorkeling spots on Koh Tao and its best beaches.