Pattaya to Koh Larn Ferry & Speedboat Tours (2023)

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Heading to Pattaya in Thailand soon? Lucky you! With sun kissed beaches, beachside bars and incredible sunsets, there is a lot to enjoy in Pattaya. Pattaya is also the gateway to Koh Larn Island (Coral Island) which is within easy access of the main land via a ferry or speedboat.

Koh Larn is one of the most popular islands to visit in Pattaya. Only accessible by sea, Koh Larn feels like a tropical Thai island paradise hidden away from the rest of the world.

Pattaya to Koh Larn by sea can be as quick as a 15 minute speed boat ride from Bali Hai Pier, or you can get a more sedate (and much cheaper) ferry. Here is our guide to getting from Pattaya to Koh Larn.

Table of Contents

How do you get from Pattaya to Koh Larn (Coral Island)?

There are three main ways to get from Pattaya to Koh Larn which we will explain in depth in this article:

1 – You can take the public ferry (30 baht per person one way)

2 – You can charter a shared speedboat (150-200 Baht one way)

3 – You can book a group speedboat tour (from 480 Baht)

Note: You cannot fly to Koh Larn and the only way to access Koh Larn in Thailand is by boat. Pattaya to Koh Larn is around a 10k / 8 mile trip via sea.

Pattaya to Koh Larn ferry — *Public ferry*

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1. Taking the Public Ferry to Koh Larn (Coral Island)

The ferry is the cheapest way to get to Koh Larn Island

Koh Larn Ferry Timetable

There are two separate ferry routes to Koh Larn Island:

Pattaya to Naban Port
This is the main village on the island where many locals live and where several large hotel resorts are located. There are no scenic beaches here so you will need to take a shared songthaew or motorbike taxi to transfer to one.

Pattaya to Tawaen Beach
This is the most popular and largest beach on Koh Larn Island.

At Bali Hai Pier in Pattaya, the ferry to Tawaen Beach departs on the left and the ferry to Naban Port departs on the right.

This is the ferry timetable as of February 2023.

Tawaen Beach Koh Larn Thailand — *Tawaen Beach*

Koh Larn Ferry Tickets and Price

The price of the Pattaya to Koh Larn ferry is 30 Thai Baht per person each way, as at February 2023.

You do not need to buy your Pattaya to Koh Larn ferry tickets in advance. The ferry tickets can be bought as you go aboard. There is no advance ticket office at the Bali Hai Pier and Pattaya harbour.

Aboard the Ferry

The Pattaya to Koh Larn ferries usually consist of two levels – an upper and a lower deck. The decks are open to the elements in summer.

On board the ferries you’ll find basic toilet facilities and a small cafe to buy drinks (although this may depend on your particular ferry) – if in doubt, take a drink for the journey.

The ferry crossing from Pattaya to Koh Larn can be quite choppy so if you suffer from sea sickness, remember to take seasickness tablets half an hour before your scheduled ferry departure.

The ferry departs from Bali Hai Pier in Pattaya and arrives at Tawaen Beach in Koh Larn.

Pier at Tawaen Beach Koh Larn Thailand — *Tawaen Beach pier on Koh Larn Island*

Ferry Journey Duration

The ferry takes around 45 minutes to go from Pattaya to Koh Larn.

2. Charter a Speedboat to Koh Larn (Coral Island)

Taking a speedboat is the quickest but more expensive option.

The speedboat journey to Koh Larn takes around 15-20 minutes. The advantages of taking a speedboat over a ferry is the much shorter journey time, plus you can get dropped off directly on the beach rather than at the pier. The disadvantage is that the ride is much bumpier than the ferry.

You can find multiple speedboat operators offering shared transfers at a cost of around 150-200 Baht per person one way. To find them just walk along Beach Road in Pattaya and around Bali Hai Pier.

One downside is that you will have to wait for the speedboat to be full or nearly full of passengers before departing, but during peak season this shouldn’t be a long wait.

If you are travelling as part of a group you can charter your own private speedboat transfer for between 1,500 – 3,500 Baht depending on the size of the speedboat.

Boarding the speedboat at Koh Larn island

3. Booking onto a Pattaya to Koh Larn Speedboat Tour

Booking a group tour to Koh Larn is the most expensive option, but great if you want an easy transfer to and from your hotel.

We took a Pattaya to Koh Larn speedboat half day tour which cost 480 Baht (£11 / $13.75 USD). Full day tours are also available, plus you can also add on various watersports activities when you book.

This Pattaya to Koh Larn speedboat tour picked us up at our hotel foyer in a songthaew and took us to the pier. We then jumped aboard a private speedboat from Bali Hai Pier in Pattaya with a tour guide and the rest of the tour group.

On the way to Koh Larn, there was the option to do parasailing and also a sea-walk; these cost extra and were not something we did.

To note if you don’t wish to undertake the parasailing activity, you still have to watch the others on your speedboat tour do it before continuing on to Koh Larn.

We didn’t mind this too much as it was fun to watch and only took up about 20 minutes. The parasailing takes place just off Pattaya beach from a floating deck / barge (covered).

Once at Koh Larn (Tawaen Beach), we were given seats under shaded parasols at a beach cafe on Tawaen Beach and had around 2.5 hours free-time. Note that there is no shade on Tawaen Beach so the parasols was appreciated.

You can buy drinks and food from the beach cafe you are given seats in as part of the tour but they don’t pressure you to buy anything so you can just relax and enjoy the sea views if you so wish.

You are also able to use their toilets for free. Showers cost 50 Thai Baht.

Shaded parasols at Koh Larn Tawaen Beach — *Shaded parasols at Koh Larn*

Pattaya to Koh Larn Speedboat Tour banana boat watersport add on - Tawaen Beach — *Banana boat add on for the Koh Larn group tour*

Speedboat Tour Timings

We booked the afternoon / half day Pattaya to Koh Larn speedboat tour. We were picked up from our hotel at around 12.30pm and joined others at around 1pm at Bali Hai Pier. After a quick trip to watch the parasailing, the speedboat journey to Koh Larn took around 15 minutes.

We were then free to enjoy Tawaen beach for about two and half hours before getting a 4.30pm speedboat back to Pattaya.

Back at Bali Hai Pier, we were all put onto the same songthaew and arrived back at our hotel around 5.30pm. In total, our speed boat tour to and from Pattaya to Koh Larn door to door lasted 5 hours.

Songthaew transfer Pattaya Thailand — *Songthaew transfer*

Which Koh Larn Island Transfer is Best?

Overall, we thought the speedboat tour was incredibly good value at around 470 Thai Baht for a return private speedboat transfer including pick up and drop off at your hotel. In fact, if you are staying far away from Bali Hai Pier in outer Pattaya, the included pick-up makes it even better value.

Although we had to wait 20 minutes to watch others do the parasailing (as we aren’t fans of heights), we didn’t mind at all and it was fantastic to see others enjoy it up-close.

The Pattaya to Koh Larn ferry is cheaper at around 60 Thai baht for a return ticket but it does take much longer. The ferry takes 45 minutes each way plus a lengthy disembarkation period, whilst a speedboat tour from takes just 15 minutes.

It also arrives and leaves directly on the Tawaen Beach, unlike the ferry where you have to walk to and from the Tawaen Pier which takes a few minutes.

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Pattaya to Koh Larn Ferry & Speedboat Tours (2023)

How do you get from Pattaya to Koh Larn (Coral Island)?