How to Get From Phuket to Koh Tao, Thailand

Last Updated on December 13, 2022 by Tina

Ever since I joined the Facebook Group Southeast Asia Backpacking many years ago, I’ve been reading a lot about Koh Tao. Fellow backpackers keep recommending it, and I’ve been reading comments like “skip Phuket and go to Koh Tao instead”. Koh Tao is a small island in the Gulf of Thailand, so small that when you check it out on Google maps, you won’t find it unless you zoom in. I’ll publish a guide to Koh Tao next time. For now, I’ll be sharing ways how to get from Phuket to Koh Tao.

The only way to get to Koh Tao is by boat. The island has no airport, no train station, and no bus station. You can take the boat from either Chumpon or Surat Thani. Chumpon is the closest part of the mainland to Koh Tao which means travel time by boat is the shortest through Chumpon. However, Surat Thani is closer to Phuket. Surat Thani and Chumpon have airports but there is no direct flight from Phuket to Chumpon or Surat Thani.

You have different options for getting from Phuket to Koh Tao depending on your schedule and budget. Below are the different ways you can get to Koh Tao from Phuket.

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How to Get From Phuket to Koh Tao

Phuket to Koh Tao by Bus and Speed Boat

For this option, you need to leave early in Phuket so you’ll make it to the last trip of the speed boat to Koh Tao. You can do this independently, or you can book a trip where everything is arranged and all you have to do is wait to be picked up at your accommodation in Phuket.

DIY Phuket to Koh Tao by Bus and Speed Boat

If you are planning to do things independently, you need to get up early and make sure you get on the bus to Surat Thani which leaves Phuket at 7:00. The reason being the last trip of the speed boat from Donsak Pier in Surat Thani leaves at 14:30. You need to go to Phuket Bus Station No. 1 and look for the window selling tickets for the bus to Phuket. The ticket costs 220 THB (around US$ 6.50). Make sure you get there before 7:00 because the bus leaves on time. The trip to Surat Thani normally takes 5 hours.

Phuket Bus Schedule (got this schedule from Book a Bed Poshtel)

Look for the window that sells bus ticket to Surat Thani

The bus to Surat Thani is at Isle No. 3. This is the mini bus to Surat Thani — The bus/mini bus to Surat Thani is at Bay No. 3. This is the mini bus to Surat Thani

When you reach Surat Thani, you need to go to Donsak Ferry Pier and from there take the Lomprayah Speed Boat to Koh Tao. I haven’t tried this yet but you can read this post on how to get to Donsak Ferry Pier. I’ve read that it takes 90 mins from Surat Thani city center to Donsak Ferry Pier.

For the speed boat to Koh Tao, the ticket costs 750 THB (around US$ 21.5) and the expected time of arrival in Koh Tao is 17:00. You can book your ticket online at 12GoAsia or at the website of Lomprayah. Below is the Lomprayah Timetable for the different routes.

Phuket to Koh Tao Package

If you want an easier way to get to Koh Tao from Phuket but may be more expensive, you can avail of the Phuket to Koh Tao package. Most hotels and hostels offer this for 1,900 THB (around US$ 54.80) and this includes the transfer from your hotel/hostel to the office of Lomprayah. This means you need not worry about anything after you pay. You just need to wait at your hotel/hostel for them to pick you up.

Your other option is to book online at 12GoAsia or at the website of Lomprayah. If you book at the website of Lomprayah, you’ll have to go to their office in Phuket as the booking doesn’t include the transfer from your hotel/hostel to the office of Lomprayah. With 12GoAsia you have the option to include the transfer from your accommodation to the Lomprayah office. I haven’t checked the price but it may be cheaper.

The package itinerary is as follows (this one includes hotel transfer):

08:30 – Pick-up from hotel

09:00 – Bus departs from Lomprayah office, Phuket

14:00 – Bus arrives at Donsak Pier, Surat Thani

14:30 – Ferry departs from Donsak Pier

15:15 – Ferry arrives at Koh Samui

16:00 – Ferry arrives at Koh Phangan

17:00 – Ferry arrives at Koh Tao

Do note that the package does not include food.

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Phuket to Koh Tao by Bus and Night Ferry

If you are trying to save money, I think this would be the cheapest option to get to Koh Tao from Phuket. It’s because you’ll sleep on the night ferry, so you get to save a night’s accommodation cost. I haven’t tried the night ferry from Surat Thani to Koh Tao, but I have tried the Koh Tao to Surat Thani route. The night ferry has bunk beds, thin foam, and a pillow and a blanket are provided. It is airconditioned and there are sockets where you can charge your gadgets.

Look for this at the port near the Surat Thani night market if you are taking the night ferry to Koh Tao

The night ferry from Surat Thani to Koh Tao

These are the bunk beds on the night ferry. The ones in the middle are for two people. Best for couples traveling together.

The sockets where you can charge your gadgets

From Phuket Bus Terminal No. 1, take the bus to Surat Thani. As you can see in the Phuket bus schedule above, bus trips to Surat Thani from Phuket start at 7:00 AM and the last trip is at 16:00. There is a trip every hour and the fare is 220 THB (around US$ 6.50). To make sure you are able to catch the night ferry, I advise that you leave Phuket by 14:00.

When you reach the bus station in Surat Thani, you can walk to the night ferry pier. It is around a 10-15 minute walk and it is near the Surat Thani night market. The night ferry leaves at 22:00. I am not sure how much the ticket costs when you buy directly at the port. My friend bought her ticket at her hostel and she paid 950 THB (around US$ 27.40).

In case you get to the port early, you can pass the time by exploring the night market. Or you can go and watch the bridge change colors. It is actually very relaxing.

Phuket to Koh Tao by Bus, overnight in Surat Thani, and Speed Boat to Koh Tao

If you are not an early riser, and you’d like to spend a night in Surat Thani, this option is for you. This is what I did because I didn’t do my research. I wasn’t aware that there is actually a night ferry to Koh Tao. Anyway, it is all good as I had time to check out a little of Surat Thani.

The bridge at Surat Thani that changes color

This is a good place to hang out and eat the food you bought from the night market

From Phuket, I took the 14:00 minibus to Surat Thani. They didn’t have a big bus at that time. We arrived in Surat Thani before 19:00. I booked a night in The Port Hostel. It is very close to the night market and the port for the night ferry and is very cheap. I only paid 212.50 THB (around US$ 6.20) for a bunk bed.

I booked the speed boat to Koh Tao at the hostel. It costs 1050 THB (around US$ 30.20) and it includes the transfer from the hostel to Tapee Pier. I was picked up from the hostel at 09:00 and was brought to the Lomprayah office in Surat Thani. When I got there, I was told to check in, where I was given the ticket to the speed boat, as well as a sticker for my bag and another sticker that I need to stick on my shirt. At 10:00, we boarded the bus to Donsak Pier. We arrived at Donsak Pier at 11:00 and transferred to the speed boat.

The speed boat doesn’t go directly to Koh Tao. First, it goes to Koh Samui to drop off passengers going to Koh Samui and pick up passengers going to Koh Phangan or Koh Tao. Next, it goes to Koh Phangan. In Koh Phangan, we were told to transfer to the bigger boat that will go to Koh Tao. We reached Koh Tao at 14:30.

This is where you check in for your trip to Koh Tao

You'll be given a sticker to put on your bag, and your ticket. — You’ll be given a sticker to put on your bag, and your ticket.

Also a sticker to stick on your shirt — Also, a sticker to stick on your shirt

When you reach Koh Phangan, you transfer to a bigger boat

Speed boat to Koh Phangan — I was not able to take a picture of the speed boat to Koh Phangan, but this is what it looks like inside.

At Koh Phangan, we transferred to this bigger boat that goes to Koh Tao

Phuket to Koh Tao by Plane and Speed Boat

If you hate land trips and you have lots of money to spend, you can fly from Phuket to Koh Samui, maybe even spend a night or three there, and from Koh Samui take the speed boat. Bangkok Airways has a direct flight from Phuket to Koh Samui and the flight takes 55 minutes. You can search for flights using the WayAway widget below.

From Koh Samui, take the speedboat to Koh Tao. There are two trips of the Lomprayah speed boat from Koh Samui to Koh Tao, 08:00 and 12:30. The fare is 700 THB (around US$ 20.10).

I hope this post helped you figure out how to get to Koh Tao. I’ll be publishing my solo travel guide to Koh Tao in the following days so stay tuned. If you have any questions related to this post, write them down in the comments section and I will try to answer them the best that I can. For more pictures and videos from my commute from Phuket to Koh Tao, do check out my Instagram stories highlight.

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