How to Get to Koh Tao Thailand: What I Wish I Knew Before Making the Trip in 2026

I do love Thailand a lot, I love all the stunning beaches, the people, and the food, but one thing I don’t necessarily love is getting around. Getting from A to B often took so much time and effort on my last trip.

Koh Tao is definitely one of those islands that is a bit more of a mission to get to. It usually involves a mix of flights, buses, and ferry rides.

To help you guys plan your own trip and understand your options, I’ve decided to put together this guide. I’ll keep things super simple for you so you don’t have to stress, and I’ll try to add links so you can book your transfers online, which I personally think is the easiest way to do it.

In a Rush? Here Are Our Favorite Hotels in Koh Tao Thailand

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⭐️ Lücke Boutique Hotel – Click here for rates & availability

How to Get to Koh Tao Thailand: What I Wish I Knew Before Making the Trip in 2026

How to Get to Koh Tao Thailand – My Experience + How I Got There

I have to admit, I have very mixed feelings about my own experience traveling to Koh Tao. So, here’s what happened: I was in Chiang Mai (though the same would apply if you’re coming from Bangkok) and I needed to get down to Koh Samui. Since Koh Tao doesn’t have its own airport, my first option was flying into Koh Samui, which is the closest one.

The thing is, Koh Samui International Airport is fully owned by Bangkok Airways. Because of that, they basically set the prices however they want and make it super expensive for such a short flight. I wasn’t exactly being stingy, but I just thought it was ridiculous for them to do that, so I looked for an alternative.

I decided to fly into Surat Thani instead, which is the closest mainland airport to Koh Tao. It was so much cheaper, if I remember correctly, I only paid about $60 USD for my flight from Chiang Mai. From the Surat Thani airport, I took a bus to the ferry port and then caught the speed boat to Koh Tao, where our hotel staff eventually picked us up.

I booked the bus ride and the speedboat ferry as a package deal with a company called Lomprayah. It included pretty much everything, which was actually really nice because I didn’t have to worry about the logistics once I landed.

However, I really have to say: that speedboat ride from the Surat Thani port to Koh Tao took about three hours and it was pretty crazy. Some people jokingly call it the “vomit comet,” and honestly, it lived up to the name.

Quite a few people threw up because it was so bumpy and incredibly uncomfortable. It’s definitely in my top five most uncomfortable ferries I’ve ever taken in my life!

Later on, when I went from Koh Tao to Koh Samui, I took a regular ferry. It was much nicer, air-conditioned and way less bumpy.

Looking back now, I honestly wish I would’ve just sucked it up and taken the flight to Koh Samui followed by the shorter ferry from there. It probably would’ve cost more than double what I ended up paying, but it would’ve been infinitely more comfortable.

If you’re backpacking on a strict budget, the Surat Thani route is totally fine, but for everyone else, I definitely recommend flying into Koh Samui and taking the ferry from there.

How to Get to Koh Tao from Bangkok or Chiang Mai

Option 1: Fly into Koh Samui + Ferry (This is What I Recommend)

So, the first option and this is what I actually recommend, is flying from Chiang Mai or Bangkok straight into Koh Samui.

Pretty much all the routes flying into Koh Samui, whether you’re coming from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket, or Krabi, are managed by Bangkok Airways. They fully own the Koh Samui International Airport, so they basically set the prices however they please, making this the most expensive option.

In these cases, I usually book my flight directly with the airline. I just prefer having that direct customer service instead of dealing with a third party, which from experience can be a total pain in the butt sometimes.

Even though I didn’t fly into Koh Samui this time, I did fly out of there back to Bangkok with Bangkok Airways. Yes, it was pricey, but I have to admit the service was great. At the Koh Samui airport, there’s this cool outdoor area with bean bags and a free snack bar with sandwiches, coffee, and water. We even got a full meal on the flight, which is wild for only a one-hour journey!

Once you arrive in Koh Samui, you’ll need to take a bus or taxi from the airport to Mae Nam Pier, where the ferry departs. I did this ferry journey in reverse (from Koh Tao to Koh Samui), and it was honestly pretty comfortable. The seats were decent, there was air conditioning inside, and the ride took about two hours.

I highly recommend booking your Koh Samui airport-to-Koh Tao transfer as a package through directferries.com. It’s just the easiest and quickest way to handle it. I spent about $20 USD for the ferry and bus combo.

Once you finally arrive at the pier in Koh Tao, I thought the best option for me was arranging a transfer with your hotel ahead of time. I told them which ferry I was on and they were there waiting for me. A lot of hotels in Koh Tao actually do this for free! If you don’t arrange it, you’ll have to grab a local taxi, and those can get pretty expensive.

Option 2: Fly into Surat Thani + Speedboat (This is What I did)

Option number two is flying into Surat Thani and then taking the speedboat or fast ferry from the Surat Thani port to Koh Tao. This is exactly what I did to get to Koh Tao, and since I was coming from Chiang Mai, it was definitely one of the cheapest options for me.

I flew from Chiang Mai into Surat Thani airport, which is the closest mainland airport to Koh Tao, and it only cost me about $60 USD with AirAsia. From there, I took a bus to the nearby ferry port and jumped on the fast ferry/speedboat to Koh Tao. I booked the entire transfer from Surat Thani airport to Koh Tao as a package on directferries.com, which made things super easy. They took care of both the bus transfer and the ferry, so I didn’t have to worry about a thing.

Once I arrived in Surat Thani, I just had to find the Lomprayah counter and wait there until it was time to board the bus. The bus journey to the ferry port took maybe 30 minutes, and then the ferry itself took about 2–3 hours.

I really want to urge you, though: this ferry journey was way more uncomfortable than the one from Koh Samui to Koh Tao. Because it’s a smaller speedboat and not a proper large ferry, the ride is rough. And yes, loads of people threw up on there too!

However, overall, I only paid about $80–$90 USD for this whole journey, which is a great deal if you can stomach the ride.

Option 3: Bus to Surat Thani + Ferry (From Bangkok, Phuket, or Krabi) – I Would Only Do This If I was on a Backpacker Budget

The very last option I have for how to get to Koh Tao is by not flying at all and only taking the bus and a ferry.

This is definitely the cheapest option possible, but it’s also the one that takes the longest and, I would presume, is the most uncomfortable. Funny enough, I actually did this myself years and years ago when I was backpacking Thailand for the very first time. Back then, for budget reasons, I didn’t want to take any domestic flights.

I took an overnight bus from Bangkok to Surat Thani, where I then caught the same ferry I mentioned in Option 2. This same way of travelling (only bus and ferry) is also available if you’re coming from places like Phuket or Krabi. Usually, they offer it as a package where everything, from the bus to the ferry, is included, so you don’t have to piece it together yourself.

To be honest, I probably wouldn’t choose this option again, at least not from Bangkok, just because that first bus journey takes so long. However, from Phuket or Krabi to Koh Tao, the bus only takes about 3–4 hours before you hit the ferry. In those cases, it’s actually not bad at all and might even be quicker than dealing with the whole airport mission! I only really recommend this if you’re traveling on a strict budget.

FAQs About The Best Way to get to Koh Tao Thailand

How do I get from Bangkok to Koh Tao?

The easiest way to get from Bangkok to Koh Tao, in my opinion, is flying into Koh Samui and then taking the ferry from Koh Samui to Koh Tao. It’s definitely the most expensive option, but it’s also by far the most comfortable!

Is Koh Tao worth visiting?

Absolutely! Koh Tao is actually one of my favorite islands in Thailand. It has such a cool, laid-back vibe with beautiful viewpoints, stunning beaches, and amazing scuba diving and snorkeling.

How to get from Phuket to Koh Tao?

You could fly into Koh Samui or Surat Thani from Phuket and then take a ferry, but you can also easily take a bus from Phuket to the Surat Thani port and then hop on the ferry. It actually doesn’t take that long and is a pretty solid option.

How do I get from Krabi to Koh Tao?

From Krabi, you can either fly to Koh Samui or Surat Thani and take the ferry, or you can just take the bus to the Surat Thani pier and then catch the ferry. It’s actually very manageable and doesn’t take too long at all.

Final Thoughts on Koh Tao How to Get There

All in all, as I have mentioned, I’m not a huge fan of getting around in Thailand. In my experience, the more beautiful the island is, the more remote it tends to be, which meant it was more of a hassle for me to get there.

But I guess that’s the price you pay, if you want to be on a less touristy island, it’s going to be a bit harder to reach!

At the end of the day, I didn’t think it was that bad, though. I’m never a fan of ferries, to be honest, but you gotta do what you gotta do, right? However, for next time, I would recommend just sucking it up and paying for a flight to Koh Samui and then taking the ferry. That’s definitely what I’ll be doing on my next trip to Koh Tao!