Pier Departure
Thong Krut pier
Longtails and speedboats leave Thong Krut pier on the south coast for both islands, close enough together to cover on the same trip.
Photo: Siamways Individualreisen, Pexels License
Day trip, south coast
Koh Madsum and Koh Tan
A short boat ride from Thong Krut pier reaches two islands bundled together as Pig Island, though only Koh Madsum has pigs: Koh Tan has none.
Getting there
Two islands, one short crossing
Longtails and speedboats leave Thong Krut pier on the south coast for both islands, close enough together to cover on the same trip. Pick a stop and the boat sails there.
2 islands one short crossing
Snorkel 5 km, 15-25 min
Koh Tan
Known for its coral rather than any animals. No pigs live here; boats stop mainly so people can snorkel.
Pigs 6 km, 20-30 min
Koh Madsum
The smaller island, and the one that gave the pair its nickname. Pigs live along the beach where the boats land and swim out to meet them.
Distance from Thong Krut pier
Koh Tan is 5 km from the pier, 15-25 minutes; Koh Madsum is 6 km, 20-30 minutes.
The pigs
Who actually lives on Pig Island
Koh Madsum is home to a small group of semi-wild pigs that live along its beach and swim out to greet arriving boats, fed by whoever happens to be aboard that day. Koh Tan, the other island on this trip, has none at all.
20 pigs reported on Koh Madsum
0 on Koh Tan, coral instead
Booking it
Two ways to reach both islands
Both trip types run from Thong Krut and take up about the same stretch of a morning or afternoon. The difference is whether you share the boat. Which one costs less comes down to how many of you go.
Which boat for your group
- 1 of you Joined trip 1,595-2,800 THB for your seat, less than half the price of a private longtail.
- 2 of you Either one 1,595-2,800 THB each on a joined trip, or about 1,750-3,000 THB each with a private boat to yourselves.
- 3 of you Private longtail about 1,170-2,000 THB each, under a joined seat at both ends of the range.
- 4 of you Private longtail about 880-1,500 THB each, a little over half the price of a joined seat.
- 5+ or more Private longtail about 700-1,200 THB each for five, and the boat price splits further with every extra person.
Private prices per person are the boat price split evenly, rounded to the nearest 10 THB. The landing fee below comes on top for everyone.
Per person 1,595-2,800 THB
Joined snorkeling trip
A shared speedboat or longtail with other travelers, priced per person, calling at both islands to snorkel and see the pigs.
- Each of you pays
- 1,595-2,800 THB
- on the water
- about 4 h
Per boat 3,500-6,000 THB
Private longtail charter
The whole boat booked for your own group, priced per boat rather than per head, on the same route and at your own pace.
- The boat costs
- 3,500-6,000 THB
- on the water
- about 4 h
Landing fee 50 THB. Charged on the island itself when you land, separate from whatever the boat trip cost.
When to go
The clearer months
Sources agree the water around both islands runs clearest in the early part of the year and murkier once the monsoon builds. No visibility figure is published for either state. Look through a month.
Reported clearest: Feb, Mar, Apr, May
January
Calm crossing, the clear stretch starts next month
The south coast sea is usually calm in January, but the reported clearest water runs from February to May.
- Water
- Not in the clear stretch
- South coast sea
- Calm
- Sea
- 28°C
- Rain
- 125 mm, 8 days
February
Reported clearest, calm crossing
Sources agree the water around both islands runs clearest in the early part of the year, February to May: the months to plan the snorkeling around.
- Water
- Reported clearest
- South coast sea
- Calm
- Sea
- 28.5°C
- Rain
- 65 mm, 4 days
March
Reported clearest, calm crossing
Sources agree the water around both islands runs clearest in the early part of the year, February to May: the months to plan the snorkeling around.
- Water
- Reported clearest
- South coast sea
- Calm
- Sea
- 29°C
- Rain
- 115 mm, 5 days
April
Reported clearest, calm crossing
Sources agree the water around both islands runs clearest in the early part of the year, February to May: the months to plan the snorkeling around.
- Water
- Reported clearest
- South coast sea
- Calm
- Sea
- 30°C
- Rain
- 85 mm, 6 days
May
Reported clearest, choppier crossing
Sources agree the water around both islands runs clearest in the early part of the year, February to May: the months to plan the snorkeling around.
- Water
- Reported clearest
- South coast sea
- Choppy
- Sea
- 30°C
- Rain
- 130 mm, 11 days
June
Choppier crossing, outside the clear stretch
The south coast sea is usually choppy from May to November, and June falls outside the reported clear stretch of February to May.
- Water
- Not in the clear stretch
- South coast sea
- Choppy
- Sea
- 30°C
- Rain
- 135 mm, 10 days
July
Choppier crossing, outside the clear stretch
The south coast sea is usually choppy from May to November, and July falls outside the reported clear stretch of February to May.
- Water
- Not in the clear stretch
- South coast sea
- Choppy
- Sea
- 29.5°C
- Rain
- 115 mm, 11 days
August
Choppier crossing, outside the clear stretch
The south coast sea is usually choppy from May to November, and August falls outside the reported clear stretch of February to May.
- Water
- Not in the clear stretch
- South coast sea
- Choppy
- Sea
- 29.5°C
- Rain
- 100 mm, 10 days
September
Choppier crossing, outside the clear stretch
The south coast sea is usually choppy from May to November, and September falls outside the reported clear stretch of February to May.
- Water
- Not in the clear stretch
- South coast sea
- Choppy
- Sea
- 29°C
- Rain
- 120 mm, 11 days
October This month
Monsoon months, murkier water
Sources say the water turns murkier once the monsoon builds, and October and November are the island's wettest months. The south coast sea is usually choppy.
- Water
- Reported murkier
- South coast sea
- Choppy
- Sea
- 29°C
- Rain
- 295 mm, 16 days
November
Monsoon months, murkier water
Sources say the water turns murkier once the monsoon builds, and October and November are the island's wettest months. The south coast sea is usually choppy.
- Water
- Reported murkier
- South coast sea
- Choppy
- Sea
- 29°C
- Rain
- 445 mm, 16 days
December
Calmer crossing, outside the clear stretch
The south coast sea is usually calm in December, but the reported clearest water runs from February to May.
- Water
- Not in the clear stretch
- South coast sea
- Calm
- Sea
- 28.5°C
- Rain
- 265 mm, 12 days
Sea state from our own coast-by-month table; rain and sea temperature are long-term monthly averages.
FAQ
Questions about the trip
Do both islands have pigs?
No. Koh Madsum is the one with pigs living on its beach. Koh Tan, the other stop on the same trip, has none at all.
How deep is the water on the crossing?
Not published. No source we checked gives a depth for either crossing, so this page states distance and crossing time only, not depth.
Is the pig count exact?
No, it is a reported figure from the sources we checked, not a census. Treat it as a rough sense of scale rather than an exact count.
What is the difference between the two trip types?
A joined trip shares a boat with other travelers and is priced per person. A private longtail charter books the whole boat for your group, priced per boat instead.
Is there a fee to land on the islands?
Yes, a landing fee is charged on arrival, separate from whatever you already paid for the boat trip itself.
About 20 pigs on the beach where the boats land. The water is reported clearest February to May.
Pig Island at a glance
- Boat from
- Thong Krut pier
- Koh Tan
- 5 km, 15-25 min
- Koh Madsum
- 6 km, 20-30 min
- Joined trip
- 1,595-2,800 THB each
- Private longtail
- 3,500-6,000 THB a boat
- Landing fee
- 50 THB
- On the water
- about 4 h
Plan the rest of the trip
Read the full write-up on Pig Island, or line this trip up against our snorkeling and day-trip guides before you book.
Checked 12 September 2026
Checked against Wikipedia's entry for Koh Tan and independent travel write-ups of both islands, not against a single tour operator's own listing.