Koh Lipe is a small, boomerang-shaped island in the far south of the Thai Andaman, about 60 km off the coast of Satun and within sight of Malaysia’s Langkawi. It lies inside Tarutao National Marine Park, a group of 51 islands, but Lipe itself is home to the Urak Lawoi sea people and to nearly all of the park’s hotels.
You can walk across it in a quarter of an hour. There are no cars — only motorbike taxis with sidecars — and three main beaches joined by a walking street. Around it lie the bigger, wilder, almost uninhabited islands of Koh Adang and Koh Rawi.
Top things to do: Koh Lipe & Tarutao
Three beaches
Pattaya Beach is the broad southern bay where most boats arrive. Sunrise Beach faces Koh Adang and ends in a photogenic sandbar. Sunset Beach is a small, quiet cove on the west side.
Longtail snorkelling
Half- and full-day longtail trips circle the reefs of Koh Adang, Koh Rawi and the black-pebble island of Koh Hin Ngam. They are inexpensive and are the highlight of most stays.
Koh Adang’s viewpoint
A longtail taxi crosses to the ranger station on Koh Adang, where a steep trail climbs to Chado Cliff for the classic view back over Lipe.
Koh Tarutao
The park’s largest island, closer to the mainland, was a penal colony in the 1930s and 1940s. It is now forest, empty beaches and a ranger station with simple bungalows, visited by boats from Pak Bara in the open season.
How to get to Koh Lipe & Tarutao
- From the Thai mainland: speedboats from Pak Bara Pier take about 1.5 hours. Pak Bara is roughly two hours by van from Hat Yai airport (HDY); combined van-and-boat tickets are sold.
- From Langkawi: ferries run in the high season, with Thai immigration on the beach at Koh Lipe.
- From the north: high-season speedboats link Lipe with the Trang islands, Koh Lanta and Phi Phi.
Insider tips
- Boats often cannot reach the beach: expect a longtail transfer for a small fee and wet feet.
- A national park fee (around 200 baht for foreign adults) is collected on arrival; keep the ticket.
- In the monsoon, services from Pak Bara are reduced, the long-distance routes stop, and parts of the park, including Koh Tarutao, close.
Best tours & tickets for Koh Lipe & Tarutao
These well-reviewed experiences are the easiest way to see Koh Lipe & Tarutao:
Snorkelling trip from €19 Koh Lipe: Longtail Boat Snorkeling Trip Program A
The best-reviewed boat trip in Tarutao National Marine Park, at a very low price. A small group circles the islands just north and west of Lipe, with several reef stops and a beach break.
- Reefs around Koh Adang and Koh Rawi
- Classic wooden longtail
- Mask and snorkel included
One-way transfer from €65 From Koh Lanta: Speedboat Transfer to/from Koh Lipe
The long hop down the coast that makes a full island-hopping route possible. It operates in the dry season only, and has no reviews yet on GetYourGuide — check the sailing days before you plan around it.
- Links the central and southern Andaman by sea
- Runs in the high season
- Stops at the Trang islands on some services
