Tarutao National Park
Jungle Island, White Sand and a Legendary Prison

🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026

Tarutao National Park was Thailand's first marine national park, covering more than 50 islands in the southern Andaman Sea off Satun province. Tarutao Island itself is the biggest and the closest to the mainland, and its southern tip sits just a few kilometres from Malaysia's Langkawi. What sets it apart from Koh Lipe is that almost the whole island is still wild jungle. People come here for the quiet, the raw nature and the history, not for beach parties.

How to get to Tarutao Island

The gateway to Tarutao is Pak Bara Pier in La-ngu district, the same pier you use for boats to Koh Lipe. From Satun town it's about an hour by car or minivan to Pak Bara. Once you reach the pier you can buy speedboat tickets at the counter, and the boat from Pak Bara to Pante Malacca Bay takes around 30 minutes.

• Speedboat from Pak Bara — Koh Lipe boats run several times a day (around 09:30, 11:30, 13:30, 15:30), and most can drop you at Tarutao if you say so when you buy your ticket. The Pak Bara–Tarutao leg runs about 200–300 THB one way.
• Going back — Check the boat schedule carefully, because not every boat stops at Tarutao. It's safer to tell the park staff or the boat company in advance.
• Pak Bara pier fee — Charged separately from the boat fare: 40 THB for Thai adults, 20 THB for children.
• Coming from Satun town — There are minivans and songthaews running Satun–Pak Bara, or you can charter a ride or drive yourself and park at the pier lot.

Park fees and lodging

The Tarutao park ticket covers every island within the park boundary (including Adang–Rawi over by Koh Lipe) and is valid for several days. Keep your ticket safe, because you'll need to show it when entering the other islands.

• Park entry fee — Thai adults 40 THB, children 20 THB; foreign adults 200 THB, children 100 THB (the ticket lets you cross to other islands in the park within a few days).
• Park bungalows — At Pante Malacca Bay the national park has bungalows you can book, roughly 600–1,000 THB and up per unit/night depending on size and number of people. They fill up fast in high season, so book ahead through the park department's online booking system.
• Tents — You can rent a park tent for around 225 THB/night, or pitch your own for a site fee of about 30 THB/person/night. The campground sits right on Pante Malacca beach.
• Food — There's a park restaurant/kitchen at Pante Malacca Bay, but the menu is limited and opens at set times, so bring your own snacks and spare water.

Pante Malacca Bay, the heart of the island

Pante Malacca Bay is on the northwest side of the island. It's where the boats dock and where you'll find the park headquarters, bungalows, campground and restaurant. The beach here is fine white sand, with a freshwater stream running out to the sea and a backdrop of rocky cliffs and thick green jungle. In the early morning and evening you'll see macaques and wild boar foraging near the shore. It's an island setting that still feels genuinely wild.

The old Talo Wao prison, history that still lingers

What makes Tarutao different from your average pretty island is its history. In 1936 the Department of Corrections chose this island for a penal colony, because it was far from the coast and ringed by rough seas. Ordinary prisoners were held at Talo Wao Bay in the north, while political prisoners were sent to Talo Udang Bay in the south. During World War II supplies ran short, disease and famine set in, and some of the guards and prisoners turned to piracy, raiding ships in the Strait of Malacca, until troops finally had to be sent in to put them down.

Today at Talo Wao Bay you can still walk among the building foundations, a kiln and a memorial, with a small museum telling the story of the prison era. Talo Wao is on the opposite side of the island from Pante Malacca Bay, so you'll need to take a boat or use the park vehicle to cross over — about 12 km across the island. Ask the staff about transport first, because it isn't available at all times.

What kind of Tarutao trip suits you

There are two ways to do Tarutao: a quick day stop on the way to Koh Lipe, or an overnight to really soak up the atmosphere. The two plans feel very different.

Get ready before you reach the island

• Cash — There are no ATMs anywhere on the island and shops only take cash, so bring enough for lodging, food and boats.
• Phone signal — There's almost no signal across the island, so tell people at home you'll be out of reach, and download maps and your boat tickets offline.
• Flashlight — The island is very dark at night and power is limited and cuts out at set times, so bring a flashlight or headlamp.
• Mosquito repellent and personal items — It's wild jungle, so mosquitoes and insects come out in force in the evening. Bring repellent, basic medicine and your own supplies, since you can't buy them on the island.
• Watch out for monkeys and wildlife — The macaques like to rummage through bags and food, so keep your snacks sealed away and don't feed the monkeys.
• Book lodging ahead — In high season (November–April) bungalows and tents fill up fast, so book through the park department system before you travel.