We hope you are getting prepared and excited for your trip. It’s not long now!
This page provides important information that explains what to prepare before departing and what will happen when you arrive at your destination. Please make sure you have a saved copy of this page on your phone, or a printed copy to refer to.
Travel Checklist
One week before departing you should go over the following checklist to make sure you have everything you need before heading to the airport:
- Valid passport for 6 months after your return
- Travel insurance
- Pre-arranged visa (if travelling over 30 days OR not from a visa exempt nation)
- Proof of Sufficient Funds (printed bank statement or a screenshot of your bank balance)
- A printed copy of your flight itinerary with proof of onward travel
- Signed PADI Medical Form
- Local Address in Thailand (see below)
- Emergency numbers (see below) added in WhatsApp and written down on paper in case your mobile battery dies
- PADI card and dive log book (if you are already a qualified diver)
- A copy of your ferry ticket (sent to you by your Destination Expert the week before your departure)
- Download the 'Coral Tribe App' by scanning the QR code provided below
Arriving at the airport
Traveling via Bangkok Airport
When you arrive at the airport in Bangkok, follow signs for domestic flights to Koh Samui.
You do not have to join the visa queue if you are visa exempt or have arranged a visa in advance. Walk directly to the immigration queue. Join the queue for immigration (see instructions below). Then make your way to the gate for your onward flight.
Arrival at Koh Samui Airport
When you arrive at Koh Samui Airport you will need to complete an Arrivals card.
Under your reason for visiting Thailand, please tick "Tourism".
Use the following address on the Arrivals card where it asks for address:
7 Mae Haad, Koh Tao, Ko Pha-ngan District, Surat Thani, 84360, Thailand
Join the queue for immigration. You will get a stamp in your passport if you are staying under 30 days and have a nationality with visa exemption.
If you have applied for a visa in advance because you do not have a visa exemption or you are staying over 30 days, then you will show your visa and receive a stamp.
If you took a domestic flight (e.g. transferred from Bangkok) they will just check your passport.
Once you have cleared the Immigration desk you can move on to the baggage reclaim area where you can wait until your bag arrives. Then make your way to the exit, which is signposted in English.
Meeting our staff
In order to get to Koh Tao, you must take a ferry. You will be sent a copy of your shuttle and ferry ticket before you travel.
Arrivals before 11am
Koh Samui airport is very small. At the exit of the airport there are two desks. One is for lost luggage, and the other is a transfer desk. Go to the transfers desk and show staff your ferry ticket. Staff will give you a sticker and guide you to a minivan. This will take you to Maenam Pier. You will be guided to the Lomprayah ferry check-in desk to show your ticket and get another sticker. This will show staff which stop you are meant to get off the boat at. Follow staff instructions to board the ferry.
This ferry journey takes 2 hours and you will be met by your project coordinators at Mae Haad pier on Koh Tao. They will be holding a sign saying 'Projects Abroad'. Look for them on the left side of the pier when you arrive. They will walk you to your hotel room and show you the local area.
Arrivals after 11am
You will have to stay overnight on Koh Samui until the ferry the following day. Hotel staff will collect your from the airport and take you to the nearby hotel. They will hold a sign saying your name. They will be waiting at the airport exit, just past the transfers desk. You will be given dinner and breakfast.
The next morning, a driver will collect you from the hotel and take you to Maenam Pier and help you onto the Lomprayah ferry. This ferry journey takes 2 hours and you will be met by your project coordinators at Mae Haad pier on Koh Tao. They will be holding a sign saying 'Projects Abroad'. Look for them on the left side of the pier when you arrive. They will walk you to your hotel room and show you the local area.
In the extremely rare event that the staff member coming to meet you is late and you do not see anyone holding a sign at the airport (or the pier), then please call +66 91 7277 911.
If you experience any flight delays, please call one of these emergency numbers:
European emergency numbers: +44 1273 007261 / +44 1273 007262
American emergency number: +1 917 8104520
Further Information
Scan this QR code or click here to download the Coral Tribe App. This is specifically made by the conservation team for Projects Abroad interns.
You can learn more about your training schedule, arrival process and see which dive locations the boat will visit each day.
Any Questions?
Send an email to your Destination Expert if you have any further questions. They can also arrange to talk to you on the phone if you prefer.
From all of us at Projects Abroad, we wish you a safe journey and look forward to meeting you soon!
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