Ko Lan Island
The largest island off Pattaya: the ferry from Bali Hai Pier takes 35-45 minutes, and the shore has beaches for every taste, plus coral reefs.
Ko Lan (the Thai name เกาะล้าน is often rendered in English as Koh Larn, hence the two spellings; the island is also known informally as Coral Island, a name it earned among tourists for its abundant coral) is the largest island near Pattaya, about 7.5 km from the mainland shore in the Gulf of Thailand. Administratively it belongs to Bang Lamung district, Chonburi province, but since 29 November 1978 it has been run by Pattaya City: the island has its own "town hall" in Na Ban village, which the city fully renovated in 2022. In high season, from November to February, thousands of tourists arrive daily - almost all of them on a day trip from the mainland.
The island stretches about 4.65 km north to south and 2.15 km across, with an area of roughly 5.6 km² (3,500 rai); most of the terrain is low hills covered in sparse tropical forest. There are several beaches, with four standing out. Tawaen in the north is the longest, around 700 metres, and the busiest - the ferry docks here, and the shore is lined with restaurants and every water-sport rental going, from banana boats to parasailing. Samae, further south, is calmer and cooler thanks to the sea breeze, with finer sand. Tien, on the west coast, is often called the island's prettiest beach - turquoise water and white sand without Tawaen's crowds. And Nual, at the southern tip, is known locally as "Monkey Beach" - a colony of wild macaques lives there, and a nearby rock ledge called "Monkey Cave" makes a good sunset viewpoint.
The island was originally settled by fishermen and farmers - old pier names like Tha Bai and Tha Rai still recall the days when produce was shipped out by boat. During the Second World War, Ko Lan's separate subdistrict status was abolished because of its isolation from the mainland, and it was merged into neighbouring Na Klua. Mass tourism began in the 1960s, when motorboats replaced sailboats: during the Vietnam War, American servicemen from U-Tapao airbase took turns spending their leave here, and word of the island spread once they went home - which is how other foreigners first heard of Ko Lan. On 29 November 1978 the island formally came under Pattaya's administration.
The usual way to get there is by ferry from Bali Hai Pier in Pattaya to Na Ban village or Tawaen Beach, a 35-45 minute crossing. In April 2026 the fare rose for the first time in 16 years, from 30 to 40 baht one way. A speedboat is faster but noticeably bumpier - 150-200 baht per person one way, 15-20 minutes, or you can charter the whole boat. On the island itself, tuk-tuks and motorbike taxis run between the beaches and the village.
If you'd rather not work out ferries and beach transfers yourself, a day tour covering both Ko Lan and neighbouring Ko Sak is easier - with hotel transfer, lunch on the beach, and a speedboat hop between the islands.
