About 1½-3 hours on the water

Chumphon to Koh Tao

The main gateway crossing to the diving island - fast catamarans, honest slow boats and one legendary midnight sailing.

Part of the guides for: Chumphon · Koh Tao
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The catamaran is the workhorse

Lomprayah's big catamarans do the crossing twice daily in well under two hours and connect straight through to Koh Phangan and Samui. Slower boats save a little money; the night boat saves a hotel night and delivers a story.

Sairee beach on Koh Tao
Transport

Tickets & connections

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Route at a glance

Chumphon to Koh Tao Ferry

  • Lomprayah catamaran: about 1½-2 hours
  • Songserm and slower boats: 2½-3 hours
  • Night boat: about 6 hours, departs near midnight
  • Piers are 30-40 minutes from Chumphon town
Good to know

Good to know

  • Buy pier transfers with the boat ticket - taxis to the piers are pricey solo.
  • November-December crossings can be rough or occasionally cancelled; keep a buffer day.
  • The first catamaran connects from the overnight Bangkok train.
  • Return boats fill up around visa-run days and full moon - book both ways.
Your options

Your options

High-speed catamaran - 1½-2 hours

Morning and midday sailings timed for the Bangkok trains and buses. Air-con cabin, luggage handled, the standard choice for good reason.

Slower ferries - 2½-3 hours

Songserm and others run cheaper, slower crossings - fine on calm days, longer when the Gulf chops up.

The night boat - about 6 hours

Mattress-on-deck sailing leaving around midnight, arriving at first light. Take a jumper; the breeze gets cool at 3 am.

Travel guides

Travel guides

Step-by-step transport guides for this stretch of the Gulf coast.

Part of the guides for

Chumphon · Koh Tao