Speedboat between the islands of the Andaman Sea

If you want to find out how much a trip costs, as well as the schedule of routes between the islands of Ko Lipe, Phuket, Ko Mook and others, then use the following form:

If you are interested in tips and opinions about traveling between islands by water, then I share my experience below. There are indeed pros and cons to traveling by sea – you cannot definitely recommend or not recommend traveling on a speedboat.

Map of boat routes between the islands of Phuket, Yao Yai, Yao Noi, Jum, Phi Phi, Lanta, Ngai, Mook, Libong, Lao Liang, Kradan, Suporn, Buloan, Lipe, Tarutao, Langkawi

Islands of Thailand in the Andaman Sea

Thailand has access to the Andaman Sea and on this coast there are a number of islands with perhaps the best beaches – white sand and turquoise water.

These islands include:

Ko Lipe
Ko Bulon Le (also called Buloan)
Ko Kradan
Ko Mook
Koh (Ko) Rok
Phi Phi Islands
Phuket

I'm sure you've at least heard of Phuket, Phi Phi and Ko Lipe – they have heavenly beaches and are very popular with tourists.

In fact, all the islands listed above have beautiful beaches.

In addition to these resort islands, there are other islands: some are inhabited and are of interest to tourists primarily as transfer points, and some are just a mountain in the sea.

Of all the listed islands, only Phuket has an airport. Phuket is doubly lucky – it is also connected by a bridge to the mainland. The remaining islands are too small to have airports and too remote to be reached by cheap ferry. Therefore, the options for visiting these islands are typical: arriving in the nearest province and buying a ticket on a speedboat.

But there is another option and it is this that I want to talk about in this post.

You can visit all of these islands (and some others along the Andaman coast) without having to return to the mainland!

There are speedboat routes between the islands. Moreover, as many as three companies are engaged in transporting people between the islands. Traveling exclusively by water has its pros and cons.

Between which islands of the Andaman Sea does the boat travel?

From Phuket to Ko Lipe (and back) you can take a boat without having to return to the mainland. That is, you can travel exclusively by islands – moving from one island to another. This way you can visit all the Thai islands of the Andaman Sea.

The route includes the following islands:

Phuket → Phi Phi → Lanta → Ngai → Mook → Kradan → Buloan → Lipe

Return route:

Lipe → Buloan → Kradan → Mook → Ngai → Lanta → Phi Phi → Phuket

I took the route from Lipe to Phuket.

In fact, this is not the end of the route: from Ko Lipe you can sail to Malaysia (Langkawi); and from Phuket you can sail to Krabi.

Why do I see several options for the same time when selecting a ticket?

At least three companies operate on the route Phuket → Lipe.

Tigerline Travel
Bundhaya Speed Boat
Satun Pakbara Speed Boat Club

These companies have the same schedule (departure time and arrival time) and similar prices (prices may vary by 50-100 baht).

These companies may have different cancellation policies, baggage and pet policies, and some do not allow pregnant women to board. By the way, the last one is correct – pregnant women, please do not travel this way, it is not safe for you!

Also, check-in (receipt of a paper ticket upon presentation of an electronic one), departure and arrival of boats can be carried out in different places. Take all this into account when planning your routes.

Will the boat stop at each of these islands?

No. Routes are optimized. For example, when we sailed from Ko Lipe to Phuket, the passengers were divided into 2 boats.

The first boat headed to Ko Mook Island (and other intermediate islands), and our boat headed straight to Lanta and then Phuket.

We used the services of Satun Pakbara Speed Boat Club. I think other companies have a similar system – otherwise there is no chance of arriving on time if you really stop at each of the islands.

Is there a toilet on the boat?

Yes, every boat has a toilet. The toilet is small, but you can use it if necessary.

When planning connecting routes, leave a time gap

During my travel days, this speedboat departed and arrived on time. But you should always remember that the sea is an unpredictable element. Depending on the weather, the boat's departure may be delayed and/or the boat may move more slowly than in good weather.

Therefore, for example, if you are leaving from an island to Phuket and then have a flight planned from Phuket to somewhere else, it is better to provide additional time gap in case of unforeseen circumstances.

Usually the boat arrives at its destination on time, but it may be late.

How comfortable or inconvenient is it to ride speed boats? The reviews say that the boat bounces and is generally unsafe, is that true?

The smallest boats (with two engines) actually “jump” quite noticeably on the waves.

Larger boats (with three motors) move much smoother in terms of bouncing.

But I'm talking about good weather. In bad weather, any ships, even quite large ones (with a capacity of up to half a thousand people), sway on the waves like a feather.

Not to say that this is something too hard and impossible to withstand, – it is more like an attraction. But pregnant women should not board!

As for seasickness, I did not see a single person who was sick (I mean on the routes of the Andaman coast – I saw it on other routes, but there we encountered bad weather).

Near the motors there is a little less pitching, but the noise is louder. In this case, headphones with active noise reduction are ideal (even if you don’t listen to anything and just close your ears). Regular earplugs will work just fine too.

Occasionally there are splashes of water, but rather as an exception.

A short video – we are leaving from Ko Lipe:

We're moving at full speed:

We arrive in Phuket:

Is it possible to save money if you buy tickets on the company’s website or at a kiosk on the island?

I was also interested in this question and compared prices before traveling from Ko Lipe to Phuket. At the kiosks on the island the price was 2500 baht, on the carriers' websites the price was from 2450 to 2600 baht, on the 12go website the price was from 2450 to 2550 baht.

That is, no matter what option you choose, you won’t be able to win much on price.

What are the advantages of traveling between islands by speedboat?

This is the fastest way to get from one island to another.

It's an interesting experience – for example, we were lucky to see dolphins on this trip.

Overall, there is something romantic about the idea of traveling only by sea.

What are the disadvantages of traveling between islands by speedboat?

High ticket prices.

For example, I need to get from Ko Lipe to Phuket: if I take a boat to the mainland and then take a minivan, I can save money. But the trip will take almost twice as long. I thought that on this day I would arrive tired (minus 1 day from a short vacation), besides, I would not be able to do anything except go to bed, that is, it is fair to add the price of a night in a hotel to the price of a trip by land transport.

Based on these considerations, I chose to travel by sea.

You also need to remember about seasickness – if you are susceptible to it, then a long trip by sea may not be for you.

Is there a cheaper way to travel between islands?

Yes. You can take a boat to the mainland and from there get to the province closest to the next island and then take another boat to the island.

Please note that you do not have to go to the bus station and look for a bus to the desired province, and then get from the next bus station to the pier. There are connecting routes, in which case the minivan will depart from one pier and arrive at another pier – you can find them using the form at the top of the article.

Please arrive to check-in 30 minutes before departure!

After purchasing a ticket, you will receive an email. Among other things, you will find information about the place of registration (check-in).

You need to arrive 30 minutes before departure. During this time, they will check your electronic ticket (just show the QR code on your phone screen) and give you a paper ticket.

ATTENTION: Do not lose your paper ticket until the end of the trip!!! Because if you have a joint route, then based on the first ticket you will be given a new ticket for another boat.

In addition, you will be given colored stickers – one to stick on your T-shirt and one for your luggage.

These stickers will help the crew understand which luggage needs to be unloaded on which island. Also, using colored stickers, the crew distinguishes between passengers – which of them is already time to leave, and which of them is going to the next island.

If you have small luggage

If you have a lot of luggage, you will have to check it in anyway.

But if you have small luggage (for example, we had one 20-liter backpack, and the second one was even smaller), then I recommend that you keep it with you – thanks to this, after arriving on the island you can immediately leave the pier and not wait for your luggage to be unloaded (sometimes this takes time).

Can I recommend a speedboat trip from Phuket to Ko Lipe (or vice versa)?

Yes, overall I really liked it. I have a desire to go back and hop around the islands again, visit places I missed and linger on islands I’ve already fallen in love with.

Links to websites of carriers on the route Phuket – Ko Lipe:

Tickets for buses, ferries and trains, including connecting routes:

Air tickets to international and local destinations at the lowest prices:

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