Koh Samui Boat Trips Compared: Catamaran Day Trip vs Ang Thong vs Speedboat vs Private Charter

Almost everyone who visits Koh Samui spends at least one day on the water, and the range of Koh Samui boat trips can be confusing. There are big boats and small boats, north-west islands and southern islands, shared trips and private ones. They are not interchangeable. Which one is right depends on who you are travelling with, how you cope with a bumpy ride, and how you weigh a famous national park against more time swimming.

Below we compare the four main types of boat trip around Samui, including the ones we do not run, so you can pick the day that suits you.

Koh Samui boat trips: quick comparison

1. Catamaran day trip to the southern islands

What it is

A large, stable boat takes a group on an easy loop of the islands south of Samui. On the Samui Journey 1-Day Catamaran, the day runs like this.

• Hotel pickup 9:00–9:40 AM depending on area (Choeng Mon, Maenam, Bophut and Bangrak first, then Chaweng, with Lamai, Bangpor, Hua Thanon, Nathon and Lipa Noi last).
• 10:30 AM: depart Bang Kao Pier on a VIP 4-engine fibreglass catamaran with a toilet.
• 11:20 AM: Five Islands (Koh Si Koh Ha), limestone cliffs and swiftlet nests seen from the boat.
• 11:50 AM: Koh Tan for snorkelling, paddleboards, kayaks, the floating sea pool, banana boat, springboard and water slide, or a Thai massage on board if you would rather take it easy. All of it is included in the price.
• 12:45 PM: lunch onboard, with spaghetti in tomato sauce, sweet and sour chicken, vegetable spring rolls, fried chicken, som tam, salad, rice and seasonal fruit.
• 2:50 PM: Pig Island (Koh Madsum).
• ~4:30 PM: drop-off back at your hotel.

Free-flow cocktails, mocktails, soft drinks and water are included. So are snorkel gear, life jackets, English- and Chinese-speaking guides and crew, a licensed captain with more than 10 years’ experience, accident insurance and a first-aid kit.

Who it suits

• Families. Under 5s go free, the floating sea pool gives children a gentle way into the water, and there is a toilet and shade.
• Mixed groups. The strong swimmer can snorkel while the non-swimmer bobs about in the floating sea pool or stays on a sunbed.
• Anyone who dislikes bumpy rides. With two hulls, a catamaran sits steadier in the water than a small speedboat.

Trade-offs

• It does not visit Ang Thong Marine Park.
• It is a shared trip on a fixed schedule, and you do not choose the stops. It needs a minimum of 40 guests to depart (if that is not reached, you can choose a new date or a full refund).
• The Five Islands are a viewing stop, not a landing.

2. Ang Thong Marine Park day trip

What it is

Mu Ko Ang Thong National Marine Park is a protected archipelago of 42 limestone islands covering about 102 km², roughly 30 km west of Koh Samui. It became a national park in 1980. Day trips usually combine three things.

• Thale Nai (Emerald Lake) on Koh Mae Ko. This saltwater lagoon is ringed by cliffs and linked to the sea through underground passages. You see it from a stairway and viewpoint, and swimming in the lake is not allowed.
• The viewpoint on Koh Wua Talap, at the top of a steep trail of roughly 500 m. The view repays the effort, but it is a hard climb in the heat.
• Kayaking and snorkelling around the islands.

Practicalities

• Park fee: usually paid on top of the tour price unless stated otherwise, and currently listed at ฿300 per foreign adult and ฿150 per child. Check whether your tour includes it.
• Seasonal closure: the park usually closes from around 1 November to 15 December, depending on monsoon conditions.
• Sunscreen rules: Thailand’s marine national parks ban sunscreens containing oxybenzone, octinoxate, 4-MBC and butylparaben.
• Travel time: it is further away than the southern islands, often around an hour and a half each way on a larger boat, and full-day tours commonly take eight to nine hours door to door.

Who it suits

Travellers who want the most dramatic scenery around Samui and do not mind climbing stairs, paddling and spending more of the day in transit.

Trade-offs

Longer transfers, park fees, a seasonal closure and more physical effort. It suits toddlers less well, and the same goes for people with limited mobility or anyone who just wants a long, lazy swim stop. Ang Thong is not on our catamaran route. If it is your priority, book with a TAT-licensed operator and check exactly which islands, viewpoints and fees are included. Still torn between Ang Thong and the southern islands? Our head-to-head guide, Ang Thong or Pig Island?, helps you decide.

3. Speedboat group tours

What it is

Smaller, faster boats carrying a group, usually on half-day trips to Koh Tan and Pig Island from the south coast, or full-day trips to Ang Thong or islands further out.

Who it suits

• Travellers short on time who want to fit in several stops quickly.
• Confident swimmers who would rather have more snorkel stops and less time onboard.

Trade-offs

• Comfort: in any swell, speedboats slam over the waves. That can be hard on people with back problems and is generally not recommended during pregnancy, so check with your doctor and the operator.
• Facilities: limited shade and often no toilet.
• Spray: bring a dry bag, because the front seats get wet.
• Inclusions vary: find out whether lunch, island fees, snorkel gear and hotel transfers are in the price.

4. Private charter

What it is

You hire the whole boat (a traditional longtail from Thong Krut, a speedboat or a yacht) and agree the route and timing with the owner.

Who it suits

• Couples and special occasions, when privacy matters more than price.
• Families with very young children who need to go at their own pace.
• Photographers after early-morning or late-afternoon light.

Trade-offs

Prices vary widely with boat type, distance and season, and boats and safety equipment range from excellent to basic. It is up to you to check insurance, life jackets and what happens if the weather turns.

How to choose: quick answers

• “We have kids under 10.” The catamaran. It is stable and has a toilet, floating sea pool and shade, and under 5s go free.
• “I get seasick.” A large catamaran on a calm day, sitting low and central. Take medication before you board.
• “I want the famous Emerald Lake.” Ang Thong, but not between early November and mid-December, when the park usually closes.
• “I want to snorkel as much as possible.” The catamaran (long Koh Tan stop) or a speedboat snorkel tour.
• “We want it to ourselves.” Private charter.
• “The sea is too rough this week.” Do a land day instead. Our Explore the Real Samui 4×4 Island Safari visits the Big Buddha, a village Khanom Ko workshop, Namuang Waterfall, a rubber-tapping demonstration and Hin Ta Hin Yai, with lunch included. Or spend three hours making food for elephants at Samui Elephant Kingdom.

Questions to ask any boat operator

1. Are you licensed by the Tourism Authority of Thailand? (Samui Journey’s TAT licence is No. 44/00252.)
2. Is travel insurance included?
3. Are there life jackets for every passenger, including children’s sizes?
4. Is there a toilet onboard?
5. What exactly is included? Lunch, drinks, snorkel gear, park or island fees, hotel transfers?
6. What is the weather and cancellation policy? If the weather cancels it, do you get a new date, a refund, or both?
7. Is there a minimum number of guests to depart?

When to go

The island’s heaviest rain usually falls between mid-October and early December, when north-east winds can make the sea rough and Koh Samui boat trips are more likely to be rescheduled. The rest of the year is generally better for a day on the water, though the weather can change quickly in any month.

Good to know

• Leave room to reschedule. Book your boat day early in your stay, so there is time to move it if the weather turns.
• Read the cancellation policy. On the Samui Journey catamaran, cancellation is free up to 24 hours before pickup. If weather stops the trip, you move to a new date for free, and get a full refund if that date is affected too. See our refund policy.
• Pack light. Swimwear, a towel, reef-safe sunscreen, a hat, a dry bag and a change of clothes.
• Don’t pay twice. Check whether park or island fees are already in the price.
• Browse all our trips to plan sea and land days together.

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