- The VIP speedboat costs ฿3890 per adult and takes no more than 16 guests, while regular group speedboats in high season can carry well over 30.
- The VIP price already includes the national park fee, breakfast, lunch, kayaking and hotel transfer; on the regular speedboat (฿1890) the ฿300 park fee is paid separately in cash.
- The VIP route has six stops instead of four, with kayaking at Koh Sam Sao, lunch on Koh Phaluai and the quiet Song Pee Nong beach.
- It runs only on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, with pickup at 07:00-07:30 and return at 17:30, so it is a longer day.
- It is not worth it for travellers on a budget, for anyone prone to seasickness or if your free days do not match the schedule.
You are looking at two speedboat tours to the same national park, and one costs roughly twice the other. Both pick you up at the hotel, both stop at the Emerald Lake, both include lunch and kayaks. This Ang Thong VIP tour review is about the one question that matters: what exactly do you get for the extra money, and is it worth it for your day?
Short answer from someone who sends guests on both: for some people the VIP is the best day out of Koh Samui, and for others it is money they could keep. Here is how to tell which one you are.
Ang Thong VIP tour review: what you actually get
The VIP tour is a speedboat day with a small group, a longer route and everything paid in advance. You get no more than 16 guests on board, six stops instead of four, breakfast and lunch, and the national park fee already in the price.
The boat itself is not a different kind of vessel: it is a speedboat, and it rides like one. The difference is in how the day is organised. Fewer people means shorter waits at every landing, more space on deck and a guide who learns your name.
The other part of the value is simplicity. On the regular tours you need cash for the park ticket office. On the VIP tour the operator pays the fee, so once you have booked there is nothing to pay on the day except drinks you choose to buy, and alcohol is not included.
How is the VIP tour different from the regular speedboat?
The main differences are group size, the route, where you eat and what is included in the price. The table below puts the two tours side by side, using the facts from both tour pages.
| Regular speedboat | VIP speedboat | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per adult | ฿1890 | ฿3890 |
| Price per child | ฿1490 (3-12 years, under 130 cm) | ฿2890 (4-10 years) |
| Free for | Infants under 3 | Children under 4 |
| National park fee | Not included: ฿300 adult, ฿150 child, cash | Included |
| Group | Shared speedboat, sizes vary | Small group, max 16 |
| Days | Daily | Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday |
| Pickup and return | 07:40-08:20, back about 16:30 | 07:00-07:30, back 17:30 |
| Stops | Four | Six |
| Breakfast | Tea and coffee at registration | Light breakfast at Maenam Pier |
| Lunch | Buffet on Tamarin Beach | Buffet on Koh Phaluai |
| Kayaking | Included, at Tamarin Beach | Included, at Koh Sam Sao |
Read the fee row carefully when you compare. The regular price does not include the park ticket, the VIP price does, so the real gap is smaller than the headline numbers suggest. It is still a big gap.
The child rows matter for families. The VIP child price covers ages 4 to 10, while the regular speedboat child price runs from 3 to 12, so check the price for older children before you book. For more on families, see Ang Thong with kids.
How many people are on the VIP speedboat?
No more than 16 guests. That is the single biggest reason to choose it, because regular group speedboats come in different sizes and in high season the big three-engine boats take well over 30 people.
On a busy day, 30-plus guests on one boat changes the feel of every stop. Getting everyone ashore takes time, the stairway to the Emerald Lake moves at the pace of the slowest walker, and snorkeling means sharing the reef with a lot of fins. With 16 people, the same stops are calmer and the guide can actually look after everyone.
Be realistic, though. The VIP tour still visits popular places, and other boats will be there at some stops. You are in a small group, not alone in the park. If you want nobody else on your boat at all, that is the private speedboat charter, which is a different budget altogether.
What is the VIP route, and where is lunch?
The VIP route has six stops: the Emerald Lake on Mae Ko, the viewpoint and beach on Koh Wua Ta Lap, snorkeling at Koh Wao, kayaking at Koh Sam Sao, a buffet lunch on Koh Phaluai and free time on Song Pee Nong beach. The regular speedboat makes four: the reef, Mae Ko, Tamarin Beach and Wua Ta Lap.
The order is different too. The VIP boat reaches the park at about 09:15 and the Emerald Lake is the first stop of the day, while the regular speedboat gets to Mae Ko at about 11:00 after the morning snorkel. Climbing the stairway early, before the midday heat, is a real plus.
Kayaking is the second big difference. On the regular speedboat you paddle from Tamarin Beach after lunch. On the VIP tour you kayak along the coast of Koh Sam Sao, the island with the natural stone arch, which is the classic Ang Thong kayak route. You can read more about both in the guide to kayaking in Ang Thong.
Lunch is on Koh Phaluai, the largest island of the archipelago and one of only two with people living on it. It has a small fishing village and a slower, more local feel than the other stops. The last stop, Song Pee Nong, is a secluded beach to swim and switch off before the boat leaves the park at 16:30.
Which days does the VIP tour run, and how long is the day?
The VIP tour runs only on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Pickup is between 07:00 and 07:30, the boat leaves Maenam Pier at 08:30 and you are back on Koh Samui at 17:30.
That starts earlier and finishes about an hour later than the regular speedboat, which picks up at 07:40-08:20 and returns at about 16:30. The extra time is what pays for the two additional stops. If you have small children who fade by mid-afternoon, a longer day is not automatically better.
Maenam Pier is on the north coast of Koh Samui and the crossing from there takes about 45 minutes, close to the regular speedboat's 40. Before departure you check in, have a light breakfast and collect the snorkeling gear, so there is no need to eat at the hotel.
The fixed days are the biggest practical catch. If your free days on Samui are Monday and Wednesday, the VIP tour simply is not an option, and the regular speedboat runs daily. Like every tour, it does not operate while the park is closed, usually every year from 1 November to 15 December.
Who should not pay extra for the VIP tour?
Skip the VIP if the price difference matters to your holiday budget, if you get seasick easily or if your dates do not fit. In those cases another tour gives you a better day for your money.
- Budget travellers. The regular speedboat sees the Emerald Lake, a reef, kayaks and the Wua Ta Lap viewpoint. That is the core of Ang Thong.
- People prone to seasickness. The VIP is still a speedboat. The big boat (from ฿1100) is the smoothest ride, even if it is slower.
- Travellers who are not comfortable in English. The VIP tour is guided in English.
- Anyone free only on Monday, Wednesday, Friday or Sunday. The regular speedboat runs every day.
- Pregnant women. Neither speedboat tour is booked for them, for safety reasons.
- Groups who want total privacy. The private charter gives you the whole boat and your own timing.
- Anyone who prefers a slow, sociable day. The Red Baron sailing cruise includes the park fee and meals on a large, steady deck.
Who it does suit: couples and small groups who hate crowds, people who want to kayak at Sam Sao rather than off a lunch beach, and anyone who likes knowing that everything is paid before the day begins. For them the VIP is worth it.
Is the Ang Thong VIP speedboat worth it? My verdict
Yes, if a quieter day with more stops is what you are paying for. The price difference buys you a group of 16 instead of a possibly crowded boat, a better kayak spot, an early visit to the Emerald Lake and lunch in a different part of the park.
No, if you just want to see Ang Thong once and keep the change. The regular speedboat tour is a good day out, and most guests come back happy from it. The extra stops are a bonus, not the heart of the park.
My personal rule of thumb: in high season, when the regular boats are at their fullest, the VIP is worth it more often. On a quieter day the gap between the two tours feels smaller.
Choose the VIP for a small group and an all-included day on Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday, the regular speedboat for the best value on any day, and the big boat if a smooth ride and a low price matter most.
- Days
- Tue, Thu, Sat
- Time
- 07:00-17:30
- Boat
- Small group, max 16
- Park fee
- Included
- Days
- Daily
- Time
- 07:40-16:30
- Boat
- Shared speedboat
- Park fee
- ฿300 extra
- Days
- Daily
- Time
- 07:30-17:00
- Boat
- Large tourist boat
- Park fee
- ฿300 extra
Booking the VIP tour: what to know before you pay
Booking requests on the website are free. A manager confirms your date by WhatsApp or email and sends a payment link for a prepayment, usually 50%, and the rest is paid on the day.
- Card payments carry a 6% card fee.
- Cancel 5 days or more before the tour and the prepayment is refunded minus the card fee; later, there is no refund. Full details are in the cancellation policy.
- If the tour company cancels for weather, you get a new date or a full refund including the card fee.
- Bring a copy or photo of your passport: the number is needed at check-in for the insurance.
- Pack swimwear, a towel, sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses. No cash is needed for the park fee.
Because there are only three departure days a week and 16 seats, book a few days ahead in the dry season, especially if you need a specific day.
Questions and answers
Is the park fee really included in the VIP tour price?
Yes. The national park fee is paid by the operator and already in the ฿3890 adult price, so you do not need cash for the ticket office. On the regular speedboat it is ฿300 per adult and ฿150 per child, paid separately.
Is the VIP speedboat smoother than the regular speedboat?
Not really. It is still a speedboat and feels the waves the same way. If you get seasick, the big tourist boat is the more stable choice.
Do children pay less on the VIP tour?
Yes. Children aged 4 to 10 pay ฿2890 and children under 4 go free. Check the price for older children when you book, because the VIP child age range is narrower than on the regular speedboat.
Does the VIP tour include snorkeling?
Yes. You snorkel over the reef at Koh Wao, and the mask, snorkel and life jacket are included.
Will there be other boats at the VIP stops?
At popular stops such as the Emerald Lake and Wua Ta Lap, other tours may be there too. The difference is that your own group is never more than 16 people.
Which pier does the VIP tour leave from?
Maenam Pier on the north coast of Koh Samui. Hotel pickup is included, between 07:00 and 07:30, and the boat leaves at 08:30.
Can I book the VIP tour for late December?
The park is usually closed from 1 November to 15 December and reopens around mid-December. Late December is still the rainy season, so the captain may change the route on rough days.
Facts checked against our tour pages on 27 October 2026. Prices and days can change: your manager confirms them when you book.
