Southern Andaman travel guide

What the far Andaman is like

Four quiet islands and a pier town, with the party one boat ride away in Phuket, Phi Phi or Krabi: Koh Yao Noi and Koh Yao Yai in Phang Nga Bay, Koh Lipe in the far south, and Koh Phayam up near Ranong.

Here's how I'd plan it for a group: the big evenings in Phuket or Phi Phi, then a few days on a quiet island to recover. This guide covers the quiet islands; the party islands each have their own, linked below.

Where the party is

The party is in four places, each with its own guide:

• Phuket nightlife: Bangla Road and the beach clubs.
• Phi Phi nightlife: the fire shows and beach parties.
• Krabi nightlife: Ao Nang and Railay.
• Koh Lanta nightlife: beach bars and party evenings.

Further down the coast, see Khao Lak, Trang and Ranong.

Is there nightlife on Koh Yao Noi?

Barely, and that's the point: nightlife there means two bars, a night market and your hotel terrace, because it's a Muslim island with no bar strip and alcohol isn't sold in every shop. The market serves cheap food until about 8pm.

Koh Yao Noi is in Phang Nga, about 47 square kilometres of hills and beaches with 13 mostly Muslim fishing villages, the Tourism Authority of Thailand says; boats from Bang Rong Pier take about an hour, or about 30 minutes by speedboat (checked November 2026).

Sunset Bar sits on the west coast of the southern peninsula, open from 4pm, and Sundowner Pirate Bar is the spot for a few drinks after dinner. Boats leave Phuket from Bang Rong Pier on the east coast, including a slower longtail at 12:30pm that takes about an hour.

Tanner's take: Sunset at Sunset Bar, dinner at the market, one drink at Sundowner. Dress modestly in the villages.

• Sunset Bar, west coast, from 4pm
• Sundowner Pirate Bar, a few drinks
• Night market, until about 8pm

Ask Tanner for a table at Sunset Bar.

Is there nightlife on Koh Yao Yai?

No: there's no nightlife, and evenings mean your hotel restaurant or an early local dinner. It's bigger and emptier than Koh Yao Noi, with longer beaches.

A longtail crosses between the two islands in about 15 minutes, so most visitors stay on Koh Yao Noi and come to Koh Yao Yai for a day at Laem Haad Beach. Speedboats run from 3 Phuket piers: Bang Rong, Laem Hin and Chionwanit.

Tanner's take: Stay on Koh Yao Noi and day-trip to Koh Yao Yai for the beach.

• Laem Haad Beach, the day trip
• Bang Rong, Laem Hin, Chionwanit, Phuket piers

Want the beach day? Tanner books the longtail across.

How do you get to Koh Lipe?

Most groups reach Koh Lipe by speedboat from Pak Bara pier in Satun. Bundhaya, one of the main operators, lists boats at about 9am, 11am, 1pm and 3pm, about 90 minutes each way, its own site says (checked November 2026); in the green season there are fewer.

Koh Lipe lies about 2 kilometres south of Ko Adang, and Pattaya Beach is its busiest beach, with the walking street, the resorts and the boat landings, the Tourism Authority of Thailand says (checked November 2026).

Pak Bara is a fishing village known for its seafood. From Malaysia, the Langkawi ferry to Koh Lipe runs from 1 November 2026 to 15 April 2027.

For the island itself, read our Koh Lipe guide, and for the trip, see Krabi to Koh Lipe and Hat Yai to Koh Lipe.

Tanner's take: Take the 9am boat and have lunch on Koh Lipe. Pak Bara is for seafood on the way, not a night's stay.

• Pak Bara pier, Satun, boats to Koh Lipe
• Koh Lipe, the far-south island

Miss the last boat and you're sleeping in Pak Bara, so Tanner times the car to the boat.

Getting to Koh Phayam

Koh Phayam is the quiet island off Ranong: high-season speedboats leave Ranong Pier from 9:30am to 4:30pm and take about 30 minutes, and the slow boat takes about two hours. The island is known for its long, fine white beaches and its cashew nuts, the Tourism Authority of Thailand says (checked November 2026).

Spend the evening before in Ranong, with the hot springs and a band: see our Ranong nightlife guide.

Tanner's take: A night in Ranong, the morning boat, and a few slow days on Koh Phayam.

• Ranong Pier, speedboats to Koh Phayam, about 30 minutes

Hold the morning speedboat, and the car meets it at Ranong Pier.

The island-hopping route

The route: two big evenings in Phuket or Phi Phi, then island to island by boat, with a car to each of three piers: Bang Rong for Koh Yao, Pak Bara for Koh Lipe, and Ranong for Koh Phayam.

For a group, a luxury van (an Alphard) takes up to 4 from ฿6,500 for 10 hours, a party van up to 10, and a coach 20 or more, straight to each pier. Tanner times each car to the boat.

Plan it with Tanner, and every car meets its boat.

Which island suits your group

Phuket and Phi Phi are for the party; the four quiet islands, Koh Yao Noi, Koh Yao Yai, Koh Lipe and Koh Phayam, are for the days after.

• The big night: Phuket's Bangla Road or Phi Phi's beach parties.
• The sunset and two bars: Koh Yao Noi.
• The empty beach: Koh Yao Yai.
• The far south: Koh Lipe, by boat from Pak Bara.
• The slow island: Koh Phayam, from Ranong.

Not sure which? Ask Tanner, and he picks the island with you.

When is the best time to go?

Go in high season: the full Koh Lipe boat timetable runs from 16 October to 31 May, and the Langkawi ferry runs from 1 November 2026 to 15 April 2027. In the green season, from 1 June to 15 October, there are fewer boats to Koh Lipe.

Check the Buddhist holy days before you pick dates: shops stop selling alcohol on those days, and we plan the evenings around them.

The five holy days are set in the Office of the Prime Minister's notice of 7 May 2025, and licensed venues in tourist areas can still serve. Pick your dates, and Tanner checks them.

The southern Andaman in short

• What it is: the quiet islands of Thailand's far Andaman coast, for the days after the party.

• Koh Yao Noi has a sunset bar and a night market until about 8pm, by boat from Bang Rong Pier.
• Koh Yao Yai is the empty beach, 15 minutes by longtail from Koh Yao Noi.
• Pak Bara to Koh Lipe: boats from about 9am to 3pm, about 90 minutes.
• Koh Phayam is about 30 minutes by speedboat from Ranong Pier.
• High season runs from 16 October to 31 May.

Checked November 2026.

After the islands

After the southern Andaman, the group heads back to Phuket for the big night, or on to another region.

• Phuket nightlife: the big night on the Andaman.
• Hat Yai nightlife: the big southern city.
• Where to go in Thailand: every region at a glance.

Ask Tanner to plan the way back.