Bangkok to Koh Lanta - How to go

Koh Lanta is just 70kms south of Krabi, and accessible by sea from Krabi Town and Koh Phi Phi by regular ferry services. The journey from Bangkok means either a flight to Krabi or Trang and then the ferry, or a long drive down Route 4 and 41. There is a ferry departure point from the mainland across to Koh Lanta at Ban Baw Meuang, which is off route 4 on the way to Trang. If travelling by car or van, then this is an alternative, and the one used during the monsoon season

Sea Connections to Koh Lanta

The ferry services to Lanta run from Krabi Passenger Pier twice a day with two return services from Lanta. The cost is 350 baht one way with a journey time of 1 hour and 30 minutes to Saladan, the main ferry pier on Koh Lanta. From Phi Phi, the journey time is 1 hour and 15 minutes at a cost of 350 baht one way.

In the low season when the monsoon rains and winds are churning up the sea the ferry do not operate, but there is a mini van service which uses two short river crossings to get to the island. The monsoon season runs from May through to October, so the best times to visit Koh Lanta are between October and April.

By Air

By Air to Krabi or Trang; Krabi airport is the more popular place for the trip on to Koh Lanta, with services from Thai International, Air Asia, Nok Air and Bangkok Airways .

Note that the Thai services are from both Suvarnabhumi (BKK)and Don Muang (DMK). Nok is from Don Muang, with Air Asia and Bangkok Airways departing from Suvarnabhumi

There is an airport at Trang, further south from Krabi . From here there are regular road services to Lanta and currently the airport is served by Nok Air from Don Muang airport in Bangkok. Nok Air are doing a very good job of filling the gaps in air travel in Thailand, and have a twice daily service to Trang.

By Bus

Buses leave the Southern Bus terminal in Bangkok for the 10 - 12 hour journey to Krabi. Although it is a long trip, the VIP buses, which are recommended, are very comfortable with big seats and air conditioning. The cost depends on the type of bus with 24 seat buses priced at around 1,000 Baht, whilst the cheaper tickets will be 650 baht. There are good bus connections to Krabi from Surathani (coming from Koh Samui, this is the ferry port on the mainland), from Phuket and from Hat Yai.