Koh Tao is where you learn to dive. Koh Phangan has the Full Moon Party, and also yoga schools, empty northern beaches and jungle waterfalls. Here is where to stay on each, how to get there from Koh Samui, and when to go.
Koh Tao is Thailand's diving capital, a 21 km² island you reach only by ferry. Go from March to May or in September and October for calm seas, 20–30 m visibility and the best chance of whale sharks. Koh Phangan is bigger and slower, with the yoga and wellness scene at Srithanu, quiet bays in the north and waterfalls inland; its dry season runs from December to April. From Koh Samui you can see Koh Tao's reefs in a long day, but a dive course and the island itself need a few nights. Give Koh Phangan at least two or three nights, and more around a Full Moon Party, when many hotels set minimum stays. On both islands the biggest danger is the road: ride a scooter only if you already ride well at home. Staying on Koh Tao? The 5-island boat trip around Koh Tao and Koh Nang Yuan is the easiest way to see the bays without diving.
Boats, crowds, seasons and one party calendar.
You arrive by ferry from Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, Surat Thani or Chumphon. Koh Samui to Koh Tao takes roughly 1.5–2 hours by high-speed catamaran, and Koh Phangan to Koh Tao about 1–1.5 hours. Koh Phangan's airport project was abandoned, and an electric passenger-drone service is only at an early trial stage.
Koh Tao draws divers, backpackers, digital nomads and, more and more, families. Koh Phangan runs from party crowds at Haad Rin to yoga and wellness visitors, digital nomads and honeymooners on its quiet northeast bays.
These Gulf islands have a later, shorter rainy season, peaking roughly in October and November, so their best months come later than Phuket's or Krabi's.
The Haad Rin business association sets the Full Moon Party dates, and they shift around Buddhist holy days. Reconfirm before you book transport.
Dive days, island boats and the jungle interior.
On Koh Tao the days fill with PADI Open Water courses, try-dives, boat trips to Koh Nang Yuan and the east-coast bays, and dives at Chumphon Pinnacle and Sail Rock in whale shark season. On Koh Phangan there are jungle treks to the Phaeng waterfalls, the Ang Thong Marine Park day trip and boats to Bottle Beach. From Koh Samui, the Koh Tao snorkelling day trip covers the reefs in one go. Live options are below.
Small, steep and full of dive schools.
Koh Tao ("Turtle Island") is a small island in the Chumphon Archipelago in the Gulf of Thailand, about 21 km², roughly 7 km by 3 km. It lies north of Koh Samui and Koh Phangan and is part of Ko Pha-ngan District, Surat Thani Province. It was briefly a political prison and long uninhabited, then travellers "discovered" it in the 1980s and it became a diving hub in the 1990s. Today the economy runs almost entirely on tourism, with hundreds of thousands of visitors a year, and the island is widely called the diving capital of Thailand: one of the cheapest and most popular places in the world to earn a PADI certificate, with more than 25 dive sites and dozens of dive schools.
It suits divers and freedivers above all, but also backpackers, digital nomads and, increasingly, honeymooners and families who stay away from Sairee's party strip.
West coast · main hub
The island's longest beach and its tourist centre, lined with dive schools, bars, restaurants, hostels and resorts. Nightlife happens here, and the beach faces west for sunset. Find a stay on Sairee Beach
The pier town
Where every ferry docks, and in effect the island's town, with shops, banks, ATMs and travel agents. A beach path runs from here to Sairee on foot. Find a stay in Mae Haad
South · quieter
A quieter bay in the south with a slower pace, and a good base if you want to sleep away from the bars. Find a stay in Chalok Baan Kao
East coast
Two east-coast bays, far quieter than the west, with some of the island's best snorkelling straight off the beach. Stays at Tanote Bay · stays at Ao Leuk
South
Two attractive southern beaches next to the John-Suwan viewpoint. Find a stay near Freedom Beach
Boats in, then taxis, longtails or your feet.
Koh Tao has no airport, bus or train station; you arrive by boat. Most travellers fly into Koh Samui and take a Lomprayah, Seatran or Songserm high-speed ferry, about 1.5–2 hours. The Koh Samui ↔ Koh Tao high-speed catamaran transfer can be booked ahead (4.61/5 from 287 reviews). From Koh Phangan the crossing takes about 1–1.5 hours, and the Koh Phangan ↔ Koh Tao catamaran transfer is listed at 4.78/5, though from only 49 reviews so far.
On a budget, travel overland to Chumphon or Surat Thani by train or bus from Bangkok, then take a day ferry or the overnight "night boat", which arrives around 05:00. All ferries dock at Mae Haad. Fares from Samui run roughly 550–900 THB one-way depending on the operator and class. Boats are cancelled in rough weather, so leave buffer time, above all when you leave the island for a flight. Our Koh Samui to Koh Phangan ferry guide covers the operators and piers.
There is no public transport. You choose between a scooter, a taxi (pickup trucks) and longtail taxi boats. Scooters rent for roughly 150–250 THB a day.
About 80% of Koh Tao's roads are paved; the rest are steep dirt tracks, often sandy and rutted, with no pavements. Many visitors rent with no riding experience and crashes are common. Walking plus the odd taxi or boat covers the island without one. Shops are also widely reported to hold passports as a deposit and then charge inflated "damage" fees, so photograph the bike in detail before you ride and pick a well-reviewed shop.
Viewpoints, a sandbar, quiet bays and the dive courses themselves.
Snorkelling rather than diving? Our ranked guide to the region's snorkelling spots compares Koh Tao's bays with Ang Thong and Samui.
Diving runs all year in water of about 28–30°C; the sea state changes.
| Months | Conditions | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| March–May | Hot, dry and calm, with glassy seas and excellent visibility. Plankton blooms draw whale sharks to Chumphon Pinnacle, Southwest Pinnacle and Sail Rock. April is often named the best single month. | Whale sharks, first dives |
| June–August | Southwest winds can make crossings choppier, and June in particular is changeable. Dive boats often move to sheltered east-coast sites. Visibility stays good, especially late in the summer. | Diving, with flexible days |
| September–October | A local favourite: the wind drops, the sea settles, visibility can pass 30 m, there is a second whale shark window, and crowds thin out. | Visibility, quieter dive sites |
| November into early December | The monsoon peak: more rain, rough seas, some ferry disruption and businesses closing. The least reliable time to come. | Only if your dates are fixed |
| December–February | Busy and pricier, generally good but sometimes changeable weather. | Combining with Koh Phangan's dry season |
Whale sharks are wild animals and never guaranteed; these months only improve your odds.
One party beach, and a lot of quiet jungle around it.
Koh Phangan sits between Koh Samui and Koh Tao and is much bigger than Koh Tao, roughly 18–19 km long and up to about 12 km wide, in Surat Thani Province. The Full Moon Party made it famous, but most of the island is quiet, covered in jungle and geared to the outdoors. It has a strong name for yoga and wellness, a growing digital-nomad community, and calm beaches that suit couples and families.
Main town & port
The practical base: markets, supermarkets, ATMs, travel agents, cafés and coworking spaces, though not the prettiest beach. Find a stay in Thong Sala
Southern tip · nightlife
The centre of the island's nightlife and home of the Full Moon Party on Haad Rin Nok (Sunrise Beach). The party began at Paradise Bungalows, which still takes bookings. Find a stay in Haad Rin
West coast · wellness
Yoga schools, meditation and detox centres, vegan cafés, coworking, calm sunset beaches and a strong long-stay community. Find a stay in Srithanu
Northeast · upmarket
Two bays in the northeast, quieter and more upmarket, popular with families, couples and honeymooners. Find a stay at Thong Nai Pan
North
A relaxed fishing village on the north coast with a local feel. Find a stay in Chaloklum
Remote north
A remote, beautiful beach in the north, reached by longtail boat or a hard hike. Find a stay at Bottle Beach
The party once a month, and the rest of the island every other night.
A monthly all-night rave on Haad Rin's shoreline of roughly 800 m–1 km. It grew from an improvised gathering of about 20–30 travellers at Paradise Bungalows in the mid-1980s, usually dated to 1985, into what The Guardian has called "the largest beach rave in the world." Around 20,000 people come in a typical month and as many as 40,000 at New Year. Expect many separate sound systems (EDM, house, trance, reggae, hip-hop, drum & bass), fire shows, neon and UV paint, "bucket" drinks and very large crowds. Entry is 200 THB (about US$6), cash only at the Haad Rin beach gates, with no online pre-booking. We found no official ticket on GetYourGuide; listings sold there as party passes are for other events or are boat transfers.
A shorter, later rainy season than most of Thailand.
Dry, high season
The best weather: sunny, little rain and calm seas, with February usually the driest month. It is also the busiest and most expensive time, above all in December and January with New Year and the Full Moon Parties.
Shoulder, hot
Hotter, with occasional showers, fewer people and lower prices. July stays fairly dry.
Wet
Rainfall jumps in October and November. These are the quietest and cheapest months and the island is lush and green, but some roads get slippery and boats can be affected.
For Samui's month-by-month detail, see our best time to visit Koh Samui guide.
The roads first, then your drink, then everything else.
Across Thailand, road crashes, overwhelmingly on motorcycles, are a far bigger risk to visitors than crime. The WHO estimated 18,218 road traffic deaths in Thailand in 2021, about 50 a day, and motorcyclists were 83.8% of them, a death rate of roughly 25 per 100,000, among the highest of WHO member countries. WHO and Thailand's Ministry of Public Health report road crashes as the leading cause of death for people aged 10–29, with "3 in 4 deaths" among motorcycle users.
Both islands have steep, sandy, sometimes badly lit roads. Ride only if you are experienced, always wear a helmet, never drink and ride, and make sure your travel insurance covers motorbikes; riding without a valid licence can void it. On Koh Phangan the Haad Rin–Baan Tai stretch and the Bottle Beach and Thong Nai Pan roads are especially steep and crash-prone.
Drink spiking has been reported at party areas including the Full Moon Party, and there have been serious illnesses and deaths across Thailand from drinks containing methanol; the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office warns that methanol "is not possible to identify... by taste or smell". Watch your drink being made, don't accept drinks from strangers, avoid free-pour buckets and stick to sealed, branded drinks. Wear shoes on the party beach because of broken glass, don't swim drunk at night, and arrange your ride home before you go.
Many searches about the island lead here. In September 2014 two British tourists, Hannah Witheridge and David Miller, were killed on Sairee Beach. Two Burmese migrant workers were convicted in 2015; their death sentences were commuted to life imprisonment by royal decree in 2020, and the investigation drew heavy international criticism. The case gave the island the tabloid label "Death Island", but violent crime against tourists on Koh Tao remains rare, and most visits pass without trouble.
Petty theft happens, so use the hotel safe. Weather can stop the ferries. Both islands are considered safe for solo and female travellers who take normal precautions. Check your government's current travel advice before you leave.
Samui has the only airport of the three, so most trips start there.
A full-day speedboat snorkelling tour works: an early pickup, roughly 1.5 hours across each way, two or three snorkel stops plus Koh Nang Yuan, lunch, and back in the late afternoon. You see the best water and the sandbar, but not Sairee in the evening, the dive scene up close or the hidden east-coast bays; those need an overnight stay, ideally three nights or more for a dive course. The Koh Tao and Nang Yuan snorkelling tour from Koh Samui runs from $70 at 4.47/5 from 1,422 reviews. Our Koh Tao day trip guide compares the options.
You can day-trip to Koh Phangan for a beach day, or use it as the starting point for Ang Thong, but give the island at least two or three nights. Around Full Moon Party dates many places require minimum stays of three nights or more, and staying near Haad Rin saves a late-night taxi across the island. In general you base yourself on Samui or Phangan and day-trip to Koh Tao, not the other way round. See our best day trips from Koh Samui for how the islands compare as day trips.
Still no airports, a drone trial elsewhere, and a party rule.
What we would tell a friend booking this week.
The numbers on this page that move.
See Koh Tao's bays by boat, or compare the Ang Thong day tours from Koh Samui and Koh Phangan.