The final leg of journeys to most of the islands as well as some of the more isolated coastal spots will be by boat. Long distance boats from near Bangkok are also available.
It is now possible to travel by ferries in hi season (Nov-May) from Phuket and island hop your way down the coast all the way to Malaysia Indonesia.
This can now be done without ever touching the mainland, Phuket (Thailand) to Padang (Indonesia).
Islands en route:
Ko Phi Phi
Ko Lanta
Ko Ngai
Ko Mook
Ko Bulon
ko Lipe-Koh lipe being the hub on the border between Thailand and Malaysia having a Thai immigration office.
Langkwai- Malaysian immigration here.
Penang
Thai portion could be done in a day, although chances are you'd want to stop on some of the islands.
Another possibility for island hopping is by sailing boat. You will find some companies in Phuket offering this kind of tours. Island Hopping with a sailing yacht is more expensive, than by ferry. If you are traveling in a group, you will be able to share the costs and charter a sailing yacht with skipper.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Southern Thailand
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Southern Thailand - updated May 2024
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Southern Thailand Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
