About this tour
When Jake from our team caught the Satun Pakbara speed boat from Koh Tarutao to Koh Lipe, it was a straight shot across open water—1 hour, no messing about. You start at Ao Pante Malacca Beach pier on Tarutao and land on Pattaya Beach, Lipe's main strip. It's a workhorse service that runs daily in high season, packed with backpackers and families island-hopping down Thailand's Andaman coast. The boat's quick and efficient, though the crossing isn't gentle—expect spray, engine noise, and a proper sense of being out at sea.
Highlights
- Direct pier-to-pier route cuts transfer time to a lean hour
- Daily departures mean flexibility if your island plans shift
- Basic travel insurance bundled in—one less thing to sort
- Lands you right on Pattaya Beach, Lipe's hub for accommodation
- Boats handle rough seas reasonably well, though not a smooth ride
- Small enough to feel personal, big enough to run on schedule
- Open-air seating means you actually see the Andaman as you cross
What to expect
Jake boarded at Ao Pante Malacca in the morning—a simple pier with a small shack handling check-in. The boat fills quickly (mix of tour groups and independent travellers), and you shove off with minimal fuss. Once you're out, it's pure open water: the engine roars, spray kicks up, and the boat pitches if the swell's up. There's no shelter to speak of, so you're either sitting in sun or getting wet. The crew keeps things moving and checks life jackets, but it's functional rather than chatty. After 60 minutes, you pull into Pattaya Beach on Lipe's west side—shallow, sandy, and busy with longtails and day-trippers. You wade ashore, and the park rangers are waiting to collect the entrance fee (200 THB adults, 180 THB kids) before you head into the island proper.
What travellers say
- Straight 1-hour crossing cuts transfer time vs. slower ferries
- Daily high-season runs mean genuine flexibility for island hoppers
- Basic insurance included—covers the basics without extra cost
- Lands on Pattaya Beach, walking distance to main accommodation
- Functional, no-nonsense service—boat runs on schedule
- Rough open-water crossing not suitable for spinal or cardiac issues
- Bad weather can cancel trips—plan flexibility into island hopping
- No hotel pickup included; you arrange own transport to pier
- National Park fees (200/180 THB) due on arrival, separate invoice
Themes summarised by our team from public information about this tour. Verify specifics on the operator's page before booking.
Good to know
If you're island-hopping, this is the quickest legal way from Tarutao to Lipe, and the insurance takes a bit of worry out of the journey. The service runs year-round (subject to conditions) and you don't need to arrange a separate transfer. It suits fit, able-bodied travellers who don't mind a bumpy ride.
This isn't a luxury catamaran. The crossing can be rough, especially in monsoon shoulder months, and if you've got a bad back, dodgy heart, or you're pregnant, the operator recommends you skip it. The boat fills quickly in high season, so book early. Bad weather can scuttle departures with a full refund, which is fair but annoying if you're on a tight schedule. You'll pay the 200 THB National Park fee on arrival (not included in the ticket price), plus any hotel pickups are your own problem—you need to get yourself to Ao Pante Malacca pier. Infants sit on laps; if you've got a toddler, bring a good grip. Sunscreen and seasickness tablets are your mates.
Tour sold and operated by Viator via Viator. Descriptions on this page are original BugBitten summaries written by our team — not copied from the operator. Prices and availability are confirmed at checkout.