Want to know how to get to Koh Lipe? We’ve got all the info you’ll need.
Koh Lipe will hit that sweet spot you’re looking for when it comes to the southern Thai islands.
Within the Adang Archipelago, it’s absolutely tiny but has developed into the central hub of tourism amongst the islands. Known as ‘The Maldives of Thailand’ thanks to its azure waters and several white sand beaches, it’s no longer a lesser-visited backpacker spot and has more resorts and holidaymakers than we expected to find, but you can absolutely still find your own slice of paradise here.
In this ‘Routes’ post, we’ve shared the main travel routes, tips, and info you need to know to plan ahead for your journey to Koh Lipe, whether you’re starting off in Bangkok, Phuket, Krabi, several nearby islands in the Andaman Sea, or the nearby Malaysian island of Langkawi.
How To Get To Koh Lipe | General Advice & Pak Bara Pier
Before sharing the specific routes and connections, whatever your start point, there are a few essential things to know before you finalise your itinerary or set off for the island:
· There is no airport on or near Koh Lipe.
· Pak Bara pier, also spelled Pakbara, is the main port for the boats from the mainland to Koh Lipe. It’s in the Satun Province of southern Thailand, about four hours south of Krabi - find it here on Google Maps. Most travellers reach it via a minivan transfer from Krabi or Phuket, or via a flight from Bangkok to Hat Yai + then a minivan transfer.
· For any minivan or flight, it’s important to set off early to comfortably catch the last boat of the day (usually 3.30pm). If flying into Hat Yai airport, then it’s best to book a transfer from there to Pak Bara - you can find several highly-rated options here. Alternatively, you can book a transfer that includes your boat ticket.
· Travel time from Pak Bara pier to Koh Lipe is 90 minutes by speedboat, and several companies operate the route. The high-season departures are usually 9.30, 11.30, and 13:30, but you will sometimes have services at 12.30 and 15:30 - don’t depend on the latest one unless you’ve booked that ticket in advance and certain you’ll make it in good time.
· ‘Ferry’ is often used interchangeably with ‘speedboat’ by the various companies, but nine-times-out-of-ten it’ll be a medium-sized passenger speedboat.
· Travellers can also travel direct between certain islands and Koh Lipe by speedboat / ferry in high season (mid-October to mid-May), when more connections and departures are available. Some boats will stop at Koh Tarutao and Koh Khai for about 15-30 minutes before arriving at Koh Lipe.
· As it’s part of the Tarutao National Marine Park, all visitors are required to pay an entry fee for Koh Lipe. This is 200 baht per adult and 100 baht per child, and valid for five days. It’s paid for at Pakbara before entering the boarding/departure building, and that’s also where you have to pay a 20 baht ‘pier entrance fee’. Don’t lose either ticket.
· At Pakbara you will also be given a boarding card with a gate number and boarding number for your specific boat; the lower your boarding number, the better seat you’ll likely get on the boat, so checking-in earlier has a silver lining.
· The speedboats are of a decent size and sit around 50-70 people, but many to Koh Lipe will have too many passengers for the seats available; this means it’s often quite a cramped, uncomfortable experience. Life-jackets are provided, and it’s best you put it on.
· Note that some journeys / ticket types may involve changing boats on another island (i.e. Phuket to Koh Lipe), so do be aware of this before booking anything.
· You can buy speedboat and ferry tickets in-person at Pak Bara pier, but we highly recommend purchasing in advance online in order to avoid delays or disappointment; this is particularly important in the high season months when boats sell out days in advance.
· You can see schedules and book tickets on individual boat company’s websites, but we recommend also looking + booking via 12Go, Bookaway, and Baolau. These aggregators allow you to see all routes, schedules, and availability - rather than just one company’s - and also easily buy your Koh Lipe boat ticket in a bundle with your hotel pick-up and minivan transport to the pier with guaranteed connection.
That’s what we did and, whilst we are independent travellers to our bones, Thailand really is just all conveniently set up around tourist transfers rather than trying to find public transport for certain routes (though we implore you to take the train at one point!)
· You can also book boat tickets and transfers via the multiple tourist agencies you’ll find wherever you’re staying in Thailand.
· All the boats will arrive on Pattaya Beach in Koh Lipe, but there’s no actual pier on Koh Lipe. Instead, it’s a temporary floating plastic pontoon (which can be very slippy) or wading a short way through the water to the sand. Not an issue for most, and the boat staff are responsible for carrying your big bags from the boat to the beach.
· Once you’ve arrived in Koh Lipe, you can walk to your accommodation or jump in a motorbike tuk-tuk to bring you anywhere else on the island for a fixed price of 50 baht per person. Alternatively, you can get a longtail taxi boat (50-100 baht per person), but that’s not really necessary for most accommodations.
· For any crossing from Pak Bara to Koh Lipe, if there are rough seas or high winds, it won’t be a terribly fun or dry journey; one tip to make it marginally better is to try and sit on the same side as the driver.
· Read our Koh Lipe Travel Guide for more inspiration + information.
From Krabi To Koh Lipe
This is the route we took, and so it makes sense to start the destination-specific advice here!
Whilst we’re not huge fans of Krabi and Ao Nang, it is a very popular destination and will feature on nearly every Thai itinerary for one reason or another.
We booked this Krabi Town to Koh Lipe transfer service, which offered it cheaper than our hostel and a nearby agency, and it picked us up on time outside our hostel in Krabi Town at 6.30am before driving down to Pakbara pier in just under 4 hours (including one stop for food + bathroom). As our speedboat ticket + connection to Koh Lipe was included in the price, our driver dropped us off at the speedboat company’s office where we collected the tickets and queued to board the 12:30pm boat about 20 minutes later.
Seamless.
However, do note that if you are based in Ao Nang or Railay Beach, rather than Krabi Town, you will need to book a specific transfer which starts/collects from there (like this one).
Krabi to Koh Lipe | 4-5 hours minivan + 1.5 hour boat, no overnight required
Book | Check prices and availability here on 12Go or Bookaway
From Koh Lanta to Koh Lipe
Koh Lanta is a large island to the north of Koh Lipe, and we loved it.
After eventually working out that there was a direct speedboat, we also travelled direct there from Koh Lipe. Whilst a little anxious about the three-hour journey time, it was a pretty smooth journey overall and definitely a better option than the boat + minivan alternative if available.
However, as with the other islands in the part of Thailand, note that direct speedboats to Koh Lipe are much more likely to be offered in high season (November-April), whilst in the low season months, you may have no option but to do the minivan transfer to Pakbara Pier, and then take the boat from there.
In Koh Lanta, make your way by tuk-tuk to the busy Saladan Pier in the north of the island (Google Maps), take care of the check-in process of the company’s kiosk to get your sticker, and wait by the right gate. There may be several other boats boarding there at the same time, and it can become a little chaotic with bags and people, so just pay attention.
We went with Tigerline Ferry / Siri Lanta, and there are two daily services in high season. However, these do sell out, so get your tickets purchased online or at an agency if you already know travel dates.
The boat + minivan alternative involves a boat from Koh Lipe to the mainland, then a minivan which meets you at the port and transfers you down to Pakbara Pier.
Koh Lanta to Koh Lipe | 3-hour speedboat or 7-hour minivan+boat transfer.
Book | Check schedules, availability, and prices here on 12Go or on Bookaway.
Koh Phi Phi to Koh Lipe
As above, options to go direct increase in high season.
Bundhaya Speedboat offers a 4-hour direct boat between the two islands, and you should really try to get on this instead of the alternative of connecting between two boats.
All boats depart from Ton Sai Pier on Koh Phi Phi.
If those boats aren’t available, then consider visiting Krabi or Koh Lanta first, and then travel onward to Koh Lipe from there.
Koh Phi Phi to Koh Lipe | 4-hour direct boat or 5-hours with a boat transfer
The Best Places To Stay on Koh Lipe
Sunrise Beach // Castaway Resort · Serendipity
Sunset Beach // Bayview Sunset Resort · The Cliff Lipe
Walking Street // Bloom Cafe & Hostel · Nest Hostel Lipe
The Middle // The Noi Guesthouse · The Reef Hotel (where we stayed)
Pattaya Beach // Chareena Hill Resort · AKIRA Lipe Resort
Find more inspiration and planning tips with our travel guide to Koh Lipe
From Phuket To Koh Lipe
This has the potential to be a pretty long travel day, and we think it would be better to split it up with another destination in between. However, we met a bunch of people that had travelled straight from Phuket to Koh Lipe by boat, so perhaps it’s more common than we’d assume!
You have three options:
1. A 4-hour speedboat from Rassada pier or Bang Rong pier in Phuket to Koh Lanta, where you’ll transfer onto a speedboat to Koh Lipe. Journey time is about 6-7 hours, depending on connections.
In high season you may find some direct boats available too.
2. Fly from Phuket Airport to Hat Yai Airport (one hour, flights available in high season), and then transfer to Pak Bara pier to catch the speedboat to Koh Lipe. This would obviously be quicker, but you should ensure that you take an early morning flight to avoid adding in an unnecessary overnight stay.
See the next section for more advice on flying and Hat Yai Airport connections, or check prices + availability for Hat Yai Airport to Koh Lipe transfers here.
Alternatively, you can also book Hat Yai to Koh Lipe services on this website.
3. An overland minivan transfer from Phuket down to Pakbara (6-7 hours) and then taking the boat over - this will be more common in low season than Option 1.
Book | Check prices and availability for Phuket to Koh Lipe here on 12Go or Bookaway
From Bangkok & Hat Yai To Koh Lipe
If your itinerary requires you to go straight from Bangkok to Koh Lipe, then all roads lead to Hat Yai. It’s possible to do the journey in a single day, or to go slower and more scenic to have a more memorable travel experience across two.
These are your options:
Bangkok To Hat Yai
· Take the 15+ hour direct train from Bangkok to Hat Yai. This is obviously a slow travel option, usually involving an overnight on the train, so it’s best to opt for a sleeper berth. We took the train for 8 hours from Bangkok to Chumphon and loved it, so please don’t rule this out! The official Thai train website is very temperamental, but you can also buy train tickets on 12Go or BaoLau (we did so on the latter), but sleeper carriages and 1st class seats sell out several days before departure wherever and however you book.
· Fly from Bangkok to Hat Yai Airport (Google Maps) - several airlines offer this route, with a travel time of 90 minutes. If flying, ensure you book an early flight from Bangkok to Hat Yai ignorer to comfortable catch the last boat of the day.
At Along Dusty Roads, we encourage slow travel rather than jumping on domestic flights. The travel experience will trump the convenience 99 times out of 100, and it’s one way to lighten our impact on the environment as travellers.
Hat Yai to Pakabara Pier
· Take a shared taxi from Hat Yai Airport to Pakbara Pier or book a minibus transfer here. Travel time is 2-2.5 hours.
· Alternatively, you can book a transfer from Hat Yai Airport to Koh Lipe which includes your minivan, boat ticket, and guaranteed connections - this one is highly-rated with lots of reviews.
An alternative route from Bangkok to Koh Lipe is to fly to Trang Airport (2 hours from Pakbara), then repeat the steps above. Hat Yai has more transfers and connection services, but you there are also several available to travel from Trang Airport to Pak Bara or from Trang to Koh Lipe
Book | You can find lots of transfers options from both the airports to Ko Lanta on 12Go Asia.
Koh Lipe From Malaysia
Finally, due to its proximity to Langkawi, the northernmost Malaysian island just 50 km away, this is a popular route with backpackers.
In high season (mid-October to mid-May), two companies run the 90-minute route and you’ll find more daily departures. During these months, there’s also Thai immigration offices operating on Koh Lipe, so you can take care of paperwork on arrival.
Alternatively, if you’re doing the route in low season months, you will have to do the immigration process in Satun before travelling on to Pak Bara Pier.
Langkawi has two ports - the Kuah Jetty Port and Telaga Harbour - with the latter being closest to Langkawi’s airport, if that’s relevant for your route.
Langkawi to Koh Lipe | 90 minutes by boat, several departures per day. Note that there’s a one hour time difference between Thailand and Malaysia, so schedules will make it appear like the 90-minute journey is just half an hour!
Book | Find schedules and buy tickets here
