Pig Island from Koh Samui: What the Half Day Is Really Like

Search for “pig island” and you get the swimming pigs of the Bahamas. Samui’s is a different place: Koh Madsum, a small island off the south coast, where a family of pigs roams the beach. A trip there is a half day of short boat hops, an hour or so with the pigs, and lunch and snorkelling on the neighbouring island of Koh Tan.

It is an easy, cheerful outing and a good one with children. It is not a wildlife trip, and the snorkelling depends a lot on the tide.

Check dates for the Pig Island day

How the day goes

Most tours start the same way: a van from your hotel to Thong Krut pier on the south coast, which takes 40 minutes to an hour depending on where you stay, and about 25 minutes by boat from there to Koh Madsum. Happy Samui’s speedboat leaves from the company’s own jetty on the same coast.

The tour we would book is TripGuru’s island hop. After the pier it gives you about 80 minutes on Koh Madsum with the pigs, then an hour’s boat ride round to Koh Tan for two hours of lunch, swimming and snorkelling before the 30-minute run back. Entrance fees, lunch, snorkel gear and drinking water are included, and the listing says the tour is certified by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council. From $50, rated 4.6 over 3,651 reviews. A reviewer in July had a group of six and said the long-tail ride to Pig Island “was so much fun”.

Three ways to go

Happy Samui’s speedboat half day is the most reviewed on the island, 5,569 reviews at 4.5, from $41. It is about five hours including transfers, with snorkelling and a buffet lunch on Koh Tan. The 50 baht entry to Pig Island is not included; bring cash. Children over 120 cm pay the adult price.

The cheapest is Mr.O’s long-tail trip, from $26 with 845 reviews at 4.3. Entry fees are included but meals are not, and it adds an optional hike up to a viewpoint on the island, which one reviewer said “should be mandatory”.

A private long-tail starts at about $99 for two people; bigger groups pay more.

Prices, ratings and review counts from our October 2026 data check; operators change prices by season, so treat them as a guide, not a quote.

Questions people ask

Is Pig Island worth visiting from Koh Samui?

As a relaxed half day, yes, especially with children: short boat rides, a beach, the pigs, and a swim. Go for the outing as a whole. If you want a big day on the water, an Ang Thong boat trip covers far more.

Is Koh Samui’s Pig Island ethical?

The welfare debate you will read about is mostly about the Bahamas’ pig beaches. We found no welfare investigation of the Koh Madsum pigs either way. The listings disagree even on whose pigs they are: one operator calls them wild, another says they belong to a family living on the island and warns that a bite can mean rabies shots. Some tours invite you to feed them. Watch and photograph, keep your food to yourself, and keep small children close.

How far is it from Koh Samui to Pig Island?

About 25 minutes by boat from Thong Krut pier on Samui’s south coast, plus 40 minutes to an hour by van from most hotels to the pier.

How much does it cost to go to Pig Island?

Tours run from about $26 to $50 a person, and the island charges 50 baht entry when your tour does not include it. A private long-tail starts at about $99 for two people.

When is the snorkelling best?

It depends on the tide more than the season. One September reviewer found it poor “due to high tide waves” and suggested going in the morning. All three tours above refund in full if you cancel 24 hours ahead, and TripGuru refunds or reschedules if the weather cancels the boat.

If you would rather see elephants on the same trip, read what makes an elephant sanctuary ethical first. How many days in Koh Samui fits Pig Island into a week.

Tour details from the operators’ listings, read October 2026. The 50 baht entry from the listings and visitor guides.