- Every Ang Thong tour from Koh Samui includes hotel pickup and drop-off, snorkeling gear and soft drinks.
- The park fee of ฿300 per adult and ฿150 per child is included only on the VIP speedboat and the Red Baron; on the speedboat, big boat and private charter you pay it in cash.
- Kayaking is included on the speedboat and VIP tours, is an option on the big boat (฿1500 instead of ฿1100 per adult) and is not offered on the Red Baron or the private boat.
- The private speedboat (฿39,000 for up to 6 guests) covers the boat, crew, guide, fuel, drinks and snacks, but not lunch, kayaks or the park fee.
- Alcoholic drinks are not included on any tour.
At the ticket office on the pier, someone in every group discovers the park fee is not in their ticket and starts digging through a beach bag for cash. It takes ten seconds to avoid: read what your Ang Thong tour included before you pay, not on the morning of the trip.
Below is the honest list for each of the five tours we sell from Koh Samui: transfer, guide, food, drinks, snorkel gear, kayaks, insurance and the park fee. Then the short list of extras that actually cost money on the day.
Ang Thong tour included: what every ticket covers
Every Ang Thong tour from Koh Samui includes hotel pickup and drop-off, snorkeling gear and soft drinks. After that the tours split: some include the park fee, some include kayaks, one leaves lunch to you.
The single line that changes your budget most is the national park fee. It is ฿300 per adult and ฿150 per child, and only the VIP speedboat and the Red Baron include it. Children aged 3-12 and under 130 cm pay the child rate, taller children pay the adult fee, and children under 3 go free.
| What | Speedboat | VIP speedboat | Big boat | Red Baron | Private boat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | ฿1890 adult | ฿3890 adult | from ฿1100 adult | ฿3700 adult | ฿39,000 per boat (up to 6) |
| Hotel transfer | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Guide | English-speaking | English-speaking | English-speaking | Group guide | Yes |
| Food | Buffet lunch on Tamarin Beach | Light breakfast, buffet lunch on Koh Phaluai | Breakfast and buffet lunch on board | Breakfast and lunch on board, snacks | Fruit and snacks; lunch not included |
| Drinks | Soft drinks, water | Soft drinks, fruit | Soft drinks | Welcome drink, coffee, tea, soft drinks | Soft drinks, water |
| Snorkel gear | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Kayaks | Included | Included | Option: ฿1500 instead of ฿1100 | No kayaking | Not included |
| Insurance | Accident insurance | Accident insurance | Accident insurance | Ask when booking | Travel insurance |
| Park fee | Extra, cash | Included | Extra | Included | Extra |
If you only remember one thing from the table: two tours are truly "nothing to pay on the day", the other three need park fee cash in your pocket. More on the fee itself in the guide to the Ang Thong park fee.
What does the Ang Thong speedboat tour include?
The daily speedboat tour at ฿1890 per adult includes the transfer, an English-speaking guide, snorkeling gear and life jacket, kayaking, a buffet lunch, soft drinks and water, and accident insurance. The park fee is the one big thing it leaves out.
The day starts with tea and coffee at registration on the pier, before the boat leaves at 09:00. Lunch is a buffet at the beach restaurant on Tamarin Beach, and the kayaks wait on the same beach, so after eating you paddle along the cliffs or just stay on the sand.
Two small print points matter. Kayaking is allowed from 5 years old, and skipping it or a weather cancellation does not change the price. The tour page also lists an underwater camera as not included, so bring your own waterproof pouch for the phone.
Children 3-12 and up to 130 cm pay ฿1490, infants under 3 travel free. All the details and the timetable are on the Ang Thong speedboat tour page.
What it does not give you is a small group. Group speedboats come in different sizes, and in high season the big three-engine boats take well over 30 people. For most travellers that is fine: you get the four classic stops, a full lunch and kayaks for the lowest price of any speedboat day, and the park fee is the only cash you need.
What does the VIP speedboat include, and is it really all-in?
Yes, the VIP tour is the closest thing to all-inclusive: at ฿3890 per adult it covers the transfer, the park fee, a light breakfast, a buffet lunch, fruit and soft drinks, snorkeling gear, kayaking, a life jacket, an English-speaking guide and accident insurance. Only alcoholic drinks are extra.
Breakfast is served at Maenam Pier before the 08:30 departure, and lunch is a buffet on Koh Phaluai, the island with the fishing village. Kayaking happens along the coast of Koh Sam Sao, the classic paddling route of the park.
My honest view: the price gap with the regular speedboat looks bigger than it is once you remember the park fee and breakfast are already in. What you really pay for is the small group and six stops instead of four. It runs only on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, so check your dates before you fall in love with it. Children aged 4-10 pay ฿2890 and under 4 go free.
Who should skip it? Families on a tight budget, and anyone happy to share the boat with a bigger group. The regular speedboat gives you the Emerald Lake, a reef and kayaks too; the VIP adds space, quiet and the remote beach of Song Pee Nong.
What does the big boat include, and is the kayak option worth it?
The big boat includes the transfer, breakfast and a buffet lunch on board, soft drinks, snorkeling gear, an English-speaking guide and accident insurance. The park fee is extra, and kayaks come only with the kayak option.
This is the cheapest way into the park and the food is better than people expect: a light breakfast after leaving Nathon Pier, then three Thai main dishes, a salad and fresh fruit for lunch. Without kayaks it costs ฿1100 per adult and ฿700 per child; with kayaks ฿1500 and ฿1000.
Is the kayak option worth ฿400 more? If you are fit and like paddling, yes: you paddle to Mae Ko and along its coast before climbing to the Emerald Lake. If you have small children (kayaking starts at 5 years old) or you simply want an easy day, skip it. A longtail boat takes you ashore and you still see the lake. The big boat tour page has both prices side by side.
What does the Red Baron cruise price cover?
The Red Baron at ฿3700 per adult includes the hotel transfer, the park fee, a welcome drink, breakfast and lunch on board, fruit and snacks through the day, coffee, tea and soft drinks, and snorkeling gear. Alcohol is extra and there is no kayaking on this cruise.
This is a shared group cruise with a guide, not a private yacht. It sails to Ang Thong on Wednesday and Saturday and returns at about 19:00, so the price buys you a long, slow day with food almost the whole time.
The child prices are different from the other tours: ฿1850 for ages 5-10, ฿500 for ages 2-4, and free under 2. Insurance is not listed among the inclusions on the cruise page, so if it matters to you, ask us when you book.
What is included in the private speedboat to Ang Thong?
The private charter covers the whole boat: captain and crew, fuel, hotel transfer, a guide, travel insurance, soft drinks and water, fruit and snacks, snorkeling masks and life jackets. Lunch, kayaking and the park fee are not included.
The boat is the Pearl, a 38 ft speedboat. The price is ฿39,000 for up to 6 guests and ฿2000 for each extra guest, up to 15. Adults and children count the same for the boat, only the park fee has a child rate.
Lunch is the extra people forget. On a typical route you eat at the fishing village on Koh Phaluai: it is ordered in advance and paid on the spot. Nobody chooses a private boat to save money; you pay for your own timetable. The private speedboat page explains the usual route.
What should you budget for on top of the tour price?
On most tours the only real extra is the park fee in cash. A few smaller costs depend on the tour and on you:
- Park fee: ฿300 per adult, ฿150 per child, in cash, on the speedboat, big boat and private charter.
- Alcoholic drinks: not included on any tour.
- Kayaks: only an extra on the big boat (the kayak option); not available on the Red Baron or the private boat.
- Lunch on the private boat: paid at the island restaurant.
- Card fee: if you pay the prepayment by card through Stripe, a 6% card fee is added.
- A waterproof phone pouch: cheap, and it saves a phone on the kayak or the longtail transfer.
Small cash for a snack or a cold drink at the park restaurant on Wua Ta Lap is nice to have but not needed: every tour feeds you and gives you drinks. Tips are a personal choice, not part of any price.
Not sure which mix of inclusions fits you? In short: the speedboat for most people, the VIP if you want everything paid in advance and a small group, the big boat for a budget day or anyone prone to seasickness, the Red Baron for a slow day of sailing and meals, and the private boat if you want the day on your own terms.
- Days
- Daily
- Time
- 07:40-16:30
- Boat
- Shared speedboat
- Park fee
- ฿300 extra
- Days
- Tue, Thu, Sat
- Time
- 07:00-17:30
- Boat
- Small group, max 16
- Park fee
- Included
- 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
- Any day
- Time
- 8 hours
- Boat
- Your group only, max 15
- Park fee
- ฿300 extra
Before you book: the practical checklist
A booking request on the site is free and takes no payment. A manager confirms the details on WhatsApp and sends a link for a prepayment, usually 50%, and you pay the rest on the day of the tour.
- Check the tour runs on your date: VIP on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, Red Baron on Wednesday and Saturday, the others daily.
- Check the season. The park is usually closed every year from 1 November to 15 December, and no tours run then, whatever is included.
- Put the park fee cash aside the night before if your tour does not include it.
- Take a photo of your passport: the number is needed for the insurance.
- Read the cancellation policy: 5 days or more before the tour the prepayment is refunded minus the card fee, later it is not.
One more habit that saves stress: the evening before, lay out the cash, swimwear, towel, sunscreen, hat and shoes with grip for the viewpoint stairs. Pickup starts at 07:00 on the VIP day and 07:30 on the big boat, and nobody wants to search for the park fee in a dark hotel room.
Speedboat tours are not booked for pregnant women. The weather call always belongs to the captain, so a stop may change, but what is included in your ticket does not.
Questions and answers
Is lunch included on Ang Thong tours from Koh Samui?
Yes on four of the five. The speedboat serves a buffet on Tamarin Beach, the VIP tour on Koh Phaluai, and the big boat and Red Baron serve meals on board. Only the private speedboat leaves lunch out: you eat at the island restaurant and pay there.
Do I need to bring cash on an Ang Thong tour?
On the speedboat, big boat and private charter, yes: the park fee of ฿300 per adult and ฿150 per child is paid in cash. On the VIP speedboat and the Red Baron the fee is already in the price, so cash is only for personal extras.
Are drinks included on the boat?
Soft drinks are included on every tour, and the Red Baron adds coffee, tea and a welcome drink. Alcoholic drinks are not included on any of them.
Is snorkeling equipment provided, or should I bring my own?
Masks, snorkels and life jackets are provided on all five tours. Bring your own mask only if you already have one that fits well, many people find their own more comfortable.
Is insurance included on Ang Thong tours?
The speedboat, VIP and big boat tours include accident insurance, and the private charter includes travel insurance. You will be asked for your passport number for it, so a photo of the passport on your phone is enough.
Do children get the same inclusions as adults?
Yes, children get the same meals, gear and transfer. Kayaking is allowed only from 5 years old, and the park fee for children is ฿150 for ages 3-12 under 130 cm, free under 3.
Can I get a refund if kayaking is cancelled because of the weather?
On the speedboat tour kayaking is part of the package: skipping it or a weather cancellation does not change the price. If the whole tour is cancelled by the tour company because of weather, you get a new date or a full refund.
Facts checked against our tour pages on 13 November 2026. Prices and days can change: your manager confirms them when you book.
