Check-in for cruising yachts at Koh Lipe

4 March 2015

By Gordon Miller, SY Tiger Balm (UK)

We are based in Langkawi and like to cruise the Southern Thai Islands just north of Langkawi.

We discovered this season that the easy way to do this from Langkawi is to check in at Koh Lipe at Pattaya Beach.  There is an immigration office on the beach specifically for the ferry service that runs from Langkawi to  Koh Lipe.  The check-in service is quick and easy, although we have only used it for checking in, and out from Langkawi.

There is no harbour master or customs. You turn up at the office, tell them you are a private yacht, fill in the forms and they stamp your passport (or not if you are crew) and give you 30 days visa on arrival for your stay in Thailand.  The same for check out, immigration only.

Langkawi authorities seem well aware of the deficiencies in clearance in and out, but happily stamp you back in without providing a port clearance from Koh Lipe.

Couldn’t be easier, and as long as you do not check in or out on weekends or public holidays the service is free. We were charged TB100 for overtime the one time we had to check out on a Sunday.

If you are sailing from Langkawi, and back to Langkawi, then this is a really easy way to sail to Thailand without having to go all the way to Phuket for clearance.

Editor’s Note: Yacht owners should check the immigration regulations for Thailand prior to trying this. These cruisers are from the UK and therefore visa exempt. If you require a special visa, Koh Lipe does not have the authorities to issue one, therefore you will encounter problems if you do not have a visa organised prior to arrival. For a list of countries entitled to visa exemption or visa on arrival go to http://www.mfa.go.th/main/en/services/123/15393-Visa-on-Arrival.html