Practical guide
Phuket to Koh Lipe
Five hours down the Andaman coast by speedboat, or a long day overland via Hat Yai
Take the Morning Speedboat in Season
Phuket to Koh Lipe is a long way down the Andaman coast, and from mid-October to 20 May the easy way is a speedboat from Rassada pier, about 5 hours for ฿2,450–3,000. Bundhaya's boat leaves at 08:30, with a second at 10:00 from November to early May, and runs via Saladan pier on Koh Lanta, where its timetable joins the boat heading south through the Trang islands. You arrive on Pattaya Beach in the early afternoon and finish the trip by longtail.
Check live Phuket → Koh Lipe times and seats on 12Go
Outside the season there's no boat from Phuket, and you go via Hat Yai instead, either a 7.5-hour bus or Bangkok Airways' one-hour flight, then the van and speedboat through Pak Bara, which run all year. I'd take the 08:30. It gets you onto the sand with the afternoon ahead of you, and it's the boat that runs the whole season.
Arriving in Koh Lipe
Where to stay in Koh Lipe
This route ends in Koh Lipe. Search Koh Lipe hotels with your dates, or narrow it to the area you're heading for. Filter for free cancellation if you want to hold a room and decide later.
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Key Facts
The speedboat takes about 5 hours and runs mid-October to 20 May
Speedboats leave Rassada pier between 06:30 and 10:00 for about ฿2,450–3,000. From 21 May to mid-October none run from Phuket.
Bundhaya's boat goes via Koh Lanta
Its Phuket–Lipe timetable is its Phuket–Lanta boat plus its Lanta–Lipe boat, so expect a stop, and probably a change, at Saladan pier. The through ticket is ฿2,500, less than the two legs bought separately.
Rassada pier is 40 to 55 minutes from the airport
It's on Phuket's east coast, about 35 km from the airport and 15 minutes from the Old Town. Flying in the same morning is cutting it fine for an 08:30 boat.
Via Hat Yai, it runs all year
A bus from Phuket to Hat Yai takes about 7.5 hours for ฿440–684, then the van and speedboat via Pak Bara is ฿950. Bangkok Airways flies Phuket to Hat Yai nonstop in about an hour.
Bring baht for the park fee
Koh Lipe is in Tarutao National Park, ฿200 for an adult and ฿100 for a child, in cash. The longtail from the boat to the beach is about ฿50 if your ticket doesn't include it.
Children pay ฿1,800 on Bundhaya
Bundhaya's child fare is ฿1,800 against ฿2,500 for an adult, and infants travel free.
Every Way From Phuket to Koh Lipe, Compared
| Option | Time | Cost | When it runs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bundhaya speedboat from Rassada, via Koh LantaSeats on 12Go | About 5 hours (08:30 → 13:30, 10:00 → 15:30) | ฿2,500, child ฿1,800 | Mid-October to 20 May; the 10:00 from 1 November to 4 May |
| Other speedboats from Rassada on 12Go | 5–7 hours, some with a change of boat | About ฿2,450–3,000 | Mid-October to May, leaving 06:30–08:30 |
| Bus to Hat Yai, then van and speedboat via Pak Bara | About 7.5 hours to Hat Yai, then about 4 hours | ฿440–684 plus ฿950 | All year; the night bus gets you to Hat Yai for the morning van |
| Fly to Hat Yai, then van and speedboat via Pak Bara | About 1 hour in the air, then about 4 hours | The flight plus ฿950 | All year; check Bangkok Airways for your date |
Bundhaya's times and fares from its own live booking search for dates from October 2026 to June 2027; the other speedboats and the buses from 12Go's board, which includes a booking fee; the Hat Yai van and speedboat from Bundhaya. Speedboat times can change with the weather and the sea.
Bookable departures · refreshed daily
Phuket → Koh Lipe: 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 | 06:30, 06:40, 06:50, 07:00, 07:30, 07:45, 08:30 |
| Speedboat + Speedboat | 08:30 |
| Ferry | 08:30 |
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.
Phuket → Koh Lipe
Check the Phuket to Koh Lipe speedboats for your date
12Go lists every speedboat from Rassada pier with live seats and e-tickets, including the early boats with a change and the ones that run late in the season. Its prices include a booking fee.
Sponsored link — we may earn a small commission when you book, at no extra cost to you. Learn more.
The Speedboat From Rassada
Bundhaya sails from Rassada pier at 08:30 from mid-October to 20 May and reaches Koh Lipe at 13:30, and from 1 November to 4 May a second boat leaves at 10:00 and arrives at 15:30. Both cost ฿2,500. The times are its Phuket to Koh Lanta boat, 90 minutes to Saladan pier, joined to the speedboat that leaves Lanta for Lipe at 10:30 or 12:30 and calls at the Trang islands on the way, Koh Mook among them. Bought as two tickets, the legs cost ฿3,200, so book it through.
12Go also sells other operators' speedboats, leaving Rassada between 06:30 and 08:30 for about ฿2,450–3,000, 5 to 7 hours depending on the stops and whether you change boats. The early ones suit you if you'd rather be on Lipe by lunchtime.
The ride is long and can be bumpy, so sit near the back, where the boat moves least, and take something for seasickness if you need it. Lipe has no pier for the speedboats. They stop off Pattaya Beach, and a longtail takes you to the sand, so wear shorts and keep your bag light.
Getting to Rassada Pier
Rassada pier is on Phuket's east coast near Phuket Town, about 15 minutes from the Old Town and 40 from Kata. From the airport it's about 35 km, 40 to 55 minutes by car, so landing the same morning is cutting it fine for an 08:30 boat. Stay the night before in Phuket Town or near the pier, or take the 10:00 in the peak months.
Some speedboat tickets include a pickup from Phuket hotels; check when you book. Otherwise a taxi or a Grab is simplest, and a car booked ahead takes the timing risk out of it.
Overland or by Air via Hat Yai
Outside the speedboat season, or if you'd rather not spend five hours at sea, go via Hat Yai. Buses from Phuket take about 7.5 hours for ฿440–684. The daytime Express buses leave between 07:30 and 12:30 and arrive too late for the boats, so you'll spend a night in Hat Yai, while the night buses at 21:30 and 21:45 arrive early enough for the morning van to Pak Bara.
Bangkok Airways flies Phuket to Hat Yai nonstop in about an hour. From Hat Yai, Bundhaya's van and speedboat ticket costs ฿950 and leaves the airport at 09:00 and 11:00 and the town at 08:30 and 10:30, reaching Lipe in the early or mid-afternoon. Check the flight time before you book, because if you land after the 11:00 van has gone, you'll spend the night in Hat Yai.
The Pak Bara speedboats run all year, and this is the way in from late May to mid-October, when nothing sails from Phuket. Our guide on how to get to Koh Lipe has the Pak Bara timetable and the boats from Hat Yai in detail.
Arriving in Koh Lipe
Top-Ranked Hotels in Koh Lipe
The top of my ranked list of the 10 best hotels in Koh Lipe. Each button opens the hotel on Booking.com with your dates filled in.
#1Akira Lipe Resort4.6 (1,211 reviews)
A well-regarded beachside resort on Koh Lipe offering a relaxed island escape in southern Thailand.
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#4Ten Moons Lipe Resort4.8 (562 reviews)
Beachfront bungalow resort on Koh Lipe offering direct beach access, a restaurant, and yoga.
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#7Serendipity Resort Koh Lipe4.6 (630 reviews)
Hillside bungalow resort steps from Sunrise Beach, blending rustic charm with a relaxed island vibe.
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Koh Lipe to Phuket
Going back, Bundhaya's speedboat leaves Pattaya Beach at 09:00 and reaches Rassada at 14:30, from mid-October to 20 May, with a second boat at 12:00, arriving at 17:00, from 1 November to 4 May. Both cost ฿2,500 and run via Koh Lanta. On 12Go, other operators' speedboats leave Lipe at 09:00, 10:30, 12:00 and 12:30.
All year, a van or bus and speedboat ticket via Pak Bara leaves Lipe at 09:30 and reaches Phuket 9 to 10.5 hours later, for about ฿1,100–1,260. For a flight out of Phuket, remember that Rassada is 40 to 55 minutes from the airport, and leave a wide margin, because the sea can slow the boat.
Bookable departures · refreshed daily
Koh Lipe → 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, 10:30, 12:00, 12:30 |
| Standard | 09:00, 12:00 |
| Speedboat + Van | 09:30 |
| Speedboat + Van + Minibus | 09:30 |
| Speedboat + Van + Van | 09:30 |
Minivan
| Class | Departures |
|---|---|
| Van + Speedboat | 09:30 |
Bus
| Class | Departures |
|---|---|
| Bus + Speedboat | 09:30 |
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 Lipe → Phuket
Check the Koh Lipe to Phuket boats
The same live board for the trip back, with the morning speedboats to Rassada and the van and boat tickets via Pak Bara.
Sponsored link — we may earn a small commission when you book, at no extra cost to you. Learn more.
Late May to Mid-October
From 21 May to mid-October no speedboat runs between Phuket and Koh Lipe, and the way in is via Hat Yai and Pak Bara. It's the rainy season on the Andaman coast, so the Pak Bara crossing can be rough, Lipe is much quieter, and many places close. Check that your hotel is open before you book the bus and the boat.
More on getting to and staying on Koh Lipe
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Phuket to Koh Lipe.
About 5 hours by speedboat from Rassada pier. Bundhaya's 08:30 arrives at 13:30, and other operators' boats take 5 to 7 hours depending on the stops. There's no slow ferry on this route.
About ฿2,450–3,000. Bundhaya charges ฿2,500 for an adult and ฿1,800 for a child, and 12Go's prices include its booking fee. Add the ฿200 national park fee, paid in cash on Lipe.
There's one ticket, but the boats stop on the way. Bundhaya's timetable is its Phuket to Koh Lanta boat joined to its Lanta to Lipe boat at Saladan pier, and the southbound boat calls at the Trang islands.
Bundhaya leaves Rassada pier at 08:30 from mid-October to 20 May, and also at 10:00 from 1 November to 4 May. Other speedboats on 12Go leave between 06:30 and 08:30.
Not directly, because Koh Lipe has no airport. Bangkok Airways flies Phuket to Hat Yai nonstop in about an hour, and from Hat Yai airport a van and speedboat via Pak Bara (฿950, at 09:00 and 11:00) reaches Lipe in the afternoon.
From 21 May to mid-October no speedboat runs from Phuket. Go via Hat Yai, by bus (about 7.5 hours) or by air, then take the van and speedboat through Pak Bara, which run all year.
Rassada pier, on the east coast near Phuket Town, about 40 to 55 minutes from the airport by car. Some tickets include a hotel pickup.
By speedboat from Pattaya Beach in season, about 5 hours. Bundhaya leaves at 09:00 and reaches Rassada at 14:30, with a 12:00 from November to early May. All year, a van and speedboat ticket via Pak Bara leaves at 09:30 and takes 9 to 10.5 hours.
Where to stay in Koh Lipe
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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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