Ang Thong National Park: Tours, Fees & Overnight Guide

Featured image: tiseb, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr.

Quick answer: is Ang Thong worth it?

Yes, for travelers who want limestone islands, one steep viewpoint and a lagoon seen from a platform. Since 1980 the archipelago has held marine national park status. Pickups start around 7am, and boats return by 4–5pm. Fee context for every Thai park sits in our Thailand park fees guide.

• Best for: hikers who want a 30–45 minute climb to a panoramic viewpoint.
• Best for: first-timers based on Koh Samui or Koh Phangan who want one easy boat day.
• Best for: travelers who will stay a night for sunrise on Koh Wua Ta Lap.
• Skip if: snorkeling is your main goal, since swimming at Thale Nai is banned.
• Skip if: you get seasick easily or have knee trouble on steep stairs.

When Ang Thong National Park is open (and when it's rough)

Tour operators run no trips from 1 November to 15 December each year, and October can already be choppy. As of 13 November 2026, that puts the park inside its closed window. Seas in the Gulf of Thailand are calmest from March to October. Between November and January, weather can close the park, so confirm dates with the Department of National Parks before booking.

How to get there from Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao

No public ferry serves the park, so you join a tour or charter a boat. Ang Thong lies about 17 miles (28 km) from Koh Samui and 20 miles (32 km) from Koh Phangan. Nearly every day tour stops at Thale Nai on Koh Mae Koh and at the beach and viewpoint on Koh Wua Ta Lap. Koh Tao sits about 34 miles (55 km) away, so regular day trips do not start there.

• Samui big boats: leave Nathon Pier on the west coast around 8–8:30am, cross in about 1.5 hours and return by 4:30–5pm. Nathon is across the island from Chaweng and Lamai, so add a drive at both ends of the day.
• Samui speedboats: leave the northeast corner near Bang Rak and Plai Laem, cross in about 45 minutes and usually return by about 4:30pm. Several operators also list Bophut departures.
• Koh Phangan: speedboats leave Thong Sala Pier with pickup at 7:30–8:30am, a crossing of about 45 minutes and a return around 4pm. Thong Nai Pan and Than Sadet pickups often cost extra, and some tours skip Bottle Beach, Haad Khom and Haad Yuan.
• Koh Tao: Unseen Tours runs two- or three-day trips from Mae Haad, about three hours to reach the park, with a minimum of five people. Otherwise take the fast ferry to Thong Sala, about an hour, and join a Phangan tour.

Which tour type fits you

Every tour hits the same stops, so the boat decides your day. In 2026, big-boat tours from Samui typically list ฿1,200–1,800, often with breakfast, lunch and kayaking. Speedboats start around ฿2,000, and shared trips on slower wooden boats start near ฿1,000. Small-group VIP tours from Bophut sit at the top of the range. Prices and hours checked November 2026.

Ang Thong National Park entry fee and what tours include

Foreign adults pay ฿300, and foreign children aged 3–14 pay ฿150. Thai nationals pay ฿40 for adults and ฿20 for children. Most tours collect the fee separately on the day, so carry cash. Some operators bundle it in, and Blue Stars kayak trips include it. Overnight guests reportedly pay once, on the first day. Current rates are listed by the Department of National Parks. Our park fee comparison shows how Ang Thong stacks up against other Thai parks. Tours often add lunch, snorkel gear and a dry bag, and kayaking is a paddle of about 20 minutes.

What to see and do

Thale Nai sits inside Koh Mae Koh. A staircase climbs from a small beach to the rim, then drops to a platform a few meters above the water. Swimming and drones are not allowed. On Koh Wua Ta Lap, the Pha Jun Jaras viewpoint trail runs about 1,640 ft (500 m) with roughly 800 ft (245 m) of climb. Allow 30–45 minutes going up. Many tours leave time for the viewpoint or Bua Bok Cave, not both.

• Thale Nai on Koh Mae Koh: steep but well-built stairs to a rim viewpoint, then a platform over the water.
• Pha Jun Jaras viewpoint: panoramic views of the archipelago. Shoes, water and sun protection are essential.
• Bua Bok Cave: stalagmites and stalactites, with scrambling and rope-assisted climbing.
• Koh Wua Ta Lap beach: long and sandy, with modest snorkeling and a limestone arch you can paddle under.
• Koh Phaluai: an inhabited fishing village where many tours stop for seafood lunch.
• Dusky langur monkeys live on Koh Wua Ta Lap. Watch them from a distance and never feed them.

How to spend your limited time on the island

Tours give a few hours on Koh Wua Ta Lap, so pick your priority. Hikers should take the viewpoint, which eats 30–45 minutes each way up. Travelers with less energy can stop at the lower viewpoints, which still overlook the beach. Families do better with the lagoon, the beach and lunch at Koh Phaluai.

• Big boat: pickup around 7–8am, Nathon departure 8–8:30am, about 1.5 hours to the park, lagoon stop, Koh Wua Ta Lap, lunch, back at Nathon by 4:30–5pm.
• Samui speedboat: pickup 7–8:30am, about 45 minutes to the park, same two main stops, back on Samui by about 4:30pm.
• Phangan speedboat: pickup 7:30–8:30am, Thong Sala departure, about 45 minutes to the park, back on Phangan around 4pm.

Staying overnight on Koh Wua Ta Lap

Koh Wua Ta Lap is the only place visitors can sleep in the park. Rooms are basic bungalows, and tents are an option. Generators power the island and shut off at night, with one guest reporting electricity until 23:00. A restaurant serves Thai meals for about ฿60–120. Stays run up to three nights. Bookings open only 60 days ahead through the DNP's English-language reservation site. Foreign payers use bank transfer, and you need a tour operator for the boat drop-off and next-day pickup. After day tours leave in the afternoon, the beach and viewpoint are close to empty, which is the main reason to stay.

• Cash for the park fee and restaurant meals.
• Sun protection, a hat and sunglasses.
• Hiking shoes for the Pha Jun Jaras stairs.
• Refillable water bottle.
• Headlamp or torch for pre-sunrise climbs.
• Mosquito spray, snacks and any medication you need.

Who should skip or choose differently

Snorkeling-first travelers will find the water here only fair, and Thale Nai is off limits for swimming. Koh Tao's reefs suit them better, and a Mu Ko Surin trip or a Mu Ko Similan trip offers other marine-park options. Anyone with knee or heat problems should skip the 800 ft climb and stay on the lower viewpoints. Travelers prone to seasickness should choose a big boat over a 45-minute speedboat ride. Adventure seekers should know there are no cliff jumps or climbing routes beyond the viewpoint trail.

Boats, heat and park rules

Speedboats bounce most when wind rises, and back seats take the least. Big boats give shade and a toilet but share the stairs with a full load. Do not book a tour for the morning after the Full Moon Party, since 45 minutes of chop is a poor hangover cure. Heat peaks at midday, so climb early or late if you stay overnight. Visitors planning a wider Gulf trip can add the Mu Ko Chumphon islands, a neighboring Gulf park. Andaman-side travelers can compare the Phi Phi park next.

• Bring refillable bottles and skip single-use plastics.
• Leave drones at the hotel.
• Carry baht in cash for fees and meals.
• Wear reef-safe sunscreen.