Ko Lipe
Small Island In The Adang Rawi Group Near The Malaysian Border, Beside Tarutao National Park; Home Of An Urak Lawoi Sea Nomad Community · Ko Lipe, Satun
Ko Lipe is a small island in the far south of the Thai Andaman coast, in Satun province, close to the sea border with Malaysia. It lies in the Adang-Rawi group, next to the large, forested islands of Ko Adang and Ko Rawi that are protected within Tarutao National Park, and its surrounding reefs give some of the best snorkelling and clearest water in Thailand. The island is only about two kilometres across, has no cars, and is crossed on foot along Walking Street, a paved lane of restaurants, shops, dive centres and bars linking its three main beaches: Pattaya beach, the busiest, facing south; Sunrise beach on the east; and Sunset beach on the west. Longtails run day trips to the islands around, including the striped pebble beach of Ko Hin Ngam. Lipe is also home to an Urak Lawoi sea-nomad community whose village and history predate tourism. Speedboats come from Pak Bara on the mainland, and in the dry season from Langkawi in Malaysia and other Andaman islands, with a seasonal immigration office on the island.
Pattaya Beach, Ko Lipe, Ko Lipe, Satun, 91000, Thailand
NO OPENING TIME HERE WAS CHECKED. The typical pattern: the island never closes, but it is only reached by boat, and speedboats from Pak Bara usually leave in the late morning and early afternoon, with the last boat of the day by about 2 or 3 pm and no night sailings. The Langkawi ferry and the island immigration office operate mainly in the dry season, roughly November to May, and only when the international boats run. Longtail snorkel trips leave from about 9 or 10 am and return by late afternoon. Restaurants on Walking Street open until late evening, and many close in the wet season. The traps that ruin a day are arriving in Pak Bara after the last boat, planning a border crossing when the immigration office is shut, running out of cash when the ATMs are empty, and boats cancelled by rough seas. Confirm current times before relying on them.