Looking for the best way to get to Koh Lipe in Thailand? You’ve come to the right place!
I’d long heard about Koh Lipe, Thailand’s untouched island paradise, and how it’s a bit of a journey to get there. That’s why I didn’t actually get round to visiting it until my fifth trip to Thailand.
And I’m incredibly happy I did, as Koh Lipe really is the paradise everyone makes it out to be. This small island in Southern Thailand has pristine white sand beaches with crystal clear water, a chill vibe, and rich marine life.
Getting here can be tricky, but nothing that good planning can’t handle. In this article I have outlined how to get to Koh Lipe from all the main hubs in the area.
Whether you want to travel to Koh Lipe from Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Phuket or Krabi, I’ve got you covered! So what are you waiting for, read on, and discover how to get to Koh Lipe!
Contents
Enjoying the beautiful beaches during our Koh Lipe boat tour
About Koh Lipe
Edged by tropical coral reefs, fringed by white sand beaches and topped with verdant jungle-clad peaks, Koh Lipe is a beautiful paradise island in Thailand.
Spending time on this more off-the-beaten-track Thai island means spending days exploring the natural gems around its coastline, chilling at the beach and spending evenings eating and drinking along the vibrant Walking Street.
Koh Lipe is particularly popular for its marine life. Corals are protected thanks to its location close to the Tarutao National Park.
As such, any scuba diving or snorkelling adventure here means you’ll get to see pristine coral and colourful fish below the waves. But that’s not all there is, there are lots of great things to do in Koh Lipe.
The beautiful Sunrise Beach in Koh Lipe, Thailand
Exploring Koh Lipe and the tiny island of Koh Kla by kayak
The easiest way to get to Koh Lipe
The easiest way to get to Koh Lipe isn’t actually from within Thailand. It’s surprisingly easier to get to Koh Lipe from Malaysia. Namely, that involves taking the ferry from Langkawi to Koh Lipe.
Obviously, this only makes sense if you’re travelling around Malaysia and Langkawi already. If before Koh Lipe you’re in some other tiny Thai island, it won’t make much sense to travel via Langkawi.
But if you’re already on a Malaysia trip, consider taking a cheap and quick flight from the Malaysian mainland to Langkawi, and then from there just head to Telaga Harbor to catch the ferry.
You’ll arrive on the shores of this paradise Thai island in just 1.5 hours!
The fast ferry from Langkawi to Koh Lipe waiting for us to board at Kuah Jetty in Langkawi, Malaysia
The inside of the Bundhaya Speed Boat ferry from Langkawi to Koh Lipe
Where to book your Koh Lipe transfer
Once you’re in Thailand or on the Malaysian island of Langkawi, you can book your transfer in person at one of the many tour and travel kiosks. This will probably be the cheapest option.
However, ferries tend to sell out a fair bit in advance, especially if you’re travelling in high season (also known as the dry season – the ferry service doesn’t run during rainy season).
This might not be an issue if you’re visiting in low season or are on a long backpacking stint around Asia, and can afford to travel on any given day.
But if you have a tight Thailand 2-week itinerary, and have other gorgeous islands to visit like the Phi Phi Islands, Railay Beach or the Surin Islands, you can’t afford to take a ferry on a different day just to pay less.
If you don’t mind spending a little more to make sure that your transfers are 100% confirmed and booked, you can reserve your travel plans ahead of time using 12Go.
This website is a good option for transfers across Asia, and allows you to choose between different companies, different ports/harbours, and the times that suit you.
Click here to book your ferry from Langkawi to Koh Lipe on 12go!
Pattaya Beach in Koh Lipe, Thailand
How to get to Koh Lipe from Thailand
The closest point in mainland Thailand to Koh Lipe is Pak Bara Pier. Here you’ll find a ferry terminal that runs services to Koh Lipe.
The ferry from here takes between 1.5 hours and 2 hours. The nearest airport to here is Hat Yai, which itself is around a 2-hour drive (117 kilometres) from Pak Bara.
Regardless of where you’re coming from in Thailand, Hat Yai Airport and Pak Bara Ferry Terminal are the two main travel hubs in Thailand you should look out for when planning your trip to Koh Lipe.
On 12Go you can book the van and ferry combination together, so that your whole trip is taken care of.
Click here to purchase your transfer from Hat Yai Airport to Koh Lipe (van and ferry included!)
Enjoying the sunset in Koh Lipe from Pattaya Beach
How to get to Koh Lipe from Bangkok
From Bangkok, first you’ll have to catch a flight to Hat Yai (which lasts 1.5 hours), then from the airport you’ll have to catch the bus or a taxi to take you to Pak Bara (which takes around 2 hours) ,and finally the ferry from Pak Bara to Koh Lipe (which takes 1.5-2 hours).
It’s quite a long journey to do all in one day, and not the best way to get to Koh Lipe, but it’s still fairly efficient and worth it if you’re going to be spending a week or so on the island.
You will have to purchase your flight separately (I always check SkyScanner for the cheapest flights), but you can then purchase your van and ferry combination on 12Go.
Click here to purchase your transfer from Hat Yai Airport to Koh Lipe (van and ferry included!)
Enjoying our private longtail boat tour around Koh Lipe, Thailand
How to get to Koh Lipe from Phuket
From Phuket, you could take the usual route as above (i.e. fly to Hat Yai, by road to Pak Bara, ferry to Koh Lipe), but there’s also a ferry.
The ferry from Phuket to Koh Lipe leaves from Rassada Pier twice per day – but it’s a long journey, around 5 hours, and is not that cheap, costing between 70 to 90 EUR (approximately) per person.
Realistically, doing the whole flight, van and ferry combo won’t be much quicker, as you have to take into account the extra 1-2 hours that you have to be at the airport for before a flight.
The ferry from Phuket to Koh Lipe might be long, but at least you just have to board in Phuket and will be taken directly to Koh Lipe!
Click here to book your Phuket to Koh Lipe ferry!
Enjoying the beautiful crystal clear waters of Koh Lipe, Thailand
How to get to Koh Lipe from Krabi
The ferry option from Krabi to Koh Lipe sees you crossing around 200 kilometres of sea to get between the two destinations. Ferries bound for Koh Lipe leave Krabi’s Klong Jilad Pier twice a day.
It takes 4.5 hours and stops off at a handful of different islands along the way. Boats are modern, clean and it’s the most convenient way to get between the two destinations.
Otherwise, you’ll be flying to Hat Yai, taking the bus (or a taxi) to Pak Bara and then taking the ferry from there.
Click here to purchase your Krabi to Koh Lipe transfer!
Our first glimpse of Koh Lipe as we disembarked from the ferry onto long tail boats
How to get to Koh Lipe from Malaysia
How to go to Koh Lipe from Langkawi
If you’re wondering how to travel to Koh Lipe when you’re in Langkawi, here are the details…
On Langkawi, first head to Telaga Terminal and hop on one of the ferries that leave here bound for Koh Lipe (there are two per day).
It takes around 90 minutes to travel the 42 kilometres between the two islands. You can even book your tickets online. Tickets cost around approximately RM 149 (one way) and RM 288 (return) from Telaga.
You can also catch the ferry from Kuah Jetty on Langkawi. This ferry costs RM 138 (one way) or RM 278 (return). Ferries leave both ports three times a day.
Don’t forget that you’ll need to pass through immigration as you leave Malaysia, and then once again when you get to Koh Lipe, so you will have to arrive at the harbour at least 2 hours before your ferry.
Most people will be entitled to get a visa on arrival, but it’s a good idea to check if that applies to you before you travel.
Click here to purchase your ferry from Langkawi to Koh Lipe!
Boarding Bundhaya Speedboat to Koh Lipe from Langkawi, Malaysia
How to get to Koh Lipe from Kuala Lumpur
If you’re in Kuala Lumpur and you want to get to Koh Lipe, then you first have to get to Langkawi. The quickest and easiest way to do this is to catch a flight from KL to Langkawi.
These leave multiple times a day, take a round 1 hour and can be super cheap if booked in advance (we paid 8 EUR for our Air Asia flight!), but it could be more depending on the season.
You can find the cheapest flight deals on SkyScanner, and you’ll arrive at Langkawi International Airport.
From here you have a decision, either a 15-minute drive to Telaga Harbour Marina, which is a little bit basic, or a 25 to 30-minute drive to Kuah Jetty – it’s nicer, with more shops, bars and restaurants, where you can wait for your ferry in comfort.
Click here to purchase your ferry from Langkawi to Koh Lipe!
Kayaking in the crystal clear water of Koh Lipe, Thailand
How much does it cost to get to Koh Lipe?
Generally speaking, the average cost of getting to Koh Lipe will increase with the distance and number of modes of transport.
The ferries to Koh Lipe Island from Langkawi or Pak Bara cost between 15 – 30 EUR. When looking at Pakbara Pier, if you then add the price of the van transfer from Hat Yai Airport, this can be around an extra 10 EUR.
You then have to fly to either Hat Yai Airport or Langkawi Airport, which can cost anywhere between 20 – 100 EUR, depending on the time of year of your flight and where you’re flying from.
If you’re flying from even further afield than just Bangkok, say from Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai or even Singapore (there are direct flight from Singapore to Langkawi), flight prices obviously go up.
So, while getting to Koh Lipe can cost as little as 15 EUR for the ferry, it can also cost a lot more depending on where you’re travelling from.
To reduce the cost to travelling to Koh Lipe, I suggest integrating it into a wider Thailand or Malaysia itinerary, so that you’re not spending loads to just get to this one island, but also see more along the way.
Enjoying the beautiful Pattaya Beach in Koh Lipe, Thailand
Important things to note about the Langkawi to Koh Lipe ferry
If you do choose to take my advice and travel to Koh Lipe from Langkawi, there are a few things I think are worth mentioning before you book.
The first thing, regardless of where you travel from, is that you have to pay 400 THB of national park fees to access Koh Lipe and its nearby islands. Always keep the park ticket on you, or they could ask you to pay it again.
I’ve already mentioned that you have to go through passport control, as Langkawi is in Malaysia and Koh Lipe in Thailand. What I didn’t mention, is that they will take your passport in Langkawi and then return it in Koh Lipe.
This is because Koh Lipe doesn’t have a proper jetty or ferry terminal. Once you arrive to Koh Lipe the ferry will stop out at sea, and long tail boats will come to take you to the beach (included in the ticket price obviously).
From there you then have to walk to the Immigration Office to get your suitcase and passport.
One of the Immigration & Passport Control Offices in Pattaya Beach, Koh Lipe
One of the Passport Control & Departure Offices in Pattaya Beach, Koh Lipe
They said that in the past, tourists would just walk off and forget to get an entry stamp on their passport, which then obviously causes issues and fines when they tried leaving Thailand.
To avoid this, they collect everyone’s passports beforehand and you get it back at the Immigration Office. It’s the same on the way from Koh Lipe to Langkawi, expect that they return it on the ferry during the journey.
I was very wary of this, as I could just imagine it going wrong, them losing my passport, and ending up stranded on a tiny Thai island without a passport to fly back home.
I was very glad to be proved wrong. They actually seem super organised, giving everyone numbers when they take your passport, so they can easily find it when you then go to pick it up again.
The ferries itself are also pretty good. We tried both Bundhaya Speedboat and Satun Pakbara Speedboat and they were pretty much the same boats, fairly modern, well kept and comfortable.
My Koh Lipe to Langkawi ferry ticket and assigned passport number
Final thoughts on travelling from Langkawi to Koh Lipe
And that’s a wrap on my ultimate how to get to Koh Lipe guide! Have you been to Koh Lipe before? How did you get there? Let me know in the comments below!
I tried to make this article as thorough as possible, covering all the transport modes from all the main travel hubs in the area. Whether you want to get to Koh Lipe from Bangkok, Phuket or Langkawi, I’ve got you covered.
Personally, I loved Koh Lipe. It’s not the easiest island to get to, but it’s one of my favorite places in Thailand, and definitely worth visiting.
It may not be as untouched as the Similan Islands, but it’s still a very pristine island with a chill and castaway vibe, and one of the best diving spots in Thailand.
The beautiful crystal clear water of Koh Lipe, Thailand
The beautiful Sunrise Beach in Koh Lipe, Thailand
It’s also not as famous as Phi Phi with its iconic Maya Bay, but I actually liked that. It felt more authentic without the hordes of tourists that swarm other parts of Thailand.
It’s easy to see why this little island in the Andaman Sea is often referred to as the Maldives of Thailand.
It’s such a great place to visit, where you’re guaranteed to have the best time exploring some of the best beaches in Thailand.
If you’ve followed my blog before, you know I love Thailand. After all, it’s my fifth time visiting this country! From stunning temples (like in Ayutthaya and Chiang Rai) to beautiful beaches and delicious food, it’s got it all!
I hope you found my guide on how to get to Koh Lipe useful. If you have any questions, just let me know in the comments below!
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