Koh Samet is the closest island to Bangkok with real white-sand beaches, 3.5 to 5 hours away by road and boat, through the pier town of Ban Phe. Most of it is a national park, so foreigners pay a 200 THB entry fee on arrival. Two nights make a good weekend. We checked boat times, bus times and prices on 14 November 2026, and we mark every figure that is only reported.
Tours and activities to book in Koh Samet
These outings start on the island or bring you there for the day, with live prices and availability.
Ko Samet: 5 or 6 Islands Snorkeling Tour with Lunch Option
Boat trip around 5 or 6 islands near Koh Samet with snorkelling stops, and lunch as an option.
- Duration: 3 to 5 hours
- Free cancellation
- Pickup included
3.9(89 reviews)
See prices & availabilityFrom $32per person
From Bangkok: Koh Samet Paradise Island Self-Guided Day Tour
Day trip from Bangkok to Koh Samet, with the island to explore on your own once you land.
- Duration: 12 hours
- Free cancellation
- Pickup included
4.7(14 reviews)
See prices & availabilityFrom $196per group
From Pattaya: Koh Samet Paradise Island Self-Guided Day Tour
Day trip from Pattaya to Koh Samet, with free time to explore the island on your own.
- Duration: 8.5 hours
- Free cancellation
- Pickup included
4.6(10 reviews)
See prices & availabilityFrom $132per group
Koh Samet Island Tour with Dinner & Fire Show from Pattaya
Koh Samet island tour from Pattaya, with dinner and a fire show in the evening.
- Duration: 10 hours
- Free cancellation
- Pickup included
4.1(2 reviews)
See prices & availabilityFrom $120per person
See more activities in Koh Samet
Koh Samet national park fee in 2026
Almost all of the island belongs to the Khao Laem Ya - Mu Ko Samet National Park, declared in 1981. Every visitor pays the park fee once, in cash, at the checkpoint just after Na Dan pier.
| Visitor | Reported fee | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Foreign adult | 200 THB | Cash, on arrival |
| Foreign child | 100 THB | Cash, on arrival |
| Thai adult or child | 40 THB or 20 THB | Cash, on arrival |
We did not find the fee on an official park page, so these are the amounts given by four travel guides updated between March and October 2026. Foreigners who can show that they live or work in Thailand may be charged the Thai rate.
Koh Samet beaches from north to south
The island is 6.8 km long and its beaches line the east coast, one after the other. The further south you go, the smaller and quieter they get. On Koh Samet most beaches are called ao, which means bay.
Boats land at Na Dan, the island's village, with the 7-Elevens, a small clinic and most of the restaurants. Behind its small lake stands Wat Ko Kaeo Phitsadan, the only temple on Koh Samet. Entry is free, and shoulders and knees should be covered.
Hat Sai Kaew
Hat Sai Kaew, the "crystal sand beach", is a short walk from Na Dan pier. It runs for about 1 km and is 25 to 30 metres wide, with deckchairs, restaurants and jet-skis. It is the busiest beach, so walk south if you want space.
At its southern end stand the statues of Phra Aphai Mani and the mermaid, from the poem by Sunthorn Phu, which is partly set on Koh Samet.
Ao Hin Khok and Ao Phai
Ao Hin Khok is a small cove just south of Sai Kaew, known for its fire shows. Ao Phai comes next. It is calmer by day, with backpacker bungalows and a couple of bars that stay open late.
Ao Tub Tim, Ao Nuan and Ao Chor
These three small bays follow on the same path. Ao Tub Tim, also called Ao Phutsa, is a pretty sandy cove. Ao Nuan is a ten-minute walk through the bush from it, with handmade bungalows. Ao Chor has a few laid-back bars, and its water drops away at low tide.
Ao Wong Duean
Ao Wong Duean is the second-largest beach, a sheltered crescent halfway down the east coast. It has its own small village, hotels and grocery stores, and boats from Ban Phe can drop you here directly.
Ao Thian (Candlelight Beach) and Ao Wai
Ao Thian is a string of rocky coves with very clear water, and Ao Lung Dum at its southern end cannot be reached by car. Further south, Ao Wai belongs to a resort, and you can use the beach if you eat or drink there.
Ao Kiu
Ao Kiu is near the southern tip, where the island is so narrow that the bay faces east on one side and west on the other. Travel guides describe it as one of the few places on the island to watch both sunrise and sunset. A resort occupies most of it, and access is reported to be mostly for guests or by boat.
Ao Prao on the west coast
Ao Prao is the only beach on the west coast, about 400 metres long, with three upmarket resorts and the best sunset view. It has its own boats from Ban Phe. Currents can wash litter in from the mainland, so it is not always as clean as the east coast.
Before you drive down to the beach, turn left on the road above it for a view from the top. If you mainly want beaches, the Andaman side has bluer water, and the beaches and boat trips among the things to do in Phuket are a flight away.
Koh Samet viewpoint and sunset spots
The best viewpoint is at the southern tip, inside the park. Two short paths lead over the rocks to a lookout facing the open sea, with toilets and information boards nearby. It works at sunrise and at sunset.
For the sunset alone, Ao Prao and the cliffs along the south-west coast face the right way. Go by scooter or songthaew and plan the ride back in the dark, since the southern road is rough.
A nature trail of about 2 km starts near the roundabout behind Sai Kaew and climbs to the reservoir in the north-west. The sign gives two hours, and one travel blog found it overgrown, so ask the rangers before you go.
Snorkelling trips from Koh Samet to Koh Kudee and Koh Thalu
The national park is mostly sea, and the best snorkelling is around the small islands to the east. Boat trips are sold as 5, 6 or 9 islands, lasting about 3, 5 and 7 hours, and include gear and a few swimming stops.
Common stops are Koh Kudee, a 10-hectare island with a beach and coral reefs, and Koh Thalu, about 6 km further east, with cliffs on one side and sand on the other. A speedboat trip costs about 1,000 to 1,500 THB a person, reported in 2026. Ask whether the park fee is included and keep your ticket from the island.
You can also snorkel from the shore at Ao Thian or Ao Wong Duean. Ask about currents first, and keep away from the lanes where speedboats come in.
Fire shows on Koh Samet, and is it a party island?
Fire shows run most evenings on Hat Sai Kaew, Ao Hin Khok and Ao Phai, roughly from 6 pm to 10:30 pm. They are free, and the performers come round for a tip. Ploy Talay on Sai Kaew is one of the best-known spots.
That is most of the nightlife. A few bars on Ao Phai stay open late, but there is no club scene like Bangla Road in Phuket, and the southern bays are much quieter at night. A Thai massage on the main street of Na Dan costs about 250 THB an hour, reported by a travel blog.
How to get to Koh Samet from Bangkok
Every route goes through Ban Phe, a pier town on the coast of Rayong, about 186 km from Ekkamai. From there a boat takes 10 to 40 minutes to Na Dan pier or straight to a beach.
Bus from Ekkamai
The cheapest way is the Cherdchai Tour bus from the Eastern Bus Terminal at Ekkamai, next to BTS Ekkamai. A travel guide updated in October 2026 lists departures at 7, 9 and 11 am for about 190 THB, and returns from Ban Phe at noon and 2 pm. The trip takes 3 to 4 hours and the bus stops opposite the piers.
Other listings show more departures and fares from 173 to 194 THB, so check the day before at the counter. There is no direct bus from Mo Chit, only to Rayong, where you change to a songthaew. If you want an easy start, sleep near Sukhumvit, the closest of the areas to stay in Bangkok to Ekkamai bus station.
Minivans and bus-and-boat tickets
Minivans to Ban Phe no longer leave from Victory Monument. They leave from the bus terminals, and booking sites sell combined van or bus and boat tickets for about 350 to 670 THB. Boonsiri runs a bus and catamaran ticket at 750 THB, leaving Khao San or Suvarnabhumi at 9 am and landing at Na Dan at 2:25 pm.
Private transfer
A car from central Bangkok or either airport to the pier, with the boat included, starts at about 3,000 THB for the vehicle and takes about 3 hours. Split between four people, that is about 750 THB each, and it saves one to two hours.
From Pattaya and U-Tapao airport
U-Tapao is the nearest airport, about 60 km from the piers, or an hour by taxi. A travel blog reports about 700 THB by Grab. From Pattaya, a car and boat transfer takes about two hours to the island.
Ban Phe to Koh Samet ferry and speedboat times in 2026
Two piers sit 200 metres apart in Ban Phe, Ban Phe pier and Nuan Thip pier. Both serve Na Dan, the main pier of the island, and you can come back to either of them.
| Boat | One way | Crossing | Times from Ban Phe | Times from Na Dan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slow ferry | 50 to 70 THB | About 40 min | About hourly, 7 am to 6 pm | About hourly, 6 am to 6 pm |
| Fast catamaran | 150 to 170 THB | 10 to 15 min | 8:30, 10, 11:30 am, 2:15 and 5 pm | 9, 10:30 am, 12:30, 3:45 and 5:30 pm |
| Shared speedboat | About 200 THB to Na Dan, up to 500 THB further south | About 15 min | When full, daytime | Fixed times or when full |
| Private speedboat | About 1,800 to 3,000 THB for the boat | About 10 min | Any time, also at night | Any time, also at night |
Times are those published by island guides and operators for 2026. Slow ferries often wait until they are full, so treat the hours as a guide. Buy a one-way ticket on the slow ferry: the return costs the same as two singles and ties you to one company.
Getting around Koh Samet: songthaew, scooter and on foot
There is one road, paved in the north and rough in the south. From Na Dan you can walk to Hat Sai Kaew and Ao Phai, and a path links the bays of the east coast along the shore.
Songthaews, open pick-ups with two benches, wait at the pier and the main beaches. Prices are posted at each stop. Expect about 20 to 60 THB a person when the truck is full, and 200 to 600 THB to hire one to the southern beaches.
A scooter costs about 300 to 400 THB a day or 100 THB an hour. The island is hilly with speed bumps, so check the brakes, and you need a motorcycle licence and an International Driving Permit to ride legally.
Koh Samet weekend: Saturday crowds, seasons and how many days
Weekends and holidays
Koh Samet is Bangkok's beach. From Friday evening to Sunday, and on every Thai long weekend, the ferries fill up, rooms cost more and Sai Kaew is packed. Saturday and Sunday are the peak. From Monday to Thursday the beaches past Ao Phai are quiet and rooms are cheaper.
If you can only go at the weekend, book the room early and leave Bangkok on Friday morning. A weekend here costs far less than a flight south, one of the reasons the cost of living in Thailand stays low for people based in Bangkok.
When to go
The best months are November to April. December to February is the driest and coolest time, with days of 25 to 30°C. March to May is hot. Showers start in June and peak in September and October, with over 200 mm a month at the nearest weather station. Koh Samet is one of the driest islands in the country, so rain rarely lasts all day.
How many days
Two nights suit most people, with one day on the beaches and one on a boat or in the south. A day trip means about ten hours of travel for five on the sand.
Koh Samet fits well after a few days of things to do in Bangkok, and pairs with Koh Chang, further east, on a longer trip. Foreign visitors who land in Bangkok also need the Thailand Digital Arrival Card before the flight. The Andaman islands and Chiang Mai in the north are a flight away, for a longer tour of the Thailand destinations.