Koh Jum is a quiet island of three villages and a long, empty west coast, about 25 km south of Krabi town on the way to Koh Lanta. You reach it all year by longtail boat from Laem Kruat pier on the mainland, and from roughly late October to April also by the speedboats and ferries that run between Krabi and Lanta.
It is the kind of island people choose because there is little to do: no nightlife, no big resorts, no shopping, just beaches, a few village shops and simple places to stay, mostly small family-run bungalows. If you want a few days of reading, swimming and eating at the same beach restaurant, it is ideal. If you need air-conditioning, a dive school next door and an ATM you can count on, look elsewhere.
Koh Jum at a glance (checked October 2026)
- Other name
- Koh Pu (strictly the hilly north of the island)
- Province
- Krabi, Nuea Khlong district
- Villages
- Ban Koh Pu, Ban Ting Rai, Ban Koh Jum
- Year-round access
- Longtail from Laem Kruat pier, about 45 minutes
- High-season access
- Krabi–Lanta ferries and speedboats, roughly late October to April
- Money
- Bring cash; do not rely on an ATM on the island
One island, two names
You will see the island called both Koh Jum and Koh Pu, on maps, boat tickets and resort signs. Strictly, Koh Pu is the hilly, forested north of the island and Koh Jum the flatter south, and people in each part tend to use their own name. For travelers it is the same place: book a ticket to "Koh Jum" and you will arrive at the right island.
The island has three villages. Ban Koh Pu lies in the north, Ban Ting Rai in the middle and Ban Koh Jum in the south. Most places to stay are on the west coast around Ban Ting Rai, where the long beaches face the open Andaman Sea and the sunset. The boat piers are on the sheltered east side.
The longtail from Laem Kruat: the year-round route
The only route that runs in every season is the local longtail boat from Laem Kruat, a small pier on the mainland south of Krabi town, behind Koh Siboya. The crossing takes about 45 minutes and lands at Mutu pier or Koh Jum pier on the southeast coast, from where local motorbike taxis, some with sidecars, take you to the beaches.
Travelfish, which lists the boats for the 2026 season, gives the public longtail fare as 140 baht, with departures roughly every one and a half hours from about 09:00 to 18:00 and returns from early morning to mid-afternoon. These are reported figures rather than an official timetable, so before leaving Krabi, find out when the final longtail leaves Laem Kruat. If you miss it, the only alternative is a chartered boat.
To reach Laem Kruat from Krabi town, take a taxi, or the blue local songthaew (a pickup truck with benches) heading for Nuea Khlong, a ride of roughly 60 minutes that sometimes means changing trucks on the way. Our Krabi guide covers the town and its transport.
Ask the Laem Kruat boatmen which pier they are going to. Mutu pier is the northern of the two landings and Koh Jum pier lies further south, so the ride to your beach differs. Tell your guesthouse which boat you are on, so someone knows when to expect you.
High season: speedboats and the Krabi–Lanta ferry
From about the end of October until late April, Koh Jum is a stop on the boat network that links Krabi, Ao Nang, Railay, Koh Lanta and the islands further south. The operator Tigerline lists Koh Jum as one of its stations, and other companies sell seats on the same coast. In 2026 Travelfish lists speedboats from Ao Nammao pier near Krabi town, the floating pier at East Railay and Nopparat Thara near Ao Nang, taking roughly 30 minutes to an hour, plus a slower ferry from Klong Jilad pier in Krabi town.
On some services there is no pier stop: the boat waits offshore and a longtail comes out to take you to the beach. That means climbing from one moving boat to another with your bag, which is easy on a calm day and difficult in a swell. Travel light, wrap your phone and camera in something waterproof and read our account of what speedboat rides are really like before you book. The operators, booking and safety on Thai boats are covered in our ferry guide.
When you book, check whether the boat goes direct. Some speedboats run a long loop via Phi Phi or Lanta, and a ride that should take 30 minutes can turn into two or three hours. If you are coming from Lanta, our page on getting between Krabi and Koh Lanta describes the main ferry and minivan options on that route.
Low season on Koh Jum
The wet southwest monsoon arrives in May and lasts until about mid-October, with rain and heavy swell. The ferries largely stop, speedboats run fewer trips or none at all, and the Laem Kruat longtail becomes the main way across. Some beach bungalows close for the season and the island turns back into a fishing community.
That can be a good time for a very quiet stay if you check in advance which places are open, but swimming off the west coast beaches is less pleasant when the swell comes in. How this coast's calendar differs from the Gulf is explained in our island seasons guide, and our page on traveling in the rainy season explains what the monsoon is like day to day.
The beaches and what to do
The main beaches are on the west coast: Long Beach, the longest stretch, Coconut Beach and Sunset Beach. They face west, so they catch the sunset, and outside the peak weeks you may have long stretches to yourself. Check the tide with your guesthouse before swimming or walking round the headlands.
Activities are simple. You can walk the beaches, rent a motorbike to visit the villages, or ask your guesthouse about a guide for the walk up the forested hill in the north. Some resorts arrange day trips by boat. For snorkeling and diving trips on a bigger scale, the boats from Lanta and Ao Nang are the better choice; our guide to island tours from Krabi compares the main options.
Koh Jum is a village island, not a resort strip. In the villages, wear clothes that cover a bit more than beachwear, and do not carry beer or spirits openly.
Where to stay and what it costs
Accommodation is mostly small, family-run bungalow operations along the west coast, many with a restaurant on the beach. In the simplest places expect a fan rather than air-conditioning, a mosquito net and a basic bathroom; check the details before you book if comfort matters. The island has 24-hour mains electricity today. Book ahead for December to February, the busiest weeks of the season.
Food comes mainly from the guesthouse kitchens and a few small restaurants and shops in the villages. Shops are small village stores, so bring any special items, such as sunscreen, a particular medicine or snacks, from Krabi or Lanta.
Cash, signal and medical help
Reports about ATMs on Koh Jum contradict each other: some say there is none, others describe a single machine that often fails. Bring all the cash you need from Krabi or Lanta and treat any machine on the island as a bonus. Every withdrawal with a foreign card costs at least 250 baht in fees in Thailand; our ATM fee calculator shows what that adds up to. Expect to pay cash for boats, motorbike taxis and most meals.
There is no hospital on the island. For anything serious you will need a boat to the mainland and a hospital there, so travel insurance with evacuation cover is a sensible minimum.
Koh Jum or another quiet island?
If your choice is between Koh Jum and Koh Yao Noi in Phang Nga Bay, the Phang Nga Bay island offers a wider choice of rooms, better services and the limestone scenery, while Koh Jum is simpler and closer to Lanta. The Trang islands further south are the better pick if snorkeling matters most. Our overview of the quieter Andaman islands describes the alternatives, and our quiz on which Thai island suits you helps if you are still undecided. Koh Jum also works well as a stop on an Andaman island-hopping route between Krabi and Lanta.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get to Koh Jum from Krabi?
All year, take a songthaew or taxi from Krabi town to Laem Kruat pier and the local longtail across, about 45 minutes on the water. From late October to April, speedboats from Ao Nammao, East Railay and Nopparat Thara and a slower ferry from Krabi town also stop at Koh Jum.
Is there an ATM on Koh Jum?
Do not count on one. Reports differ between no ATM and one machine that is often out of order. Bring enough cash from Krabi or Koh Lanta for your whole stay, including boat tickets, and keep a reserve in case the weather delays your departure.
Are Koh Jum and Koh Pu the same island?
Yes. Koh Pu is the name for the hilly northern part and Koh Jum for the south, and both are used for the whole island. Boat tickets and maps usually say Koh Jum, and that is where you will land.
Is Koh Jum open in the rainy season?
Yes, people live on Koh Jum all year and the Laem Kruat longtail keeps running. In the monsoon months, though, most ferries stop, speedboats run less and some bungalows close. Check that your accommodation is open before you go.
Sources
- Travelfish – How to get to Ko Jum (updated April 2026) (checked October 2026)
- Wikivoyage – Ko Jum (checked October 2026)
- Tigerline Travel – Andaman ferry network and stations (checked October 2026)
- UK FCDO – Thailand travel advice: Safety and security (boat travel) (checked October 2026)
- UK FCDO – Thailand travel advice: Health (checked October 2026)