Ferries to Hat Yai Airport

Hat Yai Airport is the starting point for the journey to Koh Lipe in the far south of Thailand, not a berth in itself. Up to 10 departures a day are listed for the service, and counted from the airport to the island it takes around 3.5 hours. It is served by Ploysiam Speedboat, Satun Pakbara Speed Boat Club and Tigerline Ferry.

Getting there and the terminal

The boat does not leave from the airport but from Pak Bara Pier in Satun province on the Andaman coast. Ploysiam Speedboat gives two hours as the journey time between airport and pier and names scheduled shared vans or a taxi as the means of transport; the operator explicitly recommends Hat Yai over Trang, because there are more flights and more shuttles from there. From Pak Bara Pier it is 60 kilometres to Koh Lipe, an hour and a half by speedboat on the direct run and two and a half on the version with stops at Tarutao and Koh Khai. The Ploysiam office is at the end of the road, opposite the pier's main entrance.

Check-in

Ploysiam requires check-in at least 30 minutes before departure, at counter 2 in Pak Bara Pier. There you exchange your ticket for a numbered card: boarding follows that order. The seats in the boat are not numbered, so you find one yourself as you board. You should be ready 15 minutes before departure, as the boats leave mostly on time according to the operator.