How To Catch A Ferry From Langkawi To Thailand - A Complete Guide

Travel by ferry from Malaysia to Thailand easily with our complete guide to catching the ferry from Langkawi in Malaysia to any destination in Thailand

You can easily travel from Malaysia to Thailand in a day. Catch the Malaysian ferry which operates from Langkawi to Koh Lipe. On arrival in Thailand at Koh Lipe the Thai boat staff will assist passengers to pass through Immigration quickly and then join join a waiting ferry onto your chosen Thailand destination.

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Malaysia Check in and Immigration

The ferry departs from Kuah Jetty which is in Kuah Town, Langkawi. The pier is also called Jetty Point. If you have never been to Langkawi don’t worry all the taxi drivers know where the pier is.

Kuah Jetty, Langkawi exterior and taxi rank

When you enter into the building in front of you is a very large duty free shop selling cosmetics, perfumes, chocolates, alcohol and tobacco. Around the outskirts of the building there are many eateries and coffee shops. Behind the duty free shop apart from each other are toilets – the Ladies toilet is on the left and on the far right side is the Menâ€™s toilet. Currency exchange, an immigration check point and the way to the ferries is also at the back of the complex.

Where To Check In At Kuah Jetty In Langkawi

The taxi will drop you off outside the main entrance. When walking in to the pier entrance the duty free shop sits directly in front of you.

Remember on any trip to Thailand the boat travels from Langkawi to Koh Lipe first so it can make a stop off at Koh Lipe for the immigration procedures.

When you arrive at Kuah Jetty you must check in to the Koh Lipe ferry lounge which is located on the 1st level of the building. There is only one check in area for Koh Lipe.

When you first enter the main entrance, turn right and the next door along the back wall leads to the check in area. It’s well sign posted. Above we have added a white line onto the photo to show where to go.

Follow the signs for Koh Lipe check in. These will take you up the stairs to the first level and to the check in lounge. When you check in you must show proof of your trip with either the printed version or you can show your ticket on a mobile device. You are requested to fill in your Thailand arrival card.

To be able to board the Langkawi to Koh Lipe ferry a voucher will be presented to you. Your passport will also be handed back. The staff will then request to you meet them downstairs at the meeting point or upstairs in the lounge area at a certain time. This is a good time to go and find coffee and breakfast before the trip.

Kuah Jetty, Langkawi – Useful Information

As soon as you enter into the Kuah Jetty building, directly in front of you is a very large duty free shop selling cosmetics, perfumes, chocolates, alcohol and tobacco.

Kuah Jetty has one money exchange agent if you need Thai Baht when travelling from Malaysia into Thailand. This can be located behind the duty free shop on the right side of the foyer next to the mens toilets.

Breakfast before the trip Club Sandwich Malay style

Kuah Jetty is full of food courts. After check in a great place to grab some breakfast or a coffee before the trip. If you’re making a long ferry journey, please be aware the ferries do not have drinks for sale or food and snacks on the boat. Eating a good breakfast before you go is recommended and you can stock up with water, soft drinks and snacks from the 7-11 shop which is located outside the main building near the taxi rank.

For those who need a coffee fix in the morning there is also a Starbucks coffee shop. Starbucks also offer free internet if you require it. They have the logon details on the receipts.

Malaysia Immigration And Boarding The Boat

As noted above, the ferry staff will request you to meet them downstairs at a specific time.

After meeting with the ferry staff, they walk with you to the back of the building to the Immigration check point, which is inside Kuah Jetty. There were four people working there. After your Malaysia exit stamp is stamped into your passport, your luggage is then passed through an Xray machine.

Walking to the Langkawi to Koh Lipe ferry

A short walk after the Immigration process around 200 metres goes through a lounge area where your boarding passed are checked again. (At this point the staff collect all passports from passengers so they can hand them into the Koh Lipe office where you collect them before the Immigration. Follow the walkways, signs and other passengers directly to the waiting ferry.

Passengers Boarding the Langkawi to Koh Lipe

When boarding the ferry, the staff will help with all large luggage storing it accordingly. You can take any seat which is available as none are allocated. The ferry has toilets but no shops on the boat. Please bring your own snacks and drinks on the boat. The ferry journey is 1.5 hours to Koh Lipe.

Arriving On Koh Lipe – Thailand Immigration

A Longtail meets the Langkawi to Koh Lipe ferry to take passengers to the beach

As soon as the ferry arrives at Koh Lipe, it docks out in the bay area of Pattaya Beach. A longtail boat will came out to the ferry and take off all the guests who are not stopping on Koh Lipe but have another destination in Thailand. They are taken off first because they have to pass through Immigration and join the next ferry departing from Koh Lipe.

Please note you will be changing boats and going through Immigration so all baggage must be taken off the Langkawi ferry. A member of the Thai ferry staff is also given a bag with everyone’s passports which he takes to a sorting area on the beach.

The longtail boat departing with the ferry in the background

The Longtail boat goes directly to the beach in front of the Immigration check point. Please be aware getting in and out of the longtail boat on the beach may require you to wade in the water. We recommend you wear shorts and flip flops for this journey.

Koh Lipe Immigration is located steps away from the beach

You then follow the Thai staff from the ferry company. First stop is a small office to get your passport. They then lead you to the Immigration officer for your entry stamp into Thailand. It only takes a few minutes to do as there is no queue – you are the first off the boat.

After getting your Immigration entry stamp, the staff take you straight back onto the longtail boat. This then goes to the floating pier sitting in the bay of Pattaya beach. Here the ferry or longtail boat is waiting to take you to your next destination. I travelled in March and a large speedboat was used for my continuing journey.

Large Speedboat Ferry In Thailand

The speedboat is waiting to depart from Koh Lipe

The large speedboat holds seating for 45 guests and 3 staff. There is enough seating for everyone, many people also choose to stand up on parts of the journey to snatch a view outside. Life jackets are placed on the seats. Please note if travelling with small babies we would recommend bringing your own flotation device which you use in the pool.

The Thai staff pack the large luggage and backpacks in various position on the boat. There is a small marine toilet on the boat too. Please note there are no drinks or snacks sold on the boat so please remember to stock up.

When the boat is travelling sometimes the staff will request guests to change seats to the opposite side, this is to even out the balance of the boat making it easier to handle.

Trang Stop Interchange Station

Depending on your final destination, it can be a long trip for some guests. Stocking up on snacks and drinks at Langkawi Kuah Jetty 7-11 shop is recommended. There won’t be another chance to buy drink and food until you reach Trang’s Had Yao Pier.

After Koh Lipe the boat travels to Koh Bulone and Koh Laoliang (if there are guests wanting to go there) before making a stop of at Had Yao pier in Trang.

Had Yao pier in Trang is an interchange station where guests going to Krabi Town, Ao Nang, Railay Beach, Krabi Airport, Trang, Trang Airport and Khao Lak depart the boat to join a minivan. Guests are taken to the restaurant area to wait for collection.

The boat stops for half an hour at Trang Had Yao pier. A good opportunity to go to the toilet and buy some fruit and juices from the local vendors on the pier.

Near the toilets is a small restaurant and convenience store. They sell a wide range of food, snacks, ice creams and drinks.

Other guests arriving on minivans will then join the boat on to the islands of Koh Ngai, Koh Kradan, Koh Muk, Koh Lanta, Koh Jum, Koh Phi Phi and then to Phuket, arriving at Rassada pier. Here some passengers then join a minivan to Phuket hotel or Phuket airport.

From Phuket, Krabi, Trang and any of the islands, it’s easy to arrange onwards transport by plane, bus or train to other destinations in Thailand.

If you want to do the reverse journey and go from Thailand in Malaysia, see our Ferry From Thailand To Malaysia Complete Guide for a full rundown of how the procedure works.