Koh Lanta is fully open and has the same laid-back friendly vibe as it did before the pandemic began. Almost all businesses on Lanta have re-opened and are welcoming visitors back. Now’s the time to come!
Sun, sea, sand… still there. Klong Nin beach, Koh Lanta, December 2022Tourists have most definitely begun to return to Koh Lanta but it’s unsurprisingly quieter than 2018 and 2019 when tourism in Thailand was at its peak.
That’s great for visitors to Koh Lanta coming during 2023 as they get to enjoy all the island has to offer largely without the crowds.
Virtually all the hotel, restaurant and cafe businesses on Koh Lanta have survived the lockdowns of the pandemic and have now re-opened and are welcoming visitors back.
Long term Koh Lanta favourites are all still open on the island, including:
- Catfish, Baifern and the Frog in Saladan
- Time for Lime restaurant and Lanta Animal Welfare on Klong Dao
- Funky Fish and the Ozone on Long Beach
- Rasta Chill and Horizon on Klong Nin
- Drunken Sailors in Kantiang Bay
- Pimalai, Layana, Rawi Warin and The Houben all remain as Lanta’s luxury resorts
- Dive shops are operational, including Lanta Diver, Go Dive and Blue Planet
- There are still plenty of private villas to rent across Koh Lanta
Several new places have opened on Koh Lanta during the last couple of years:
- Lanta Casa Blanca on Relax Bay
- Nirvana resort on Klong Nin beach
- Boho Hostel in Saladan Village
- The Crown Lanta on Kawkwang Beach rebranded to Avani Plus Koh Lanta
There are over 900 places to stay on Koh Lanta, catering to all price points, from hostels to luxury resorts. Check Booking.com and Agoda.com to see current availability across all Koh Lanta accommodation.
More and more healthy options are opening up, especially around Klong Nin:
- Full-Fill cafe on Klong Nin junction
- Galapagos on Klong Nin road
- Smoon at Klong Toab beach
Elvis is back in the building. Sea Sand Soul restaurant, Saladan VillageThere have unfortunately been some closures during the last couple of years. These include:
- The Indian bar on Klong Dao beach
- Scubafish dive shop at Kantiang Bay
- Amantra resort on Klong Nin beach
- Red Snapper restaurant on Long Beach
- Black Pearl restaurant in Saladan
- Papa restaurant restaurant in Saladan
- Coffee Asylum on Klong Nin beach
- Monkey Business on Klong Nin beach
The Express Transfer service which combined a speedboat ride and minivan drive from Krabi Airport to Koh Lanta has also unfortunately stopped operating.
The main way to get from Krabi Airport to Koh Lanta in 2023 is by minivan, either a private minivan transfer or shared minivan. You can also get a ferry to Koh Lanta from Krabi airport and numerous other places along the Thai coastline.
Plans to build a second bridge from Koh Lanta Noi to the Krabi mainland seem to be on track to begin work at the end of 2023. The completion date is supposedly at the end of 2025.
As with the first Koh Lanta bridge, it’s likely these dates will get pushed back a bit but the bridge construction will eventually go ahead. More details and updates on the second Koh Lanta bridge at Future South East Asia.
Once the second Koh Lanta bridge is completed, travelling to Koh Lanta will be much easier from Krabi Airport. Travel time will probably be halved to about an hour to 90 minutes from airport to hotel. With this new accessibility, Koh Lanta is likely to become far more popular with visitors. So visiting Koh Lanta in the next couple of years before everyone wants to come to the island is a good idea!
