Speedboat or Wooden Boat on Koh Samui? How to Choose Your Boat Trip
By the Endless Summer crew · · 9 min read
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Most boat trips sold on Koh Samui are speedboat trips, so if you are weighing up a speedboat or a wooden boat on Koh Samui, you are really choosing between two different days. One covers a lot of sea quickly and stops in several places for a fixed time. The other covers a short stretch of coast slowly, with a long stop at anchor. Neither is right for everyone.
We run one slow boat, a 14.7-metre handcrafted Thai teak cruiser from Bangrak or Bophut, so you know which way we lean. This guide is written to be useful anyway: what a speedboat day actually involves, what it is genuinely better at, what a wooden boat is like from the inside, and a straight recommendation for each kind of group. Where a speedboat is the better choice, we say so.
What is a speedboat day trip from Koh Samui actually like?
A speedboat day is built around distance: it is the quickest way to reach the islands Samui cannot see from its own beaches, and the whole day is shaped by the crossings. For the far-island days, hotel pickup usually comes between seven and eight in the morning, and you are home late in the afternoon.
You sit in rows on bench seats, often under a canopy, with your bag at your feet. At cruising speed the engines are loud enough that conversation means leaning in and raising your voice. Join-in days to the marine park typically carry 30 to 50 people per boat.
The stops come as a sequence, each with a time limit: a viewpoint, a snorkel stop, a beach, lunch. On a flat morning the ride between them is genuinely exciting. A common complaint in Samui boat-tour reviews is the opposite experience: a packed boat, a snorkel stop cut short to keep the schedule, and a day that felt like a race from one anchorage to the next.
Why speedboats are hard on stomachs and backs in chop
A speedboat in chop lifts off one wave and lands on the next, and everyone on board takes each landing through the seat. On calm days you hardly notice. On a choppy day it repeats every few seconds for the length of the crossing, and that is where the two most serious complaints in the reviews come from.
Seasickness is the first. A common complaint about rough crossings from Samui to the marine park and Koh Tao is seasickness spreading through the boat, with passengers soaked by spray within minutes of leaving. Many operators hand out seasickness tablets before departure as routine.
Back injuries are the less-discussed risk. Doctors have documented spinal fractures among passengers seated at the bow of fast boats, typically when the boat comes down hard off a wave. Per trip it is rare, but it is why people with back or neck problems are usually told to avoid fast boats in any kind of sea.
Many operators also advise against speedboats during pregnancy. That is not medical advice from us. Ask your doctor, and tell whichever operator you book what they need to know before the day.
What speedboats are genuinely better at
Speedboats win on distance: Ang Thong National Marine Park, about 40 islands north-west of Samui and closed to visitors every year from 1 November to 15 December, and Koh Tao further north are not day trips at the speed of a wooden hull, which is why we never sell them. If you want either in a day, the Ang Thong day tour with kayaking, snorkelling and lunch and the Koh Tao and Nang Yuan snorkel tour are the usual choices, and our guide to Ang Thong versus a small boat around Samui compares the two kinds of day.
Speedboats and the big join-in boats also win on price per head. They spread the boat and crew across many more seats than a small boat can, so if budget is the deciding factor, the cheapest seat on the water is on a big shared trip. And some people simply love the ride. A teenager who wants to feel the boat fly will remember a speedboat day longer than a quiet one.
What a slow wooden boat day is like
A wooden boat day covers a short stretch of coast slowly, with a long stop at anchor. Ours has a displacement hull and cruises at roughly 6–7 knots. It sits in the water rather than skimming over it, so in a swell it rolls slowly instead of slamming, and you can walk about, find the marine toilet or move between the shaded cabin and the roof deck while it is under way. You can talk at a normal volume.
On the half-day trip we board at 09:00, run north along the Big Buddha coast past Koh Faan, then round to Silver Beach on the east coast. The anchor goes down there for snorkelling, swimming, floating on the double beanbags and the beach, with gear for every guest and a supervised snorkelling session in shallow water for children aged 4 to 11. At anchor, people jump off the roof into the sea. Lunch is served on board and we are back alongside by 14:00. The crew adjust the route for the sea state on the day.
The limits: a slow boat cannot go far, and ours stays on Samui’s north, north-east and east coasts. We carry no kayaks or paddleboards. The boat is not wheelchair accessible, and the minimum age is 4. A heavy hull is much gentler than a speedboat, but it is still a boat, so if you are very prone to seasickness, take what you normally take. And it costs more per head than a 50-seat boat, because 15 tickets cover the same crew.
Speedboat vs wooden boat on Koh Samui, side by side
| Speedboat day | Slow wooden boat (ours) | |
|---|---|---|
| Range | Ang Thong, Koh Tao, Pig Island in a day | Samui’s north and east coasts, Silver Beach |
| Group size | Varies; far-island join-in days often 30–50 | 15 maximum, 5 minimum to run |
| Ride in chop | Lifts and lands hard; spray; the bow is the roughest seat | Slow roll; dry under the cabin roof |
| Noise under way | Loud; hard to talk | Low engine note; normal conversation |
| Shade and space | Canopy over bench rows | Shaded cabin and stern, open roof deck with beanbags |
| How the time splits | Much of the day crossing; timed stops | Steady coastal runs; one long stop |
| Price per head | Lower, especially on big shared boats | Higher; one small group shares the crew |
| Best for | Far islands, tight budgets, thrill-seekers | Young families, seasick-prone, bad backs, slow swimmers and floaters |
Which should you choose? A straight answer for each kind of group
Choose by what matters most to the person in your group who will find the day hardest, not the one who will find it easiest.
- You want Ang Thong or Koh Tao in one day: a speedboat. If you are prone to seasickness and do not mind a longer day, a bigger, slower boat to the marine park is the standard advice on Samui travel forums. We cannot take you to either.
- Someone gets seasick easily: a slow boat on Samui’s own coast, with no long open-water crossing.
- Pregnant, or with a back or neck problem: many operators advise against speedboats. A slow boat is the gentler option, after a word with your doctor.
- Young children: a short, shaded coastal day with a calm stop. Our minimum age is 4, so if your youngest is younger we are not the right boat. Our guide to boat trips with kids covers the alternatives.
- Teenagers who want speed: give them the speedboat day. Pick a calm forecast and seat them at the back.
- On a tight budget: a big join-in boat. Nothing small competes on price per head.
- A group of eight or more, or a celebration: a private charter, one price per boat for up to 15 guests. Weekends are kept for charters; weekdays depend on availability.
- Couples who mainly want the evening: the sunset cruise, 16:00 to about 19:30, with a swim stop in the open water off Bang Po.
All three of our trips, with times and what is included, are on our boat tours page.
How to tell what kind of boat you are actually booking
Listing titles do not always tell you, so check three things before you pay. Ask the maximum number of guests, not the average; a "VIP" or "small group" label is not a number. Ask how long each crossing takes, and where you will sit for it. And look at the photos of the boat itself, not the destination.
Our own rules, for comparison: shared trips run with a maximum of 15 guests and need at least 5 to go ahead. If a departure does not reach five, or the crew cancel for weather or safety, you choose a free reschedule or a full refund. Free cancellation on shared trips runs until 24 hours before departure, and hotel pickup anywhere on the island is included.
Questions people ask us
- Are speedboat trips on Koh Samui safe?
- Most speedboat trips run without incident, but the ride depends on the sea. In chop a speedboat lands hard off each wave, which is behind most seasickness complaints and, rarely, back injuries, mostly to passengers seated at the bow. Choose a calm day, sit at the back, and pick a slower boat if anyone in your group has a back problem or is pregnant.
- Is a speedboat or a slow boat better for seasickness?
- A slow, heavy boat that stays close to the coast. A displacement hull like our Thai teak cruiser rolls gently instead of slamming, and the half-day trip has no long open-water crossing. If you want the far islands anyway, the bigger, slower boats are steadier than speedboats. Either way, take seasickness tablets before you board rather than after you start to feel ill.
- Can you visit Ang Thong Marine Park on a wooden boat?
- Some big, slow boats make Ang Thong a long full day, but ours stays on Samui’s own coast and does not go there. The park is closed to visitors every year from 1 November to 15 December; our Ang Thong comparison explains how to choose between the two kinds of day.
- Can I take a speedboat trip while pregnant?
- Many Samui operators advise against speedboat trips during pregnancy, because of the repeated hard landings in chop. A slow boat on a short coastal route is the gentler choice, but the decision belongs to you and your doctor, not to a boat company. Whoever you book with, tell them when you book so the crew know before the day.
Come out on the water with us
One handcrafted Thai teak cruiser, fifteen guests at most, free hotel pickup anywhere on Koh Samui.
