The idyllic island of Koh Lipe is a hidden gem located in the far south of Thailand. Although it's not the easiest island to get to, it's worth the journey to spend time in a tropical piece of paradise that is still mainly frequented by Thai vacationers.
Our Koh Lipe travel guide covers how to get to Koh Lipe from Bangkok and Phuket, the best regional airlines to book, how to book your speed boat tickets, and an option to break up the travel time.
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How to get to Koh Lipe from Bangkok
- You will first need to take a 1.5 hour flight from Bangkok to Hat Yai International Airport. There are two different airports in Bangkok at opposite ends of the city, so make sure you go to the right one!
- To get from Hat Yai to Koh Lipe, first take a 2-hour private or shared taxi from the Hat Yai International Airport to Pak Bara pier.
- From Pak Bara pier, take a 1.5 hour speedboat to Koh Lipe island.
How to get to Koh Lipe from Phuket
- You will first need to take a 1 hour flight from Phuket International Airport to Hat Yai International Airport. Direct flights are available from mid-October to March.
- From Hat Yai International Airport, take a 2-hour private or shared taxi to Pak Bara pier
- From Pak Bara pier, take a 1.5 hour speedboat to Koh Lipe island.
How to book your taxi and speedboat from Hat Yai to Koh Lipe
Through Bookaway you can purchase a roundtrip package from Hat Yai to Koh Lipe. It includes shared transfer from the Hat Yai Airport to Pak Bara pier and a speedboat from Pak Bara to Koh Lipe. The roundtrip price is around $43 USD per person.In high season it's important to buy your tickets in advance since the boats fill up with tourists and locals. Thai people especially like to travel to Koh Lope on weekends.
The speed boat takes a 10-minute break along the way to Koh Lipe at a sand bar with a cove. The weather is hot, so it's refreshing to take a quick dip.
Best regional airlines to book in Thailand
We flew with Thai Smile since it had one of the highest safety ratings out of the Thai regional airlines. It's also a subsidiary of THAI Airways, Thailand's flag carrier airline. We recommend avoiding flying with Nok Air since it currently has a low safety rating.
From Phuket, the airline that flies non-stop to Hat Yai is Bangkok Airlines. It has the same safety rating as Thai Smile.
Ensure you book an early flight, as the last speed boat from Pak Bara to Koh Lipe is at 3:30 PM in high season.
An option to break up the travel time
An option to break up the journey is to stay in a hotel near Pak Bara pier and take the early speedboat the next morning.
SeeSea Resort can organize transportation from the Hat Yai International Airport to their hotel for you. It costs about $55 USD for private transfer one way. They provide free transfer to Pak Bara pier from the hotel the next morning. This is also useful if your flight arrives late into Hat Yai International Airport. You can book speed boat tickets separately from Bookaway.Start planning your trip now
There are many fun things to do on this chilled-out island. See our list of 8 Fun Things to do in Koh Lipe.
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