Nearly every time I go to Pattaya I would cross over by ferry to laze around at Koh Larn. You may wonder why I do that as there is a beach and a sea at Pattaya already… well, in my opinion, whether it’s the color of the sea or the sand grain size…Pattaya absolutely cannot hope to compete with Koh Larn.
Koh Larn is only 45 minutes away from Pattaya if you take a ferry which runs between Pattaya and Koh Larn (for those who don’t know, Koh is the Thai word for island). But if you would like to spend more time on the island you may use the service of the Speed Boat which can take you to Koh Larn within just 15 – 20 minutes. Getting across to Koh Larn is very easily done; you go to Laem Bali Hai which is located in Pattaya Tai (South Pattaya) by either walking to it via the Walking Street or by taking the Songtaew (as I said in one of my former blog, Sontaew is a two-row seat minibus). The ferry fare is 30 baht/person/trip. As for the speed boat which is suitable for large groups, you have to charter the whole boat at the round trip cost of 1,500 – 3,000 baht/boat for a small boat and 3,000 – 6,000 baht/boat for a large boat, which depends on the number of passengers and the destination. For example, if you would like to go to a beach where there are not so many tourists or to stop at smaller islands around Koh Larn also, the fare will be higher than if you take the normal routing. (This of course depends also on your negotiation skills.) But if you are traveling alone and want to go on a speed boat, I think I saw out of the corner of my eyes that the fare is 200 baht/person/trip.
Ferries between Pattaya and Koh Larn run on two routes: Pattaya – Naban Pier, and Pattaya – Tawaen Beach. Now, which route shall we choose? Naban Pier is just like the main gateway into Koh Larn. It boasts many kinds of shops such as food shops, souvenir shops, convenience stores, and shops where you can hire a motorcycle to ride around looking at the sceneries or other beaches on the island. However, if you only want to sunbathe along the beach with moments of running into the sea to get a bit wet before coming back to lie on the beach chair again for the rest of the afternoon before catching the last ferry back to Pattaya just as I did, then I recommend Tawaen Beach as a better choice.
And this is the departure schedule of the ferries from Pattaya to Koh Larn
Now, let’s get back to my short one-day trip to Koh Larn. The trip began late Sunday morning before I came back to Bangkok after having taken many many photos of the Pattaya Fireworks Festival. When I finished checking out at the Backpackers, I loaded myself with the backpack and tripod, and took a Songtaew to Pattaya Tai area. Then I walked right through Walking Street in order to go and get on the ferry at Laem Bali Hai Pier. By the time I got to the Pier it was nearly 11 o’clock. Laem Bali Hai Pier is a long pier leading to the sea and both sides of the pier are jetties for the speed boats which run to Koh Larn, while the ferries are parked at the end of the pier.
After I had got half way along the pier there was a hoot from the tied-up ferry, signaling that people who wanted to use the service should bestir themselves as the ferry would be departing soon. I broke into a half-run half-walk trot and reached the ferry. Then I paid the ferry fare to the boy who was standing on the pier, collecting it. Next I climbed on board and got into the large two-tier ferry along with other tourists, and was ready to conquer the large blue sea.
Koh Larn is only 45 minutes away from Pattaya if you take a ferry which runs between Pattaya and Koh Larn (for those who don’t know, Koh is the Thai word for island). But if you would like to spend more time on the island you may use the service of the Speed Boat which can take you to Koh Larn within just 15 – 20 minutes. Getting across to Koh Larn is very easily done; you go to Laem Bali Hai which is located in Pattaya Tai (South Pattaya) by either walking to it via the Walking Street or by taking the Songtaew (as I said in one of my former blog, Sontaew is a two-row seat minibus). The ferry fare is 30 baht/person/trip. As for the speed boat which is suitable for large groups, you have to charter the whole boat at the round trip cost of 1,500 – 3,000 baht/boat for a small boat and 3,000 – 6,000 baht/boat for a large boat, which depends on the number of passengers and the destination. For example, if you would like to go to a beach where there are not so many tourists or to stop at smaller islands around Koh Larn also, the fare will be higher than if you take the normal routing. (This of course depends also on your negotiation skills.) But if you are traveling alone and want to go on a speed boat, I think I saw out of the corner of my eyes that the fare is 200 baht/person/trip.
Ferries between Pattaya and Koh Larn run on two routes: Pattaya – Naban Pier, and Pattaya – Tawaen Beach. Now, which route shall we choose? Naban Pier is just like the main gateway into Koh Larn. It boasts many kinds of shops such as food shops, souvenir shops, convenience stores, and shops where you can hire a motorcycle to ride around looking at the sceneries or other beaches on the island. However, if you only want to sunbathe along the beach with moments of running into the sea to get a bit wet before coming back to lie on the beach chair again for the rest of the afternoon before catching the last ferry back to Pattaya just as I did, then I recommend Tawaen Beach as a better choice.
And this is the departure schedule of the ferries from Pattaya to Koh Larn
| Pattaya – Naban Pier | Pattaya – Tawaen Beach Pier |
| 07:00 A.M. | 08:00 A.M. |
| 10:00 A.M. | 09:00 A.M. |
| 12:00 A.M. | 11:00 A.M. |
| 02:00 P.M. | 13:00 P.M. |
| 03:30 P.M. | |
| 05:00 P.M. | |
| 06:30 P.M. |
Now, let’s get back to my short one-day trip to Koh Larn. The trip began late Sunday morning before I came back to Bangkok after having taken many many photos of the Pattaya Fireworks Festival. When I finished checking out at the Backpackers, I loaded myself with the backpack and tripod, and took a Songtaew to Pattaya Tai area. Then I walked right through Walking Street in order to go and get on the ferry at Laem Bali Hai Pier. By the time I got to the Pier it was nearly 11 o’clock. Laem Bali Hai Pier is a long pier leading to the sea and both sides of the pier are jetties for the speed boats which run to Koh Larn, while the ferries are parked at the end of the pier.
After I had got half way along the pier there was a hoot from the tied-up ferry, signaling that people who wanted to use the service should bestir themselves as the ferry would be departing soon. I broke into a half-run half-walk trot and reached the ferry. Then I paid the ferry fare to the boy who was standing on the pier, collecting it. Next I climbed on board and got into the large two-tier ferry along with other tourists, and was ready to conquer the large blue sea.
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