To get from Surat Thani to Koh Lipe you might have other options but this was the one I chose because I didn’t leave exactly from Surat Thani but from Ban Na, a town nearby because I was volunteering there. So what you are looking for as a destination is Satun. Satun is the connection to Koh Lipe.
Surat Thani to Trang
On this journey from Surat Thani to Koh Lipe, first I had to get from Ban Na to Trang, I took the train to Trang. This same train stops at Surat Thani too. The train should have arrived in Ban Na at about 8.20 am but it was delayed, like most days, so to keep track of the train I recommend this website that is reliable and tracks the train in real-time. – Thai train tracking website – I hopped on the train after 9 am and reached Trang about 4 hours later, after 1 pm.
From Trang train station, I booked a Grab to the bus terminal hoping to hop in a minivan to Satun, more precisely, Pak Bara, the name of the pier where the boats to Koh Lipe depart from. But, the last boat leaving Pak Bara to Koh Lipe departs at 1.30 pm so I was too late. At Trang bus station they told me I couldn’t go that same day, that I had to come back tomorrow and that’s what I did. Meanwhile, I booked a dorm in Trang and I was the only one sleeping there!
Trang to Satun (Pak Bara Pier)
The following day I continued on my journey from Surat Thani to Koh Lipe. I went to Trang bus terminal at 7.30 am cause the minivan departed at 8 am. To go to Satun there are minivans leaving at 6 am, 8 am, 9 am, and hourly. Some locals advised me to go at 8 am and that was a good choice cause I arrived at Pak Bara at about 10.30 am and the ferry departed to Koh Lipe at 11.30 am.
But this minivan from Trang to Satun doesn’t stop exactly at the pier. It stopped a few km away from it in a spot where there were several motorbike taxis. You must leave the van here! The motorbike taxi driver asked me for 100bh to take me to Pak Bara Pier. It was definitely too much. I have paid 120bh from Trang to Satun…
But I had no other option, so I managed to negotiate the price to 80bh and left with this guy on his motorbike to Pak Bara pier.
Boat to Koh Lipe
The last step of this trip from Surat Thani to Koh Lipe is the boat to the island. When near the pier, he stopped at a shop so I could buy my boat ticket to Koh Lipe. I didn’t exactly like that cause he left me no choice but to buy my ticket in that place, and I usually like to go to several spots to see who has the cheapest offer. Anyway, I knew the price should be 600bh and that is what I paid for 1 way ticket. She could sell me 2 ways tickets so I bought them directly from her because the lady was nice. So the total was 1200bh to go and come back from Koh Lipe. I visited Koh Lipe during the low season so there was no ferry available, only a speed boat. I also bought from her the ticket back to Trang that she sold for 250bh and the minivan left directly from the pier, so I wouldn’t have to pay extra for the motorbike ride I did before. It was still pricier than what I paid to get from Trang to Pak Bara, but was good that I bought the ticket with this lady because in Koh Lipe, due to the low season, there weren’t many travel agents open.
Once at Pak Bara I had a meal and waited for the speedboat to depart to Koh Lipe. To enter the pier itself, first, you have to pay 220bh. 200bh of national park fee and 20bh for a fee to enter the pier – WTF- whatever
The speedboat was 98% full and was going super fast! Too fast for me. It is not a pleasant ride at all! So bumpy!! I had nausea most part of the time. Fortunately, for me, we lost 1 or 2 motors close to Koh Lipe already. This way, the boat slowed down a lot and my nausea finally disappeared haha. Much more enjoyable ride this way. Haha
Koh Lipe to Surat Thani
To get out of Koh Lipe the process was also easy. I already had the ticket so I went to the pier at 9 am, as the boat left at 9.30 am. I gave them my open-day ticket and waited for the boat to start boarding. On the way back we didn’t lose any motor so the ride was bad for me haha
I did exactly the same route: Pak Bara Pier (Satun) to Trang to Surat Thani. There is only one van daily departing from Pak Bara Pier to Trang. The same van was taking passengers to Krabi and Phuket. I know cause the other foreign passengers there were heading to those destinations and we all went in the same minivan. The journey from Pak Bara pier to Trang takes almost 2 hours.
Check the best beaches in Koh Lipe HERE!
Trang
I spent a day in Trang and there is a place I think is worth a mention. It is a coffee shop right next to the river. There are some nets above the water too. It is a small river but the ambience is very tranquil and pleasant. Loved it! This is the name of the spot: หลงคลองคาเฟ่.
There isn’t much to see in Trang anyway, so this spot might be a good choice for a stop and a drink. Besides this coffee shop I’ve seen the clock tower and this nice colonial house with pretty architecture located at Mueang Trang Park. And the train station, of course! If you are going from Surat Thani to Koh Lipe, Trang is not worth a stop for a day I think…
