Written by the Tour In Koh Samui booking team. We book these trips — we don't run the boats. Everything here is what we tell guests who chat in and ask "is Pig Island actually worth it?"
Quick answer
Yes, Pig Island is worth it — but only if you understand what it actually is before you book. The number one reason travellers leave disappointed is that they expected the Bahamas. They did not get the Bahamas. They got a beautiful quiet Thai island with a small pig sanctuary on the side. That is a great day out when you expect it. It is a letdown when you don't.
First things first: this is NOT the Bahamas Pig Island
The internet-famous swimming-pigs island is Big Major Cay in the Exumas, Bahamas, on the other side of the planet. Those pigs swim out to your boat in transparent turquoise water. Thailand's Pig Island — officially Koh Madsum / Koh Matsum, just off Koh Samui's south coast — is a completely different place. The pigs live in a fenced sanctuary behind the beach. You walk in, say hi, feed them fruit, take a photo, and walk out. They don't swim. They never have. Any travel article suggesting otherwise is recycling Bahamas content.
So what IS Koh Matsum actually?
It is one of the prettiest quiet beaches within one hour of Koh Samui. A long stretch of soft white sand, turquoise shallow water you can wade out into forever, a famous rope-swing palm tree at the east end of the beach, a couple of rustic beach shacks selling grilled fish and cold coconuts, and — behind the treeline — a small pig sanctuary with maybe a dozen friendly, very photogenic pigs. That is it. That is the whole thing. And if you frame the day as "a half-hour with cute pigs, three hours on a beautiful empty beach", you will love it.
Is Pig Island worth visiting or should you skip it?
Book it if you want: a beach day away from Samui's busy strips, a family-friendly excursion kids will remember, photos on a deserted-looking beach, or a half-day of snorkelling bolted onto the trip (most tours stop at Koh Tan on the way — that's where the real snorkel lives).
Skip it if: you are chasing the Bahamas swim-with-pigs experience, you hate boats in any form, you are visiting in late October or November (monsoon shoulder — water gets churned up), or you have already planned an Ang Thong Marine Park day trip and only have a couple of days — Ang Thong gives you very different scenery and is worth prioritising if you can only pick one.
Can you go to Pig Beach without a tour?
Technically the island is public, but there's no scheduled public ferry — you'd have to negotiate a private longtail on the spot, in the heat, and end up paying about the same as a booked tour with none of the extras (snorkel gear, lunch, sanctuary donation, insurance, English-speaking crew, hotel pickup). It's not worth the hassle — booking ahead costs the same and includes pickup from your hotel.
How much does it actually cost?
- Join-in speedboat tour: from about 1,350 THB per adult.
- Join-in longtail tour: from about 1,650 THB per adult.
- Private longtail (whole boat): from about 5,640 THB for up to 5 people (larger groups of 6–10 from 7,560 THB).
- Private speedboat (whole boat): from about 11,840 THB.
All include hotel pickup on the main coasts, snorkel gear, lunch on join-in tours, and insurance. The only extra is a very small voluntary donation at the pig sanctuary and drinks at the beach hut.
How do I get to Pig Island from Koh Samui?
There is no scheduled ferry. Every visitor goes via an organised island-hop tour departing the departure pier on Samui's south coast. Hotel transfer is included from Chaweng, Lamai, Bophut, Fisherman's Village, Maenam, Choeng Mon and Plai Laem. Boat ride is about 20 minutes by speedboat and 35–45 minutes by longtail.
Is it fun?
For the vast majority of guests we send there — yes. The formula is simple: beautiful beach + short pig cameo + snorkel stop at Koh Tan + lunch on the sand. Kids love the pigs. Parents love the beach. Couples love the rope swing shots. The trick, again, is expectation-setting. The guests who leave disappointed are almost always the ones who Googled "Pig Island" and only looked at Bahamas photos.
Related honest guides
- Koh Samui Island Hopping: The Honest Guide to Pig Island, Koh Tan & Koh Matsum (What Most Travelers Get Wrong)
- Pig Island, Koh Tan & Near Islands: Best Day Trips from Koh Samui (2026)
- Speedboat, VIP Longtail or Private Charter? Every Way to Get to Pig Island Compared (Real Prices)
The honest conclusion
Pig Island Koh Samui is not Instagram. It is better than Instagram in some ways (empty beach, real Thai food, a short friendly pig encounter) and worse in others (no swimming pigs, no Bahamas-transparent water, no luxury beach club). Book it for what it is. You'll have a great day.
Want us to match you with the right boat for your group? Chat live ? tourinkohsamui.com — we answer in minutes and we won't sell you the wrong thing.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA / CC BY).
