At a Glance
- Visited: January 2026 · First visit
- Route: Tammalang Pier, Satun (Thailand) to Kuah, Langkawi (Malaysia)
- Ferry departure: 11:30am daily: one ferry per day only
- Journey time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Cost: 510 THB adults / 410 THB children (plus small admin fee if booked online)
- Booking: Can book online in advance or walk up on the day
- Getting to the pier: 4-4.5 hours from Krabi by car or minivan
- Our tip: Stay overnight in Satun the night before. Much easier than an early morning rush from Krabi
- Important: Complete your Malaysian Arrival Card online before you travel
- Food: Very limited at the pier and nothing on board – bring snacks for you and kids!
- Currency: Money exchange available at the pier if you need Malaysian Ringgit
Quick Picks
This post contains affiliate links – full disclosure at the end
This article will explain how to get to take the Thailand Tammalang Pier to Langkawi Ferry (Tammalang Pier, Satun Province to Langkawi, Malaysia), based on our experience of this route in 2026, as a family of four.
If you want to travel from mainland Thailand to Malaysia by ferry, Tammalang Pier in Satun Province is your only direct option.
There are other routes – like the Ko Lipe ferry or the overland bus and train crossings – but for us, Tammalang to Langkawi made the most sense.
Ko Lipe looks stunning and we would loved to have gone but as it’s fairly hard to get to and was a long way from Ko Yao Noi where we had been prior, we decided to take the route we took.
We were already in Krabi, had island‑hopped enough, and Langkawi was calling.
Getting to Langkawi from Thailand ferry timetable
At the time of writing there is one ferry per day to travel to Langkawi from Thailand by boat, departing Tammalang Pier at 11.30am.
For this reason alone, with kids, we stayed in Satun, to avoid that extremely early start from Krabi.
Practicalities for Tammalang Pier side
Here are some key practical tips about the ferry from Thailand to Langkawi:
- We booked online but it is possible to just walk up and buy a ticket.
- The cost is 510THB per adult and 410THB for kids. Booking online incurs a small admin fee too.
- It is best to get there about an hour early as boarding starts around 11am.
- You go through Thailand immigration to get stamped out, as the boarding process starts.
- At the pier, there is limited food options. There was a fruit cart outside, a cafe selling sweet cakes only and a snack store, that was it.
- Sadly, there are no street vendors cooking any succulent Thai dishes to experience one last time.
- Toilet is 5THB per person.
- Note that if you’re travelling with kids, or an exceptionally hungry adult, there are no food options on board, so stock up on snacks.
- There’s also a money exchange if you’re keen on getting some Malaysian Ringit (MYR) before you arrive and need to get rid of your last Thai Baht (THB).
Ready to book?
We used Thailandferrybooking to book this ferry in advance but we also used Bookaway for much of our transport and ferries in Asia
⛴️ To book the Tammalang to Langkawi ferry, book here
🚌 ⛴️ To book ferries and transport around Asia, click here for Bookaway.com
🏨Click here for accommodation options in Langkawi
🏨Click here for accommodation options in Satun
🚗Click here for Car Hire on Langkawi
📱Click here to get your Malaysia ESIM before you go
This post contains affiliate links. If you book through these links we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you — which helps keep Roaming Wild running. Thank you!
Getting to Tammalang Pier, Satun Province, for the ferry from Thailand to Langkawi
Tammalang Pier is located about 15KM from the town of Satun in Satun Province, Thailand or 250KM from Krabi, Krabi Province.
There are minivans running from Thai towns to the pier directly so no need to stop in Satun.
From Krabi it is a 4 to 4.5-hour drive by car/minivan.
However, it’s worth noting that there is only one ferry a day, departing at 11.30am, so it’s an early start if you’re starting your journey from afar.
It’s possible to hire a car from Krabi and have some flexibility on your way down to the pier, but from the research we did, there was only one company allowing a one-way drop off, and that was two hours away from the pier – in Hat Yai.
So, we settled on a 4.5-hour taxi ride for 3,800THB, to Satun and stayed a night in Satun.
Satun is a quiet, dusty one‑horse town where we felt like the only foreigners—locals greeted us with smiles and hellos everywhere.
We only had an afternoon and without many tourist attractions, that was enough for us.
We stayed in a very basic cheap motel-style place called “Ingpha room to rent” for 1,000 baht for the four of us. There were not many budget options in town.
From Satun, it was a 200THB taxi for the twenty-minute ride to the pier.
Malaysian Arrival Card requirements
At the time of writing, you need to complete an Arrival Card for Malaysia before you arrive. This is best done online (here: https://imigresen-online.imi.gov.my/mdac/main).
For visa requirements, it’s best to check your own country’s government website or the Malaysian Immigration website. Most Western country passport holders get 90 days tourist visa on arrival.
Thailand to Langkawi ferry – the crossing
We did read that there was a 20KG luggage limit, but we didn’t see it being enforced, and one of our backpacks were certainly borderline 20KG, so it doesn’t seem to be an issue.
There is luggage space for larger bags which the staff will load for you, just at the front of the seats. No issues with security, it’s safe where it is. Hand luggage just stays with you.
We had read that whilst you’re allocated a seat number on your ticket, no one stuck to it. However, we found that most people did want to stick to their seat number, although we ended up in different seats and it wasn’t a problem.
Seats were soft and reasonably comfortable, in groups of 4. Approx 100 seats in total. It was about half full on our crossing.
There are toilets onboard, but we didn’t use them so cannot comment on their condition. It might be best to bring your own toilet paper.
There is a silent TV on board – I have no idea what the movie was, what language it was in or what it was about, so it was hard to engage to waste some time.
But the crossing only takes one hour and ten minutes, which even with kids, we managed to only hear three “are we there yets”.
The crossing was smooth—no rough seas, so no motion‑sickness pills were needed.
Arrival in Kuah, Langkawi on the ferry
Upon arrival into Kuah, you first need to go through immigration which feels much more modernised than the exit point at Tammalang.
Once through immigration there is a quick baggage scan, noting that certain fruits are not allowed into Malaysia. If you are carrying any fruit, best check the list before you go through immigration and dispose of anything banned, in the nearby bins.
Once through the scanner, you enter a modern mini shopping mall with shops, restaurants, ATMs to get your Ringit, and plenty of Taxi Drivers willing to get you to part with your money.
If you’ve been using Grab and Bolt taxis in Thailand, you’ll be familiar with these apps. Bolt does not operate in Malaysia, so we used Grab.
We hope that this How to Get from Thailand to Langkawi ferry guide has helped you with you future travels.
Enjoy Malaysia!
Summary
Here is a quick reference check for your planning of the trip from Tammalang Pier, Thailand to Langkawi, Malaysia:
- Travel to Tammalang Pier / pre arrival
- From Krabi: 4–4.5 h by car/minivan
- Overnight stay in Satun recommended (early ferry departure, 3,800 THB taxi to Satun, then 200 THB taxi to pier)
- Complete your Malaysia Arrival Card online
- Ferry Details
- One departure daily – 11:30 am (crossing ≈ 1 h 10 min)
- Best to pre-book ticket but can be bought as a “walk-in”
- Ticket price: 510 THB (adult), 410 THB (child) + admin fee if booked online
- Boarding starts at 11:00 am; arrive ~1 h early. Exit Thailand immigration.
- No food service – bring snacks
- Arrival in Kuah (after 70 minutes)
- Modern immigration hall, Malaysia immigration, quick baggage scan (no fruit)
- ATMs, shops, and taxis right outside the terminal
To find out how we got on in Langkawi, read our blog here.
Read our ultimate guide to Penang with Kids here.
Ready to book?
We used Thailandferrybooking to book this ferry in advance but we also used Bookaway for much of our transport and ferries in Asia
⛴️ To book the Tammalang to Langkawi ferry, book here
🚌 ⛴️ To book ferries and transport around Asia, click here for Bookaway.com
🏨Click here for accommodation options in Langkawi
🏨Click here for accommodation options in Satun
🚗Click here for Car Hire on Langkawi
📱Click here to get your Malaysia ESIM before you go
This post contains affiliate links. If you book through these links we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you — which helps keep Roaming Wild running. Thank you!
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is there a ferry from Thailand to Langkawi?
A: Yes, there is a ferry from Thailand to Langkawi. This article covers the ferry from Tamalang Pier (Satun) in Thailand to Langkawi, Malaysia
Q: How long is the Tammalang Pier, Thailand to Langkawi ferry?
A: The ferry from Tammalang Pier to Langkawi takes one hour and ten minutes
Q: Can you book the Langkawi ferry in advance?
A: Yes you can book the ferry from Thailand to Langkawi in advance, and in fact it’s probably best to for peace of mind, although we found plenty of people turning up and paying on the day. You can with ThailandFerrybooking.
Q: Do you need a visa or arrival card for Malaysia?
A: Yes, you’ll need to complete Malaysia’s Arrival Card online before you travel. It’s free and only takes a few minutes. Most Western passport holders get a 90-day tourist visa on arrival, but it’s worth checking your own country’s requirements before you go.
Q: Is there a luggage limit on the Tammalang to Langkawi ferry?
A: Officially there’s a 20kg limit, but we didn’t see it enforced on our crossing – one of our backpacks was borderline 20kg and nobody blinked. Wouldn’t rely on that if you’re travelling really obviously heavy though.
Q: Can you just turn up and buy a ticket, or do you need to book in advance for the Tammalang to Langkawi ferry?
A: You can walk up and buy on the day but booking online through Thailandferrybooking in advance gives peace of mind, especially since there’s only one ferry a day and especially in peak season.
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