- An ang thong private boat charter from Koh Samui runs as a full 8-hour day on every boat that goes there, from ฿32,000 on a speedboat like Anda to ฿56,000 on Coco Cay or Summer Casa.
- The crossing takes roughly 1 to 1.5 hours each way by speedboat and longer under sail or at a catamaran's cruising speed, so the boat type changes how much time you actually get on the islands.
- The park entrance fee of ฿300 per adult and ฿150 per child is paid on site and is never included in the boat price.
- Ang Thong National Marine Park is closed every year from 1 November to 15 December, so no boat runs there in that window.
- The viewpoint climb, Emerald Lake and a beach stop are the usual anchors of the day; kayaking and the water slide are offered on some catamarans, not on the fast speedboats.
Standing on the viewpoint above Emerald Lake, looking down at a lagoon ringed by limestone cliffs, most people stop talking for a minute. That view, on Koh Wua Talap, is the single reason most visitors ever book a boat out to Ang Thong. Getting there and back in a day, with time left over to swim and eat lunch, is mostly a question of which boat you choose and how honest you are about the sea conditions on the day.
This is the practical side of an ang thong private boat charter: how long the crossing really takes, what the day looks like once you arrive, what the park charges on top of the boat price, and which of the boats that run this route suits your group. We cover this destination in more general terms on the Ang Thong Marine Park charter page; this article is about the decisions that matter once you are ready to pick a date and a boat.
What is an ang thong private boat charter, exactly?
It means the whole boat, captain and crew are booked for your group only, for a full day out to Ang Thong National Marine Park and back. Nobody else joins, no other group's schedule is mixed with yours, and the route and stops can shift a little to suit your pace or the weather.
Every boat that runs Ang Thong does it as an 8-hour day trip, not a half day. That is not a marketing choice, it is geography: the park sits far enough west of Koh Samui that a half-day window would mostly be spent getting there and back. Expect departure times around 08:30 or 09:00 and a return around 17:00 to 18:30, depending on the boat.
What you get for the day is not just transport. A guide usually comes along to point out the viewpoint trail, explain which beach is calm enough for small kids, and manage the timing so you are not rushing the last stop to make it back before dark. On faster boats this guide is often also the person handing out snorkel masks and pointing out where the current runs.
How long is the crossing to Ang Thong by boat?
By speedboat, the one-way run from Koh Samui to Ang Thong is typically a little over an hour, sometimes closer to 1.5 hours depending on which part of the park you are headed to and sea conditions on the day. That leaves a solid block of hours for the islands themselves, which is the whole point of choosing a speedboat for this particular destination.
By catamaran or sailing yacht, the crossing takes longer. These boats cruise at a fraction of a speedboat's speed, so the 8-hour window on a catamaran includes more time simply getting there, and less time on the islands, unless the operator starts earlier. The upside is a steadier ride and far more deck space for the hours you do spend on board.
The crossing speed is really the deciding fact for this route: if your priority is maximum time in the water and on the viewpoint trail, a speedboat wins. If your priority is a comfortable, social day with shade, a table, and room to move around, a catamaran is worth the longer transit.
On a rough day, the crossing is the part people remember for the wrong reasons. Ang Thong sits in open water with less shelter than the short hop to Koh Tan or Koh Madsum, so a choppy sea turns a 70-minute run into something longer and wetter. We are candid about this with guests booking from November through January, when the north-east monsoon can stir up the Gulf of Thailand; captains may adjust the route or suggest another day if conditions are poor.
What does a day at Ang Thong actually include?
Most itineraries build around three anchors: the viewpoint climb on Koh Wua Talap, a stop at or near Emerald Lake (Thale Nai), and at least one beach for swimming and lunch. The viewpoint is a steep but short climb, maybe 20 to 30 minutes up a marked path with railings and steps in the steeper sections; the reward is the view across the whole bay that made this park famous.
Emerald Lake itself is a landlocked saltwater lagoon inside the island, and swimming in it is usually not allowed, but the walk to see it from the viewing platform is part of almost every itinerary. Snorkelling happens at one or more of the park's sheltered bays, where the coral is modest compared with Koh Tao but still enough to see reef fish and clearer water than you get close to Koh Samui itself.
Kayaking is where the boats start to differ. Several catamarans carry kayaks or paddle boards as standard, which suits a park like Ang Thong well since paddling into the narrow lagoon entrances and along the cliffs is one of the better ways to see the limestone formations up close. Speedboats generally do not carry kayaks, so if that is a priority for your day, check it before booking.
- Viewpoint climb on Koh Wua Talap: steep, short, non-negotiable for the view, not ideal for guests with knee or mobility issues.
- Emerald Lake viewing point: a flat, easy walk, good for all ages.
- Snorkelling stop: mask and fins are standard kit on every boat on this list.
- Beach time and lunch: timing depends on the boat and how long the crossing took that day.
- Kayaking or paddle board: available on some catamarans, rare on speedboats.
What does the park entrance fee cost?
The Ang Thong National Marine Park entrance fee is ฿300 per adult and ฿150 per child, with children aged 12 and older paying the adult rate. This is a national park fee collected on site, and it is never folded into the boat charter price on any boat we arrange, regardless of the type or size of boat.
Budget for it per person in your group, and keep in mind it is paid in cash at the park. It funds the park rangers and the upkeep of the walking trails and piers, which is a fair trade for a protected place that still looks largely untouched.
When is Ang Thong closed?
Ang Thong National Marine Park is closed every year from 1 November to 15 December, and no boat charter runs there during that window, regardless of which operator or boat you ask for. This is a standard annual closure to let the park rest after the high season, and it is fixed every year rather than weather-dependent.
If your travel dates fall in that window, every boat on this list can still take you to Koh Phangan, or to Koh Tan and Koh Madsum, as an alternative full day. Plan around the closure rather than against it: there is no way to book an exception, and anyone offering one is not being straight with you.
Which boat suits an Ang Thong day?
For a small group wanting the fastest possible crossing and the most hours on the islands, the twin-engine speedboats are the obvious choice. Anda runs the route for ฿32,000 and carries up to 12 guests, which makes it one of the more affordable ways to do this trip without crowding. Ofcourse, Sapphire and Ti Ti are near-identical sister boats in this fleet, all at ฿44,000 for the day, all with twin 300 hp Mercury engines and a 40-knot top speed, which matters more here than on a short hop to Koh Tan simply because there is more open water to cover.
Neverland is worth a look if your group is larger: it takes up to 37 guests at ฿51,000 for Ang Thong, with three 250 hp Honda engines giving it the power to carry that many people at speed. Pearl sits at a similar price point, ฿39,000, and throws in hotel transfer as standard, which the others in this group do not always include.
For a couple or a small group wanting more comfort on the same crossing, Coco Cay and Summer Casa are built for exactly that: a butler on board, an onboard toilet, a sun bed up front, at ฿56,000 for the day. Both price for 2 guests as a base, so they work out well for couples or small families rather than big groups.
Ruby 38 is the other option worth naming here: a sports cruiser capped at 8 guests, priced for 6, at ฿44,000, with the same twin 300 hp Mercury Verado engines as the Ofcourse family. It suits a tighter group that still wants the lounge-style bow seating and a bit more polish than the open-deck speedboats.
Comparing the Ang Thong boats
| Boat | Type | Ang Thong price | Base group size | Max guests |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anda | Speedboat | ฿32,000 | 6 | 12 |
| Pearl | Speedboat | ฿39,000 | 6 | 15 |
| Ofcourse / Sapphire / Ti Ti | Speedboat | ฿44,000 | 6 | 24 |
| Ruby 38 | Speedboat (sports cruiser) | ฿44,000 | 6 | 8 |
| Neverland | Speedboat | ฿51,000 | 10 | 37 |
| Coco Cay / Summer Casa | Speedboat, premium | ฿56,000 | 2 | 10 |
If a catamaran suits your day better than a speedboat, that comparison deserves its own look since the trade-offs (deck space and stability against a longer crossing) are different enough to need a full explanation rather than a paragraph here; the upcoming piece on choosing between a catamaran and a speedboat will cover it properly.
Who should skip Ang Thong, or choose a different route?
Anyone prone to seasickness should think hard about the crossing before committing, especially outside the calmest months. The run out is open water, not the sheltered hop you get on the Koh Tan and Koh Madsum route, and a long day on a choppy boat with young kids or an uneasy stomach can overshadow the viewpoint at the other end.
Travellers who want to swim right off the back of the boat more than they want to climb a cliff path might get more out of a shorter trip. Ang Thong rewards people who enjoy the landscape as much as the water; if snorkelling and beach time are really the goal, the Koh Tao and Koh Nang Yuan route or the islands south of Samui deliver more time in the water for a shorter transit.
Families travelling with toddlers or guests who cannot manage a steep, uneven path should also weigh the viewpoint climb honestly. It is doable for most people in reasonable shape, but it is not a stroller-friendly boardwalk, and skipping it means missing the view that makes Ang Thong what it is.
Planning the day around weather and timing
Morning departures generally mean calmer water, since the sea tends to build through the afternoon in the months when wind is a factor. An 08:30 or 09:00 start is not just about maximising hours at the park, it is also the more comfortable half of the day to be crossing open water.
Lunch arrangements vary by boat. Some speedboats charge lunch as an extra rather than folding it into the base price, so ask when booking rather than assuming; fruit, water and soft drinks are standard across the boats on this list, but a cooked meal is not always automatic. Bring reef-safe sunscreen, a hat, and a dry bag for your phone, since getting in and out of a tender or wading onto a beach is part of most Ang Thong stops.
The best general guidance on timing the whole trip around Samui's seasons, including when the monsoon tends to affect this route most, deserves its own detailed answer rather than a paragraph buried here, and that is coming as a dedicated piece on the best months for boat trips.
Booking an Ang Thong charter
Send a request through the contact page or directly on the boat's own page with your preferred date, group size and which boat interests you. It costs nothing to ask, and a manager confirms availability and the final price before anything is paid, since prices can shift slightly with extra guests beyond the base group size listed on each boat.
If you are still weighing speedboat against catamaran against a bigger group's budget, the price guide by boat lays out every boat on Koh Samui side by side, which is a useful second stop once you know Ang Thong is the route you want.
Questions and answers
How many hours does the Ang Thong trip actually last?
Every boat that runs this route treats it as a full 8-hour day, usually departing around 08:30 or 09:00 and returning between 17:00 and 18:30. Shorter options are not offered for Ang Thong because the crossing itself takes a meaningful part of the day.
Can I swim in Emerald Lake?
Swimming in Emerald Lake (Thale Nai) is generally not permitted; visitors view it from a platform reached by a short walk from the pier. The swimming happens at the park's beaches and snorkelling bays instead.
Is the viewpoint hike difficult?
It is short, usually 20 to 30 minutes, but steep in places with steps and railings rather than a flat path. Most people in reasonable fitness manage it fine, but it is not suitable for strollers or guests with significant mobility limits.
What happens if the sea is too rough on my booked date?
The captain may suggest an alternative route, such as Koh Phangan or Koh Tan and Koh Madsum, which sit closer to Koh Samui and are more sheltered. This is common sense rather than a formality, especially during the north-east monsoon months from roughly November to January.
Is the park entrance fee the same for every boat?
Yes, it is a fixed national park fee of ฿300 per adult and ฿150 per child, paid on site regardless of which boat you charter. It is separate from the boat price on every boat listed here.
Can I combine Ang Thong with another island in one day?
It is possible in theory but not usually advisable, since the crossing to Ang Thong alone takes a meaningful share of an 8-hour day. Most operators treat Ang Thong as a dedicated full-day destination rather than one stop among several.
Is a catamaran worth it for Ang Thong despite the longer crossing?
If comfort, shade and deck space matter more to your group than maximising time on the islands, yes. For most first-time visitors prioritising the viewpoint and snorkelling time, a speedboat makes better use of the day.
What should I bring that is not provided?
Cash for the park entrance fee, reef-safe sunscreen, a hat and a dry bag are worth packing yourself. Snorkelling equipment, water and soft drinks are standard on the boats listed here, but lunch is sometimes an extra charge rather than automatically included.
Ready to choose your boat?
Every boat page shows the routes, prices and what is included. The booking request is free: a manager checks the boat is free on your date and confirms the price.
Updated 21 October 2026. Prices can change: the boat page always shows the current price.
