How to Get to Pig Island from Koh Samui
Which pier boats leave from, how far Koh Madsum actually is, how long the hotel transfer takes from each beach, and whether you can get there without a tour.
There is no ferry to Pig Island. There is no scheduled public boat, no timetable and no ticket office, and the island has no pier of its own worth the name. Every visitor arrives on a tour boat or a chartered longtail from the south coast of Koh Samui, and the single fact that shapes the whole day is that the south coast is not where you are staying.
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The Piers Are All on the South Coast
Two departure points handle essentially every Pig Island trip. Thong Krut, in Taling Ngam on the southwestern corner, is the main one and the pier most listings name. Bang Kao, a working fishing harbour a little further east, handles the rest. Neither is a terminal — they are small harbours with boats tied up and a shed.
Nothing leaves from Chaweng, Lamai, Bophut, Maenam or the airport side of the island. That is why the hotel transfer that comes bundled with almost every ticket matters so much: from the northern and eastern beaches where most visitors stay, the drive to Thong Krut is 40 to 50 minutes each way. From Lamai it is considerably less, and if you are staying on the south coast itself you are practically at the pier.
Put that together and a three-hour boat trip is a five-hour day. It is the most common surprise on the whole itinerary and the reason “half day” means something different here than it does at home.
How Far Is Koh Madsum, Really
Not far. Koh Tan, the reef island that shares every itinerary with Pig Island, sits about five kilometres off the southern tip of Koh Samui, and Koh Madsum is a short hop beyond it. In practice you are looking at roughly twenty minutes by speedboat from Thong Krut or Bang Kao, or forty minutes and up in a longtail.
That short crossing is why the trip works at all. It is also why the sea state matters more than the distance: five kilometres of sheltered water is nothing, and five kilometres of northeast monsoon chop in an open wooden boat is a different proposition entirely.
Transfer Times From Each Beach
| Staying at | Drive to Thong Krut | Practical note |
|---|---|---|
| Chaweng | 40–50 minutes | The standard pickup window on most listings |
| Bophut / Fisherman’s Village | 45–50 minutes | Among the longest transfers on the island |
| Maenam | 45–55 minutes | Right across the island from the pier |
| Lamai | 25–35 minutes | Noticeably shorter — you get time back |
| Taling Ngam / south coast | Under 15 minutes | Effectively at the pier |
| Nathon | 25–35 minutes | Convenient if you arrive by car ferry |
Operators collect groups in stages, so the pickup window on your voucher will be wide — typically 08:30 to 09:30 for a morning departure, or 13:00 to 14:00 for an afternoon one. Your exact time is confirmed by WhatsApp or email the evening before, and you are asked to be in the lobby ten to fifteen minutes early. One operator explicitly excludes hotels and villas up in the hills from its pickup area and arranges a meeting point instead, which is worth checking if your villa has a steep driveway.
Can You Get There Without a Tour?
Yes, and it is more trouble than most people expect.
The mechanism is the same either way: you charter a longtail. The difference is whether you do it online in advance at a published price with free cancellation, or in person at Thong Krut pier at a price you negotiate on the spot with no reference point and no fallback if the weather turns.
Doing it independently means getting yourself to the south coast first — a taxi from Chaweng, a rented scooter, or a car — then finding a boatman, agreeing a price and a return time, and paying the 50-baht Koh Madsum landing fee on top. You will also need to bring or rent snorkelling gear, since the pier is not a rental shop.
It makes sense in exactly one situation: you are already staying on or near the south coast, you have been before, and you want to go on your own schedule. For everyone else, a private charter booked online covers the same boat with a published price and a cancellation policy, and a shared tour throws in the transfer you would otherwise be paying a taxi for.
Getting There From Other Islands
Koh Madsum is reachable from Koh Phangan and Koh Tao, but not directly. There is no boat between those islands and Pig Island. What you do is take the passenger ferry to Koh Samui — around 30 to 45 minutes from Koh Phangan, and roughly one and a half to two hours from Koh Tao, depending on the operator and the sea — and then join a Pig Island trip from there.
For Koh Phangan that is a long but feasible day. For Koh Tao it is a very long one, and the honest advice is to do it while you are staying on Koh Samui rather than as a day trip. Cruise passengers are a separate case: at least one operator runs a dedicated shore excursion built around ship timings, and explicitly does not accept cruise guests on its regular hotel-pickup departures.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a ferry to Pig Island?
No. There is no scheduled public boat to Koh Madsum and no timetable. Every visitor arrives on a tour boat or a chartered longtail from Koh Samui’s south coast.
Which pier do Pig Island boats leave from?
Thong Krut in Taling Ngam handles most departures, with the fishing harbour at Bang Kao taking the rest. Both are on the south coast. Nothing leaves from Chaweng, Lamai, Bophut or Maenam.
How far is Pig Island from Koh Samui?
Koh Tan, which shares every itinerary with Pig Island, is about five kilometres off the southern tip, and Koh Madsum is a short hop beyond it. That is roughly twenty minutes by speedboat or forty minutes and up by longtail.
How long is the transfer from Chaweng to the pier?
40 to 50 minutes each way, which is why a three-hour boat trip becomes a five-hour day. From Lamai it is 25 to 35 minutes; from the south coast itself, almost nothing.
Can I visit Pig Island without booking a tour?
Yes, by chartering a longtail at Thong Krut pier and negotiating the price on the spot. You will need your own transport to the south coast, your own snorkel gear and cash for the 50-baht landing fee, with no cancellation policy if the weather turns. It only really makes sense if you are already staying nearby.
Can I do Pig Island as a day trip from Koh Phangan or Koh Tao?
From Koh Phangan, yes — take the 30 to 45 minute ferry to Koh Samui and join a trip from there. From Koh Tao it is a one-and-a-half to two-hour ferry each way, which makes for a very long day. There is no direct boat from either island.
What time do Pig Island tours pick up?
Typically 08:30 to 09:30 for morning departures and 13:00 to 14:00 for afternoon ones, with the group collected hotel by hotel. Your exact time is confirmed the evening before, and you should be in the lobby ten to fifteen minutes early.
Pig Island, Koh Tan and a Boat Back Before Dinner
Half-day and full-day trips from Koh Samui's south coast, with snorkelling gear, hotel transfers and free cancellation up to 24 hours before you go.
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