Koh Lanta is not yet a massive holiday destination in Thailand and this is one of the advantages of this picturesque, but very relaxing island. Koh Lanta is one of the most distant islands in the province of Krabi, but also one of the largest and most beautiful. And if you decide to visit this island and have a wonderful vacation on several dozens of wide sandy beaches, the total length of which is about 30 kilometers, you will find useful information on this page. The article describes the easiest way to get to Koh Lanta from Bangkok using an organized transfer. You will learn some of the nuances of such a trip, schedule and cost of transport. An alternative route will also be offered, which for some will be easier and more comfortable.
Transfer Bangkok – Koh Lanta
The direct distance between the capital of Thailand and the island of Koh Lanta in the Andaman Sea is about 700 km. However, due to the lack of an airport on the island, you cannot overcome this distance with an airplane. This means that when traveling from Bangkok to Koh Lanta, you must use several types of transport and make transfers on the route. Sometimes it’s not easy to plan your movements correctly, given the fact that vehicles may be late. Therefore, in Thailand it is more convenient to use transfers, which include all stages of the route. The most important advantage of such transfers is guaranteed connections. This means that you buy one ticket and get a guarantee of delivery immediately to the end point of the route.
As I wrote above, the island of Koh Lanta is not a very popular destination, so today you can find only one transfer per day on the route Bangkok – Koh Lanta. Using the transport search service in Asia (link to the English version and the desired route), you can check the availability of seats for the date you need. You can also see that the offer includes four stages: 2 moving by big bus + moving by minibus + passenger ferry to Koh Lanta. Due to the large distance and a sufficiently large area that you must overcome by sea, the trip cannot be called too short. The total duration of a trip from Bangkok to Koh Lanta is about 18 hours. At the same time, the cost of moving is 1250 THB (or 40 USD at the current rate).
Special transfer from Bangkok to Koh Lanta (3 modes of transport)
The departure point for a large bus from Bangkok is Hua Lamphong Main Station. The landing point is located in the square in front of the station building. You can always find the map fragment and the exact coordinates of the bus boarding point in the voucher that you receive by email after paying for the transfer (see the example with Phuket in the photo). The service recommends arriving at the boarding place 30 minutes before the departure of the bus. In practice, delays sometimes occur and the bus arrives late in 10-30 minutes. This is not always pleasant, but it’s not worth worrying, because in any case, you must arrive on Koh Lanta on time. And your journey by bus will be shorter.
Departure after sunset and expect a bus on the street is not too hot. You can spend this time eating, as Near the station there are many cafes and street points with food. The large Paradive Travel bus, which takes passengers from Bangkok to Surat Thani, is not very new, but still comfortable enough for a long trip. I advise you to take a warm sweater or light jacket to the salon, as it can be cold at night due to the working air conditioner. Some experienced tourists take thick paper and scotch tape into Thai buses, which can be used to seal ducts over the seat.
Map and coordinates of the bus boarding point (example)
At the small bus station in the city of Surat Thani, you must change the bus and do the next leg to the city of Krabi with another large bus. To ensure that none of the passengers get lost and continue their journey in the right direction, bright stickers on clothes are used (from it do not leave marks after removal). By the end of the journey, you will have several such stickers on your clothes, because in Krabi you must again change the large bus to a minibus and make a short stretch of the way to the ferry pier. There you will board a ferry that takes you directly to the pier of Koh Lanta. Between several modes of transport there is free time, sometimes lasting more than an hour. As a rule, in places of transplant there is an opportunity to buy snacks and drinks.
The above method to get from Bangkok to Koh Lanta only seems complicated. In fact, logistics has been tested many times and such a transfer has been used for many years. The main thing is not to panic and try to trust the drivers and employees of the transport company, and they will already do everything to deliver you to the island on time. To get from the main pier of Koh Lanta (in the northern part of the island) to your hotel, you can use passenger pickups. You should focus on the price of 100 baht per person for delivery to the main beaches on the west coast of Koh Lanta.
From Bangkok to Koh Lanta – flight + minibus
The second way to get from Bangkok to Koh Lanta is by plane + minibus. In this case, you must separately purchase a ticket from Bangkok to Krabi, and then use a special minibus to the island. Here you can read how cheap and fast it is to get from Bangkok to Krabi. Considering that the cost of airplanes to Krabi when buying tickets early can be very low (for example, I flew on a morning flight for 620 THB), this option allows not only saving time, but also money.
Minibuses to Koh Lanta leave from the bus station in Krabi and from Krabi Airport. At the same time, there are many buses every day and if your plane arrives early and your bus leaves for Koh Lanta in a few hours, you can leave in the nearest minibus of this transport company without extra pay if there are free seats there. Travel from the bus station costs 359 THB, and from the airport – 500 THB. It is very important that the minibus not only takes you to the island of Koh Lanta, but takes you to the door of your hotel on this island.
Minibus options from Krabi Airport and Bus Station
If before you travel to Koh Lanta you want to spend a few days in Ao Nang or on the Railay Peninsula, you can use another transfer option – from any hotel in Ao Nang or Krabi to Koh Lanta. The cost of such a trip, which includes a taxi to the pier from the hotel and a ferry to Koh Lanta – 550 THB. The trip takes about 3 hours. This option does not include delivery to the hotel in Koh Lanta, so the total cost will be higher.
From Bangkok to Koh Lanta – the cheapest way
The cheapest way to get from Bangkok to Koh Lanta is to use a bus and minibus. In this case, you must purchase the cheapest ticket to night bus from Bangkok, which arrives in Krabi in the morning. The best option – buses from the southern bus station in Bangkok to Krabi, which depart at 17:30 or 19:30. These buses cost less than 750 THB and arrive in Krabi at 06:30 and 08:30 respectively. The rest of the way to the hotel on Koh Lanta, you can do on buses for 359 THB, which I wrote about above. In total, your journey will take less time than a ready transfer from Bangkok and will cost about 1100 THB. But there is a negative point: you will probably use a taxi to the South Bus Station in Bangkok (250-300 THB), which is located very far from the city center (in the southwestern part of the capital) and near which there are no BTS or MRT stations.
Thus, you have a choice of several options that allow you to get from Bangkok to Koh Lanta and further to your hotel on this island (which is easiest to find at the best price using the smart hotel search). At the same time, each has its advantages and disadvantages in terms of price, number of transfers and travel time. You can decide which method you prefer and use it for your trip to Koh Lanta and back. I wish you a pleasant trip and a good rest!
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