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How to get to Koh Lipe: boats, buses, flights and fares

Last checked: October 2026

Longtail boats and a speedboat moored off a Koh Lipe beach
  • Fastest crossing: Pak Bara or Langkawi, about 1.5 hours4 each.
  • Cheapest: the Hat Yai Airport minibus (200 baht) plus the Pak Bara speedboat (about 650 baht5 one way).
  • Simplest: one van-and-speedboat ticket from Hat Yai Airport, about 4 hours1 door to island.

Hat Yai to the pontoon

The route from Hat Yai, step by step

The route that runs all year1 goes by minibus from Hat Yai to Pak Bara Pier, then by speedboat to the island.

Speedboat crossing: 1 hr 30 min1

  1. Fly to Hat Yai or Trang

    The nearest airports to Koh Lipe are Hat Yai and Trang; from there the trip continues by bus and boat.

  2. Minibus to Pak Bara

    Minibuses from Hat Yai Airport take 1.5 hours for 200 baht. From Hat Yai bus station they run hourly, taking 2 hours for 220 baht.

  3. Tickets and cash at Pak Bara

    Pak Bara pier has no ticket office: vendors near the pier sell tickets, and entering the pier costs around 40 baht. Get cash at the ATMs near the pier.

  4. Speedboat to Koh Lipe

    Bundhaya Speed Boat's crossing takes 1 hr 30 min, runs all year and starts from ฿700 per person.

  5. Step off at the pontoon

    Speedboats arrive at a floating plastic pontoon pier, built in January 2024.

Sources differ on the drive. Wikivoyage gives the airport minibus as 1.5 hours5, while Ploysiam Speedboat says the drive from Hat Yai airport to Pak Bara takes 2 hours3.

Bundhaya Speed Boat also sells the whole trip as one van-and-speedboat ticket from Hat Yai Airport, so you skip buying tickets at the pier.

Passengers walking along a floating pontoon from a speedboat to the beach
Passengers walking along a floating pontoon from a speedboat to the beach

Once you are across, compare the resorts and hostels on Koh Lipe near the beach you land on.

How often boats run

Departures and frequencies

Operators list how many boats run each day rather than fixed clock times, so confirm the day’s departures when you book.

Up to 4 boats a day from Pak Bara3

How often boats and buses run

Ploysiam Speedboat (operator), Tigerline Ferry (operator), Wikipedia, Wikivoyage

Pak Bara → Koh Lipe (speedboat)

  • Up to 4 departures a day

Phuket → Koh Lipe

  • About 4 trips a day

Koh Lanta → Koh Lipe

  • About 4 trips a day

Langkawi → Koh Lipe (ferry)

  • 1–2 a day, mid-October to mid-May
  • One trip a day in shoulder season

Hat Yai bus station → Pak Bara (minibus)

  • Hourly

Pak Bara → onward vans

  • 30–60 minutes after each boat arrives

No fixed clock times are listed; in high season boats can be fully booked, so buy tickets early.

For the crossing from Malaysia in detail, see the Langkawi to Koh Lipe ferry timetable and fares.

Fares in baht

What you pay

The Pak Bara speedboat is the cheapest way across; the long run from Phuket costs the most.

Pak Bara speedboat from ฿7001

One-way fares to Koh Lipe

TicketAdult
Pak Bara–Koh Lipe speedboat (Bundhaya)
From ฿700
Pak Bara–Koh Lipe speedboat (Wikivoyage)
About 650 baht one way, 1,200 return
Pak Bara pier entry
Around 40 baht
Hat Yai Airport–Pak Bara minibus
200 baht
Hat Yai bus station–Pak Bara minibus
220 baht
Hat Yai Airport–Koh Lipe van and speedboat
From ฿950
Langkawi (Kuah Jetty)–Koh Lipe ferry
From ฿1,400
Koh Lanta–Koh Lipe
1,000–2,000 THB
Ao Nang–Koh Lipe
1,000–2,000 THB
Phuket–Koh Lipe
2,000–3,000 THB

Bundhaya Speed Boat (operator), Tigerline Ferry (operator), Wikivoyage, travel-penang-malaysia.com (travel guide)

Wikivoyage’s Pak Bara fare is close to Bundhaya’s own price, and travel-penang-malaysia.com quotes the same Langkawi fare as Bundhaya. To book the Hat Yai and Pak Bara legs ahead:

Longtail boats moored off a Koh Lipe beach, a small wooded islet behind Boat transfer

Hat Yai Airport to Koh Lipe Island by Minivan & Speed Boat

from US$34

See dates on Viator

Coming from Malaysia, Klook sells a ferry ticket between Koh Lipe and Langkawi.

Every way in

Routes compared

Pak Bara is the shortest crossing from the Thai mainland; the Phuket, Koh Lanta and Ao Nang boats suit travellers already on the Andaman islands.

Low season: Pak Bara boats only2

Routes to Koh Lipe compared

Routes to Koh Lipe compared
RouteLeaves fromTimeFareRunsHow to book
Pak Bara speedboat
Pak Bara Pier
1 hr 30 min
From ฿700
All year
Online, QR code by email (Bundhaya)
Hat Yai van and speedboat
Hat Yai Airport
About 4 hours
From ฿950
All year
Online, QR code by email (Bundhaya)
Langkawi ferry
Kuah Jetty, Langkawi
1.5 hours
From ฿1,400
Mid-October to mid-May
Listed by Bundhaya Speed Boat
Phuket boat
Phuket
240–300 minutes
2,000–3,000 THB
Not mid-June to mid-October
Tigerline website
Koh Lanta boat
Koh Lanta
120–150 minutes
1,000–2,000 THB
Not mid-June to mid-October
Tigerline website
Ao Nang boat
Ao Nang
300–360 minutes
1,000–2,000 THB
Not mid-June to mid-October
Tigerline website
Trang boat
Trang
2.5 hours
–
Not mid-June to mid-October
–
Ko Tarutao boat
Ko Tarutao
45 minutes
–
Not mid-June to mid-October
–

Bundhaya Speed Boat (operator), Tigerline Ferry (operator), Ploysiam Speedboat (operator), travel-penang-malaysia.com (travel guide), Wikivoyage, Wikipedia

For Phuket, the times differ by source: Tigerline lists 240 to 300 minutes6, while Wikivoyage gives 5 hours4.

The high season also varies by source: Wikipedia gives October to June2, Wikivoyage November to May4. Koh Lipe itself stays open throughout the monsoon7, so check the month-by-month island weather guide before you pick dates.

Longtail boats moored in shallow water off Koh Lipe, seen from above
Longtail boats moored in shallow water off Koh Lipe, seen from above

Before you set off

Tips and common mistakes

Most problems on the way to Koh Lipe come from paperwork, sold-out boats and the speedboat ride itself.

TDAC: within 3 days before arrival10

  • Book early in high season. Wikivoyage advises buying tickets as early as possible, as transport can be fully booked4.
  • Keep your ticket on your phone. Bundhaya Speed Boat emails a QR code8, so there is nothing to print.
  • Walk-ins carry a risk. Ploysiam Speedboat sells walk-in tickets at its counter, subject to seats, and allows free date changes up to 24 hours3 before travel.
  • Arrive early. Direct Ferries says Satun Pakbara Speed Boat Club check-in is usually 30 minutes9 before departure.
  • Bad back? Take the ferry. Wikivoyage advises people with back or neck problems to travel by ferry rather than speedboat, citing reports of serious back injuries4.
  • Cash on the island. There is a 7-Eleven with an ATM on Walking Street4.

Questions people ask

How far is Koh Lipe from Phuket?

Koh Lipe lies 200 km southeast of Phuket. It is also 67 km west of Pak Bara and 50 km northwest of Langkawi.

How do I get to Koh Lipe from Bangkok?

Head for one of the nearest airports to Koh Lipe, Hat Yai or Trang, then continue by bus and boat.

Photos: Wikimedia Commons. Authors and licences: image credits

Checked against 11 sources · last checked October 2026
  1. Bundhaya Speed Boat (operator) · checked October 2026
  2. Wikipedia · checked October 2026
  3. Ploysiam Speedboat (operator) · checked October 2026
  4. Wikivoyage · checked October 2026
  5. Wikivoyage · checked October 2026
  6. Tigerline Ferry (operator) · checked October 2026
  7. Nation Thailand (news) · checked October 2026
  8. Bundhaya Speed Boat (operator) · checked October 2026
  9. Direct Ferries (booking agent) · checked October 2026
  10. kualalumpur.thaiembassy.org (official) · checked October 2026
  11. travel-penang-malaysia.com (travel guide) · checked October 2026
Page history · last changed 17 October 2026
  • First written