At a Glance
- Total journey: Bangkok to Koh Lanta – approximately 900km
- Recommended approach: Train Bangkok to Hua Hin, stay a few days, collect hire car, drive south over 4 days
- Total driving distance (Hua Hin to Koh Lanta ferry): approximately 780km
- Total driving time without stops: around 10 hours (we broke up over 4 days)
- Best time to travel: November to April – dry season on both coasts
- Why train not drive from Bangkok: Bangkok traffic is brutal and we just didn’t fancy it – the train can be faster than the car or bus, cheaper and probably far less stressful unless you’re a pro at driving in Thailand/Bangkok.
- End point: Koh Lanta car ferry pier near Krabi
- Highlights en route: Hua Hin, Phraya Nakhon Cave, Thung Wua Laen beach, the karst scenery of Krabi Province
Most people fly from Bangkok to Krabi and take a ferry to Koh Lanta. It’s quick, easy, and you miss almost everything worth seeing along the way.
We did it differently. Train from Bangkok to Hua Hin to dodge the capital’s legendary traffic, stop for a break in Hua Hin, pick up a hire car, then drive the rest of the way south over four days – stopping at the most stunning cave, incredible beaches and watching out the car window as the scenery transformed dramatically as the famous limestone karsts of Krabi Province appeared on the horizon one by one.
It was by far a much longer route, but it was significantly more rewarding.
This is our guide to doing Bangkok to Koh Lanta by land: train, hire car, the scenic route, and everything worth stopping at along the way.
In This Article:
- Why train from Bangkok rather than driving?
- Step 1: Bangkok to Hua Hin by train
- Stop: Hua Hin – worth a few days at least
- Step 2: Picking up your hire car in Hua Hin
- Day 1 Drive: Hua Hin south to Sam Roi Yot Beach
- Day 1 Stop: Enjoy Sam Roi Yot Beach
- Day 2 Stop: Phraya Nakhon Cave don’t miss this
- Day 2 Drive: Phraya Nakhon Cave to Thung Wua Laen Beach
- Day 2 Stop: Enjoy Thung Wua Laen Beach
- Day 3 Drive: Drive to Surat Thani
- Day 4: Into Krabi Province – the scenery changes, and onto Krabi / Koh Lanta
- The Koh Lanta car ferry
- Accommodation along the route
- Tips for doing this journey with kids
- Frequently asked questions
Why Take the Train from Bangkok Rather Than Driving?
Bangkok traffic is, by any objective measure, one of the great miseries of Southeast Asian travel. On a bad day, the drive out of the capital heading south can add a couple of hours to your journey before you’ve even left the city limits, subject to where you start your journey. With kids in the back asking why nothing is moving, this is nobody’s idea of a holiday start.
The train from Bangkok’s Hua Lamphong or Bang Sue station to Hua Hin takes around three hours and deposits you 200km south of the capital without a single traffic jam. It’s cheap, comfortable, and the kids can move around rather than being strapped into car seats in gridlock.
From Hua Hin you can spend a few days (or a couple of months as we did), collect your hire car (best pre-booked in advance for a one-way return in Krabi), and the road south opens up in front of you with the worst of the Bangkok sprawl already behind you.
The honest calculation: Bangkok to Hua Hin by train is cheap and removes the stress of driving it. Hua Hin to Koh Lanta is where the interesting driving is. Do the boring bit by train and the good bit by car.
Step 1: Bangkok to Hua Hin by Train
Trains run regularly from Bangkok to Hua Hin throughout the day. The journey takes approximately 3 to 3.5 hours depending on the service.
Which Station in Bangkok?
Trains to Hua Hin depart from both Hua Lamphong (the old central station in the city centre) and Bang Sue Grand Station (the newer main terminal in the north of the city). Check which station your specific service departs from when booking. We went from Bang Sue Grand Station, which when we were there, was relatively empty.
Which Train to Take?
- Rapid and Express trains are the most comfortable and reliable with air conditioned carriages – we booked 2nd class with aircon. Seats were comfortable and spacious.
- Ordinary trains and lower classes are cheaper but slower and less comfortable for families and unlikely to have aircon.
- Book in advance during peak season (December to February) – trains do fill up
- Second class air-conditioned carriages are perfectly comfortable for a 3-hour journey and considerably cheaper than first class, which for the length of journey is sufficient.
Stop: Hua Hin - Worth More Than One Night
We would recommend not just collecting your car and driving off. Hua Hin is fantastic for families, and we ended up staying two months.
Hua Hin is one of the best family destinations in Thailand – a proper beach town with heaps of activities, excellent food, several night markets and enough going on to keep kids genuinely entertained for weeks. We based ourselves there for two months and still left some for next time.
If your schedule allows, it’s best to leave yourself at least 2 or 3 days in Hua Hin before continuing south. You won’t regret it.
Read our full guide: 25 Things to Do in Hua Hin with Kids – click here.
We stayed at Baan Kiang Fah in the south of the city. A great spot with incredible sea views, a nearby market, bars and cafes, walking distance to the central shopping malls and the beach. The place had a gym and pool. We paid 1,000THB / USD$30 per night.
Book at Baan Kiang Fah here.
Book other accommodation in Hua Hin here.
Our favourite place to eat was Im Jang, a family run restaurant almost next door to our accommodation where we rarely paid more than 200-300THB for the four of us for mind blowing food.
Step 2: Picking Up Your Hire Car in Hua Hin
Pre-book your hire car in Hua Hin before you travel – don’t turn up and hope. Car hire availability in Hua Hin can be limited, particularly in peak season, and you want a one-way rental arranged in advance with the drop-off confirmed in Krabi, which can be a little trickier to organise.
One-Way Rental Tips
- Confirm one-way drop-off is permitted and what the fee is before booking – it varies significantly between companies. We booked through Trip.com here
- Book automatic rather than manual – easier for long drives
- Ensure air conditioning works – non-negotiable on this route
- Don’t forget your International Driving Licence – essential for car hire in Thailand
- Take photos and videos of any existing damage before you drive away
Book your Hua Hin car hire here.
Day 1 of the Drive: Hua Hin South to Sam Roi Yot Beach
We left Hua Hin mid-morning and drove just a short one-hour drive to Sam Roi Yot Beach, where we stayed for the night. We didn’t travel far as we wanted to visit Phraya Nakhon Cave first thing on Day 2.
Sam Roi Yot Beach is a tiny quiet village right on the beach with just a small scattering of cafes, hardly any tourists and a few places to stay.
The beach is huge and whilst the sea was a bit choppy when we were there, the beach was nice enough for a long walk.
We stayed at Pineapple Resort – a very basic cheap place, just a few minutes’ walk from the beach, for 470THB/USD$14 for the night with all four of is in one giant bed!
Book accommodation in Sam Roi Yot here.
We ate at a local place located on a crab farm off the main road surrounded by limestone cliffs. We found it on google – it has no western name, so just search for “ครัวคุณจ้อย” – food was great, costing just 230THB for the four of us, in a great setting, as we watched the sun go down.
Day 2 of the Drive: AM: Visit Phraya Nakhon Cave and then drive to Thung Mua Laeng Beach
From Sam Roi Yot Beach, it’s an easy short 15-minute drive to one of the most genuinely spectacular things we saw in the whole of Thailand – visiting Phraya Nakhon Cave, located in Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park.
There’s ample parking at the Cave car park and there’s several places to eat and buy drinks.
Phraya Nakhon Cave itself sits on a hillside above the Gulf coast.
There are two ways to get the foot of the Cave stairway start.
One is a steep 30-minute walk up steps and across the cliff edge and back down to a beach, which leads to the Cave entrance/steps.
Or you can pay extra for a short boat crossing to the beach and skip the 30-minute walk.
Then starts the steps to the cave entrance, which is a very steep path through the jungle. The path is well marked but it is hard work so bring water and wear decent shoes.
Our kids aged 9 and 7 made both climbs. They’re steep but safe.
After a 30-minute tiring climb, you finally get to the inside of the cave where you find the Royal Pavilion – a ceremonial structure built around 150 years ago for the Thai Royal Family. Extraordinary in itself. But what makes Phraya Nakhon Cave truly unforgettable is the light.
The cave roof has partially collapsed. At around 10-11am on a sunny morning, the sun shines through the gap and floods the golden pavilion from above in a shaft of natural light that makes the whole structure glow like something supernatural. Like an angelic building being birthed from the rock.
Truly one of Thailand’s top attractions and one that most visitors driving this route miss entirely by taking the direct highway.
To come back, you do the same hike in reverse.
Practical tips:
- Aim to be at the cave between 10am and 11am for the light – earlier or later and you miss the magic
- Start the hike early – it takes 30-45 minutes for the first steep 500m section and then another 30 minutes once in the cave section – 400m climb.
- Boat from the beach to the trailhead: 400THB each way – up to six per boat
- National Park entrance fee: 200 THB adults / 100 THB kids
- There is a café between the two sections of the hike, by the beach. We stopped on the way back. It’s a little pricey but decent enough.
- Toilets are by the café by the beach. No toilets once you started the second climb into the cave so best go before you set off.
Day 2 PM: Driving further south after the cave to Thung Mua Laeng Beach (near Chumphong)
After the cave comes the first proper long journey although the driving is relatively straight forward – flat, well-maintained roads, with the sea occasionally visible on your left. You’ll pass a few small towns but nothing challenging.
You decide to stop anywhere on the coast but you’ll need to do at least 3 hours to bite a decent chunk of the journey off.
After 45 minutes, we stopped for food at a complete random restaurant in a tiny village we were passing through, called Kui Nuea.
From there, it was a 2-and-a-half-hour drive to our next accommodation at Thung Mua Laeng Beach.
And what a spot that was.
Incredibly laid back small little town with a string of cafes and bars located right on the beach. I even managed to squeeze in a massage to soothe my poor little legs after the steep climb at the cave.
The beach was incredible – beautiful white sand and the sea crystal clear. Friendly locals and just a great spot to unwind for an afternoon and next morning.
We stayed at Albatross Guesthouse, just a few minutes’ walk away from the beach, getting two simple clean (no aircon but fan) double rooms costing 370 THB / USD$11 each.
Book here for the Albatross Guesthouse
Book here for other accommodation in Thung Mua Laeng Beach.
We fancied Western Food at night, so headed to MD Pizza Café for pizzas, totalling 640 THB.
Day 3: South Through Surat Thani, heading inland
We had an awesome breakfast in Thung Mua Laeng Beach at Pirates Terrace, again going for the Western option of a Fried Breakfast at 180THB.
Finding it hard to pull ourselves away from the lovely beach, we headed off further south around lunchtime, after I squeezed in that much needed massage.
We drove for 3 hours down to Surat Thani but rather than stay in the city, we decided to stay right by the main road that was to take us inland towards Koh Lanta.
We stayed at a motel style place called Bali Boutique for 850THB / USD$25 (+ additional 50THB for breakfast)- with all 4 of us in one room. The room was decent with aircon and TV. They have a café on site, so we had dinner from there.
Book here for the Bali Boutique Hotel
Book here for other accommodation options for Surat Thani.
Day 4: Into Krabi Province and onto Koh Lanta
The breakfast was basic but decent enough to fill us up for our journey ahead – chicken rice porridge, toast and boiled eggs – although the kids turned their noses up at the rice porridge, with a look of “where’s the cereal dad?”.
With nothing else to see in the area, we set off early.
Day four is when the drive becomes something else entirely.
As the road swings from the Gulf of Thailand side of the peninsula to the Andaman Sea side, the scenery changes dramatically. The flat coastal plains give way to jungle-clad hills, and then, as you enter Krabi Province, the limestone karsts begin.
These are the formations that make Phang Nga Bay world famous. Towers of ancient rock rising vertically from the ground and sea, covered in jungle, sometimes hundreds of metres tall. They start appearing one at a time on the horizon. Then in pairs. Then in clusters. Then the road is running through them.
This is the moment where I found myself doing what the kids had been doing to me for the previous two days.
‘Wooooow.’
Constantly. Every few kilometres, another one.
The kids were, by this point, less impressed. They’d been promised a beach. Rocks are rocks. But the adults in the car were transfixed.
Krabi Town – Optional Stop
After blasting it with no traffic in site down Route 44, we arrived on the outskirts of Krabi Town in an hour.
Krabi Town is the main hub of the province – a pleasant riverside town with a decent night market and a good base if you want to explore the area. Worth a stop for fuel, food and supplies before the final leg to the ferry. We spent a couple of hours getting provisions, having read that things were more expensive on Koh Lanta.
The Koh Lanta Car Ferry
Another hour from Krabi and we reached the Koh Lanta car ferry around 1pm.
The ferry is a ten-minute hop across a narrow strait that somehow marks a complete change of atmosphere. The ferry runs throughout the day, no booking required – queue and board.
We have a full guide to this crossing including exactly where to find the pier, timings, cost and what to expect on arrival on the island.
Read our full guide: Car Ferry to Koh Lanta -Everything You Need to Know – click here.
After ten minutes, you’ve made it – welcome to Koh Lanta
Tips for Doing This Journey with Kids
- Take the train from Bangkok – we personally didn’t fancy driving in and out of Bangkok
- Book train tickets in advance – second class air-conditioned is comfortable and affordable
- Collect your hire car in Hua Hin – simple, cheap, avoids big city driving (book here)
- Break driving days into 3-5 hours segments and allow for stops with kids
- Time your Phraya Nakhon Cave visit for 10-11am for the light show – this is a must so plan the rest of the day around this. It’s why we left Hua Hin the day before and not in the AM.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How do you get from Bangkok to Koh Lanta?
A: The best family-friendly adventurous approach is to take the train from Bangkok to Hua Hin (around 3 hours), pick up a pre-booked hire car, and drive south over 3 days stopping at Phraya Nakhon Cave, Thung Wua Laen beach and through the karst scenery of Krabi Province to the Koh Lanta car ferry. Alternatively fly Bangkok to Krabi (1 hour) and take a ferry or bus to Koh Lanta – but you miss you miss out on all that scenery and beaches.
Q: Why take the train from Bangkok rather than driving?
A: Bangkok traffic can be severe and could add more hours onto your journey. The train covers the Bangkok to Hua Hin leg in around 3 hours comfortably and cheaply, with no traffic jams, no navigation stress, and the ability for kids to move around. From Hua Hin the interesting driving begins – pick up your hire car there instead.
Q: How long does the drive from Hua Hin to Koh Lanta take?
A: Around 10 hours of total driving time without stops – approximately 780km – practically impossible with young kids.
We strongly recommend breaking it into 4 days (or more if you have time) to allow for stops at Phraya Nakhon Cave and beaches along the way, and to avoid exhausting driving days with children.
Q: Is Phraya Nakhon Cave worth visiting?
A: Without question – it was one of the most spectacular things we saw in all of Thailand. A Royal Pavilion inside a jungle cave, lit by a shaft of natural sunlight through a collapsed roof at around 10-11am. The hike is steep and hot but absolutely worth the effort. Don’t drive past it. Despite what you might hear, in our opinion and experience, it was fine for kids. Challenging yes, but totally doable. Our 9- and 7-year-old done it.
Q: Do I need a hire car for this route?
A: Yes – from Hua Hin onwards the stops along the way are not easily accessible by public transport. There is a train line that runs down the Gulf Coast but a car gives flexibility of stopping off at random places – much better when travelling with kids. Book a one-way hire car in Hua Hin with drop-off in Krabi in advance. Check the one-way fee carefully before booking as it varies between companies.
Q: Is this route suitable for families with young children?
A: Yes with the right planning. Take the train for the Bangkok leg. Break the driving into short days of 3-5 hours maximum. Plan the Phraya Nakhon Cave visit for early to mid-morning. Keep snacks and activities in the car. The hike to Phraya Nakhon Cave is suitable for older children (7+) but may be challenging for very young kids – factor this in when planning although we had friends who done it with three kids, all under 5!
Q: Where should I stop overnight between Hua Hin and Koh Lanta?
A: Night one near Sam Roi Yot or Pranburi – puts you close to Phraya Nakhon Cave for an early morning visit. Night two in the Chumphon area after a beach stop at Thung Wua Laen. Night three somewhere in the Surat Thai region, giving you plenty of time on Day 4 to get to the Koh Lanta ferry and onto Koh Lanta. Optional stop in Krabi.
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