- The big tourist boat is the most stable way to Ang Thong: about 1.5 hours from Nathon Pier, but it rolls far less than a speedboat on the same sea.
- Speedboats cross in about 40 minutes and feel every wave, especially at the front of the boat.
- January to September usually has the calmest water; October and late December are the rainy season with rougher sea, and the park is usually closed from 1 November to 15 December.
- Sit at the back of a speedboat or low and in the middle of a big boat, keep your eyes on the horizon and stay in the fresh air.
- Seasickness tablets work best taken before you board, on a light breakfast, not once you already feel sick.
It is 09:00, the pier on Koh Samui is behind you, and the speedboat lifts its nose as the engines open up. Ten minutes later you know whether today is a good day for your stomach. Ang Thong seasickness is the one thing people worry about most before this trip, and most of it can be avoided with the right boat, the right seat and a little planning.
I have watched a lot of guests go green on this crossing and a lot more arrive perfectly fine. The difference is rarely luck. Here is what actually helps.
How bad is Ang Thong seasickness, really?
For most people on most days, it is not bad at all: the crossing is short and the sea between Koh Samui and the park is usually calm from January to September. Problems start when a sensitive stomach meets a speedboat on a windy day, especially in the rainy season.
The park lies about 28 km west of Koh Samui. That is open sea, not a sheltered bay, so when the wind blows there is nothing to stop the swell. On a flat morning you will hardly notice it. On a choppy one, the speedboat slaps from wave to wave and the people at the front feel every one of them.
The good news: once you are inside the archipelago, the islands break the waves and the water between them is usually much calmer. The hard part is the crossing itself, about 40 minutes by speedboat or about 1.5 hours by big boat each way. The stops, the beaches and the viewpoints are on solid ground.
A few people are simply very prone to motion sickness and feel it even in a car. If that is you, read the next section carefully, because the choice of boat matters more than any tablet.
Which boat to Ang Thong feels the waves most?
Speedboats feel the waves most, and the big tourist boat feels them least. The VIP speedboat rides like any other speedboat, and the Red Baron, a heavy 30-meter sailing junk, is one of the smoothest ways to get there.
A speedboat is light and fast. It does not roll much, but it pitches and slams: the bow lifts over a wave and drops onto the next. On a calm day that is fun. On a rough day it is the motion that makes people sick, and you cannot walk around to settle your stomach.
The big boat works the other way. It is slow and heavy, so it rides through the waves instead of jumping over them. The tour page itself calls it the most stable of the Ang Thong tours, and that matches what I see: on the same sea, far fewer guests feel unwell on the big boat.
| Boat | Crossing | How it moves | Good for queasy stomachs? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big tourist boat | About 1.5 h from Nathon Pier | Slow, heavy, gentle roll | Best choice |
| Red Baron sailing junk | Leaves 08:30, in the park at about 10:30 | Large and steady, shaded deck | Very good |
| Speedboat | About 40 min | Fast, bumps on every wave | Fine on calm days only |
| VIP speedboat | About 45 min from Maenam Pier | Same as a speedboat, fewer people | Fine on calm days only |
| Private speedboat (Pearl) | Speedboat speed, your timing | Same as a speedboat | OK if you choose a calm day |
Group speedboats also come in different sizes, from two to four engines, and in high season the big three-engine boats take well over 30 people. A longer, heavier speedboat usually handles chop a bit better than a small one, but you do not get to choose which boat you board, so do not count on it.
My honest opinion: if you know you get seasick, the big boat is the right tour, even though the day is longer. The extra time at sea on a smooth boat is easier than 40 minutes of bumping. For a full side-by-side of the two, see speedboat or big boat for your day.
Which months is the sea rough on the way to Ang Thong?
The calmest sea is usually from January to September. October and the second half of December are the rainy season, when rough days are more common and the captain may change the route or cancel the trip.
The park is usually closed every year from 1 November to 15 December, so there are no tours in the worst part of the monsoon. It reopens in mid-December while the rains are still around, which is why late December can be bumpy.
| Months | Typical sea | Seasickness risk |
|---|---|---|
| January to September | Usually calm, clear water | Low on most days |
| October | Rainy season, rough days more common | Higher, choose the big boat |
| 1 November to 15 December | Park usually closed | No tours run |
| Second half of December | Still rainy season after reopening | Higher, choose the big boat |
Even in the calm months, weather is weather: a windy day can turn up in any month, and a rough day in October can be followed by a glassy one. Check the forecast the evening before, and if it looks windy, a calm stomach is a good reason to ask about moving your date. The month-by-month picture gets its own article soon.
The tour company and the captain make the final call on weather. If they cancel for weather, you get a new date or a full refund, so you are never forced out onto a dangerous sea.
Where should you sit to avoid feeling sick?
On a speedboat, sit at the back, close to the engines, and face forward. On the big boat, stay low and in the middle of the deck, out in the open air.
The front of a speedboat moves the most: it rises and drops on every wave, and that is where people get sick first. The back of the boat stays much flatter. When you board, take a seat in the rear rows, even if the front looks better for photos. You can move forward for pictures once you are inside the calm water of the park.
On the big boat, the middle of the boat rolls least, and lower decks move less than upper ones. The trade-off is air: a stuffy cabin is worse than a little extra motion. My advice is the middle of the open deck, in the shade, where you can see the horizon.
- Face the direction of travel, never backwards.
- Keep your eyes on the horizon or on the islands ahead, not on your phone.
- Stay out of the smell of engine exhaust if the wind blows it your way.
- Sit near the side so you can lean over the rail if you have to, rather than rushing past other people.
- Tell the guide when you board that you get seasick: they can often seat you well.
On the Red Baron the red sails shade the deck and the boat moves slowly, so the usual rule applies: find a seat in the middle with a view of the sea and stay up top.
What should you eat before an Ang Thong boat trip?
Eat a light, plain breakfast about an hour before pickup: toast, rice, a banana, a few crackers. An empty stomach and a heavy, greasy one are both worse than a small meal.
Hotel pickup for the speedboat is between 07:40 and 08:20, and the boat leaves at 09:00, so there is time for a quick breakfast. On the big boat and the VIP tour a light breakfast is served before or right after departure, which is useful, but on the big boat you eat it while the boat is already moving. If you are sensitive, have a little something at the hotel and take it easy on board.
Things to skip the night before and in the morning:
- Alcohol, especially a late night out on Samui before a 07:30 pickup.
- Fried food, heavy curries, lots of coconut milk and very spicy dishes.
- Large amounts of coffee on an empty stomach.
- Fizzy drinks in big gulps once you are on the boat.
Do drink water. The sun on the water is strong and dehydration makes nausea worse. Small sips are better than a whole bottle at once. Ginger is an old local remedy: ginger sweets or ginger tea before the trip help some people, and they do no harm.
Lunch timing differs by tour. On the speedboat you eat on land at Tamarin Beach at about 12:00, and the ride back starts at 15:30, so there is plenty of time to digest. On the big boat, lunch is served on board at about 12:30 while the boat moves between islands; by then you are in sheltered water, but still keep it moderate.
Do seasickness tablets work, and when should you take them?
Yes, for most people they help a lot, as long as you take them before you board. Pharmacies all over Koh Samui sell motion sickness tablets without a prescription.
Most common tablets are antihistamines, and they can make you drowsy. That is not a bad thing on a boat, but it matters if you plan to snorkel or climb the stairs to the Emerald Lake: take the dose the pharmacist recommends, not double. There are also less drowsy types, so tell the pharmacist what your day looks like. Read the leaflet, and ask about children's doses separately.
For the return trip, check the leaflet for how long one dose lasts. A tablet taken at 08:00 may be wearing off by the time the boat leaves the park in the afternoon, so some people take a second dose at lunch if the instructions allow it.
Wristbands that press on a point on the inside of the wrist are popular too. The evidence is mixed, but they are cheap, have no side effects and some guests swear by them. Pregnant women should know that the speedboat and VIP tours are not booked for them at all, for safety reasons.
What to do on the boat if you start to feel sick
Act at the first sign: a yawn you cannot stop, sweating, a heavy head. Move to the back of the boat or the open deck, look at the horizon and breathe slowly.
- Tell the crew or the guide. They see this every day, they have bags, and they can move you to a better seat.
- Get fresh air on your face. Wind and cool spray help more than you would think.
- Fix your eyes on the horizon and stop looking at screens or reading.
- Sip water slowly. A small, dry snack such as crackers can settle the stomach.
- Close your eyes if the horizon is not visible: it cuts the mismatch between what you see and what you feel.
- If you are going to be sick, go to the side the wind is blowing away from, or use a bag. Nobody on these boats will think twice about it.
The best cure of all is solid ground, and on Ang Thong you get it often. Every tour makes stops on land: the stairway to the Emerald Lake, the beach and the viewpoint on Wua Ta Lap. Most people feel fine within minutes of stepping ashore.
If you felt rough on the way out, take it easy at the first stop. Skip the snorkeling if you need to, sit in the shade with water and save your energy for the viewpoint later in the day. The guide will not mind.
Choosing your tour if you get seasick
The safest choice for a sensitive stomach is the big boat: it is the cheapest tour, from ฿1100 per adult, it has the smoothest ride and it includes breakfast and lunch on board. It is slower, and it makes fewer stops than the speedboat, but the day is relaxed.
If the speed matters more to you, the speedboat (฿1890 per adult) is fine for most people from January to September, as long as you sit at the back and take a tablet if you are unsure. The Red Baron sailing cruise is the comfortable middle ground: a big, steady boat, a shaded deck and the park fee included, on Wednesday and Saturday.
Pick the big boat if you get sick in cars too, the Red Baron if you want a slow day with good food on a steady deck, and the speedboat if you are usually fine at sea and want more time on the islands.
- Days
- Daily
- Time
- 07:30-17:00
- Boat
- Large tourist boat
- Park fee
- ฿300 extra
- Days
- Wed, Sat
- Time
- 07:30-19:00
- Boat
- Traditional sailing junk
- Park fee
- Included
- Days
- Daily
- Time
- 07:40-16:30
- Boat
- Shared speedboat
- Park fee
- ฿300 extra
For piers, crossing times and the park fee of ฿300 per adult, see how to get to Ang Thong from Koh Samui. Before you leave the hotel, run through this short list:
- Light breakfast, no alcohol the night before.
- Tablet taken before pickup or at the pier, as the leaflet says.
- Water, a hat and sunscreen.
- Ginger sweets or crackers in your bag.
- A seat at the back of the speedboat or the middle of the big boat's open deck.
Questions and answers
Is the boat to Ang Thong rough?
On most days from January to September it is calm. In October and the second half of December rough days are more common, and the captain may change the route or cancel. The park is usually closed from 1 November to 15 December.
Which Ang Thong tour is best for people who get seasick?
The big tourist boat. It takes about 1.5 hours each way, but it is large and heavy and rolls much less than a speedboat on the same sea. The Red Baron sailing junk is also a steady ride.
How long is the speedboat ride from Koh Samui to Ang Thong?
About 40 minutes on the regular speedboat and about 45 minutes on the VIP speedboat from Maenam Pier. The time at sea is short, but a speedboat feels every wave.
Can I buy seasickness tablets on Koh Samui?
Yes, pharmacies across the island sell motion sickness tablets without a prescription. Tell the pharmacist you are going on a boat trip, ask about drowsiness and take the tablet before you board.
Is the water calm inside the park?
Usually much calmer than the open crossing, because the islands break the waves. Most people who feel sick on the way recover quickly once the boat is between the islands or they step ashore.
What happens if the tour is cancelled because of waves?
The tour company and the captain decide on weather. If they cancel, you get a new date or a full refund including the card fee.
Is it better to sit at the front or the back of the speedboat?
The back. The bow rises and drops on every wave, while the rear near the engines stays much flatter. Move forward for photos once you are in calm water.
Facts checked against our tour pages on 29 October 2026. Prices and days can change: your manager confirms them when you book.
