File photo for reference only

 

Tourists heading to Koh Lanta in Thailand's Krabi province are experiencing lengthy delays, with queues stretching for kilometers as they await ferry services. The increasing wait times are causing frustration among visitors, especially as the high tourism season begins. Concerns are growing over whether ferry services will be able to handle the coming surge in tourists during December and January.

 

With the onset of the busy season, the demand for ferries has outpaced supply, leading to extensive queues and hours-long waits for travelers. The bottleneck affects both directions of travel, highlighting infrastructure challenges at one of Thailand’s popular holiday destinations. Visitors are urging authorities to address the issue by expanding ferry capacity and improving service management.

 

The delays have sparked broader concerns about the readiness of Thailand's infrastructure to accommodate the influx of tourists expected in the peak season. Calls are mounting for immediate improvements to ferry services, with some fearing that ongoing issues could hamper the overall visitor experience and local economic benefits.

 

In a bid to address these challenges, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has mandated speedier progress on a bridge that would connect Koh Lanta to the mainland. Announced during a visit to Krabi on October 24, this project aims to support tourism and investment by reducing reliance on ferry services. The plan involves constructing a 2-kilometer bridge with a budget of 1.8 billion baht.

 

The bridge project, if executed as planned, will begin pile driving in 2026, with completion slated for 2029, offering a more permanent solution to the current transportation issues. This infrastructure development is anticipated to significantly boost Koh Lanta’s tourism industry, providing more convenient access and potentially enhancing the region’s appeal as both a tourist spot and a medical tourism hub.

 

Key Takeaways

• Ferry delays on Koh Lanta are causing extensive queues and tourist frustration.
• A proposed 2-kilometer bridge aims to solve ferry congestion issues by 2029.
• The Thai government is prioritizing improvements to boost Krabi's tourism sector.

 

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  Adapted by ASEAN Now from Khaosod 2025-11-07

 

 

If you stay at Pimalai Resort they operate a complimentary jetty.

 

6 minutes ago, Real Name Hidden said:

If you stay at Pimalai Resort they operate a complimentary jetty.

 

What percent of the visitors to Lanta stay at Pimalai resort? Silly response. 

52 minutes ago, Real Name Hidden said:

If you stay at Pimalai Resort they operate a complimentary jetty.

 

Is it big enough to take my car?

9 minutes ago, petermik said:

Is it big enough to take my car?

No, but take your water skis. 

The solutions they ask for are dangerous to say the least. 

3 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Visitors are urging authorities to address the issue by expanding ferry capacity

I can see the overloaded ferries now. With a major accident causing the ferry to sink. 

3 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has mandated speedier progress on a bridge that would connect Koh Lanta to the mainland.

Can anyone even imagine what disasters this entails. Thailand can not even make an overpass without taking years with hundreds of accidents injuring those below. And they are not hurrying to complete that. 

I would hate to see what kind of destruction there will be making the construction speedier on a bridge over the sea. 

No thanks. I don't have enough months left in my life to wait on a line longer than 10 or 20 minutes. 

 

I had the great fortune of visiting Koh Lanta during covid, it was absolutely deserted, and we stayed in a five-star resort and got a beautiful Villa for under2,000 baht. The general manager was wandering around trying to figure out what to do with this time, and we would hang out and drink wine together, even though liquor was forbidden at that time because everybody knew that you could get severe covid from beer and wine. 

22 hours ago, marin said:

What percent of the visitors to Lanta stay at Pimalai resort? Silly response. 

did not know that some hotels etc provide there own transport. thanks

23 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Tourists heading to Koh Lanta in Thailand's Krabi province are experiencing lengthy delays, with queues stretching for kilometers as they await ferry services.

Go Thailand, give tourists an unforgettable experience to remember, and wonder why they don't return

What is there thinking here? If they can’t handle the tourist numbers now, they will definitely not be able to handle them in high season. It’s a no brainer. 
I also agree with above that they will overload the ferries and it will become dangerous. 

On 11/7/2025 at 5:40 PM, marin said:

What percent of the visitors to Lanta stay at Pimalai resort? Silly response. 

Blatant advertising:
walk-ons experience NO QUEUES
Its only cars, van, bus's
 

Buh I thought nobody was coming to Thailand anymore?  Of course that's just the same low season story they dust off every year.  These "the lineups are too long" stories are the ones they dust off for high season every year.

19 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

No thanks. I don't have enough months left in my life to wait on a line longer than 10 or 20 minutes. 

 

I had the great fortune of visiting Koh Lanta during covid, it was absolutely deserted, and we stayed in a five-star resort and got a beautiful Villa for under2,000 baht. The general manager was wandering around trying to figure out what to do with this time, and we would hang out and drink wine together, even though liquor was forbidden at that time because everybody knew that you could get severe covid from beer and wine. 

I had the same experience; we stayed at a 4 star resort of over 150 bungalows /rooms, 2 pools, there were like 6 people visiting at the time>
Beach front bungalow for 1,200 baht

been going to lanta from Phuket since gave up on ao nang when it got way to crowded back in the early 2000's

We visited for 1st time late last month. Worth the wait for ferry (1.5hrs). It is like Samui was 30 years ago. Gorgeous and not expensive in low season. 

 Could they transfer the ferry that's used on the Hua Hin to Pattaya route?  Asking for a friend...