Koh Samui Longtail Boats: Group Prices, Pig Island Routes and Extras
Longtail boat hire in Koh Samui is priced per boat with the captain: a half day to Koh Madsum and Koh Tan costs about ฿2,700–3,200 for two guests and ฿4,500–6,000 for ten. Adding Koh Rap lifts the range to ฿4,400–9,500. Below: price per head, routes from Thong Krut, extras, a speedboat comparison, weather and cancellation.
How a private longtail charter works on the island
A longtail on Samui is hired whole, with the man who steers it. Three things set the deal: the boat itself, the captain who comes with it and the way the price is counted.
The boat: teak, seven metres, ten guests
The typical boat is a traditional Thai wooden longtail: a teak hull about 7 metres (23 feet) long and 2 metres wide, with room for up to 10 guests plus crew. It takes its name from the long shaft that ends in the propeller — the captain steers the whole craft with that handle from the stern. Every longtail boat hire in Koh Samui on the southern routes follows the same pattern: one hull, one captain, a half day on the water and two or three small islands. The open hull sits low, so passengers see the reefs and the coast of Samui close up, and nobody in the group steers or needs any boating experience. The trade-off is speed. A longtail is not as fast as a speedboat, so plan the day around crossing times rather than the number of stops.
One price for the whole boat
Prices are quoted per boat, in steps by group size, and the step sets the whole bill. Typical steps are 1–2, 3–4, 5–6 (or 5–7), 7–8 and 9–10 guests; one grid uses "up to 3, up to 4, up to 7, up to 10" instead. The price table at the top of this page shows the market range for the half-day format, from ฿3,000 to ฿9,000 per trip depending on route and head count. There is no seat-by-seat rate on a private longtail: a couple pays for the whole charter, and so does a family of ten. Above ten, you need a second boat — the hull simply holds no more. The practical consequence is that the head count decides the price before anything else, so settle exactly who is coming before you ask for a figure, and ask which step a child counts in.
What the boat price covers
- Captain: every private longtail goes out with its own captain at the helm; the fee for him is inside the boat price.
- Life jackets: all four price grids we compared include them; swimming is not required, but children wear one throughout.
- Snorkel gear: masks or full snorkelling sets are included in three of the four packages, so there is no need to rent them.
- Insurance: all four packages mention personal, travel or accident insurance; ask what it actually covers before paying.
- Drinking water: only one package mentions water, so bring your own bottles and some fruit for four hours on the sea.
Prices by group size on the two-island half day
The classic half day goes to Koh Madsum and Koh Tan in about four hours. Three price grids for that route sit side by side below, all per boat with the captain.
Boat price for 2 to 10 guests
| Guests | Price per boat | Price per person |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | ฿2,700–3,200 | ฿1,350–1,600 |
| 4 | ฿3,500–4,200 | ฿875–1,050 |
| 6 | ฿4,000–5,000 | ฿667–833 |
| 8 | ฿4,500–6,000 | ฿563–750 |
| 10 | ฿4,500–6,000 | ฿450–600 |
The per-person arithmetic
A full boat is the cheapest way onto the water: at ten guests the two-island half day works out at ฿450–600 a head, against ฿1,350–1,600 each for a couple. The charter price rises far more slowly than the group. Going from two guests to ten multiplies the head count by five but the price only by about 1.7–1.9 — ฿2,700 becomes ฿4,500 on the cheapest grid, ฿3,200 becomes ฿6,000 on the dearest. The steps matter at the edges, too. Five guests pay the same as six on one grid and the same as seven on the other two, so a sixth or seventh person often rides at no extra cost. So what is the smartest way to book a longtail boat Koh Samui trip as a couple? In my view, find a second couple staying nearby: two pairs sharing one four-guest charter pay ฿875–1,050 each instead of ฿1,350–1,600.
What moves a quote inside the range
- Group step: the same boat costs ฿2,700 for two and ฿4,500 for ten on one grid, so count heads, including children.
- Transfer in the package: a price that includes hotel pickup is higher by ฿1,400–1,700; compare like with like.
- Promotional rates: one three-island grid shows regular and reduced prices side by side, ฿1,100 apart for a couple.
- Route length: adding Koh Rap or extra hours changes the format, and with it the price band entirely.
- Timing: morning and afternoon boats cost the same on every grid we compared, so choose the slot for light, not price.
Koh Madsum, Koh Tan and Koh Rap: routes and timings
The southern islands lie close to Samui's south coast, so most of a half day goes on beaches and reefs rather than on crossings. Two routes cover nearly every private trip.
Two routes side by side
| Route | Time on the water | 2 guests | 10 guests |
|---|---|---|---|
| Koh Madsum and Koh Tan | About 4 hours | ฿2,700–3,200 | ฿4,500–6,000 |
| Koh Rap, Koh Madsum and Koh Tan | 4–5 hours | ฿4,400–5,500 | ฿8,700–9,500 |
Pig Island and the reef at Koh Tan
The crossing from Thong Krut to Koh Madsum takes 20–30 minutes by longtail, and the island is the reason most people book: a quiet white-sand beach where pigs, originally kept by a beach restaurant, now roam the shore and swim in the shallows. One four-hour programme reaches Koh Madsum about 45 minutes after leaving the pier, moves on to Koh Tan around the two-hour mark and is back at about four hours. Koh Tan, roughly 3.5 km off Samui, is the snorkelling stop, with coral along the shore and plenty of reef fish. The route passes the Five Sisters rocks on the way. A private longtail boat to Pig Island also lets you stay longer where the children are happiest, since nobody else's schedule applies. Captains swap the order of the two islands when wind or tide require it, so ask which comes first on your date.
Is Koh Rap worth the extra?
Adding Koh Rap costs ฿2,000–3,500 more for the boat on the grid that prices both routes, and stretches the trip to as much as four or five hours. Koh Rap is the quiet one of the three: soft white sand, hammocks, a big swing on the beach and loungers under thatched shades — a rest stop rather than a reef. For a big group the extra is modest. Ten guests pay ฿9,000 instead of ฿5,500, or ฿350 more each; eight pay ฿375 more each. For a couple the same addition takes ฿3,000 to ฿5,000, about two-thirds more, plus a second ฿50 landing fee per person. A family with small children may prefer the shorter loop and a longer swim at Koh Tan; a group of friends who want a lazy beach afternoon gets more from the third island.
The full cost of the day: transfer, island fees and extra hours
The boat price is the biggest number, but not the only one. Four extras turn up on almost every trip, and together they can add half again to a small group's bill.
Extras outside the boat price
| Item | Typical cost | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Hotel transfer, round trip | ฿1,400–1,700 | Per vehicle, from the hotel to Thong Krut |
| Koh Madsum landing fee | ฿50 | Per person, under-3s free on one programme |
| Koh Rap landing fee | ฿50 | Per person, three-island route only |
| Extra hour on the water | ฿500 | Per hour beyond the agreed time |
| Lunch, drinks, tips | Not included | Bring food or eat on an island |
Two worked budgets
A couple on the two-island half day with a hotel transfer should budget about ฿4,200–5,000 for the whole outing, or ฿2,100–2,500 each. That figure is the charter at ฿2,700–3,200, the transfer at ฿1,400–1,700 and two Koh Madsum fees of ฿50. A group of eight on the three-island route spends about ฿10,000–10,500: a boat at ฿7,700–8,000, landing fees at Koh Madsum and Koh Rap of ฿100 per person, and a transfer at ฿1,500–1,700. That is roughly ฿1,250–1,300 a head — and an extra hour adds ฿500, only about ฿60 per person. Notice how the transfer weighs on the couple: it comes to about half of their boat price, but only about a fifth of the group's. One packaged deal for one to three guests with pickup runs ฿5,900–7,200, and another ฿4,800 — so ask for the total in one figure.
Pickup packages or your own way to the pier
A package with hotel pickup is simpler, but it is not always cheaper than a boat plus a separate transfer. For one to three guests on the two-island route, one package with a round-trip transfer costs ฿4,800 — the ฿3,200 charter plus ฿1,600 for the car — while another pairs the same islands with pickup for ฿5,900 at its reduced rate and ฿7,200 at its regular one. Stand-alone transfers run from ฿1,400 per car and up to ฿1,700 for one to eight passengers, hotel to Thong Krut and back. Note that the four hours on the water do not include the drive, so a hotel on the far side of the island adds road time to the day. Guests staying near Thong Krut can make their own way to the pier, which every programme allows; from further away, a fixed pickup price removes one variable from the day.
Deposits and how payment works
- Pay at the pier: one programme takes no money online and collects the full price on the day, at the pier.
- Deposit: another asks for 50% to confirm the date and the rest on the day of travel.
- Card surcharge: paying by card costs 3.5% extra on one grid, so baht in cash is cheaper there.
- Separate fees: island landing fees sit outside the boat price, so keep small notes for them apart from the boat money.
Longtail or private speedboat for the southern islands
The same islands can be reached by private speedboat, and on the same four-hour programme. The difference lies in money and minutes, not in where you land.
Same route, two boats
| Point | Longtail | Speedboat, one engine |
|---|---|---|
| Crossing to Koh Madsum | 20–30 minutes | 10–15 minutes |
| Time booked | 4 hours | 4 hours |
| 1–2 guests | ฿2,700 | ฿6,900 |
| 9–10 guests | ฿4,500 | ฿9,000 |
| Largest group | 10 guests | 10; twin-engine boats up to 20 |
| Per hour, 1–2 guests | ฿675 | ฿1,725 |
When the slower boat is the better buy
On the same four-hour route, a speedboat saves 10–15 minutes each way but costs 2 to 2.6 times as much. On one grid that offers both boats, two guests pay ฿2,700 for the longtail and ฿6,900 for a single-engine speedboat; ten guests pay ฿4,500 against ฿9,000. Twenty to thirty minutes saved over a half day rarely justifies ฿4,200 extra for a couple. A private speedboat on the three-island route starts from ฿11,500. Where the speedboat earns its price is group size rather than speed: twin-engine boats take up to 20 guests, from ฿9,800 for up to five to ฿14,000 for 18–20. For a classic longtail boat trip to Pig Island and Koh Tan, the slower boat is part of the point: the open hull keeps you close to the water, and the islands are near enough that speed changes little.
Who should think twice
A longtail is not recommended for pregnant women or for anyone with back problems or other serious health conditions — the tour terms on the island say so plainly, and the open wooden hull leaves no soft seat to retreat to. For everyone else the trip is easy: swimming is not mandatory, life jackets are on board, and the boats keep to calm areas close to Samui's south coast. Children of any age can go, accompanied by an adult and wearing a life jacket the whole time. On a choppy day, the 20–30 minute crossing feels longer than it sounds. If anyone in the group gets seasick, take the morning departure, sit towards the middle of the hull and keep the first stop short.
What to pack for four hours on the water
- Sun protection: swimsuit, towel, sunscreen and sunglasses are the basics; an open longtail has no cabin to hide in at midday.
- Food and drinks: lunch is not part of the boat price, so bring your own food or plan to eat on one of the islands.
- Water: only one package includes drinking water, so carry enough bottles for the whole group and the full four hours.
- Small cash: keep ฿50 per person for each island landing fee, separate from the money for the charter itself.
- Phone in a dry bag: a charged phone is welcome for photos of the pigs, but the hull is open, so keep it dry between stops.
Thong Krut departures, weather and cancellation
Almost every private longtail to the southern islands leaves from the south of Samui. When you go, and what happens if the sea turns, matter as much as the price.
Morning or afternoon boat
Boats leave in two slots: a morning departure around 09:00 that returns by 13:00–14:00, and an afternoon one from 14:00 that comes back around 18:00–18:30. The departure point is Thong Krut Pier on the south coast, and one programme asks guests to be there at least 30 minutes before the boat leaves. With your own transfer you can arrive between 08:00 and 11:00 or 13:00 and 14:00 on one booking form, with the last departure at 14:00. The afternoon run has one advantage the morning cannot match: on a clear day you watch the sun go down over the sea on the way back. The morning run, in turn, gives children the cooler hours and leaves the afternoon free. My advice: book the morning for snorkelling at Koh Tan, the afternoon for photographs.
Sea, rain and the season
The islands are open all year, but the weather decides whether a given day works. Samui's wettest months are roughly October to December, with rainfall peaking in November at around 445 mm; the dry season, from December to April, is the period the trip is described as at its best. That dry season is also the busy one, when booking two or three days ahead is recommended to secure a date. Outside it, trips still run through the green season — expect showers and changing skies rather than a closed sea. Every programme treats unsafe weather the same way: a free reschedule or, on one, a full refund. Captains may also change the island order or the route on the day because of wind or water level, so stay flexible about which beach comes first.
Cancellation terms to check
- Late cancellation: one programme charges the full price for cancelling less than 24 hours before the trip.
- No-show: another charges 100% of the fee for a cancellation or no-show on the day of the tour.
- Weather: heavy rain or strong wind cancels without charge; you choose a new date, another tour or a refund.
- Route changes: the order of islands can change without notice for weather and tide, which is not a cancellation.
- Get it in writing: keep the confirmed date, slot, route and total in one message before you pay any deposit.
Key points before booking a longtail
Five things to keep in mind
- Per-boat pricing: the two-island half day costs ฿2,700–3,200 for two guests and ฿4,500–6,000 for ten.
- Head count: at ten guests a seat costs ฿450–600, against ฿1,350–1,600 each for a couple.
- Third island: Koh Rap adds ฿2,000–3,500 to the boat and up to an hour to the day.
- Hidden extras: transfer ฿1,400–1,700, landing fees ฿50 per island per person, an extra hour ฿500.
- Weather and terms: unsafe weather means a free new date; cancelling inside 24 hours can cost the full price.