Koh Samui Ferry Guide: Lomprayah, Seatran, and Raja Compared
Ferries are how most people move between Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao. Three operators run them from five different piers on Samui, and the pier you need is rarely the one closest to you. The Phangan crossing is about 30 minutes and 350 baht on the fast boats. Koh Tao is 1 hour 30 to 3 hours 15 depending on the sailing, for 700 baht.
The three main operators
Lomprayah
The most popular choice for most travelers. Lomprayah runs high-speed catamaran services and is generally the fastest way to get between the islands. The boats are modern and well maintained.
From Koh Samui, Lomprayah's main pier is Pralarn Pier at Maenam on the north coast, a 20-25 minute taxi from Chaweng. It also sails to Phangan and Tao from Bangrak and Nathon, so check which pier your ticket names.
- Samui to Koh Phangan: approximately 30-45 minutes
- Samui to Koh Tao: 1 hour 30 minutes to 3 hours 15 minutes depending on the sailing. The slow ones change boats at Koh Phangan
Lomprayah offers combination tickets that include road transfers from your hotel in Samui to the pier and onward from the pier at your destination. These are convenient but add cost. You can also book direct pier-to-pier and arrange your own transport.
Booking in advance is sensible during peak season (December-February, July-August). In the shoulder months, walk-up tickets are usually available.
Seatran Discovery
Seatran runs its own fast boats to Koh Phangan four times a day. In Samui they use Bangrak pier on the northeast coast, closer to Chaweng. Bangrak has three piers within a kilometre of each other, so tell your driver Seatran pier, not Big Buddha pier, which is a different one. Their Koh Tao ticket is sold on a partner catamaran, two departures a day.
Journey times are similar to Lomprayah. Seatran's boats are comfortable and the service is reliable. Some travelers prefer them because Bangrak pier is easier to reach from the main tourist areas than Maenam.
Seatran also sells combination tickets with transfers, and runs promotions often enough to be worth checking against Lomprayah for your dates.
Raja Ferry
Raja runs the car ferries from Lipa Noi pier on Samui's west coast. The main route is Lipa Noi to Don Sak on the mainland, hourly from 05:00 to 19:00 and about 1 hour 30. Raja quotes roughly the same for Lipa Noi to Koh Phangan, but publishes no timetable for it and does not sell it online, so confirm at the pier. Take it if you have a motorbike or a car with you; take a fast ferry if you don't.
The pace of a Raja crossing is its own thing. Cheaper, slower, more local. You can eat on board, walk around the deck, and watch the island recede properly. If you have the time and no particular rush, it's not a bad way to cross.
Note: Lipa Noi is on the west coast, about 30 km from Chaweng. Allow around 40 minutes to reach the pier, more in traffic.
Route by route
Koh Samui to Koh Phangan
The shortest and most frequent crossing, with several departures a day from Lomprayah (Pralarn, Bangrak and Nathon) and Seatran (Bangrak). The crossing is about 30 minutes on the fast boats, short enough that seasickness rarely comes into it on a calm day.
Koh Phangan's main ferry pier is Thong Sala, on the southwest coast. From there, you'll need a taxi or songthaew to reach wherever you're staying. Pre-arrange this or there will be a swarm of drivers competing for your attention at the pier.
Koh Samui to Koh Tao
Lomprayah runs twelve Samui to Koh Tao sailings a day across its three piers, four of them from Pralarn, starting at 08:00 and finishing around 16:00. The quickest are the 08:00 catamaran from Pralarn and the 15:30 direct speedboat from Bangrak, both 1 hour 30. The sailings that change boats at Koh Phangan take up to 3 hours 15.
Koh Tao's pier is Mae Haad on the west coast, a short walk from the main dive shops and guesthouses. If you're there to dive (most people are), your dive operator will have pickup sorted.
Koh Samui to Surat Thani / mainland
If you're heading back to the mainland by train or bus, all three operators cross to Don Sak. Lomprayah's catamaran from Nathon takes 45 minutes and Raja's car ferry from Lipa Noi about 1 hour 30. All three sell bus connections to Surat Thani town, its station and its airport online, and tour agents around Samui sell the same combinations. Useful if you're continuing overland to Khao Sok, Krabi, or further north.
Practical things to know
Book online in advance during peak season. All three operators sell tickets online. Peak dates sell out on popular departures. Booking a day ahead is usually enough outside peak months.
Arrive early. Lomprayah asks you to check in at its office 60 minutes before departure. Seatran closes check-in 30 minutes before and boarding 5 to 10 minutes before, with no refund if you miss it. If you booked a combination ticket with a hotel pickup, the transfer time is built in. Being late for the pickup is what breaks it.
Seasickness is real on rough days. The Gulf of Thailand is generally calm, but October and November bring rough seas, October worst of all. If you're prone to motion sickness, take medication before boarding rather than waiting until you're already on the water. The fast catamarans are bumpier than the car ferries in rough conditions.
What to do with luggage. If your ferry departs early in the morning and you've already checked out, or if you're spending time in Chaweng before heading to the pier, storing your bags in advance makes the transfer cleaner. You don't want to be hauling full luggage onto a pier in the heat. Most ferry piers have no luggage storage facilities on-site. Landing at the airport and going straight to a boat, or coming back for a flight? The timings are in Samui airport to the ferry.
Weather cancellations happen. They are rare from January to April and common from October to early December, with October the worst month of the year for storms in the Gulf. A tropical depression can stop the boats for anything from two days to a week. Build buffer into your itinerary if your onward travel is time-sensitive. The month-by-month rainfall figures are in Koh Samui in November.
Which operator should you choose?
For most travelers on the Samui-Phangan or Samui-Tao routes, the honest answer is: Lomprayah or Seatran, whichever is cheaper on your specific date and departs from the pier that's more convenient for you. Both are reliable, and on the Phangan crossing the difference in journey time is minimal.
Raja if you have a vehicle, or if you specifically want the slower, more local experience and have the time.
The combination tickets with hotel transfers are convenient if you don't want to arrange your own taxi. They're also more expensive and occasionally involve long waits as the minibus does a hotel circuit collecting passengers. If you're comfortable getting yourself to the pier independently, direct pier tickets save money and give you more control over timing.
Quick answers
Do I need to book the ferry in advance? In peak season, December to February and July to August, popular departures sell out, so book online a day or more ahead. Outside those months, booking the day before is enough and walk-up tickets are usually available.
Which pier do I use on Koh Samui? Bangrak, on the northeast coast, is the closest pier to Chaweng and the airport and is used by Seatran and Lomprayah. Lomprayah also sails from Pralarn pier at Maenam, 20 to 25 minutes from Chaweng, and from Nathon. Raja's car ferry leaves from Lipa Noi on the west coast, about 40 minutes from Chaweng.
How long is the ferry from Koh Samui to Koh Phangan? About 30 to 35 minutes on the fast boats, for 350 baht per adult. Boats arrive at Thong Sala pier on Koh Phangan.
Are the ferries rough? The Gulf is generally calm from January to April. October and November bring rough seas, October worst of all, and cancellations are common from October to early December. A tropical depression can stop the boats for two days to a week.
Which ferry operator is best? On the Samui to Phangan and Samui to Tao routes, Lomprayah or Seatran, whichever is cheaper on your date and leaves from the pier nearest you. Raja only if you have a vehicle.
Updated September 2026. Schedules and prices change seasonally: confirm with the operators before booking.