In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · Thailand
Ko Lipe
เกาะหลีเป๊ะ
Go for 3 nights in high season (Nov–May) if you dive or snorkel; skip in low season, when most boats and many resorts shut.
Ko Lipe is a small island in Satun Province, about 67 km west of Pak Bara and 50 km northwest of Langkawi, Malaysia. It is part of the Butang/Adang Archipelago and sits outside Tarutao National Park's core, so resorts are allowed to build. The island is walkable end to end in under an hour, and its draw is reefs, three main beaches and a slow pace. Most trips run 3 nights; divers add more.
- Country
- Thailand
- Local name
- เกาะหลีเป๊ะ
- Best months
- Nov–May (high season); Dec–Mar for calmest seas
- Avoid
- Jun–Oct (monsoon, many boats and resorts closed)
- Stay
- 3 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- THB
- Money
- Currency is the Thai baht (THB, ฿). Cards work in malls, hotels and many restaurants; street food, markets, boats and small taxis are cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget ฿1,200–2,000 excl. bed · Mid ฿2,000–3,500 excl. bed · High ฿3,500+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AIS and TrueMove H sell tourist SIMs at airport arrivals; passport registration is required.
- Emergency
- Police 191 · Ambulance 1669 · Tourist police 1155
- Plugs
- Types A, B, C, O · 220 V · 50 Hz · Most sockets take flat US pins and round European pins; type O is the Thai three-pin standard. UK plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Street food: Nothing.; Sit-down restaurant: Leave ฿20–100 or the coins; skip it if a 10% service charge is on the bill.; Taxi / Grab: Round up to the next ฿10 or ฿20.; Massage: ฿50–100 per hour to the therapist, in hand.; Guide / driver day: ฿300–500 for the guide, ฿200–300 for the driver.; Hotel porter / housekeeping: ฿20–50.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap. Street refill machines charge about ฿1 a litre; bottled water everywhere.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in malls and hotels; squat toilets with a water bucket in rural stops. The hose ('bum gun') replaces paper; paper goes in the bin in older buildings. Some public toilets cost ฿3–5.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Beer: 7-Eleven can / bar | ฿50 / ฿100 |
| Spirits / cocktail in a bar | ฿150 / ฿200–250 |
| 1-hour massage | ฿300–400 |
| Saleng taxi, any trip on the island | ฿50 per person |
| Long-tail boat between island points | ฿50 |
| Ice, per kg | ฿10 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- HDY · Hat Yai International
- Bus or minivan to Pak Bara, then speedboat, about 1.5 h
- TST · Trang Airport
- Transfer to Pak Bara or Trang pier, then boat; check seasonal schedules
- LGK · Langkawi International (Malaysia)
- Ferry from Telaga Harbour or Kuah, about 1.5 h in high season
Typical fares
- Pak Bara → Ko Lipe, speedboat
- about ฿600 one way, 1.5 h (check)
- Langkawi → Ko Lipe, ferry
- about ฿1,200–1,500 one way, 1.5 h (check)
- Saleng taxi on the island
- ฿50 per person per trip
Get around
On foot: the island is about 3 km end to end, roughly 45 min between the far walkable points. Saleng motorcycle sidecar taxis charge about ฿50 per person per trip or ฿300 per hour; long-tail boats about ฿50 between island points. No rental motorbikes for visitors.On foot: the island is about 1.9 mi end to end, roughly 45 min between the far walkable points. Saleng motorcycle sidecar taxis charge about ฿50 per person per trip or ฿300 per hour; long-tail boats about ฿50 between island points. No rental motorbikes for visitors.
See and do
Known for
- Reef diving and snorkelling
- Sunrise, Sunset and Pattaya beaches
- Urak Lawoi sea-gypsy villages
- Walking Street food and bars
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Ko Adang | Long-tail boat taxi from any beach, about 15–20 min | About 30 min |
| Ko Rawi | Long-tail or snorkelling day boat | About 30–45 min |
| Ko Bulon Leh | Speedboat or long-tail via Pak Bara operators | 1.5–2 h |
| Langkawi, Malaysia | Ferry from Telaga Harbour or Kuah, high season only | About 1.5 h plus immigration |
Sleep
- Pattaya Beach
- Arrival beach, most resorts and nightlife; boats land here in high season.
- Sunrise Beach (Hat Chao Ley)
- East side, quieter, dive shops and Urak Lawoi village nearby.
- Sunset Beach
- West side, small and calm; a 10–15 min walk from Walking Street.
- Walking Street / island centre
- Budget rooms, eateries and the 7-Eleven; walkable to all beaches.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | สวัสดีsawatdee |
| Thank you | ขอบคุณkhop khun |
| How much is it? | เท่าไหร่tao rai |
| Where is the toilet? | ห้องน้ำอยู่ไหนhong nam yu nai |
| I don't want it, thank you | ไม่เอา ขอบคุณmai ao, khop khun |
| Help | ช่วยด้วยchuay duay |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: A wai (palms together, slight bow) to return a greeting; a smile and nod for shop staff; avoid: Waiing children or service staff first — it confuses; hugging strangers
- Head and feet: Keep feet on the floor, sit with legs folded to the side in temples; avoid: Touching heads (even children's), pointing feet, stepping over people or food
- Temples: Covered shoulders and knees, shoes off, sit lower than monks; avoid: Women touching monks or handing them things directly; climbing Buddha images
- Monarchy: Stand for the royal anthem in cinemas and at 08:00 and 18:00 in public places; avoid: Any joke or comment about the royal family; stepping on a banknote
- Keeping calm: Stay polite and smiling when things go wrong ('jai yen' — cool heart); avoid: Raising your voice; public anger loses the argument
- Names: Khun plus first name ('Khun Somchai'); nicknames are normal; avoid: Using the family name alone
- Home visit: Shoes off; bring fruit or sweets; step over the threshold, not on it; avoid: Sitting with feet towards the family shrine
- Beckoning and pointing: Palm down, fingers waved towards you; point with the whole hand or chin; avoid: Pointing at people with a finger or with your foot
Scams and watch-outs
- Speedboat crossings can be rough; people with back or neck problems should take a ferry instead.
- There is a national park entry fee of about ฿200 on arrival; keep the ticket for nearby islands.
- Only three ATMs on the island; card cash advances cost 5–8% — bring baht.
- Fishing near the island is illegal; avoid fishing trips and locally caught fish.
- Garbage is often burned; refill bottles where restaurants offer water jugs.
- Low season (Jun–Oct) closes many resorts and boats — confirm before booking.
Generally safe for tourists; the real risks are rough speedboat crossings, strong tidal currents while diving, and low-season closures. Use reef-safe sunscreen and keep valuables in a dry bag.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Ko Lipe yet. Suggested stay: 3 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Reef diving and snorkelling
- Sunrise, Sunset and Pattaya beaches
- Urak Lawoi sea-gypsy villages
- Walking Street food and bars
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Tourism Authority of Thailand — Ko Lipe: www.tourismthailand.org/
- Satun Pakbara Speed Boat Club: www.spcthailand.com/
- Tiger Line Travel: www.tigerlinetravel.com/
- Bundhaya Speed Boat: www.bundhayaspeedboat.com/
- Tropical Charters (Langkawi): tropicalcharters.com.my/
- Telaga Terminal (Langkawi): telaga-terminal.com/
- Wikivoyage: Ko Lipe, revision 5302799 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5302799
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Ko Lipeเกาะหลีเป๊ะ
ไปที่ที่อยู่นี้
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies on Ko Lipe; most are in Bangkok. Consulates for some countries are in Phuket or Hat Yai — check before you travel.
Save the national park ticket; it covers entry to nearby islands in the archipelago.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/ko-lipe). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.