Koh Bulon is a small island off Satun province, between the Trang islands and Koh Lipe, that belongs to Mu Ko Phetra National Park, not to Tarutao. You get there in the dry season by express boat or speedboat from Pak Bara on the mainland, or as a stop on the island-hopping speedboats that run down the coast.
It is a place for people who want little more than a beach, a book and some snorkeling. There is no nightlife, few places to stay and, as far as we could find, no official information on banks or other services. That suits some travelers perfectly and others not at all, so read the practical section before you book.
Several islands share the Bulon name. The one with the beach and the visitor bay is usually called Koh Bulon Lae (also spelled Bulone on boat timetables). Koh Bulon Mai Phai, nearby, has a temporary national park ranger unit.
Koh Bulon in brief
- Province
- Satun, Andaman coast
- National park
- Mu Ko Phetra National Park (not Tarutao)
- Park fee
- Category 1: 100 baht foreign adult, 50 baht child (October 2026)
- Mainland pier
- Pak Bara, La-ngu district, Satun
- Boats into the bay
- Express boat or speedboat only, not longtail (park, October 2026)
- Season
- The park's closure list has shut Koh Bulon from 16 May to 14 October; island-hopping boats run 15 October 2026 to 30 April 2027
Mu Ko Phetra National Park, not Tarutao
Many websites put Koh Bulon inside Tarutao National Park, the park that surrounds Koh Lipe. The Department of National Parks says otherwise: on 24 October 2026 its director-general inspected Mu Ko Phetra National Park and named "Ao Ko Bulon", the Bulon bay, as one of the park's two visitor spots that need special care. A 2025 park report also describes the Ko Bulon dive site as lying near the Tarutao area, which means outside it.
This matters for two reasons. First, the fee: Mu Ko Phetra is a Category 1 park, so foreign adults pay 100 baht and children 50 baht, not Tarutao's 200 baht. We could not find out whether the fee is collected at Pak Bara or on the island, so keep the cash ready. Second, the park rules apply in the water around the island, including the ban on certain sunscreen ingredients described below.
Beaches and snorkeling around the island
Ao Ko Bulon, the bay where the boats arrive, is the island's main visitor area. The park expects many visitors in the dry season and has told its staff to set up service points and keep the beaches clean; the director-general found the visitor areas clean on his October 2026 inspection.
The reefs here have been looked after. In May 2025, park divers from Tarutao and Mu Ko Phetra, with the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources and volunteers, removed 550 kg of ghost nets (lost fishing nets) from Kong Hin Khao, a rock and dive site at Ko Bulon. Elsewhere in the park, staff recorded a whale shark of about six meters in January 2026, near Ko Lidi, and a group of four dugongs off Ko Lidi in mid-2025. Those sightings are rare, so do not book Bulon expecting them.
Ask your accommodation where it is safe to snorkel and where boats pass. Our guide to snorkeling safely covers currents, boat traffic and when to wear a life jacket. If you are curious about the coral and creatures farther south, our page on snorkeling and diving around Koh Lipe covers the sites in Tarutao.
Mu Ko Phetra is a marine national park, so the sunscreen ban applies. Sunscreens containing oxybenzone, octinoxate, 4-MBC or butylparaben are banned inside Thai marine national parks, with fines of up to 100,000 baht. Check the label before you pack; our sunscreen ban guide lists what to look for.
Places to stay, cash and services
Accommodation on Koh Bulon is limited, and we could not verify which places are open in the 2026/27 season, so we name none. Book before you travel rather than arriving on the last boat and hoping for a room. Ask the place you book how you get from the boat to your room, especially with heavy luggage.
We found no official source on electricity hours, fresh water or ATMs on the island, so we make no claim about them. The safe approach on any small island is the same:
- Withdraw enough cash on the mainland (Pak Bara, La-ngu or Satun) for your whole stay, the park fee and the boat onward, plus a reserve in case the weather keeps you an extra day.
- Bring the medicines you need. Serious medical care is on the mainland; check that your travel insurance includes evacuation.
- Ask your accommodation whether power runs all day and whether you can charge devices in your room.
When Koh Bulon is open
Koh Bulon is a dry-season island. The national park system's published closure list (2018) shows Ko Bulon and Ko Lao Liang in Mu Ko Phetra closed from 16 May to 14 October, the same window as the Similan and Surin islands. We found no 2026 notice repeating those dates, but the director-general's inspection on 24 October 2026 shows the 2026/27 season was under way. The island-hopping speedboats on the Andaman coast run from 15 October 2026 to 30 April 2027, according to the operators' timetables.
In the shoulder months (October, and April into May) the sea can still be rough, and the park passes on monsoon warnings to visitors. If you plan around the end of the season, keep a spare day, and read our page on the rainy season for what the monsoon really means. Koh Lipe's season works differently because Lipe itself stays open all year; see the best time to visit Koh Lipe.
Getting there: Pak Bara or the island-hopping boat
There are two ways to reach Koh Bulon. The first is from Pak Bara, the mainland pier in La-ngu district that also serves Koh Lipe. Pak Bara is usually reached by minivan from Hat Yai or Trang; our older guide to traveling to Koh Lipe describes that road leg, and the Hat Yai guide covers the city and its airport. For piers, operators and booking on the Pak Bara crossing, viamo.net has a detailed Pak Bara ferry guide; ask for the Bulon stop when you book.
The second way is the island-hopping speedboat between Koh Lanta and Koh Lipe. The operator Tigerline lists "Bulone" on its Andaman network, so you can break the trip here between the Trang islands and Lipe. Our Andaman island-hopping route shows how such a trip fits together.
The park is clear on one point: boats entering Ko Bulon bay must be express boats or speedboats; longtail boats are not allowed in (October 2026). For what a speedboat ride is like and how to keep your luggage dry, see our guide to speedboats in Thailand.
Bulon, the Trang islands or Koh Lipe?
Koh Bulon is the quietest of the three choices on this stretch of coast. The Trang islands (Kradan, Mook and Ngai) have more places to stay and the Emerald Cave. Koh Lipe has a walking street, restaurants and dive shops. Choose Bulon if you want a few days with very little to do, and combine it with one of the others if you want more. For the mainland near Pak Bara, our guide to the Satun Geopark covers the caves and coast inland.
Frequently asked questions
Is Koh Bulon part of Tarutao National Park?
No. The Department of National Parks places Koh Bulon in Mu Ko Phetra National Park (October 2026). The fee is the Category 1 rate of 100 baht for foreign adults and 50 baht for children, not the 200 baht charged in Tarutao.
How do you get to Koh Bulon?
By express boat or speedboat from Pak Bara pier in Satun, or as a stop on the island-hopping speedboats between Koh Lanta and Koh Lipe in the dry season. The park does not allow longtail boats into Ko Bulon bay.
Is Koh Bulon open in the rainy season?
The national park's closure list shows Koh Bulon closed from 16 May to 14 October, and the island-hopping boats only run from mid-October to the end of April. Plan a visit between November and April for the calmest sea.
Are there ATMs on Koh Bulon?
We found no reliable source either way. Bring enough cash from the mainland for your accommodation, food, the park fee and your onward boat, with a reserve in case bad weather delays your departure.
Sources
- Department of National Parks – Director-general inspects Mu Ko Phetra National Park, 24 October 2026 (Thai) (checked October 2026)
- Department of National Parks – Beach clean-up at the Ko Bulon Mai Phai ranger unit, November 2025 (Thai) (checked October 2026)
- Department of National Parks – 550 kg of ghost nets removed at Kong Hin Khao, Ko Bulon, May 2025 (Thai) (checked October 2026)
- Department of National Parks – Whale shark in Mu Ko Phetra National Park, January 2026 (Thai) (checked October 2026)
- Department of National Parks – Dugong survey off Ko Lidi, July 2025 (Thai) (checked October 2026)
- TAT Newsroom – National park seasonal closures (2018 list) (checked October 2026)
- Kapook Travel – National park entry fees by category, citing DNP (Thai) (checked October 2026)