Koh Samui Thailand travel guide, island map & accommodations - Hotels and Resorts reservations - Safe, Easy and Fast booking - Holiday Packages

KOH TAO MAP

SCUBA DIVING

Ko Tao is worldwide famous for the beauty of its coral reef and marine life.

sea turtle koh tao thailand

diving in kooh tao thailand

diving n thailand

koh tao diving

Koh Tao offers more than twentyfive dive sites to explorer its beautiful underwater world.
On the island there several diving centers: most popular are Easy Divers and Buddha View Diving (that also offers accommodations at Buddha View IDC Diving Resort)

scuba diving in koh tao

diving emergency equipment koh samui

KOH TAO INFO
Province	Surat Thani
Surface area	21 km²
Population	1,400 approx.
Phone code	077
Intl. phone code	+66
Internet code	co.th
Time zone	UTC+7
DISTANCES
Bangkok	600 km.
Surat Thani	140 km.
Donsak	120 km.
Koh Samui	80 km.
Koh Phangan	60 km.
Chumphon	70 km.

HOW TO GET THERE

FROM SAMUI

Lomprayah catamarans and Seatran connect Samui to Ko Tao twice times daily as follow specified:

	A	B
Ko Samui	08:00	12:30
Ko Phangan	08:20	12:50
Ko Tao	09:45	14:15

lomprayah catamarans koh samui

catamaran samui-koh tao

lomprayah catamaran koh samui

FROM BANGKOK

Lomprayah offers a trip by air-con bus from Bangkok to Chumphon.
From Chumphon to Ko Tao by high speed catamaran.

	A	B
Bangkok	06:00	21:00
Chumphon	12:30	05:00
Ko Tao	14:45	08:45

air-con bus bangkok-samui

CATAMARAN ROUTE MAP

KOH TAO RESORTS

HOLIDAY PACKAGES

Every Holiday Package includes:

Flights to Samui
Airport transfers
Hotels and resorts
Daily tours

CHECK DETAILS & PRICES

Koh Tao - Turtle Island

Ko Tao in Thai it means Turtle Island; it's because in the past the island was an important breeding ground for sea turtles. Since 2004 a co-operation between the Royal Navy and local Dive Operators have reintroduced hundreds of juvenile turtles to the island's ecosystem.

Ko Tao is located in the Gulf of Thailand, approx. 600 km. south of Bangkok, 60 km. northwest of Koh Phangan and 60 km. to the shoreline of Chumphon Province.

ARCHIPELAGO MAP

The island covers an area of 21 km² with an official population of approx. 1,400. Koh Tao is a sub-district (Tambon) included in Ko Phangan District in Surat Thani Province.

sunset at sairee beach koh tao Sunset at Sairee Beach

Mae Haad & Sairee Beach

Mae Haad, located on the west coast, is island's administrative centre and main pier. Here there are many shops, restaurants and travel agencies.

mae haad koh tao
Mae Haad

Sairee beach, located just few hundred meters from Mae Haad is island's longest beach: it offers more than 1,5 km. of white sandy beach.

Along Sairee Beach there are accommodations for every budget and, above all, many Scuba Diving Centers.

sairee_beach_koh_tao
Sairee Beach

History of Koh Tao

Koh Tao was unihabitated until the end of Second World War; before it was just a secure place for fishermen during the stormy days, just a break time... On 1899 King Chulalonkorn visited the island and left as evidence his sign on a huge granite boulder at Jor Por Ror Bay, next to Sairee Beach.

On 1933 Ko Tao became a political prison (as per Ko Tarutao on the Andaman Sea) until 1947 when Prime Minister at that time (Khun Abhaiwongse) pleaded and received the Royal pardon for all prisoners on the island. Ko Tao was abandoned again. In the same year, two Ko Phangan's fishermen (brothers Khun Uaem and Khun Oh) decided to live in Ko Tao with their families, forming the first generation of today's local community.

On 1980 the first backpacker discovered Ko Tao, reached after a long trip by long tail from Koh Phangan (already a well-known backpacker destination at that time).