Koh Samui isn’t my favorite of Thailand’s islands. Not even close, to be honest. Koh Tao and Koh Phangan are far superior, and if it were me I’d skip Samui completely.

But this isn’t helpful, as you’re probably in Koh Samui as we speak. No need to worry, all hope isn’t lost- there are still plenty of things to do on Koh Samui that’ll keep you occupied. And Pig Island is certainly one of them.

The problem- at least for me, and many other budget travelers- is that day tours to Pig Island are quite expensive (over 1000 baht). Thinking that this was the only way to visit the island, I dropped it from my plans.

But there is a better way. Or at least cheaper. It’ll take some work on your part to reap all the benefits, but if all works to plan you should be able to visit for only 250 baht. And if things don’t go completely to plan, it’ll still be far cheaper than the price of a tour.

So without further ado, allow me to walk you through my master plan.

A brief overview of the cheapest way to visit Pig Island on Koh Samui

Instead of going on a tour, you’re gonna charter the boat yourself.

First, you’re going to have to get yourself to the pier. It’s called Thong Krut Pier, and it’s on the southwest coast of the island. It’s a bit of a drive from the areas most of you are staying in, and I can’t recommend enough that you rent a scooter. If not, get a taxi- but of course, that’ll hurt our goal of being cheap.

There’s a step before this, actually. It’s not 100% necessary, but it’s certainly a good idea. And that is to assemble a group to come with you.

Why? Because it’s a set price for the boat, and the more people the cheaper it’ll be for everyone.

The reason I say it’s not entirely necessary is because there are generally people at the pier trying to get to Pig Island as well, and you can form a group there. Figuring out beforehand will make things far easier though, and less prone to problems.

Then charter the boat and you’re on your way, simple as that.

Now let’s walk through it in more depth.

Getting a group to go with you

This will make or break your ability to be as cheap as possible.

Time to make some friends. Or acquaintances, let’s say. After all, this is a business transaction. You’re only speaking with them for the purpose of cutting your costs down the line.

So, how do you go about making acquaintances? There are a few good methods. The one I suggest most is to stand on the side of the road with a sign saying you’re looking for company.

Maybe be a touch more specific as Koh Samui is quite well known for its sex tourism. Unless that’s something you’re looking for, of course.

In all seriousness, just pitch the idea to people at your hostel. If you can get a big group, then great. If you need more people, a great tool is Hostelworld. If you book with them, you get access to chats where you can interact with thousands of travelers looking for things to do. That’s why I suggest booking on with them even if you can book elsewhere for slightly cheaper.

And even if you only get around 4 or 5, it’ll still be considerably cheaper than a tour, so keep that in mind.

Getting to the boat to go to Pig Island (Thong Krut Pier)

As I mentioned before, it’s usually a bit of a drive to Thong Krut Pier, where you’ll catch the boat to Pig Island. If you’re in the Chaweng area, it’s around 45 minutes. If it’s one of the northern towns you’re looking at close to an hour.

That’s why having a scooter really helps. It honestly just does for exploring Koh Samui in general. Without it you can only do so much. If you need more convincing, read this article.

You can taxi- but one taxi there and one back, and you’re destroying all that hard work you’re putting in to be a cheapskate.

Now, if you don’t know how to ride a scooter, I don’t recommend starting now- Koh Samui isn’t the best place to learn. But perhaps try and find someone to go with you that knows how to drive one and can bring you along.

In other words, figure it out. I have faith in you.

Chartering the boat to Pig Island

If you’ve managed to get a group together, then great. If not you’re going to have to do some work once you get to the pier. I’m confident you’ll be able to find at least a few people.

When I went, the weather was absolutely terrible but there were still a few idiots looking to catch a boat just like us. So I can only assume that if the weather’s nice you won’t have too many issues finding others. But maybe you get unlucky- so just do yourself a favor and figure it out beforehand.

Once you have a group assembled, walk out to where the boats are and there should be drivers waiting. They’ll come up to you when they see you. Most likely, they’ll ask for 3000 baht for the boat round trip.

If they aren’t too busy, you can try and get that price down to 2500 (or even further perhaps). You can try if they’re busy as well, but then you run the risk of pissing them off and having them take another group. So play it by ear.

It’s a 15 or so minute ride to Pig Island from the pier. I imagine this ride is generally quite enjoyable. I wouldn’t know, as my group and I were getting pounded by rain for the duration of it. But I’m guessing.

Final Notes

And there you have it- you’ve made it to Pig Island for a fraction of the price you’d have paid for a tour.

Once you’re there, go explore. You’ll likely be greeted by a large amount of pigs (and dogs). The name doesn’t lie, unlike some other destinations in Thailand. For instance, any beach called Secret Beach. Avoid those like the plague. The only things less secret are the passwords my dad puts on sticky notes and tapes to the computer screen.

So yes, lots of pigs. And beautiful, long sandy beaches that were a joy to hang out on even in the inclement weather when I was there. I imagine it’s incredibly beautiful when you get some sun. Albeit slightly busy. So maybe you should go when it’s pouring.