Pig Island Thailand: which island has the pigs?

Last updated 25 October 2026 · By the Pig Island Samui team

When people say “Pig Island Thailand”, they almost always mean Koh Madsum, a tiny island off Koh Samui’s south-west coast. Around a dozen pigs roam its beach. Koh Sukorn in Trang has “pig” in its name but no pigs. The famous swimming-pig beach is in the Bahamas.

Which “Pig Island” do people mean?

Search for Pig Island and you get three places mixed together. Bahamas photos often appear on Thai travel pages. Here is how to tell them apart.

Our tours go to one island only: Koh Madsum, near Koh Samui, in the Gulf of Thailand.

Koh Madsum: the Pig Island near Koh Samui

This is the one with pigs. Koh Madsum (also spelled Koh Mat Sum or Koh Mudsum) sits beside Koh Tan, just off Samui’s south-west tip. It is roughly 0.3 km². Visitors usually count 10 to 12 domestic pigs living loose on the main beach, plus dogs.

Boats leave from Thong Krut pier or Bang Kao, and a longtail crossing takes about 15 to 30 minutes. There is a beach restaurant, kayaks and a viewpoint. Landing costs about 50 THB per person, cash, paid on the island (last checked October 2026). Read our full Koh Madsum guide for the stories of how the pigs arrived.

Koh Sukorn in Trang: the “pig island” without pigs

Koh Sukorn lies off Trang province on the Andaman coast. Its name, and its other name Koh Mu, both mean “pig” in Thai. One explanation is that wild boar once lived there.

You will not find pigs there today. Most of the roughly 2,500 to 3,000 residents are Muslim, and village food is halal. The island is known instead for water buffalo, rice fields and a slow village pace. It is worth a visit for those reasons, not for pigs.

Is there a Pig Island near Phuket, Krabi or Koh Phangan?

Not that we can confirm. We searched for a pig island or pig beach around Phuket, Krabi and Koh Phangan. We found no established place where visitors go to see pigs. Some tour listings use the name loosely, so read the itinerary closely. A pig stop should name Koh Madsum, Koh Tan or Thong Krut.

One more trap: many Thai island groups start with “Mu Ko”, as in Mu Ko Ang Thong. Here “mu” means a group of islands, not pig. The two Thai words differ in spelling and tone.

Staying on Koh Phangan? You can still visit. Our guide to Pig Island from Koh Phangan explains the ferry and timings. Our sister site has ferry details between Koh Samui and Koh Phangan.

Pig Beach in the Exuma Cays, Bahamas

The original “swimming pigs” are on Big Major Cay, an uninhabited cay in the Exuma Cays of the Bahamas, beside Staniel Cay. There the pigs swim out to visiting boats. Their origin is also told through stories: a shipwreck, sailors who never came back, or locals moving pigs there from a nearby cay.

In 2017 several pigs there died. Vets found large amounts of sand in their stomachs, and visitors feeding the wrong food was also blamed. Bahamian officials then said they would limit feeding. It is a useful warning for every pig beach, ours included. See our guide on visiting the pigs kindly.

How do the three compare?

How do you get to the Pig Island near Koh Samui?

The easiest way is a tour with hotel pickup anywhere on Koh Samui. Our Pig Island speedboat tour costs 1,450 THB per adult and takes four to five hours. It adds a snorkel stop at Koh Tan and lunch.

Prefer an afternoon? The sunset tour picks up between 13:00 and 14:30 and includes dinner. Groups who want their own pace can book a private boat. Coming from Phuket or Krabi? Fly, or allow a long road-and-ferry day, and stay a night on Samui.

Not sure which trip fits? Compare all our tours side by side.