Pak Bara is the gateway to some of the most dazzling islands anywhere in Thailand, lying only 60km northwest of Satun.
From Pak Bara you can jump onto a boat and explore the Mu Ko Phetra and Koh Tarutao Marine National Parks.
This little sleepy fishing town is the place where you can reach Koh Lipe – at any time of the year. It is not really a place to spend any serious amount of time, as there is very limited accommodation, if you do wish to stay here, it is recommended to book in advance in one of the small guest houses.
Pak Bara is a very quiet little town however if you arrive during one of the muslim celebrations then things can get a little more hectic, and if you are fortunate enough to be in Pak Bara then you are sure to enjoy the celebrations.
During these events many of the local people dress up in beautiful and ornate costumes, while enjoying listening to local Thai live music and eating some fine Thai Muslim dishes. The local market here is an excellent place to find some very cheap yet delicious Thai food too; the southern Thai Muslims are extremely warm and welcoming and always have the friendly Thai smile on their faces.
Facilities here are slowly improving and there are some decent little seafood restaurants serving up freshly caught fare, there are some small souvenir shops a couple of beach wear clothes shops and ATM machines, but most people just pass through to the islands.
There is a Koh Tarutao Marine National Park visitor centre which is just by the pier; you can book your tickets for Ko Tarutao and Ko Adang, the quickest way to the islands is of course by speedboat and you can obtain your camping permission here too.
You can reach Pak Bara from many towns in southern Thailand, so wherever you are staying it should not be too difficult to reach. If you are staying in Trang or
Hat Yai the local bus terminal has buses direct several times a day. Also Phuket and Krabi has bus routes here too.
Pak Bara has the main pier for reaching Koh Lipe, speedboats do run all year round weather permitting of course and the journey to Koh Lipe will take approximately one and a half hours and is about 60km away.
You can take a taxi or mini-van from Hat Yai which will take a little less than a couple of hours. The duration from Trang will take about two hours and from Satun around forty minutes. Krabi is quite a distance and the journey will take about four hours while coming from Phuket could take up to seven hours.
There is a gorgeous road which runs from Langu town to Pak Barra pier and takes you on a route through the natural and luscious hills, the journey is not long maybe ten minutes but it is a very beautiful one and costs about 100 baht.