The question we get most often is which ferry goes to Pig Island. None does. Koh Madsum has no pier and no scheduled service; every visitor arrives on a tour boat or a private charter from the south coast of Koh Samui. That makes the decision simpler than it looks: you are choosing a boat and a pickup, not a timetable.
If you are on Koh Phangan, Koh Tao, in Surat Thani or anywhere else, get to Samui first. Ferries run all day from Phangan and Tao, and the airport has flights from Bangkok and Phuket. Book a tour for the next morning and the hotel pickup does the rest.
Shared tours include a minivan pickup from hotels inside the covered zones. Times depend on where you stay; the van works its way south, so Chaweng and Bophut are collected earliest and Lamai last. Private charters quote the transfer separately, THB 1,500 per van, or you can self-drive to Thong Krut and park. Your confirmation carries the pickup time.
A seat on the shared morning speedboat, checked at THB 1,450 per adult with lunch and pickup, plus THB 50 in cash on the island. There is no cheaper way across on this site that includes getting you to the pier; a private longtail only beats it once four or more of you split the boat.
Boats anchor off the beach and you wade the last few metres, knee deep for an adult. Wear footwear you can soak.
All nine tours with live prices, shared and private.
No. There is no ferry or public boat. Book a shared tour or charter a boat from Thong Krut or Bang Kao.
Yes, via Koh Samui. Take the morning ferry to Samui the day before and book a tour with hotel pickup, or take the earliest ferry and self-arrive at the pier for a private charter.
A half-day catamaran or private boat is four to five hours including transfers. Shared speedboat days run six to seven hours because of the pickup loop.
Boatmen at Thong Krut do take walk-ups on quiet days, but there is no fixed price, no accident insurance and no guarantee of a boat in high season. Booking a private longtail fixes all three for THB 4,395.