Day trip, south coast
20
Koh Madsum and Koh Tan
A short boat ride from Thong Krut pier reaches two islands often bundled together as Pig Island, though only one of them actually has any pigs.
pigs reported
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.
- 0 Thong Krut the departure pier
- 1 Koh Tan 5 km from the pier 15-25 minutes
The larger and farther of the two, known for its coral rather than any animals. No pigs live here; boats stop mainly so people can snorkel.
- 2 Koh Madsum 6 km from the pier 20-30 minutes
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.
- 1 Thong Krut the departure pier
- 2 Koh Tan
- 3 Koh Madsum
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.
- Koh Tan
- no pigs here
- Koh Madsum
- 20
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.
- Joined snorkeling trip 1,595-2,800 THB
- per person 4 on the water A shared speedboat or longtail with other travelers, priced per person, calling at both islands to snorkel and see the pigs.
- Private longtail charter 3,500-6,000 THB
- per boat 4 on the water The whole boat booked for your own group, priced per boat rather than per head, on the same route and at your own pace.
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.
reported clearest: Feb, Mar, Apr, May
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.
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.
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.