Practical guide
Koh Lanta to Phuket
Ninety minutes across to Rassada, then the other end of the island to the airport
Take the Speedboat, and Pick It by Your Flight
Koh Lanta to Phuket is about 1 hour 30 by speedboat from Saladan pier, at the north tip of Lanta, to Rassada pier near Phuket Town, for about ฿1,500. Boats leave from about 09:00 to 15:30 in season, and Bundhaya runs all year. The catch is where you land. Rassada is on Phuket's east coast, 35 km from the airport and 18 km from Patong, so if you're flying out, the boat is only half the trip.
Check live Koh Lanta → Phuket times and seats on 12Go
A boat that lands by late morning leaves an afternoon flight comfortable. For an early flight, or with a family and luggage, a car from your Lanta hotel to the airport takes about four hours for about ฿4,300–6,300, and a boat-and-van ticket that reaches the airport at 13:00 is the middle option.
Arriving in Phuket
Where to stay in Phuket
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Key Facts
The speedboat takes about 1 hour 30 and costs about ฿1,500
Bundhaya leaves Saladan at 10:00, 13:00 and, from November to April, 15:30, landing at Rassada about 1 hour 30 later. Others sail at about 09:00 and 11:00.
Rassada is 35 km from the airport
Allow about 50 minutes by taxi from the pier to the airport, and arrive two hours before your flight. The 10:00 boat suits a flight from about 15:00.
A car to the airport takes about 4 hours
It's about 226 km by road and the car ferry, for about ฿4,300–6,300 for the car. In December and January the car-ferry line can add time.
A boat-and-van ticket reaches the airport at 13:00
It leaves Saladan at 08:00, about ฿1,215 on 12Go. Shared vans from Lanta hotels to Phuket Town, Patong and Kata start at about ฿975–1,285.
The ferry via Phi Phi runs November to April
Andaman Wave Master's ferries leave Saladan at 08:00 and 13:00 and change boats at Phi Phi, about 4 hours. It's slower and steadier, and a chance to stop a night on Phi Phi.
In the low season there are fewer boats
On a July date, Bundhaya's only boat left at 13:00. The vans and cars run all year, whatever the sea.
Every Way From Koh Lanta to Phuket, Compared
| Option | Lands at | Time | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speedboat (Bundhaya and others)Seats on 12Go | Rassada pier, Phuket Town | About 1h30 | About ฿1,500 |
| Ferry via Phi Phi, November to April | Rassada pier, after a change at Phi Phi | About 4h | Check the day's fare on 12Go |
| Boat and van to the airport | Phuket airport | 08:00 → 13:00 | About ฿1,215 |
| Shared van from your hotel | Phuket Town, Patong, Kata | 4.5–7h | About ฿975–1,285 |
| Private car | Anywhere, including the airport | About 4h, plus any car-ferry line | About ฿4,300–6,300 per car |
Bundhaya's times and fare from its own booking system; the other boats, the vans, the boat-and-van ticket and the cars from 12Go's board, which includes a booking fee. Distances from OSRM routing over OpenStreetMap.
Bookable departures · refreshed daily
Koh Lanta → Phuket: departure times you can book now
Every departure currently on sale through 12Go for this route, by class. Fares are the spread across the classes shown; the exact price for a seat and date is on the booking page.
Ferry & speedboat
| Class | Departures |
|---|---|
| Speedboat | 09:00, 11:00, 13:00 |
Bus
| Class | Departures |
|---|---|
| Minibus | 07:20 |
Times and fares as sold on 12Go, refreshed daily. Services sold only locally — ordinary trains, weekend excursion trains, walk-up pier tickets — are not listed; see the table above for those. Sponsored link: we may earn a commission when you book, at no extra cost to you.
Koh Lanta → Phuket
Check the boats and vans from Koh Lanta to Phuket
12Go lists the speedboats from Saladan and the vans from Lanta hotels with live seats and e-tickets. Its prices include a booking fee.
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The Speedboats From Saladan
Every boat to Phuket leaves Saladan pier, in the village at the north tip of Lanta, a short ride from Klong Dao and Long Beach and a longer one from the south of the island. Bundhaya leaves at 10:00, 13:00 and, from November to April, 15:30, and lands at Rassada about 1 hour 30 later, for ฿1,500. Satun Pakbara and others sail at about 09:00 and 11:00, and Andaman Wave Master's speedboat leaves at 12:00 and reaches Rassada at 13:40.
Many tickets include a pickup from Lanta hotels near the main road, so check when you book. In December and January, book a day or two ahead.
For a Flight From Phuket Airport
Rassada is on the wrong side of Phuket for the airport, 35 km away, about 50 minutes by taxi without traffic. Add that to the 1 hour 30 crossing and the two hours the airport wants before departure. Bundhaya's 10:00 lands at about 11:40, which suits a flight from about 15:00. The 13:00 lands at about 14:30, which suits one from about 17:30, and the 15:30 suits only a late-evening flight.
The simpler option is a ticket that goes straight to the airport. A boat-and-van ticket leaves Saladan at 08:00 and reaches the airport at 13:00, about ฿1,215 on 12Go, and a private car from your Lanta hotel takes about four hours for about ฿4,300–6,300. The car is what I'd book for a morning flight, which no boat can make, or with children and bags. In December and January, leave extra time for the car-ferry line.
Arriving in Phuket
Top-Ranked Hotels in Phuket
The top of my ranked list of the 10 best hotels in Phuket. Each button opens the hotel on Booking.com with your dates filled in.
#2SAii Laguna Phuket4.7 (5,335 reviews)
A beachfront resort on Bang Tao Beach offering a relaxed lagoon setting within the Laguna Phuket complex.
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Award-winning luxury resort in Phuket's north, known for private pool villas and an exceptional spa.
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A hillside Patong resort with infinity pool, spa, artificial beach, and highly praised staff and dining.
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To Patong, Kata and Phuket Town
From Rassada, Phuket Town is 4 km away, and Patong and Kata are each about 18 km over the hills, about half an hour by taxi or Grab. Some boat tickets include the drop at your Phuket hotel, which saves haggling at the pier.
Shared vans also run the whole way by road, collecting from Lanta hotels in the morning and dropping in Phuket Town, Patong and Kata, from about ฿975–1,285, in 4.5 to 7 hours with the stops. They're slower than the boat but don't care about the sea.
The Ferry via Phi Phi
From November to April, Andaman Wave Master's big ferries leave Saladan at 08:00 and 13:00 and change boats at Tonsai pier on Phi Phi, about 4 hours to Rassada in all. They're steadier than the speedboats on a choppy day, and the obvious choice if you want to stop on Phi Phi for a night or two on the way.
Koh Phi Phi → Phuket
Check the boats from Phi Phi to Phuket
If you stop on Phi Phi, 12Go lists the onward ferries and speedboats from Tonsai to Rassada.
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More on Koh Lanta and Phuket
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Koh Lanta to Phuket.
About 1 hour 30 by speedboat from Saladan pier to Rassada, and about 4 hours on the ferries via Phi Phi, which run November to April.
About ฿1,500 with Bundhaya, and about ฿1,500–2,000 with the other operators on 12Go, whose prices include a booking fee.
Bundhaya leaves Saladan at 10:00, 13:00 and, from November to April, 15:30. Other speedboats sail at about 09:00, 11:00 and 12:00, and the ferries via Phi Phi at 08:00 and 13:00 in season.
By private car, about 4 hours for about ฿4,300–6,300, or a boat-and-van ticket that leaves Saladan at 08:00 and reaches the airport at 13:00. On the speedboat, allow about 50 minutes from Rassada to the airport.
Bundhaya's 10:00, landing at Rassada at about 11:40, suits a flight from about 15:00. The 13:00 suits a flight from about 17:30. For a morning flight, take a car.
No. The boats land at Rassada pier near Phuket Town, about 18 km and half an hour by taxi from Patong. Some tickets include the drop at your hotel.
Bundhaya's speedboat does, though in the low season it may run once a day; on a July date its only boat left at 13:00. The ferries via Phi Phi run November to April. The vans and cars run all year.
By boat to Phuket Town or the beaches, because it's quicker and cheaper. By road for a flight, especially an early one, because the car goes straight to the airport.
Where to stay in Phuket
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Written by
Mac Kiley
I lived in Bangkok for four years and traveled the country from there. The guides are my own opinions, written the way I'd explain them to a friend planning a trip.
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