Penang to Koh Lipe Island Thailand by Ferry / Boat, Van / Bus or Train
If you want to know how to travel from Penang to Koh Lipe in Thailand, there are a few routes you can take either by land and sea, or just by sea.
Flying all the way from Penang is out of the question as there is no airport in Koh Lipe, the nearest airports are either in Langkawi or Hat Yai.
Penang / George Town to Koh Lipe by Ferry / Boat
If you are travelling during the high season (November to April / May), it is possible to get to Koh Lipe all the way by high-speed ferry boats.
1) Take the boat from George Town to Kuah in Langkawi >
Other variations on this route include going overland on the mainland by bus or train to the ports of Kuala Kedah or Kuala Perlis where there are more regular and shorter ferry trips over to Langkawi island, or you could even fly to Langkawi from Penang.
For all the travel options between Penang and Langkawi click here >
Penang to Koh Lipe by Minivan or Train
During the off-season from May / June to October when the boats from Langkawi to Koh Lipe are not operating, the only way to travel is to go overland into Thailand, via Hat Yai.
From Hat Yai you then have to get to the port of Pak Bara in Satun, where boats run all year round to the island (as long as the weather is not too bad).
The easiest way to get to Koh Lipe from Penang is to take a minibus all the way.
It is a very early departure (05:00) from KOMTAR and takes around 4 hours to get to Hat Yai.
At Hat Yai, you change minibus to Pak Bara (around two hours).
Then take the high-speed boat from Pak Bara to Koh Lipe (around one and a half hours).
If you want to do this, it will currently cost you around 130 RM (including the ferry).
To book tickets for this minibus/ferry click here >
If you are not in a rush, you could take a later minibus to Hat Yai, spend the night there, then take a minibus to the port the next morning.
To book tickets for Hat Yai to Pak Bara minivans and/or ferry tickets click here >
The last alternative is to take a train from Butterworth to the border at Padang Besar, then a Shuttle train to Hat Yai, then from Hat Yai Railway Station take a minibus to Pak Bara for the ferry.
If you get to the border in time for the morning Shuttle service to Hat Yai, you should be able to make it to Koh Lipe in a day.
For more about trains from Butterworth to Padang Besar click here >
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