Ferry times from Koh Lanta to Koh Yao Yai

By shared speedboat the journey from Koh Lanta to Koh Yao Yai is scheduled to take from 2 to 7 hours depending upon which service you take.

Ferry Timetable from Koh Lanta to Koh Yao Yai

Click on the Koh Lanta – Koh Yao Yai link in the timetable below for more information and to buy tickets.

Location of Koh Lanta Ferry Pier

Shared speedboat services from Koh Lanta to Koh Yao Yai depart from Saladan Pier.

Location of Koh Yao Yai Ferry Pier

Ferry services from Koh Lanta to Koh Yao Yai arrive at Klong Hia Pier.

About Travel to Koh Yao Yai

Koh Yao Yai is located in the southern part of Phang Nga Bay, approximately 10 km to the east of Phuket and 60 km to the north west of Koh Lanta. At 27 km long and about 5 km wide it’s the largest island in the bay. Koh Yao Noi, which is a short distance to the north of Koh Yao Yai, is a smaller island that’s more popular with visitors.

Popular Places to Stay in Koh Yao Yai

Much of Khao Yao Yai is heavily forested and much of the island is inaccessible. The majority of the island’s tourist accommodation is clustered around 3 beaches, and most leisure visitors to the island choose to stay near one of three beaches:

• Koh Jark Beach: Koh Jark Beach is a 1.5 km long white sand beach located near the centre of the east coast of Koh Yao Yai. It’s the island’s most popular tourist beach and the location of several of the island’s most luxurious resorts, such as Anantara Koh Yao Yai Resort & Villas.
• Loh Paret Beach: Located in the southern half of the island on the west coast, Loh Paret is the island’s second most popular tourist destination. The beach is 1 km and is the location of Koh Yao Yai’s other well known luxury resort, Santhiya Koh Yao Yai Resort & Spa.
• Laem Haad Beach: Located on the north eastern tip of Koh Yao Yai, Laem Haad Beach is the island’s most famous beach featuring a long sand bank stretching out to sea at low tide. It’s also located near the main ferry pier and island’s main village.

Hotels in Koh Yao Yai

There are around 40 hotels, guesthouses, hostels, and resorts in Khao Yao Yai available to book online. Compared to other destinations in Thailand, particularly on the mainland, tourist accommodation in Koh Yao Yai is relatively expensive.

The cheapest place to stay in Koh Yao Yai for sigble travellers is typically Backpack Hostel Kohyaoyai, which charges around 450 THB a night for a bed in a shared dormitory. Private rooms start from around 900 THB a night, with prices rising sharply for accommodation beyond the most basic or close to the beach. Expect to pay at least 3,000 THB a night for a 4 star standard room on the sea front in hotels such as Koh Yao Yai Sea Breeze House.

During the tourist high season, the island’s top hotels charge a lot more than that. Expect to pay around 20,000 THB a night for a room at Anantara Koh Yao Yai Resort & Villas, and around 14,000 THB a night at Santhiya Koh Yao Yai Resort & Spa.

Things to do in Koh Yao Yai

Koh Yao Yai doesn’t have any of the same types of organised activities for children, such as waterparks or go-karting tracks, that you can find in Phuket or Koh Samui. Koh Yao Yai is yet to develop into a mass tourism destination. Muay Thai and yoga classes are available, however, all the other things to do on the island mostly involve water in some way with the most popular activity for visitors being boat tours.

Kayaking, both on the sea and along a mangrove lined river, is also popular in Koh Yao Yai as is scuba diving and snorkelling. The island has several diving companies, the best known of which is Elixir Divers, and three well known nearby dive sites:

• Shark Point
• Anemone Reef
• King Cruiser Wreck

Boat Tours from Koh Yao Yai

There are 44 islands in Phang Nga Bay and consequently lots to explore on a boat tour, both above and below the water. Because Koh Yao Yai is located in the centre of the bay itself it’s a really good starting point for boat tours. Visitors get to spend less time sailing between the islands and more time exploring than they would if they took a tour starting from Phuket or Krabi.

The easiest island to reach from Koh Yao Yai is Koh Yao Noi. It takes about 10 minutes to travel by local wooden boat from Chong Lard Pier in the north of Koh Yao Yai to Laem Sai Pier in the south of Koh Yao Noi.

For travel beyond Koh Yao Yai visitors need to join a tour. There are no scheduled ferry services that take visitors to the main tourist sites in Phang Nga Bay such as Koh Panyee and Koh Ta-Pu. Also, if you want to visit the cluster of islands with sea caves located to the north east of Koh Yao Yai consider booking a tour that includes time in kayaks. Paddling in kayaks is the best way to see the caves up close.