- An around Koh Samui day lasts about 8 hours and follows the coast of the island itself, with swim and snorkelling stops instead of one long open-sea crossing.
- Pearl does the route for ฿39,000 and Ruby 38 for ฿40,000, both for up to 6 guests with hotel transfer included.
- Minor Affair, a Sunseeker Manhattan 60, circles Samui for ฿260,000 with lunch, kayaking and an air-conditioned salon.
- Hilux (฿62,000, with fishing) and the Red Baron junk (฿71,000, 9 hours) suit bigger groups of up to 10 and 20 guests at the base price.
- The route is a good plan from 1 November to 15 December, when Ang Thong National Marine Park is usually closed.
You have been on Koh Samui for a week. You know your beach, the road to Chaweng and the night market, but you have never seen the island from the water. Then someone at breakfast asks the obvious question: why spend two hours crossing to another island when Samui itself has a coastline most visitors never see?
That is the idea behind an around Koh Samui boat trip. You leave in the morning, follow the coast all day, stop where the water is clear and come back before sunset, without a long open-sea crossing. Here is how the day works, which boats run it and who should pick it.
What is an around Koh Samui boat trip?
An around Koh Samui boat trip is a private full day, usually about 8 hours, that follows the coast of Samui instead of crossing to Ang Thong, Koh Phangan or Koh Tao. The boat is yours for the day, and the crew stops at bays, viewpoints and small islands along the way.
It is not a race around the island. The point is the coastline: the Big Buddha on its little island in the north-east, the long beaches of the east coast, the rocks at Lamai, the fishing villages of the south and the quieter west. You see the island you are staying on from a side most people never get to.
The big difference from other full days is that you are never far from land. On a crossing to Koh Tao you are in open water for a long stretch. Here the coast is always in sight, the legs between stops are short, and if someone feels unwell, a calm bay is usually close by.
The exact stops are not fixed on the boat pages. They depend on the wind, the tide and what your group wants. A good captain will read the day and choose the sheltered side, which is half the value of a private boat.
Which boats go around Koh Samui, and how much does it cost?
Seven boats list a Samui coast day in their routes, from Pearl at ฿39,000 to Minor Affair at ฿260,000. Prices are for the whole boat, not per person, and each one covers a set number of guests.
| Boat | Type | Route on the boat page | Price per boat | Guests in the price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pearl | Speedboat | Around Koh Samui, 8 hours | ฿39,000 | Up to 6 (max 15) |
| Ruby 38 | Speedboat | Around Koh Samui, 8 hours | ฿40,000 | Up to 6 (max 8) |
| Scarlet | Sailing catamaran | Koh Phangan or Koh Samui, 6 or 8 hours | ฿49,900 / ฿55,000 | 8 (max 20) |
| Hilux | Motor yacht | Around Samui Island and fishing, 8 hours | ฿62,000 | 1-10 (max 20) |
| Red Baron | Sailing junk | Around Koh Samui or Koh Phangan, 9 hours | ฿71,000 | Up to 20 (max 70) |
| Princess 42 | Motor yacht | Koh Samui, 8 hours | ฿102,000 | Up to 10 |
| Minor Affair | Motor yacht | Cruise around Koh Samui, 8 hours | ฿260,000 | Up to 12 |
Read the small print on each boat page. Pearl and Ruby 38 add ฿2,000 for each guest above 6. Hilux adds ฿1,500 per extra adult, and children aged 0-10 travel free. Red Baron adds ฿2,400 per guest above 20 on this day. Pearl, Ruby 38, Scarlet, Princess 42 and Minor Affair include hotel transfer, which matters when you compare prices.
Lunch is another line to check. Minor Affair, Red Baron and Scarlet (on 6-8 hour trips) include lunch. On Pearl and Ruby 38 lunch is not included, so you either eat at a beach restaurant on the way or bring food on board.
What do you see on the way round?
You see the whole character of Samui in one day: the temples and fishing piers of the north, the busy beaches of the east, the rocks and coconut groves of the south and the calmer bays of the west. The order depends on where the boat starts and on the wind.
The north and the Big Buddha
Many boats start from the north side of the island, and the first landmark is usually the Big Buddha, the large golden statue of Wat Phra Yai on the small island of Koh Faan. From the water you see it the way fishermen have for decades, above the trees, with the bay of Bang Rak below.
West of it lies Bophut and the old Fisherman's Village, with its wooden shophouses facing the sea. Further on, Mae Nam is long and quiet. From a boat these beaches look very different from the road: you notice how much of the coast is still palms and small houses.
The east coast: Choeng Mon, Chaweng and Lamai
The north-east corner has small bays around Choeng Mon, and offshore you pass little islands such as Koh Som. Then comes Chaweng, the longest and liveliest beach, and Lamai further south. Off Lamai the crew may point out Hin Ta and Hin Yai, the Grandfather and Grandmother rocks, famous for their shapes.
This is also the side that takes the wind from the north-east in the monsoon months. On those days the captain may run this part quickly or swap the direction of the loop.
The south and the west
The south coast is the most local part of the trip: fishing villages, the pier at Thong Krut, mangroves and long shallow bays. Offshore lie Koh Tan and Koh Madsum, the island known as Pig Island. The west coast faces the mainland and Ang Thong in the distance, and on clear afternoons the light here is the best of the day.
Where do you stop to swim and snorkel?
The usual swim and snorkelling stops on a Samui loop are the small islands off the south coast, Koh Tan and Koh Madsum, plus a sheltered bay or two chosen on the day. Koh Tan has reef close to the beach, and Pig Island has a soft sandy beach for a break.
Be realistic about the water. The coral around Samui is not Koh Tao. Visibility near the main island can be cloudy after rain, and the clearest water is usually around the southern islands. If great snorkelling is the main goal of your holiday, Koh Tao and Koh Nang Yuan are the better choice, and an around Samui day is about the coast, not the reef.
The south islands have small entrance fees that are not part of the boat price: ฿50 per person on Koh Madsum and the same on Koh Rap. Bring cash in small notes. You can read more about that part of the coast on the Koh Tan and Koh Madsum page.
A typical rhythm looks like this:
- Morning: pick-up, the Big Buddha and the north coast while the sea is calm.
- Late morning: down the east coast, with a swim stop if the water is flat.
- Midday: the south islands for snorkelling and lunch, on board or on the beach.
- Afternoon: the quieter west coast, one more swim, then back to the pier.
The order often runs the other way, depending on where the boat is moored and on the wind. Do not hold the crew to a fixed list. A private day works best when you tell them what you like, swimming, photos or a long lunch, and let them plan the stops.
Pearl, Ruby 38 or Minor Affair: which one for this route?
For most couples, families and small groups, Pearl is the best value for the Samui loop: ฿39,000 for up to 6 guests, hotel transfer included, and room for up to 15. Ruby 38 is a sportier boat for small groups, and Minor Affair is the choice when comfort matters more than price.
Pearl is the boat I recommend most often for this route, and it is the boat guests book most often through Charter Samui. It is a 12 m (38 ft) speedboat with two 200 hp Suzuki engines, a canopy over the seating and a guide on board. The price includes soft drinks, water, fruits, snacks, snorkelling masks and life jackets. Lunch is extra, so plan a beach restaurant stop or bring something.
Ruby 38 is a Sports Cruiser 38 with two 300 hp Mercury Verado engines and a top speed of up to 68 km/h. It takes a maximum of 8, and the base price covers 6, so a small group has plenty of room. The crew is a licensed captain, a sailor and an English-speaking guide, and the price includes minibus transfer, drinks, fruit and snacks. At ฿40,000 it costs almost the same as Pearl, so choose it if you want a smaller, more private feel.
Minor Affair is a Sunseeker Manhattan 60 with three double cabins, an air-conditioned living room and a large outdoor deck with sun loungers and sofas. The Samui loop costs ฿260,000 for up to 12 guests and includes a Thai lunch, kayaking, diving, snorkelling equipment and an English or Russian guide. It is a very different day: slower, cooler and built around the yacht itself.
In short: Pearl suits families and friends who want good value, Ruby 38 suits a small group who like speed, and Minor Affair suits a celebration or anyone who wants shade, cabins and lunch on board.
For bigger groups, look at Hilux, which combines the loop with fishing for ฿62,000, and Red Baron, a 30 m Thai junk that circles Samui in 9 hours for ฿71,000 with lunch. Scarlet, a sailing catamaran with a slide and paddle boards, is the relaxed option for families of up to 8 at the base price.
Around Samui or a crossing to Ang Thong or Koh Tao: who should choose which?
Choose the around Samui day if you want a relaxed day with short legs, if someone in the group gets seasick, or if Ang Thong is closed. Choose Ang Thong or Koh Tao if dramatic islands or the best snorkelling are the reason you came.
The loop suits these guests best:
- Families with small children or older parents, who prefer short runs and a coast that is always close.
- Anyone who gets seasick on open water, especially in the windier months.
- Guests who have already done Ang Thong or Koh Tao and want something new.
- Visitors from 1 November to 15 December, when Ang Thong National Marine Park is usually closed and no trips go there.
That Ang Thong closure is the strongest argument for the loop at the end of the year. The park is usually closed every year from 1 November to 15 December, and the around Samui day is the obvious full-day alternative. From mid December you can plan the Ang Thong charter again.
Who should skip it? Snorkellers who want the best reefs should go to the Koh Tao and Koh Nang Yuan route, which costs ฿41,000 on Pearl. And if you want wild limestone islands and lagoons, nothing on the Samui coast replaces Ang Thong. The loop is gentler and more varied, but less spectacular.
When is the sea right for circling Samui?
From about February to October the sea around Samui is usually at its calmest, and the loop runs well. From about November to January the north-east monsoon can make the sea on the Gulf of Thailand rough, and the route may change or the trip may be postponed.
The advantage of a loop is flexibility. If the wind blows from the north-east, the crew can spend more time on the sheltered west and south coasts and pass the east side quickly. On a crossing to Koh Tao there is no such escape, so in windy weeks the Samui loop is often the day that still goes ahead.
Still, the monsoon months are real. Rain can come in heavy bursts, the water gets cloudier, and on rough days the captain may cancel. Keep one spare day in your plans, and do not book the trip for your last morning on the island.
Within a day, the morning is usually the calmest. That is one reason many boats start early, run the more exposed side first and save the sheltered bays for the afternoon.
How to book an around Samui day
Pick the boat by group size and budget, then send a free request with the date and number of guests. A manager checks that the boat is free and confirms the final price; the request does not commit you to anything.
A few practical tips before you send it:
- Say whether you want lunch at a beach restaurant or food on board, so the crew can plan the stops.
- Bring cash in small notes for the ฿50 island fees on Koh Madsum and Koh Rap.
- Ask where the boat departs: Minor Affair from the hotel with transfer, Hilux from the west side, Scarlet from Choeng Mon or Bang Rak.
- Pack sunscreen, a hat, swimwear and a towel if the boat page does not list one.
You can start with Pearl's page, the simplest choice for most groups, or browse all boats on the Charter Samui home page. Then let the captain decide the direction on the day. On a loop around Samui, the wind usually knows best.
Questions and answers
How long does a boat trip around Koh Samui take?
Most boats list 8 hours for the Samui coast day, and the Red Baron junk lists 9 hours. Scarlet also offers a shorter 6-hour version. That leaves time for two or three swim stops and lunch without rushing.
Is the Big Buddha visible from the boat?
Yes, the Big Buddha at Wat Phra Yai stands on a small island in the north-east and is easy to see from the water. Whether you land to visit the temple depends on the route and the crew, so ask in advance if it matters to you. Dress modestly if you plan to go ashore.
Can we stop at Pig Island on an around Samui trip?
Koh Madsum, known as Pig Island, lies off the south coast and is a natural stop on the loop. The entrance fee is ฿50 per person and is not part of the boat price. Ask the manager when you book so the crew can plan the stop.
Is an around Samui boat trip good for children?
It is one of the easier full days for families, because the legs between stops are short and land is always close. On Hilux children aged 0-10 travel free, and Scarlet has a slide on trips of 4 hours and longer. Bring life vests in children's sizes if you have your own.
Is lunch included?
It depends on the boat. Minor Affair and Red Baron include lunch, and Scarlet includes a Thai lunch on 6-8 hour trips. On Pearl and Ruby 38 lunch is not included, so you stop at a beach restaurant or bring food.
Can we fish during the day?
Hilux combines the Samui loop with fishing in its programme, and fishing equipment is available on request. Minor Affair has fishing rods on request too. On speedboats like Pearl and Ruby 38 fishing is not part of the listed price.
What happens if the weather is bad?
The captain may change the direction of the loop to stay on the sheltered side, shorten some stops or postpone the trip on rough days. This is more likely from about November to January, during the north-east monsoon. A manager will contact you if the plan has to change.
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 8 November 2026. Prices can change: the boat page always shows the current price.
