Koh Lanta Facts and Figures: Quick Reference

By the Koh-Lanta-Island.com editorial team · Last verified 20 September 2026 · How we work

Short answer

Koh Lanta is a group of islands in Krabi Province, southern Thailand, on the Andaman Sea. The main island, Koh Lanta Yai, is about 81 square kilometres and has no airport. Most visitors fly to Krabi, then take a road transfer and car ferry. The dry season runs roughly November to April.

This page collects the basic facts about Koh Lanta in one place. Each value is either from a cited source or from other pages on this site, and where a figure is uncertain we give a cautious range or send you to the official source.

Facts were last checked on 2026-09-20. Schedules, fees and closure dates are set by operators and authorities, so confirm anything time-sensitive before you travel.

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What are the basic facts about Koh Lanta?

Koh Lanta at a glance
Item	Fact
Location	Krabi Province, southern Thailand, on the Andaman Sea (west coast of the Thai peninsula)
District	Ko Lanta District, Krabi Province
Main island	Koh Lanta Yai, where the beaches and most hotels are. It is joined by a bridge to the smaller, flatter Koh Lanta Noi to the north.
Size of Koh Lanta Yai	About 81 square kilometres, roughly 25 to 30 km long and about 6 km wide (sources give slightly different lengths)
Population of Koh Lanta Yai	10,830 in 2012 (the figure reported on Wikipedia). Treat it as an older estimate.
Nearest airport	Krabi International Airport (KBV). Koh Lanta has no airport.
Mainland link	Road transfer and a car ferry to Koh Lanta Noi, then a bridge to Koh Lanta Yai. A mainland bridge has been proposed but is not open.
Currency	Thai baht (THB). Cash is still the most reliable way to pay outside resorts.
Time zone	UTC+7 (Indochina Time), no daylight saving
Language	Thai. English is widely spoken in tourist areas.
Main beaches, north to south	Klong Dao, Long Beach (Phra Ae), Klong Khong, Klong Nin, Kantiang Bay, Bamboo Bay
National park	Mu Ko Lanta National Park, at the southern tip and on nearby islands. Entrance is 200 THB for foreign adults.
Historic centre	Koh Lanta Old Town, a stilt-house village on the east coast
Local culture	Home to Chao Leh (sea peoples), including Urak Lawoi and Moken communities

Sources: Wikipedia and Wikivoyage for island size, population and general geography; thainationalparks.com for the park fee. Last checked 2026-09-20.

How do you get to Koh Lanta, in numbers?

For the full detail, see getting to Koh Lanta, Krabi Airport to Koh Lanta transfer options and Phuket to Koh Lanta. If you are wondering why there is no airport, read Koh Lanta airport: why there isn't one.

Getting to Koh Lanta: routes and indicative times
Route	How it works	Indicative time
Krabi Airport to Koh Lanta	Road transfer, car ferry to Koh Lanta Noi, then the bridge to Koh Lanta Yai	About 1.5 to 2.5 hours door to door, depending on ferry queues and your beach
Krabi Town to Koh Lanta	About 70 km by road with a car ferry crossing (Wikivoyage)	Varies with traffic and ferry wait
Phuket to Koh Lanta	Long road transfer plus the same ferry, or a seasonal boat	Plan on a long travel day, not a couple of hours
Koh Lanta to Koh Lipe	Seasonal boats in the drier months (Wikivoyage reports around 3 hours)	Check current operators before planning
Koh Lanta to Koh Phi Phi	Seasonal passenger boats	Confirm with an operator, weather can cancel crossings

Times are indicative and vary. Confirm with your transfer or boat operator close to your date.

Looking for things to book?

Below you will find a few tours we checked, and you can browse every Koh Lanta activity on GetYourGuide. Links are sponsored.

Browse Koh Lanta tours

When is the season on Koh Lanta?

Weather varies from year to year, so treat these as tendencies rather than forecasts. For more detail, see best time to visit Koh Lanta, weather by month and the Koh Rok and Koh Ha seasonal closure. For numerical climate data, use the Thai Meteorological Department.

Seasons on Koh Lanta by month
Months	Season	What to expect	Koh Rok and Koh Ha
December to February	Peak dry season	Driest and busiest weeks, highest room rates, calm seas	Open
November, March	Dry season	Reliable weather, slightly better value than peak	Open
April	Late dry, hot	Hottest and most humid part of the year. First showers possible late in the month.	Open
1 to 15 May	Transition	Weather can go either way	Open
16 May to 14 October	Rainy season	Mixed sun and heavy showers, rougher seas, lower prices, some smaller guesthouses closed	Closed to visitors
15 to 31 October	Transition	Rain often eases toward the end of the month	Reopened

Koh Rok and Koh Ha closure: 16 May to 14 October, part of the national park's seasonal marine protection. Confirm annual dates with the park.

What are the key places on Koh Lanta?

Key places and what they are
Place	What it is	Guide
Saladan	Ferry-pier town at the northern tip, with shops, banks and a night market	Old Town and Saladan
Koh Lanta Old Town	Historic stilt-house village on the east coast with seafood restaurants	Old Town guide
Klong Dao	Calm, shallow beach closest to Saladan pier	Klong Dao Beach
Long Beach (Phra Ae)	The longest and busiest beach, with the widest choice of restaurants and bars	Long Beach
Klong Khong	Smaller, laid-back, budget-leaning beach with beach bars	Klong Khong Beach
Klong Nin	Wide sandy beach with a growing boutique scene	Klong Nin Beach
Kantiang Bay	Sheltered bay with most higher-end resorts	Kantiang Bay
Bamboo Bay	Quiet southern bay away from the main strip	Bamboo Bay
Mu Ko Lanta National Park	Laem Tanod headland, lighthouse and trails at the southern tip	National park guide
Tung Yee Peng mangroves	Mangrove forest used for kayaking tours	Mangrove forest
Koh Rok, Koh Ha, Koh Kradan	Snorkelling and day-trip islands (Koh Rok and Koh Ha closed 16 May to 14 October)	Day-trip islands

What should I check before I go?

Some details are set by governments or operators and change. Verify these with the official source before you travel.

Entry rules and visas: check the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs requirements (linked in the sources below) for your nationality. This page does not give visa advice.
National park fee: 200 THB for foreign adults according to thainationalparks.com. Fees are revised periodically. See the park fee and hours.
Ferry and transfer details: confirm with your operator, see the car ferry guide.
Weather and sea conditions: use the Thai Meteorological Department and local flags.
Safety and health: read is Koh Lanta safe for tourists and your government's travel advice.

Frequently asked questions

Koh Lanta is in Krabi Province, southern Thailand, on the Andaman Sea coast. It lies south of Krabi town and is reached by road transfer, a car ferry and a bridge.

The main island, Koh Lanta Yai, is about 81 square kilometres, roughly 25 to 30 km long and about 6 km wide. The wider district includes several other islands.

No. The nearest airport is Krabi International Airport (KBV). From there it is roughly 1.5 to 2.5 hours by road transfer and car ferry, depending on queues and your beach.

The Thai baht (THB). Cash is the most reliable payment method outside larger hotels and restaurants. See [paying on the island](/koh-lanta-currency-and-paying-on-the-island).

They are closed to visitors from 16 May to 14 October each year as part of the national park's seasonal marine protection. Check with your tour operator for the current year.

It is 200 THB for foreign adult visitors according to thainationalparks.com. Fees for children and Thai nationals differ and are revised periodically, so confirm at the gate.