Koh Larn Near Pattaya is Totally Worth Visiting - 6 Useful Travel Tips

Alright, I've written about Pattaya before and the TLDR is that I'm not a big fan of the place. Full of fat, bald, old guys, past their prime bar girls and Indian sex tourists.

It's overall not a place I really vibe with, but Koh Larn? Whoa, I'm surprised. I would go to Pattaya again just to go to Koh Larn.

Honestly, I'm actually quite surprised by how nice of an island it is and how close it is to Bangkok. Perfect for a weekend get-a-way.

I just spent time there with a girl I'm casually seeing so let me wrap up the experience with 7 useful travel tips for this place.

#1 - Bring cash (unless you can scan)

Bring cash as I didn't notice any ATM's on the island (for obvious reasons). While I'm sure there must be at least one ATM somewhere, why make your life difficult?

Just bring enough cash as you'll need cash to rent a motorbike and buy food.

If you have a Thai bank account with scanning setup, then you're fine with with just your phone and mobile banking app.

No, credit cards we're not accepted at most of the vendors I visited. So bring enough cash depending on the size of your group.

• A motorbike is 200 Baht.
• Budget 500 Baht for food per person (food, beer, etc).
• 30 Baht to 150 Baht for the return trip (depending on the mode of transportation you take).
• You'll need cash for any water activities.

#2 - The ferry is at Bali Hai Pier Pattaya

This pier is near the famous "Pattaya City" sign and is very easy to get to. Just use the Grab app or Bolt and order a taxi.

Don't use a Tuk Tuk as they're too expensive, unless you really want to take a Tuk Tuk for some reason.

There are also Songtaows as well (trucks with the truck bed converted into seating), but at $40-$50 Baht a person, you're better off just ordering a cab via a ride share app to pick you and your group up at your hotel instead of wandering around Pattaya like an a-hole looking for a truck.

When you get to the pier, you have two options - speed boats or the big ferry.

Speed boats - 150 Baht

Speed boats are fast and fun, but they don't leave on a set schedule. They leave when the speed boat has enough passengers to make the trip profitable.

As there are a lot of tourists, speed boats fill up quick so don't worry about having to wait to long. Once you leave, it takes the speed boat around 20 minutes to reach Koh Larn.

Upon arrival you'll have to walk on a floating jetty. This could be tricky for some as the the jetty moves and flows with the waves.

Where to get a speed boat

As you're walking down the pier you'll be approached by numerous speed boat vendors. Don't worry, you can't miss them.

The big ferry - 30 Baht

All the way at the very end of the pier is the big ole ferry. It's a walk, but just keep walking to the end of the pier, ignoring all the speed boat vendors.

You can buy your tickets in front of the ferry. You can pay in cash or scan. Then, simply board the ferry and wait for departure.

The departure times are around every 2 hour or so. I took the speed boat to Koh Larn because I wanted to leave now.

As for the return trip, I took the ferry back because it leaves on the hour at 4pm, 5pm and 6pm.

It takes around 50 minutes and it's quite a relaxing ride. It drops you back off at the pier, and there you can either walk to walking street, or order a cab back to your hotel.

What if you miss the ferry?

Well there are hotels on the island so you can stay there if you like. But if you want to head back then you'll need to pay a boat operator to take you.

#3 The Best Beach in Koh Larn

Koh Larn has a few different beaches.

Na Baan pier - This is where you arrive, it's a little town and the beach here is not useable. Arrive and get a motorbike to explore the rest of the island.

Coral Island beach - This is a nice beach area with a lot of shops, cafes and local places to eat. They also have chairs laid out on the beach itself so you can lounge around. I would come here personally for food and coffee.

*Editors top choice - Tien Beach - My favorite, nice beach area that's undeveloped. This is the location in my YouTube short. The beach is big, the water is fun to swim around in and it's an overall beautiful location with not too many people.

Samae Beach - Similar to Coral Island. Shops, a big beach that's good for swimming, ideal for a family.

Monkey Beach - Some say this is the best beach, I prefer Tien. Monkey beach is smaller, the water is nice, but because it's smaller it tends to feel more crowded.

I like Tien Beach for spending time swimming and enjoy beach vibes and going to Coral Island Beach for food.

#4 You Need to Rent a motorbike

You can't really get around Koh Larn without renting a motorbike. Once you're in locations like Monkey Beach or Tien Beach there really is no public transportation to get you back to Na Baan pier.

So you'll have to arrange everything and plan ahead when you first arrive...

...or you can just rent a motorbike for 200 Baht and go wherever you want, whenever you want.

But I understand not everyone knows how to ride or is comfortable with ridding.

As for the motorbikes, there are a ton of places to rent from at the pier. They are filled with gas so you're good to go, but don't expect a helmet.

Also consider brining something to protect your skin as you're ridding around as the sun can be brutal.

#5 You can stay on the island, but I wouldn't

Koh Larn does have guest houses you can stay in, but I wouldn't. The island starts to close down around 5-6pm as all the tourists leave on the ferry.

But if you want a quite, chill place to sleep for the night, Koh Larn is not a bad idea. Maybe try and stay here one night to see if you like it, but don't expect any sort of night life.

Just expect to drink cheap beer on the island with your friends. Personally, I would prefer to stay in Pattaya where you have bars, clubs and nightlife to enjoy.

#6 It's worth going only if you plan on visiting Pattaya

If you plan on living in Bangkok as an expat, then you should definitely plan on making trips to Koh Larn every few months.

You should also visit if you really want to visit Pattaya. I do suggest a visit to Pattaya for any expat new to Thailand simply because it's so famous.

But apart from that, there are better islands in Thailand (Phi Phi, Koh Samui, Koh Lanta, Koh Lipe etc).

Meaning, I would not go out of my way to go to Thailand just to visit Koh Larn. It's a great island for those checking out Pattaya and those expats who live in Bangkok that want an easy to access island.

Conclusion

Alright everyone, I'll leave it there. As someone who's first came to Thailand over a decade ago, I can't believe I overlooked Koh Larn for as long as I did.

If you're going to be based out of Bangkok, it's a convenient, easy to get to island. Just take the bus from Ekkamai bus station, or pay a private taxi 1,300-1,500 Baht to get you to Pattaya.

Check into your hotel, enjoy Pattaya then the following day head over to Koh Larn in the morning and enjoy the day there. Finish up, the head back to Pattaya for the nightlife.

Till next time,

-David

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