Ko Lipe (, ) is a small island in the Adang-Rawi Archipelago of the Strait of Malacca, in Satun Province of southwest Thailand, close to the Malaysian border. Its Thai name, the corrupted form of the original Malay language name, Pulau Nipis ('thin island') is also transliterated into English as "Koh Lipe", "Koh Lipeh", and "Ko Lipey".
Ko Lipe is on the border of the Tarutao National Marine Park and is directly south of the larger islands Ko Adang and Ko Rawi, and about 50 km from the island of Ko Tarutao.
The islands economy is largely centered around tourism, especially because of its white sandy beaches and scuba diving.
Access
During high season (October to June), there are several locations from which travellers can take a ferry or speedboat to Ko Lipe, including: Ko Lanta,
La-ngu District,
Phi Phi, Trang, and
Langkawi (Malaysia).
During low season (Mid June to mid October), the only way to get to Ko Lipe is by speedboat from Pak Bara.
The 90 minute ferry from Langkawi to Ko Lipe operates 1-2 times per day from mid October until mid May, from the Kuah Jetty Terminal or Telaga Harbour Terminal in Langkawi.
Tourism
Ko Lipe has three main beaches which are Sunset Beach (
Hat Pramong), Sunrise Beach (
Hat Chao Ley), and Pattaya Beach. The calm, clear water makes Ko Lipe ideal for snorkeling, with 25% of the world's tropical fish species found in the area.
Environmental concerns
Development on the island is rapidly growing to meet the increase in tourism, leading to issues with waste management, wildlife conservation, and energy supplies. The parks department is trying to control the amount of building on Lipe as many developers have built resorts on National Park land. Upon arrival at Ko Lipe, visitors are charged with National Park admission fee and environmental fee.
Activity
Popular activities for visitors includes scuba diving, snorkeling, kayaking, boat trips to nearby islands and reefs such as Ko Usen and Ko Kra and drinking and dining, particularly fresh seafood on walking street.
Visitors take in sunrise views on Sunrise beach and partake in nightlife on Pattaya Beach.
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