I’ve been dreaming about visiting Koh Lipe for six years, and I must say, when I heard that there was a direct ferry from Langkawi into the paradise Thai island I’ve been fantasizing about, a lot of my travel plans started to revolve around that trip. 

Six years ago I heard about Koh Lipe from a t-shirt. Yes, apparently I take my travel advice from misspelled Asian clothing. One of the dive shops on the island of Koh Tao, where Fletch and I lived for a year, had two locations listed on their shirt: Koh Tao and Koh Lipe. I began to ask about Koh Lipe. Very few had heard of it. Those who had, said it was small, quiet, and magical. The stories I read online rang reminiscent of Alex Garland’s novel, The Beach. Almost no one went there because it was so far south, and many didn’t have time for the trek. There is never enough time in Thailand to visit all the main places, let alone the ones you’ve never heard of. We never made it back then for the same reasons. 

A little bit of researching around the internet for where I wanted to go on my grand, Southeast Asia backpacking adventure led me to stumble across an article about the boat from Langkawi into Koh Lipe. The jaunt was only an hour and a half. Could it really be that easy? 

So without further ado, here’s what to expect when crossing the Malaysia-Thailand boarder via ferry:

Booking the Ferry 

Most of the booking offices on Cenang Beach all offer the same ticket for 125 ringgit. Be sure to ask if that includes transfer though. Some said yes, some said that transfer would be an extra 5 ringgit. Then a local guy I met named Chief offered to take me though his tour company for just 115 ringgit including transfer. You can find him at Rainbow Langkawi Inn. 

Southern Ferry Services departs at 9:30 AM and 2:30 PM daily during high season (November through May). Since you must go through customs and immigration before leaving the country (as well as when arriving in Thailand), most sources recommend showing up at least 90 minutes in advance. My transfer was at 12:45 for the 2:30 boat. The ferry departs from Telaga Harbour Marina in Langkawi. 

It is possible to buy a ticket directly from the jetty, but it is usually the same price as at the booking offices. Then you are also responsible for your own transfer to the pier, so going through a booking office is usually more convenient. 

Check-in, Customs, and Immigration on the Malaysia Side 

Arrive at Telaga Harbour Marina. Present your receipt for the ticket and your passport to the person sitting behind the desk. They will instruct you to wait for your name to be called. I waited about 30 minutes, and they kept my passport during this time. 

Once your name is called, you will get your passport back. Keep it handy, and follow the signs around the corner to check-in. 

At the check-in counter, the attendant will print your boarding pass and give you an immigration card to fill out. Keep all of these documents handy along with your passport, and proceed to the waiting area. 

When you hear the boarding call, you will stand in line to go through an office. The first station in the office is to stamp out of Malaysia. You also have to look at the camera and scan your fingerprints. Upon exiting the office, an officer will collect your passport. Don’t panic, this is the procedure. You will get it back in Thailand. 

The Boat Ride

The ferry ride is 90 minutes. 

I have a cover that goes over my backpack with a padlock on the zippers, that I use whenever my bag is out of my possession. I was especially glad I put this on for this ferry, because it turns out that they just dump all the luggage on the beach in Koh Lipe. Better to have sand on an outer bag, than in all the pockets and crevices of your backpack. 

When you arrive on Koh Lipe, the ferry will moor in the middle of the bay on Pattaya beach, and longtail boats will come to transport you to a floating dock. Pay attention to your surroundings on the longtail. There are way too many boats in the harbor and we collided bows with a speedboat that was going too fast and not paying attention. Luckily I saw it coming and ducked as I was sitting at the bow. 

Customs and Immigration on the Thailand Side 

Debark the longtail, and head up to the roofed area on the beach with plastic chairs underneath. Don’t worry about your luggage just yet. It gets left on the beach for the police to inspect. 

This is when things get inefficient. Prepare to sit for a while. The guy sitting behind the window will call each person, one-by-one. In case he can’t pronounce your name, he will also wave your passport photo page out the window, so pay attention. When he calls your name, collect your passport, and proceed around the corner to the immigration desk, which is really just a makeshift table set up. Don’t worry, there’s military personal around to make sure you don’t go the wrong way and skip immigration. 

This is when you get stamped into Thailand. Yay! there was some discrepancy online as to whether Koh Lipe only offered 15 day visas, or if the visa would be the normal amount of time allotted to your nationality (30 days for Americans). I met a girl in Langkawi who actually spent a day at a Thai embassy in Malaysia applying for the full 30 day visa to bring with her. As it turned out, I got 30 days without having to do anything special. Their rules change frequently though, so plan for the possibility of only getting 15 days. 

Marine Park Fee

You will be ushered to another line, at another makeshift table. This one is to pay the marine park entry fee, and the fee for the longtail that transported you from the ferry to the beach. The fee is 250 baht, or 35 ringgit if you haven’t had a chance to exchange money yet. Keep the marine park ticket on you at all times. It is valid for 5 days, after which point you will have to pay for another one if you plan to stay on the island. 

Exchanging Money

The building behind the marine park stand has an office where you can exchange money. It isn’t marked, and I think it is run by the military. Their rates were the same rates I found at other exchange offices with signs posted. 

Welcome to Koh Lipe

You may now collect your sandy bags off the beach. If you booked a nicer place, porters will be waiting to help with bags and escort you to your resort. Obviously the hostels offer no such luxury. If you booked the Street Hostel like me, run away now! Or proceed, but don’t say I didn’t warn you. 

I tried to ask where Walking Street was, and the guy sent me the wrong way. It is just a short walk down the beach, but if you head in the wrong direction, it gets frustrating quickly carrying a heavy bag though the sand in the midday heat. It turns out there are two immigration checkpoints on Pattaya beach. Walking Street is between them. The easiest way to find it is to look for the blue PADI flags waving in front of Koh Lipe Divers. There you will find the beginning of Walking Street. Street Hostel is a short walk down and on the right. 

I hope this has been helpful. Worst case scenario, you will get herded around like sheep, but when it comes to crossing borders, I always like to know what’s expected of me; there are so many scams at some of these borders. The information I found online was vague and contradictory to say the least. I’m sure this process changes with the season, but as of 2020, it is up to date. 

Tips:

• If you have a backpack, put a cover on it to keep the sand out. 
• Bring water. Getting your passport back on the Thailand side can take a while. 
• Wear flip-flops. Koh Lipe is mostly sand, and you will be glad to be able to kick off your shoes on the beach when you arrive. 
• Exchanging money beforehand isn’t necessary since the marine park fee can be paid in ringgit. 
• Yes, the marine park fee is mandatory.
• You will gain an hour crossing the border into Thailand (turn your clocks back one hour).