Pattaya/Things to do/ nature
Ko Larn, Coral Island
The island off Pattaya's Bali Hai pier with the clear water the mainland beaches lack, reached by a public ferry that costs less than a coffee.
What we checked, 18 September 2026
Checked on 18 September 2026. The pier works come from Pattaya City's own releases. The fare and timetable belong to a boat operators' club whose only channel is a Facebook page we could not read, so the fare is attributed to the business press report that reproduced its notice, and not stated as our figure. We have not been.
Verified via. Pattaya City has published the rebuilding of Na Ban pier on Ko Larn as a 900-day contract worth 241.91 million baht, including demolition of the old pier, a temporary pier, and a new reinforced concrete pier 19.4 metres wide and 64 metres long, with completion expected in 2027. OpenStreetMap records Bali Hai Pier, where the ferries leave, at 12.9276, 100.8676.
Admission
There is no island entry fee that any authority publishes, and we are not stating that there is none. The public ferry fare is set by the boat operators' club and announced on its Facebook page, which we could not read; Thai business press reported it rising from 30 to 40 baht in March 2026. Beach chairs, motorbikes and songthaews on the island are all separate and all cash.
Ko Larn is the island a few kilometres off Pattaya, with a handful of beaches including Ta Waen and Ta Yai, and water noticeably clearer than anything on the mainland shore. It is the easy, cheap day out from Pattaya, and it is packed at weekends.
The ferry, and why we are not stating the fare. Public ferries run from Bali Hai Pier at the south end of Walking Street to Na Ban pier on the island’s east side and to Ta Waen beach. The fares are set by the operators’ club and announced on its Facebook page, which cannot be read without logging in. Thai business press reported the club’s notice in March 2026 raising the fare from 30 to 40 baht. That is almost certainly right, and it is a report of a notice rather than the notice, so it is here as reported.
The pier you arrive at is being rebuilt. Pattaya City has let a 900-day contract, worth 241.91 million baht, to demolish Na Ban pier and replace it with a new concrete pier 64 metres long, working from a temporary pier in the meantime, with completion expected in 2027. Expect the arrival to feel like a building site until then.
Getting round the island. Most people use a songthaew or a hired motorbike to reach the beaches. If you are not a confident rider on unfamiliar roads, take the songthaew.
Speedboats and tours. The same trip is sold as a speedboat charter or a packaged island tour at several times the ferry price. The ferry takes longer and is the better value by a distance.
What we have not done. Been. Jesse and Stacey spent five nights in Pattaya in March 2025, and this listing waits for his account like the rest.
Best for
A beach day with clearer water than Pattaya's, without paying for a tour
Skip if
You want quiet at the weekend. Half of Bangkok has the same idea
More in Pattaya
- A Pattaya elephant sanctuary — wildlife
- A Pattaya cabaret show — nightlife
- A Ko Larn island tour — water
- Nong Nooch Tropical Garden — nature